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Arch In Selly Park

selly park fields forever

selly park fields forever

Son of the fields
Esteemed fellow Brummies.
For those familiar with Selly Park : think of the Pershore Rd, junction Kensington Hotel. Walk up Kensington Road. At the very top on the right hand side (opposite the flank wall of the convent) are the grounds, including a little lake, of, after the old houses were demolished, what became known as Southbourne Close. By the lake in the grounds of Southbourne Close is a very strange and mysterious looking arch. You can only just cast a glimpse of it from Kensington Rd in winter when the trees lose their leaves. When we were kids we just referred to it as the 'magic arch (?)'
Does anyone know anything about it ? A good friend of mine I grew up with lived in Selly Park Rd and said, when he was a lad, he'd mow the lawn of the 'mad professor' type owner of the house in whose back garden the arch was. The house was years later demolished to make way for Southbourne Close
 
Hi selly park fields forever, welcome to the forum ... a tricky question for us to ponder over ! ...:D
I just had a look at the area and presume it is this arch at the end of the pool (full of algae) on the day of this pic. If it was a garden feature it is quite elaborate, maybe you can get near it and see if there is any inscription on it.
oldmohawk ..:)
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oldMohawk said:
Hi selly park fields forever, welcome to the forum ... a tricky question for us to ponder over ! ...:D
I just had a look at the area and presume it is this arch at the end of the pool (full of algae) on the day of this pic. If it was a garden feature it is quite elaborate, maybe you can get near it and see if there is any inscription on it.
oldmohawk ..:)
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OldMohawk thank you so much for your prompt response ! Yes, that is the very one ! A very strange structure that nobody seems to know anything about ! Anyway, I appreciate your welcome and will await to see if anybody can cast any further light on it. Thank you again - SPF4EVER :)
 
The c1890 map shows that small area marked as Selly Park, and it and later maps to c1937 seem to show something there, but it is not labelled. The c1956 larger scale map marks it as ruin.

map c 1890 showing junc. Kensington road and Sellt park road.jpg map c 1956 showing junc. Kensington road and Sellt park road.jpg
 
mikejee said:
The c1890 map shows that small area marked as Selly Park, and it and later maps to c1937 seem to show something there, but it is not labelled. The c1956 larger scale map marks it as ruin.

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MikeJee, that is fantastic ! A thousand thanks.
That the larger scale (c1956) map labels it as 'ruin' is most interesting. I am thus wondering if it is the remains of a larger structure ?
I cannot thank you all enough. It is a bewitching site. In autumn, when the area bursts into the stunning, seasonal reds, if you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this place, you would think think you were on a film set for Lord Of The Rings ? It has enchanted us for so long.
 
I too would be interested in the findings of this question. It was a popular spot for local kids to play ( in the 50s ) and make up stories of what goes on the their side of the railings. We used to catch toads that were abundant in the grass on the roadside. As an adult I worked in the area and had chance to look at it close hand. It then looked to me as an elaborate garden feature, but I could be wrong, I hope I am and there is an interesting story to it. G
 
I think it's in the grounds of the old high field house. There is a write up regarding an Irish poet who lived there. In the write up you can just about see the ruins in a picture that accompanies the write up G
 
Apart from the 'Mysterious Arch' I notice there is a gasometer in the grounds of the Convent/Chapel marked on the the c1890 map and I have seen it on another map. That must have rather stood out in such lovely surroundings and unusual for a building to have it's own gasometer.
 
If it was marked on maps as a 'ruin' would it have been a genuine ruin or might it have been a folly? Viv.
 
