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Lea Hall Handsworth

chocks2

chocks2

master brummie
Today I had to make a delivery to some allotments in Wood Lane Perry Barr. As I drove down a little lane on my right I was confronted by a very large building.
I was informed by one of the growers that the building was know as Lea Hall. The Hall itself is well hidden from the road by thick trees and until today I didn't even know it was there. Unfortunately the grower knew nothing of it's history.
Can anyone educate me about it's history and useage? I would guess it was rather a grand building in it's day!
 
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

I believe Lea Hall is now Lea Hall Allotments and Institution.
 

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Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

My parents live the other end of Wood Lane so I am very familiar with Lea Hall and the allotments there but I'm afraid I don't know anything about the history of the house.
 
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

Looking through the old papers I found an advert for Lea Hall, Handsworth for let.
It is from the Birmingham Daily Post, 3rd October 1861
 

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Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

In 1866 a man by the name of E D Wilmot was living there.

On 18th June 1866 E D Wilmot is advertising for a new or second hand Rick Cloth (is that something to do with a horse carriage?)

and on 13th April 1877 the death was announced of Bertha Amelia (died 10th April) age 24, daughter of Edward D Wilmot, Lea hall.
 

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Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

In 1873 a freehold property and land is for sale in Wood lane near Lea Hall - it has a lodge on it so perhaps it was once part of the estate of Lea Hall?
 

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Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

In 1893 Mr George G Brodie of Lea hall, Handsworth was appointed a director of the Rudge Cycle Company
newspaper date 22nd December 1893
 

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Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

Firstly, I should appologise for refering to Lea Hall as being located in Perry Barr. I went off the postcode I was given. Sorry Handsworth!

Doesn't appear to be much information about the house out there but many thanks to all of you who offered help and info.
I have been told that there is a plaque inside the building and I have been invited to go up to Lea Hall and get some pictures of the inside of the building so as soon as I have time I shall do just that.
 
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

What a great invitation - will you be able to post the photos on the forum? I hope so as I would love to see what it looks like inside.
 
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

I use to be a member of this club I the 70/80s, wonderful old building and brilliant snooker room...
 
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

I lived in Lea Hall from birth in 1953 my grandparents had lived there from 1945. I still go there every week and know some of the history, some of it's secrets and some of it's ghost tales.
 
Ooooh .. do tell Ray!
I used to go to the Lea Hall club around 1956. There was a dance floor and a bar, I remember. Don't know anything about the history of the place I'm afraid so would be interested to hear Ray's stories. The only interest I had at my time in Lea Hall was how to get a drink (I was underage)* and who to get a dance with next!
*Oh the shame of it.
 
Charlie said:
Ooooh .. do tell Ray!
I used to go to the Lea Hall club around 1956. There was a dance floor and a bar, I remember. Don't know anything about the history of the place I'm afraid so would be interested to hear Ray's stories. The only interest I had at my time in Lea Hall was how to get a drink (I was underage)* and who to get a dance with next!
*Oh the shame of it.
Click to expand...
Inside one of the cupboards is evidence of the hidden staircase that meant the servants couldn't be seen travelling between the servants' quarters on the second floor (bringing dirty water from the cast bath with no plughole) down to the cellar. The cellar is only half of the ground floor area and my grandfather was startled by the spparition of a young lady appearing through the cellar wall and dropped a barrel on his hand, damaging the ring that I now wear. On the second floor was a family chapel with a wonderful decorative gilded frieze now painted over but the chapel door with it's tiny grille window still exists. So do some of the original firebacks.
 
Wonderful! I wished I'd had an interest in history when I visited. As Wendy said, how lovely to have lived there.
 
I have just possessed J.A. Langford's book "A Century of Birmingham Life" - volume 2. On the front page, a previous owner has written: Edward D. Wilmot, Ley Hall. 1868. Thanks to this thread, I now know which Ley Hall that was.
 
Radiorails said:
Did the place have two name versions? Or is Ley a misprint?
Click to expand...
No "Ley" is not a misprint, as per the attached photo. I know that Ley and Lea are synonymous, but I am surprised that he wrote Ley at a time when he was advertising for a Rick Cloth with it referred to asIMG_5416[1].JPG Lea Hall.IMG_5416[1].JPG
 
i have just come across this - i actually lived there as a child from thr age of 5 -10 yrs old - so 1957- 1962 - my parents ran the club and we lived in the middle part of the building, there was indeed a ballroom and my mom used to do the catering as part of the job while. the smaller house looking building on the far left was the coaching house and is haunted. So it was coach house. so a few centuries old. The coachhouse was used to keep the coal in to heat the buildings when i was there, and scared the hell out of me - i could never work out why it scared me - it just had a presence.
 
GazSutton said:
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

I use to be a member of this club I the 70/80s, wonderful old building and brilliant snooker room
RayPrichard said:
Re: Lea Hall - Perry Barr

I lived in Lea Hall from birth in 1953 my grandparents had lived there from 1945. I still go there every week and know some of the history, some of it's secrets and some of it's ghost tales.
Click to expand...
Your grand parents must have been the predecessors of my parents living/working at the hall. And my parents taking it on in _1957
...
Click to expand...
 
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