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Tudor Grange, Solihull - former home of Alfred Bird

ellbrown

ell brown on Flickr
I went down Blossomfield Road in Solihull, and took some photos of Tudor Grange House.

It was the former home of Alfred Bird and his family from around 1901 to 1943 (death of his widow). Eventually Solihull College took it over.

I also had a wonder around Tudor Grange Park.


The road off Blossomfield Road - Alfred Bird had Blossomfield Road moved away from his house.


Tudor Grange House - off Blossomfield Road, Solihull - side road by ell brown, on Flickr

Zoom in's on the house


Tudor Grange House - off Blossomfield Road, Solihull by ell brown, on Flickr


Tudor Grange House - off Blossomfield Road, Solihull by ell brown, on Flickr


Tudor Grange House - off Blossomfield Road, Solihull by ell brown, on Flickr

A few paths.


Tudor Grange House - off Blossomfield Road, Solihull - paths by ell brown, on Flickr

I'm not sure where else you can take photos of this. Don't think you can see it from Tudor Grange Park, and didn't want to fully walk up the drive way.
 
The house was Grade II* listed in 2008.

See Heritage Gateway here TUDOR GRANGE HOUSE AND STABLE BLOCK

List Entry Description

Summary of Building

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation

Tudor Grange, Solihull is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* The house contains a series of carefully designed reception rooms which incorporate panelling, plasterwork, antique glass panels and tilework of considerable quality.
* Tudor Grange is an interesting example of a new type of late-C19 house which was built for a generation of confident businessmen who did not establish themselves as country gentlemen but preferred to build houses which were within easy reach of their businesses but enjoyed the attributes of country house life.
* The plan form of the house has been little altered and all of the principal areas and many of the different rooms can be identified.
* The exterior of the house, with its joined stable block, terracing and walling forms a coherent group.
History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Details

SOLIHULL

732/0/10042 BLOSSOMFIELD ROAD
24-OCT-08 Tudor Grange House and Stable Block

II*
A large suburban house with attached stable block. It was designed and built in 1887 in a loosely Jacobean style by Thomas Henry Mansell of Birmingham for the industrialist Alfred Lovekin with panelling by Plunketts of Smith Street, Warwick. The house is of red stretcher bond brick with ashlar dressings and a tiled roof and has two storeys with attics and basement. The stable block is T-shaped in plan and attached to the west side of the house.
EXTERIOR: The northern entrance front has a near-symmetrical centrepiece which is recessed at first floor level and above but which has a projecting three-bay porch to the ground floor with door to the right. At either side are projecting, gabled wings and these and the central bay all have shaped outlines to their gables. The windows to the ground and first floors are mullioned and transomed, and there are projecting bay windows to the ground floor at either side. There are panels of carved stonework, particularly around the porch, featuring strapwork and grotesque masks. A further bay to the east then joins to the low wall screening a service court and this in turn joins to the stable block. Extending to the west is a single-storey range of two bays added by Sir Alfred Bird with a square bay window and small, elaborately-carved oriel capped by a battlemented parapet. The garden front is composed with deliberate asymmetry, having five bays with shaped gables to the left of centre and far right and a canted and square bay, each of two storeys, as well as a single-storey bay to the far right. At the west end is a low screen wall which connects to the stable block. To the far east is a portion of walling, the southern side of which was formerly inside the conservatory. Attached to this are concrete containers attached to the wall which are moulded in immitation of rock. The skyline on both principal fronts has a very full array of clustered octagonal chimneys with moulded caps. The balustrade at the top of the wall has moulded balusters and the balustrade piers are surmounted by statues personifying a variety of figures including Hercules, Brutus and William the Conqueror some of which were carved by White's, according to George Noszlopy, who has identified the overall scheme as based on late C16 and early-C17 English engravings of heroes from Greek mythology, Roman Emperors and characters from English legend, some of which were added by Sir Alfred Bird who employed Robert Bridgeman.
INTERIOR: The ground floor plan approximates to a double-pile plan with a large central staircase and entrance hall at either side of which are corridors leading to the former conservatory and the kitchens and service court. The ground floor has a series of lavishly decorated rooms, including the Dining Room, Morning Room, Drawing Room and Music Room. The Jacobean and Elizabethan styles are freely mixed and there are also elements of Georgian joinery, particularly in the Music Room. Each room has an elaborate fireplace with a carved oak surround and overmantel and panelling to dado height. Many of the fireplaces have tiled cheeks by the De Morgan or Ruskin potteries. The plaster ceilings are decorated with strapwork, fruit and flowers in high relief. Many of the windows contain panels of stained glass of good quality showing coats of arms or mottoes. Several also have panels of Flemish or German C16 or C17 glass. The Study and Music Room are particularly sumptuous, with richly carved woodwork. The Study, which was added to the earlier house by Sir Alfred Bird in the same style, has a screen of free-standing columns behind which is a small, richly-modelled, barrel-vaulted ceiling and, in the Music Room, there is panelling to the full height of the walls, divided by Ionic pilasters with panels of bay leaves to their lower bodies and strapwork and masks above. To the western end of the room are fitted cabinets with glazed doors and a smaller, central fireplace with flambeau glazing to the tiled surround. Above is an inset tapestry panel running the width of the wall showing a Tudor hunting scene. Sir Alfred Bird was a collector of Old Master paintings and several of the panels in the Music Room and Hallway have buttons to their lower rims which allow the panels to be removed and it is possible that pictures were incorporated into the panelling with a mechanism to release them in the event of a fire, as is the case with the heavy frames at the Wallace Collection and other C19 collections.
The panelling is recorded as being fitted by Plunkett's of Warwick, and it seems likely that they were responsible for fitting out the rooms in their entirety. The staircase hall contains further panelling and the window has nine panels of Flemish or German glass. To the first floor one bedroom has a fireplace with richly figured wood and ivory inlay. There is a first floor corridor with housekeepers' panelled cupboards to either side and Lyncrusta wallpaper and the former bedrooms contain a series of fireplaces with wood or cast metal surrounds.

