Be interesting to find out about the barrage balloon.
This application for labourers cottages to built on the "Old Oscott Estate" in 1900 info suggests they would be on the Aldridge Road near Perry Bridge. If so, it marks out a very wide area of College land.
I also know Old Oscott College had a farm, don't know if it was Oldford Farm, but looks quite possible if labourers cottages were built on their land near to Oldford Farm. Viv.
View attachment 115167
The cottages were completed and still exist today in Holyfield drive which used to be the entrance to kynocks/ICI/ImI
my father was born in 1927 in one of them
the request to the college was because Farmer Baines my great great uncle was losing cowmen because he had nowhere to house them
the college agreed to the two cottages as you see in the plans and the instruction was they were “to be as plain as you like because they will be facing nowhere!!”
at the bottom of the gardens was also built at the same time a tennis court to Wimbledon standards because one of the daughters of Baines was good enough to play doubles at wimbledon
Oldford Farm was originally purchased around 1770’ish exact year escapes me as all my records are boxed up ready for a move - the farm was to house the anew Oscott College- however the farm called Buggins farm became available and so the New Oscott College was built where it stands today and the rest of Buggins farm became known as College farm
Around 1780 the last windmill I birmingham (not birmingham until around 1920’s ish) was demolish and I have the two stones one used one brand new that used to grind the corn in those windmills …
1780 one of my distant family took over the farm - the farm apart from one short period if memory serves me correct remained in the family until 1969
via a combination of Wells/Baines/Parkes
we finally left in 1969
I have the original college account books from 1780 -1812 when I believe the benson family took over for a while
after a few years A.L. Wells along with cousin A.L Baines took on the tennancy then they left it on the death of Baines in 1939 to Baines son Bernard Baines
sorry if I waffled on a bit smiles
by the way I have for a number of years been writing a book about the history of the farms and farmers of Perry Barr