The link above posted by Janet touches on prehistoric and Roman Perry Barr.
In 1906 The Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society describes a possible fort in this area…”
“The Ryknield Street passed along the southern end of Well Head Lane and entered,
I think, the enormous square of a camp large enough to contain one of those great
double consular armies which assembled when all the legions in Britain, raised
to double strength with their auxiliaries, were mustered for some great enterprize.
I place the southern face of this work at a line of dykes and pits extending across the
isthmus of Perry Barr from Well Head House to Holdford farm; other works
on either bank covered the Witton Ford of the Tame. At some later time the
original lines were contracted to form a static camp which may later have been given
to other purposes.
To form this castrum a new bed was cut for the Tame which was thus constrained
to form a broad and deep moat at least 2,230 feet in length (the original camp was a
square of this measurement) facing north…”
Interestingly it goes on to say…”
“It is only part and parcel of the profound romance of archaeology to note that, all unnoticed, this re-entering ditch drawn by Romans to protect a forge which armed their legions has dictated the curious position of a factory which supplies millions of cartridges to British troops after the lapse of sixteen hundred years.”
