Great Barr Quarry, now ASDA

[^monet^]

Not the best pic, but part of the quarry, taken from the southern end of the lake that is still there. Taken around 1974. That's Aldridge Road in the background.

 

[Morturn]

That house sat there on its own spit of land for years. It always fascinated me how they had dug away all the land around it. It am sure its gone now.

 

[Vivienne14]

Welcome Monet. Interesting photo. Wondering if the house was older than the ones on Aldridge Road and maybe owned by someone who refused to sell. Maybe it belonged to the quarry ? What was the quarry called ? Maybe someone on here knows. Viv.

 

[oldMohawk]

Looking at the photo the houses to the right of the solitary house are on the Aldridge Rd and to the left of those can be seen the backs of houses on the south side of Shady Lane. I remember the house and it appeared to be a farm house and on old maps there is a 'Queslett Farm' shown opposite to Shady Lane.

 

[aston lad]

I lived facing the quarry between 1977 -1988, I cannot remember when the house was pulled down, but I do think it was the quarry became a landfill site....early 1980's

 

[Phil]

I'm sure we were tipping on there in the mid 70's, only when working in that area. Was there any other landfill sites nearby? I'm sure this photo shows the entrance we used to use.

 

[Dave M]

Excellent pic was born just out of sight to the right of the OLD Horns

 

[oldMohawk]

There were several landfill sites in the district and that was one of the last to be used. There were lots of sand deposits in the area which led to all the the quarries being dug. We never bought sand for home building, we just went and dug it up as we needed it. What was built on the site is shown here
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/old-street-pics.38737/page-236#post-561938

 

[aston lad]

I'm sure we were tipping on there in the mid 70's, only when working in that area. Was there any other landfill sites nearby? I'm sure this photo shows the entrance we used to use.

View attachment 120132

I moved into a new house in 1977, I know for certain they were not tipping council refuse at that time, the photo shows the way we were able to enter the quarry, I am not sure of the date of this photo (post 36 ) but they may have been still taking sand to used on one of the motorways being built around that time.....,

 

[oldMohawk]

The date for the photo is 16th October 1972 and it shows the site being cleared to build the 'Do-it All' DIY store. As mentioned in the other thread that store eventually rented about one third of its floor space to Asda. Eventually Asda took over the whole site, demolished the building, and replaced it with the present building. I remember during evening visits to the store seeing flames from pipes venting the methane from the land fill and this went on for several years.

 

[Wobblyclogs]

The father of my best man dug the quarry virtually single handed; well with the help of a huge excavator of course. He worked at the quarry for as long as I can remember; I was born in Corbridge Avenue in 1939, but lived in Heston Avenue most of my life, from September 1939.

Where old Jim was concerned, I think it's a bit sad to see your life's work filled in with rubbish is it not!

John Walker

 

[Wobblyclogs]

it was and up the lane which if I remember rightly was called sandy lane was the other part of the works where they dug up and shipped the sand to the queslett road plant . old booths farm house that is no longer standing was also storage bay for blue circle cement . I know it all well has I was born and lived in Ashworth road there was a road between my house and the quarry . I loved the place, in my memory of how it all was i still do, it was my big front garden has a child . I used to wag school ( perry beeches and calshot little school ) over there it was super fun there was always lots of frogs and newts and stickle backs pike and roach in the lakes , a lot of people went fishing over there . In my mad teenage years I was with a bike gang called the mad mob it was our stomping ground and sorry to say although in them days was accepted as one of the scrambler clan that loved to ride there bikes over there . I had a montessa trials bike .. oooo the memories ..I do have some photos somewhere have to try and sort them out . Just ask I'm sure I could tell you lots about this wonderful place ...

Pinky;
I share your memories of 'The Willow Woods'. Happy days I still think of when I get stressed out a bit!!! I lived in Heston Avenue, on the Booths Farm Estate, and the 'Woods' were my playground!

I think you'll find that 'Sandy Lane' is next to the Beeches Road School, and runs from Aldridge Road to Beeches Road. The lane that was un-adopted, was called Booths Lane, and it is what's left of the access road that the gravel company built. They closed off the original Booths Lane and what's left of it is still in existence; what used to be the original junction with Sandy Lane. Hope that helps.

John

 

[chris-p]

In the early seventies my husband attended Great Barr Comprehensive School, he tells me they used to have the "Cross Country Running Event" through there. He was also one of the lads who used to go Bike riding over there from Kingstanding, they had an old BSA Bantam. He loved to fish the pools too, especially the one near the Asda end, behind the wood yard, which had lots of specimen Perch. They had Air Guns too, & used to like hitting the Bullrush heads, & making them explode... Happy Days!

 

[41Heston]

The father of my best man dug the quarry virtually single handed; well with the help of a huge excavator of course. He worked at the quarry for as long as I can remember; I was born in Corbridge Avenue in 1939, but lived in Heston Avenue most of my life, from September 1939.

Where old Jim was concerned, I think it's a bit sad to see your life's work filled in with rubbish is it not!

John Walker

Hi John
Do you remember the Roberts family living two doors down from you at No. 41?( between Mr. and Mrs Cavill and Mr. and Mrs. Shore)
Best wishes
Jacqueline