Selly park fields forever. if you look at mikeinmono.blogspot.co.uk you should find more about you enquiery. look under Louis MacNeice & Highfield. G
 
reading the article it states the construction was a stone folly. a very interesting read G
 
greart said:
Selly park fields forever. if you look at mikeinmono.blogspot.co.uk you should find more about you enquiery. look under Louis MacNeice & Highfield. G
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G good evening. Please forgive me - can't seem to locate anything under Louis MacNeice & Highfield? Have opened/accessed mikeinmono.blogspot.co.uk but can't see anything Louis etc from there ? Apologies if I'm just not seeing it. Thank you so much nevertheless. SPF4EVER
 
greart said:
Selly park fields forever. if you look at mikeinmono.blogspot.co.uk you should find more about you enquiery. look under Louis MacNeice & Highfield. G
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G ! Found it ! Superb ! What a story ! One huge step in the right direction regarding the mysterious arch. I am very grateful. SPF4EVER
 
If it was a folly it must have been commissioned by a large house. Although which large house I don't know. There's Selly Park/Hall, Highfield and notice there's mention of a Cleeve Hall too on the link in post #9. Confused! Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
If it was a folly it must have been commissioned by a large house. Although which large house I don't know. There's Selly Park/Hall, Highfield and notice there's mention of a Cleeve Hall too on the link in post #9. Confused! Viv.
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Vivienne14, I looked at the photos of Highfield in that blog and I recognised the very arch in the photos plus the house itself, the semi-circular patio at the rear of the house - I remember seeing it when I was a young boy through the trees as I glanced in from Kensington Road. The trees then were not the size they are now thus less foliage to obscure the view. As for the arch itself - did P.S.Florence have it built ? Was it older than his tenure ? Was it younger ? Mysterious !
 
SPF4EVER. this may be a better photo G
 

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I'm not an expert in this subject but am interested in who built the arch and found this in a Google Books Article. If it is the 'mysterious arch' then the source of the stonework is interesting.
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oldMohawk said:
I'm not an expert in this subject but am interested in who built the arch and found this in a Google Books Article. If it is the 'mysterious arch' then the source of the stonework is interesting.
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Mohawk that is fantastic. That concurs with that which I've picked up overnight from my pal abroad (a fellow Selly Parkian.) He used to live in Selly Park Road. His house I think backed onto Highfield. Back in the 70s as a young lad he used to cut the grass at Highfield for the professor. The professor used to sit on the veranda watching him. My pal said that, from that which he could remember, the arch had been brought in from Birmingham city centre somewhere ? Picturing St.Philip's Cathedral in my head now, the arch does look as if it is of similar, if not the same stonework (C18 ?) as the cathedral. Thank you again. I take my hat off to you !
 
Hi spf4ever, I must admit I knew nothing concerning the very interesting history about Highfield until you posted on the forum. We don't always have success in finding things see a 'mysterious item on the forum here' that has completely beaten us ... and we certainly tried !
oldmohawk
 
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oldMohawk said:
Hi spf4ever, I must admit I knew nothing concerning the very interesting history about Highfield until you posted on the forum. We don't always have success in finding things see a 'mysterious item on the forum here' that has completely beaten us ... and we certainly tried !
oldmohawk
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Mohawk - just had a look : gas tower ? doesn't ring any bells I'm afraid. It wasn't over where the huge, conical (cooling?) towers used to be by the motorway coming up from the south ? The ones that were subsequently demolished (in the 80s ?)
A propos Highfield and its arch I think St.Philip's Cathedral is the next port of call ? Many thanks once again. SPF4EVER
 
This is getting even more intersting. I hope there are further developments. A nice bit of detective work old Mohawk. G
 
greart said:
This is getting even more intersting. I hope there are further developments. A nice bit of detective work old Mohawk. G
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I suppose we would have to look at some early photos (pre 1880) of the Cathedral to see if they match anything showing in your photo in post#20. I wonder if the present owners of the garden know that they might have a part of St Philip's on their property ?
 
When I was last there it seemed to just be a feature in the centre of the development so I don't think there is an individual owner, it may be simply a feature of the development. A nice one though. G
 
This has turned into a very nice nugget of history. How lovely to find this out. Well done all. Viv.
 
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