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Perry Hall the house

O

O.C.

Guest
The Beautiful hall that was know as Perry Hall was built on the site on the ancient manor house of Perry, the ancient seat of the Gough Calthorpe Family from 1669 although it did have the date 1576 over the door. It was sold to Birmingham Corporation with 500 acres of land by the family for new housing, the Hall was demolished in 1929 the moat was keep as a boating pool
Perry Hall ..1/2/3
4/Perry Hall 1938
5/Perry Hall 1975
 
Great set of Pics, the Hall I had never heard of, is the last one Perry Ave entrance? that leads to Walsall Road and Perry Park?

Well done :)
 
Thats correct Alf, best way to come into the park by the old moat
 
Makes you want to weep when you see all these beautiful buildings lost forever. I appreciate people needed new housing and that a decent place to live is everyone's right - but surely there could have been a way to preserve such a historic place? Or am I being idealistic - yeah, probably.
 
Does anyone know if, when the main house was demolished, were any of the lodges left? There was once one at the junction of Walsall Rd and what is now Perry Avenue. Another was at the junction of Walsall Rd and what is now Clivedon Avenue. For anyone interested if you go to the end of Perry Ave on Streetview you can still see the moat and a few remains of Perry Hall. Viv.
 
After a little research I have found this link which shows one of the lodges https://www.st-johns-perry-barr.org.uk/page33.html The link is about St John the Evangelist Church in Perry Barr, not far from Perry Hall. For anyone interested it lists the past incumbents of the church. Here are 2 photos from the site: The Lodge Perry Hall and a close up of the Boar carving on the Lodge porch. There's an identical carving on St. John's church. Viv

View attachment 66718

View attachment 66717
 
I lived in Dewsbury Grove off Perry Avenue from 1945 until 1970 and have no memory of any of the lodges you are referring to. Great photo's of the playing fields/park which bring back happy memories of playing on the paddle boats (special treats only) and having cream put on the blisters on my hands when I got home. We used to get most of the wood for our bonfire from the playing fields wood compound where most of the roadside tree cuttings were taken, my friends Father knew one of the men who worked there so ours was probably one of the biggest fires in the area.
 
Hi Nickcc. I think then that the lodges might have been demolished before your time. Perry Hall was demolished around 1930, so maybe the lodges went at that time too. Here are extracts from the 1902 Perry Barr map showing at least two lodges along the Walsall Road. the main road shown going NW to SE in the first map and N to S in the second map is the Walsall Rd. (Also don't know if Regina Lodge near Home Farm on the 2nd map was connected to Perry Hall. Probably was). Lovely memories you've posted Nick. Thanks. Viv.


https://images.birminghamhistory.co...cs/10014/Map_Perry_Hall_Moat___Lodge_1904.JPG

View attachment 66751


View attachment 66752
 
Hello Viv
I think my parents house and most of the other houses in the area were built just before the last war as Dewsbury grove, Derrydown rd, Crantock and Cliveden don't exist on earlier maps. I can remember it as being a nice area but looking on street view things appear to have changed dramatically.
Best wishes
Nick
 
Hi Nick. I think that the roads you mention would have been built on land formerly owned by Perry Hall and which was bought by B'ham Corporation. Yes I expect it was part of the big expansion of housing provision in north Birmingham in the 1930s. Up until that time much of the area seems to have been largely farmland. I looked on streetview to see if I could find any signs of the Perry Hall lodge(s). There's a house on the corner of Perry Avenue and Walsall Road which, although looks about inter-war in date, it does seem to have traces of the lodge. However, a bus and fir trees block much of the view! It must have been great to live so close to Perry Hall Park as a child. Lucky you. Thanks for your comments. Viv.
 
I came across a charming description of the approach to Perry Hall in the 1830s in "The book of the Grand Junction Railway" by Thomas Roscoe. Here it is:

"Perry Hall is approached from the rural little village which bears that name by a noble avenue of ancient lime trees, displaying in its sweeping line the most beautiful perpective that can be imagined, to its most distant point. Two magnificent oaks spread their broard arms towards each other before the entrance like time-worn sentinels of the place, and form a leafy dome under which the visitor passes. The lodge and gates, designed by the Rev. Mr. Wyatt are in the purest taste, and in strict keeping with the architecture of the Hall"

I expect those mighty oaks have since disappeared, but what an enchanting picture Roscoe has painted for us! Viv.
 
I love Perry hall, such a shame it was demolished, the council would have made a fortune opening it to the public now!

anyway, a question if i may, did the house sit in the centre of the moat? I used to live in Cliveden avenue and i cannot imagine such a big house in the centre of the moat with those gardens around it.

I have an original painting of the stables done in 1933 by Pannell.
 
My granddad and his baby daughter are buried at St.Johns. I used to play both in Perry Hall and Perry Barr parks as a child as my nan lived up the road in Franchise Street. Wonderful times catching frogs and newt in Perry Hall and being chased off in Perry Barr Park by the park keeper.
 
catmadjax said:
I love Perry hall, such a shame it was demolished, the council would have made a fortune opening it to the public now!

anyway, a question if i may, did the house sit in the centre of the moat? I used to live in Cliveden avenue and i cannot imagine such a big house in the centre of the moat with those gardens around it.

I have an original painting of the stables done in 1933 by Pannell.
Click to expand...


Hi catmadjax. If you go to Google maps and type in Perry Avenue, Perry Barr, Birmingham then look at the satelite view, you will be able to see the footprint of Perry Hall with the moat around it. It's quite incredible that the moat and foundations are still there Viv.
 
As a child I played in that park many times and the Children's Paddle Boats were a big attraction. I also saw my first ice skating in that park.
Paddle_Boats.jpg

Perry_Hall_Park_Paddle_Boat_Pool.jpg
 
Some excellent photos on that link oldMohawk, thanks for that. Perry Hall was one seriously impressive building. Such a great loss. Viv.
 
I came across this link which has various photos of the course of the original moat at Perry Hall. It looks like it was much, much bigger before the 1950s, nothing like what remains today. The link's interesting from the point of view that it shows you, through a sequence of photos, where it would have been. Think it would make a good walk to track the original moat for anyone interested. Viv.

https://www.restirred.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1646
 
Oh, that picture of the paddle boats really takes me back. We used to be paddling in the pool next to it. My dear Mom must have spent hours sitting there watching us. I only went on the paddle boats a couple of times - it cost money! When we were older though Mom used to take us to Handsworth park and we hired a double canoe.
 
Phil thanks for the lovely photo's and the first one brings back memories of the blisters I used to have on my hands from working the paddles. Pete said thanks too as he spent many a happy hour there with his brothers. Jean.
 
Hi my name is Tony Beasley, What a great photo of the paddle boats in Perry Hall park. I used to play on them with my friends back in about 1948-9. I lived in Carmodale Avenue until 1957, when the family moved to Great Barr. What lovely memories.
 
Tony Beasley said:
Hi my name is Tony Beasley, What a great photo of the paddle boats in Perry Hall park. I used to play on them with my friends back in about 1948-9. I lived in Carmodale Avenue until 1957, when the family moved to Great Barr. What lovely memories.
Click to expand...
Hi Tony - You might be interested in the photos of the park in the forum links below
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=24758&p=415652#post415652
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=24758&p=430775#post430775
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=24758&p=430786#post430786
 
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