STABLE BLOCK: The stables, with coach houses and, possibly, garaging are attached to the west side of the house. They have a T-shaped plan. The cross-stroke is oriented north-south and has a partially-glazed roof. The stables were arranged at either side of the central passageway of the downstroke, which runs east-west, but these have now been re-arranged to form teaching rooms. This part of the building is also richly decorated, with statuary and a louvered octagonal bellcote to the skyline and ball and sceptre finials. Several of the original windows have been replaced with uPVC windows and the openings appear to have been enlarged.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES:
Terrace Balustrade and Stone Bench: Immediately to the south of the house is a terrace which is bounded to its south and east sides by a stone balustrade which has oval and diamond motifs and a moulded handrail. The balustrade connects at its east end to the foundations of the former conservatory. On the terrace is a stone bench with shaped ends which include lions masks and to its back it has a cresting incorporating carved acanthus leaves.
HISTORY
The opening of the Birmingham-Oxford Railway in 1852 caused the initial expansion of Solihull's urban area and throughout the later C19 and much of the C20, the borough has expanded to become an affluent commuter suburb of Birmingham. Tudor Grange was built for Alfred Lovekin of Adie & Lovekin, jewellers and silversmiths in 1887. The company manufactured a wide range of silver fancy goods at the end of the C19 and had a factory in Regent Street, Hockley. In 1894 they commissioned Mansell & Mansell to design a new factory for them at 23, Frederick Street, Birmingham which became known as `Trafalgar Works' (Grade II).
Lovekin's wife died in 1900 and in 1901 the house was sold to Alfred Bird, son of the founder of Bird's Custard Company. He enlarged the house, adding the library and a sizeable conservatory to the east, and had Blossomfield Road moved northwards, away from the entrance front, and built a new entrance lodge at the end of the re-configured drive. He also employed Robert Bridgeman to ornament the house with statuary and furnished it with an extensive art collection which included paintings and also with panels of C16 and C17 Flemish stained glass, which survive in situ. Alfred Bird became M.P. for Wolverhampton West in 1910. In 1920 he was knighted and in 1922, the year of his death, he was made a baronet. His widow lived on at Tudor Grange until her death in 1943 and the house is believed to have been used as a Red Cross auxiliary hospital during and after the Second World War. In 1946 the house was bought by Warwickshire County Council and became a school for children with special needs until 1976 when it became part of Solihull Technical College.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
Tudor Grange, Solihull is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* The house contains a series of carefully designed reception rooms which incorporate panelling, plasterwork, antique glass panels and tilework of considerable quality.
* Tudor Grange is an interesting example of a new type of late-C19 house which was built for a generation of confident businessmen who did not establish themselves as country gentlemen but preferred to build houses which were within easy reach of their businesses but enjoyed the attributes of country house life.
* The plan form of the house has been little altered and all of the principal areas and many of the different rooms can be identified.
* The exterior of the house, with its joined stable block, lodge, terracing and walled garden forms a coherent group.

SOURCES
John Cattell, Sheila Ely, Barry Jones, The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, 2002, 219; George T. Noszlopy, Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, Liverpool University Press, 2003, 301.
Selected Sources


  1. Book Reference - Author: George T. Noszlopy - Title: Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull - Date: 2003 - Page References: 203
  2. Book Reference - Author: John Cattell Shelia Ely and Barry Jones - Title: The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter An Architectural Survey of the Manufactories - Date: 2002
 
Thank you for the photo's and the wonderful description of Tudor Grange ellbrown. It must have been quite magnificent especially inside from the description. The outside still looks quite stunning today. A very fitting property for such an important man...can you tell I love custard.
 
