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Back to Back houses today

It's on the corner of Icknield Port Road and Dudley Road in the corner of Summerfield park you can see it on Google maps on the birds eye view. they've not long knocked down the rest of the houses which I think was probably the court, if you look at the same area on Bing map birds eye view it looks like the court was still there, although it was used as a shop back yard.

I remember passing the shops and seeing the walls splaying out and they had reached the safety critical point unless anyone wanted to spend lots of cash restoring them.

Can't be many left now, I'm always on the look out to see what's left and don't come across anything, I know people are glad to see the back of them (pardon the pun) but it's, a shame people don't value working peoples house as much as the big country homes.

Phill
 
I found it, is it being used for anything?. Corals bookmakers across on Dudley road looks very old also and is just about hanging on in there.
 
Yes, that's the one, it's now being used as a garage workshop, the bottom half has probably been opened up, but I haven't been inside, it would be interesting to see what they have done to it, as it now has a commercial use which is the only reason it has survived.

I have a few mor pic's but i didn't want to use up the memory on the site.

But I think it's a good find and it may have a few years left before the area is re-developed

It would be nice to get some good photo's before it goes, maybe some of the photo archivists on here would like to take some good shots.

Phill
 
Yes, that's the one, it's now being used as a garage workshop, the bottom half has probably been opened up, but I haven't been inside, it would be interesting to see what they have done to it, as it now has a commercial use which is the only reason it has survived.

I have a few mor pic's but i didn't want to use up the memory on the site.

But I think it's a good find and it may have a few years left before the area is re-developed

It would be nice to get some good photo's before it goes, maybe some of the photo archivists on here would like to take some good shots.

Phill
Managed to get a decent google street shot of it..
https://goo.gl/maps/jy2PV
 
That's the one, the next time I'm at the library I'll check out the 1887 maps and see if it was attached to the shops that fronted Dudley Road, just out of intrest to see how many house it contained.

It's nice to see someone else has a little interest in the old house.

Does anyone know of any more left, I know I've asked this question before but I assumed they had all gone now.

Phill
 
Here is the c1889 map with what I assume the building is you are talking about in red

map_c_1889_junction_of_Icknield_port_rd_and_Dudley_road.jpg
 
I noticed another building today on Ickneild Port Rd. It's opposite the Belle Vue pub, next to the Centennial Centre. It has a high wall similar to the blind-back I think. The traffic was moving so couldn't get a good look (I wasn't driving!) but I had a look on the Google link in a previous post. One of the old buildings further along towards Town is used as a carwash (corner of Osler St.)
My Grandparents lived in The Dell, Daisy Rd. by the Reservoir, when they were first married, the house is still there!! It isn't a back-to back though.
rosie.
 
I noticed another building today on Ickneild Port Rd. It's opposite the Belle Vue pub, next to the Centennial Centre. It has a high wall similar to the blind-back I think. The traffic was moving so couldn't get a good look (I wasn't driving!) but I had a look on the Google link in a previous post. One of the old buildings further along towards Town is used as a carwash (corner of Osler St.)
My Grandparents lived in The Dell, Daisy Rd. by the Reservoir, when they were first married, the house is still there!! It isn't a back-to back though.
rosie.

Got it...


https://goo.gl/maps/adjz2
 
It's on the corner of Icknield Port Road and Dudley Road in the corner of Summerfield park you can see it on Google maps on the birds eye view. they've not long knocked down the rest of the houses which I think was probably the court, if you look at the same area on Bing map birds eye view it looks like the court was still there, although it was used as a shop back yard.

I remember passing the shops and seeing the walls splaying out and they had reached the safety critical point unless anyone wanted to spend lots of cash restoring them.

Can't be many left now, I'm always on the look out to see what's left and don't come across anything, I know people are glad to see the back of them (pardon the pun) but it's, a shame people don't value working peoples house as much as the big country homes.

Phill

I can remember these, but not so clearly as the ones a little further into Icknield Port Rd.
My grandfather's brother and his wife, Howard and Ida Aston (she was actually Myrham Divinia! - what a name!) kept a little grocers/sweet shop along there in the 1950s - I think it was the fourth 3 storey house up from Dudley Rd. and as you went up the entry at the side, there was a court of back to backs ahead. Digging back into my memory banks, 50+ years ago, I can see 3 or 4 houses on either side, neat little fenced gardens in front of each, and the wash-houses alongside them. At the far end was a wall, and Uncle used to take me to look over it, to see Summerfield Park. Sometimes their dog, Shep, escaped from their little back yard (a high wall and wooden gate around it) and I would be sent to call him back in.
I can now see all this on Mikejee's map, so my memory's not playing tricks on me!

Does anyone out there remember Ida and Howard?
I have amazing stories to tell about Ida, when I find the right thread to use!
 
Hi Phil, there certainly back to back, I was born at 7/8 Hick Street, two up and two, Mom, Dad and 6 kids, work that out, no wonder we had enough points for a council house out at Yardley Wood, at Hick St; the toilets were in the yard in a block, even when we got to the new house the loo
was outside the back door! My sister in law Barbara still lives in that house but its been done up, new windows etc and one of the bedrooms has been made the bathroom. No loo rolls in those days, News of the World on a nail in door, I never did finish one story I was reading.!
Happy days? no, we used to pay Dr Wand six pense a visit, now people
moan about the NHS they dont know they are born.
bye for now Bernard:cool:

Hello Bernard67Arnold,

I just came across this post whilst browsing the forum, my wife's grandparents used to live in 1 back of 13 Hick Street at that time, family name Bousfield, I wonder did you know them at all?

Lozellian.
 
I cannot see how they could modernise an old back to back, where are you going to put a kitchen ?, where are you going to put a bathroom ? not to mention a toilet, I lived in one [n Aston for 5 years (1956-61) 2 damp rooms and a leaking attic, when we moved to a semi in Erdington, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, indoor toilet and Garage it was paradise. Eric
 
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