• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Sutton Park

This was the panoramic I took of the Wyndley Pool from Wyndley Road in Sutton Coldfield on the 6th August 2017.

 
Apart from the cars it does not look any different from when I used to feed the ducks there in the 1950s and early 60s.
Is the café still there?
 
Unfortunately no, it was demolished quite a few years ago, maybe in the 80s. There is an excellent café a Blackroot pool now, well worth a visit
 
Regarding the military connections with the park, 'britainfromabove' took a photo of the Powells Pool area dated 1946. Two pics below. (click them to make larger)

The full view shows a military camp top right and other interesting things are a fire engine with pipes going into the pool, a large herd of cows, and people. I can remember seeing the camp but cannot remember whether it was for the Army or for POWs. I certainly saw POWs in the park nearer the Streetly side but they were in tents.
View attachment 115932
An enlarged view below of the camp showing personnel standing in line near the water tower. A fence along the road with a gateway top left.
View attachment 115933
Was not that the barracks for the POWs , near the end of the war I remember seeing all these people I later learnt to be Germans, brown uniforms with big light blue circles on the back of the jacket/coat/top half of the boiler suit they wore?

Bob
 
Hi Bob,
It probably was a POW camp but I wasn't sure. The only POWs I remember seeing in the park as a young child was in a field next to the path from the gate by the Parson and Clark pub. A large number of POWs had been dumped in a field inside a 3ft high wooden palin fence to contain them. We looked at them and they stared back at us and then we walked on with our fishing nets and jam jars to catch 'tiddlers' in one of the streams.
:)
 
One of my old pals, now long dead, told me that he worked on inspecting welding on army tanks in Sutton Park during the war so I guess there must have been some army units stationed there. (He was colour blind as a result of eye damage caused by the work)
 
Post #1391
The area in the Park was also used as a National Fire Service (NFS) Training Camp - Therefore after 1942.NFS - Sutton Park Training Camp - 1940s - Powells Pool.JPG
 
old stocks.jpg
These stocks were situated somewhere in Sutton Coldfield and could keep 3 offenders off the streets, the pillar on the right was apparently used to tether a criminal whilst he/she was lashed with a whip.
 
A photo I took of Bracebridge Pool in August and the tree roots on the left don't want to go underground ...
Sam_1364.jpg
 
It seems that the water level of Bracebridge Pool has become lowered; the result of low rainfall maybe? It also looks like a good deal of erosion of the banks and beaches has taken place, I wonder if this is a result of boating as there is a boat house on the dammed part of the pool.
Most of the pools in Sutton Deer Park were man made by damming the streams to form fishponds. Some very small ponds were usually formed as a result of excavations for aggregates for road building (Roman), the dams and other uses.
 
It seems that the water level of Bracebridge Pool has become lowered; the result of low rainfall maybe? It also looks like a good deal of erosion of the banks and beaches has taken place, I wonder if this is a result of boating as there is a boat house on the dammed part of the pool.
Most of the pools in Sutton Deer Park were man made by damming the streams to form fishponds. Some very small ponds were usually formed as a result of excavations for aggregates for road building (Roman), the dams and other uses.
 
I was told by someone who has known the area well for many years that the 'beach' at one side of Bracebridge Pool was deliberately constructed during the war so that people could imagine themselves to be at the seaside on holiday!
 
I was told by someone who has known the area well for many years that the 'beach' at one side of Bracebridge Pool was deliberately constructed during the war so that people could imagine themselves to be at the seaside on holiday!
I suppose it does look like a beach but not sunny on the day I took this pic .... :)
P1020882.jpg

and below the same beach seen from the other side of the pool ... from post #1293. click the pic to enlarge then click again to reduce.
Three Exmoor ponies having a drink from Bracebridge Pool ....
index.php

View attachment 100920
 
Last edited:
Back
Top