Pictures of Ward End Mill

[Tippin]

Hi,

Would any one know where I would be able to obtain a picture of Ward End Mill? My ancester's used to own the mill in the mid 18th Century.

Stephen

 

[O.C.]

Stephen I don't Know if you know the area but I know were the Mill was and have explored the area as a kid, the feeder from the River Cole came all the way to Ward End Park to Ward End (Moated )Hall and we used to go their to catch newts as kids, the mill was north of the hall and was on the corner of Winnington Rd and Drews Lane, I have never seen a pic of the mill but you never know. Today the only thing that marks the entrance to the hall is a solitary stone gatepost on the Washwood Heath Rd

 

[Rupert]

Cromwell, I used to go there to catch newts too. I knever new what the place was untill now. I remember going down a lane opposite Ward End Park might have been St Margrets Walk and there was a derelict pond with old steel tanks in it. I remember fairly steep banks around it and the weed at the waters edge. If you pulled in some weed there was usually a newt or two in it. My friend had a pond in his back yard and we kept the newts in there. The frogs in old the moat were too quick to be caught. I don't remember any building remains though but probably would not have noticed. Ward End Library was just next to there. Still seems to be the same.
I don't remember any remains of the mill though. Probably gone by then.
The web ref below shows the Hall and Moat. just scroll up to see Ward End Mill on Drews Lane. The road cutting the bottom left corner is Washwood Heath Road. Thanks.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.asp?sheetid=10096&ox=350&oy=1058&zm=1&czm=1&x=466&y=257

 

[Rupert]

We are remembering this now as a derelict place in the 50s with the buildings rased and a few creatures trying to maintain a tenuous existance in a fading pond. How nice it must have been in it's heyday with corn fields around and the water mill and a Rea that was unpoluted, if it ever was. There were plenty of trees still there. A good walk to the Fox And Goose though but The Swan was just a half way up the hill, then.
I think my dad would have known this place as a boy but only just. Spread would have already been overtaking it. When I was a boy I used to ride along Drews lane on the back of a lorry on Sundays with my dad. He used to play cricket for the company at Holly Lane up towards the Tyburn. The ground is still there today and it looks like there is a pitch.

 

[Rupert]

Postie, I am amazed. What a fine looking building. Far more grand than what I thought and it seemingly was there in 1941. I wonder when it was demolished. I am sure I would have noticed such a structure in the mid to late 40s to early 50s. All that I can recall is a muddy, weedy pond. So my dad would have been familiar with all of this.
Photo unfortunately lost

 

[O.C.]

Jim, Thanks for posting that photo............the only one that exists of the Ward End Mill might be a print found in the Archives of the Library in a book called History of the County of Warwick by William Smith or Graphic Illustrations of Warwickshire published in 1829 (I have the later with a few pages missing )
I have studied the Blitz maps to see if the Hall had been hit in the bombings as a cluster of bombs hit The Washwood Heath Rd so I will delve into it further

 

[postie]

Here's another picture of the Hall and if you look on the lower roof at the front, there are two statues of boys.They are of Jack and Tom and are reputed to have been hung for sheep stealing in the 1800s.
Original lost photo replaced ,. not necessarily the same photo.

 

[sylviasayers]

Postie, the picture of Ward End Hall looks remarkably like the "White House" in Ward End park which is still there today. Am I correct?

 

[postie]

Hi Sylvia, Close, but no coconut. It is very similar in appearance but they are two different places,

 

[O.C.]

Rupert, On my way back from the canal I stopped at Ward End opposite the Park and decided to have a look were I went to catch Newts and see if anything remained of the moat, hall or mill... which nothing does. Church Walk remains so I went to have a look at the Church which was beside the hall .......it is all locked up and 90% of the gravestones have been smashed to bits by vandals........But not this one which I find remarkable as being the first one in the Cemetery in 1842 so I recorded it before it goes

 

[O.C.]

Ward End Hall was first mentioned in 1425, William Ward had land their in 1590's ...John Warde of Brymicham had land in Bordesley, Aston, Lytle (Little)..Bromwich and Great Bromwich (Now Alum Rock) in 19th century the lands came into the hands of Thomas Hutton ( a relative of William Hutton.. Brums first Historian) He sold part of the land to the City Council and after WW2 Ward End Hall was demolished to make way for a municipal housing estate

 

[O.C.]

Ward End Mill from an old map dated 1700c
Lost map replaced , but not necessarily the same map

 

[Tippin]

Thanks for the map. The date seems to suggest that my ancesters may have been running the mill at the time the map was made!

 

[DribblinWizard]

On that map you have there, do you know what the names of the roads would be?

 

[DribblinWizard]

ps.
I think that 'Animal' might just be my brother.
I sent him a link to the Ward End thread thinking he'd be interested. He lives on the other side of the park now.

pps.
(He's only an animal when he's being a 'bear with a sore head') :010: :grinsmile:

 

[Ingleton]

Or was the Hall demolished by German bombs ? - I remember playing in the ruins in the late 40's , well before the Ward End Hall estate was built - as a trainee Quantity Surveyor , the building site was my first job, with Wimpey's