I don't like eating custard, but the history of the Bird Family and the Custard Factory in Digbeth is quite interesting to me.

Been meaning for a while to get shots of this house, keep seeing it on the bus into Solihull.

I found this sign in Tudor Grange Park (best to view Large size on Flickr to read)


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - sign - Welcome to Tudor Grange Park by ell brown, on Flickr

Welcome to Tudor Grange Park - sign - large size


Last year I got photos of the Horse Tamer statue in Malvern Park

This one is going to be used in the Beefeater restaurant The Plough in Shirley, Solihull on the Stratford Road


Statue of a Horse and Horse Tamer in Malvern Park, Solihull by ell brown, on Flickr
 
The 'Bird Family' intended the parkland to be used for the people of Solihull. When Solihull MBC wanted to run a road through the park and various (nefarious) other land grab intentions the Bird family protested but sadly the covenants (or lack of them maybe?) mean that no legal challenge could be made.
 
The only new(ish) road I ended up on was Monkspath Hall Road. Looked completely new, with new houses, car parks etc.

My photos of Tudor Grange Park

The stream called the Alder Brook runs through here (now I know why the local school is called Alderbrook).


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - stream - Alder Brook by ell brown, on Flickr


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - stream - Alder Brook by ell brown, on Flickr

View of the park


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - play ground by ell brown, on Flickr

Cycle circuit


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - Wheeled Sports Circuit - panoramic by ell brown, on Flickr

The lake


Tudor Grange Park - Solihull - lake by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Hi all
In the 1960s I worked at the farm cottage which was to the right of the big house almost hidden from the road. In the cottage lived the widow of the chap who used to farm the land for the Birds and she told me some wonderful tales about the life they had way back then and on the living room wall was a photo of the farmer with two huge plough horses with the big house in the background.

Regards Acklam19.
 
The only new(ish) road I ended up on was Monkspath Hall Road. Looked completely new, with new houses, car parks etc.
Monkspath Hall Road cuts through what was parkland and the car park takes up what was then cut off by the road. Unfortunately Google Earth has no historical data between 1945 and 1999.
 
The Bird family are still in our area, I often see Richard (Dicky) to his friends, on the local golf team circuit. he is currently the oldest of his generation and was involved in selling the custard name on. They also have a great old victorian house at Slapton Sands Devon. Its the house as you decsend from Street and has a walled garden, just at the bottom as you go round the corner to the beach road.

I am available for autographs!!
 
That's interesting Bob I used to do Mrs Bird's hair when I worked in Sutton this was the early 70's. At the time she lived in Horton Manor just off Rosemary Hill Road. She was known locally as Lady Bird (no Joke intended) I don't know if she was a "lady". She was a lovely lady a little excentric she drove a lovely pink Rolls Royce. I wonder if Richard knew or remembered her. She had no children and I think Horton Manor was demolished after her death. I would love to know more about her.
 
Thank you so much William. I had no idea the house was still there. Mrs Bird was very kind to me when my father died, I was only fifteen and just started work. She also gave me a generous check when I got married at in 1974. She used to talk about being lonely and having to sell the family silver as the insurance company would not cover it in such an out of the way place.
Thank you again I am so happy the house is still there.
 
The Bird family are still in our area, I often see Richard (Dicky) to his friends, on the local golf team circuit. he is currently the oldest of his generation and was involved in selling the custard name on. They also have a great old victorian house at Slapton Sands Devon. Its the house as you decsend from Street and has a walled garden, just at the bottom as you go round the corner to the beach road.

Quite probably the same 'Dicky' Bird that was my sports teacher at St Philip's Grammar circa 1966. Very nice guy. If he's the same one he lost his wife about that time (another Lady Bird) and I was one of a contingent from school that attended the funeral and burial in the family plots in Streetsbrook Road Cemetery.
 
Has anyone any knowledge of this building when it was a special school for handicapped children.I was a resident there in 1950-54.
 
Hi Colin
I have just noticed your surname of shorey and I wonder if any of your ancester was connected to eversham or even Aston its self
As my An esters sold A property to the shorey family whom them self's was a large family with good history recorded
I hope you did not mind me asking best wishes Astonian,,,,,
 
The preliminary announcement of Tudor Grange for sale - in occupation by the owner Alfred Lovekin Esq - Birmingham Daily Post - Saturday 28th July 1900
 

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Tudor Grange for Auction - Birmingham Daily Post - Tuesday 1th September 1900
 

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Tudor Grange sold for £5,000 after some spirited bidding - Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 12th September 1900
 

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I live fairly near Tudor Grange house and Solihull College do have an open day every so often when the house is open for viewing.

I went round it a few years ago and I have never seen so much wood panelling.

I believe the Bird family gave much of the land near the house to the council as long as it was used for "educational" purposes.

Which is why Alderbrook school, Tudor Grange school and Solihlull College are all nearby (Solihull College is right next to it and use it as part of their college).
 
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