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Asylum Road

L

lpowell6

proper brummie kid
Please please can anyone help, I have an address for a ancestor dating back to 1878 stating that he lived in Asylum Road, I know that it no longer exists, but what happened to it? was it completely destroyed or did it only suffer a name change?. I know that it ran off Summer Lane, it is also mentioned in one of Carl Chinns notes about Summer Lane where he mentions Ormond Street Harding Street and New John Street being listed on a Drake's map of 1832.I would be most grateful for any input
 
Thankyou both very much, at least I now know what happened to it, as with much of the area, demolished and built on.
 
I remember there was a small shop in Asylum Road that sold Meccano, model railways, etc. Anyone else recall this?

Big Gee
 
thanks for putting the picture on it is the only one I have ever seen, interesting to see that it still existed in 1960
 
lpowell6 said:
Please please can anyone help, I have an address for a ancestor dating back to 1878 stating that he lived in Asylum Road, I know that it no longer exists, but what happened to it? was it completely destroyed or did it only suffer a name change?. I know that it ran off Summer Lane, it is also mentioned in one of Carl Chinns notes about Summer Lane where he mentions Ormond Street Harding Street and New John Street being listed on a Drake's map of 1832.I would be most grateful for any input
Click to expand...

Hello. I lived on Asylum Rd until I was 8 year old, 1961. We lived at 2 back of 10 (in those days, 2 baka 10). I, my sister, and both parents had the bedroom as our living room and the attic as our bedroom, all living in that small place. My Gran lived on the ground floor in one room. We only had gas light, the electricity had never been installed. I can recall going for the mantle at the shop a few doors up. Sunday mornings would be cowboys and indians but not allowed to go further than the co-op around the corner, which would have been closed in those days. The road was cobled stone and the milk was still delivered by horse and cart and recall the huge white horse. I was at Alma street school and recall going back to school after the 1959 christmas break, I particularly remembered it because the teacher emphasised the date of Jan 1960. As one of your other replies said, the road ran from newtown row, opposite the juction of Aston brook street and Bracebridge street, through to the point where Alma street and Summer lane joined together. The number 5 bus ran along Summer lane and Alma street. My father worked in Aston Brook St and worked for Benton and Stones. Later on the company moved out to Lichfield, the name Stone was transposed and became Enots and was later taken over by IMI. My father carried on working for them into the eighties before retiring. Your question came at a strange time when my Aunt, my fathers sister, has recently passed away and was the last of that generation, at 98 years of age. Your question and her passing brought back so many memories. Hope this has filled a few gaps.

Regards

Mike H
 
Hello Mike welcome to the forum. Thank you for sharing your memories with us. My husbands gt grandmother lived in the road so its nice to hear from someone who actually lived there. I am sorry to hear of your aunts passing it's always sad when the last of a generation goes.
 
Thankyou Wendy and Mike, my Great Grandfather lived in Asylum Road in the 1870's with his wife and family, he worked in the gun trade. My grandfather was born in Asylum Road and until recently I had never heard of it, and then I could not find it, however I purchased an old Birmingham Map from Alan Godfrey maps, and there it was, I have found that a lot of the old roads in Birmingham do not exist anymore due to the redevelopement in the 1960's, such a shame as a lot of historical Birmingham has now been lost. However it is nice to hear from someone who actually lived there, and can give us a mental picture of what it was like. Wendy perhaps your Great Grandmother lived in the road at the same time as my Great Grandfather!now that would be good, if there was a way to find out that is. My Great Grandfather and his family lived in Asylum Road from about 1871 to 1881, his name was Thomas Johnson and his wife was Emma.
 
Oh thanks John I sometimes forget to look on your site...sorry! Wonderful pictures thank you..xx
 
My mom liked shopping at The House That Jack Built on Newtown Row - so to get there from Witton Road we'd take the No 5 or No 7 bus and get off at the top of Summer Lane and walk down Asylum Road to Newtown Row. I remember that on Asylum Road was a shop that sold Meccano and model trains.

Was there at one time an actual asylum on Asylum Road?

Big Gee
 
The name was taken from the site of the asylum that was built on that area, prior to the name Asylum road it was called Bread street and before that it was the continuation of Summer lane, there is some information via the link on post 11
 
hello topsy
the cafe in picture was called freds cafe. we would go in there when we were kids and play the jukbox. me and a lad called ronnie middleton. .ronnie lived in asylum road. when we got older we used to to the pub on the corner..the woodman.. happy days
 
Hi, The photo of Asylum Rd, looking into Gladstone Place and the
liitle boy in it. I'm interested in where the photo came from and if there is any other information about it?

Regards

Mike
 
lpowell6 said:
Please please can anyone help, I have an address for a ancestor dating back to 1878 stating that he lived in Asylum Road, I know that it no longer exists, but what happened to it? was it completely destroyed or did it only suffer a name change?. I know that it ran off Summer Lane, it is also mentioned in one of Carl Chinns notes about Summer Lane where he mentions Ormond Street Harding Street and New John Street being listed on a Drake's map of 1832.I would be most grateful for any input
Click to expand...


Have a look at this thread Asylum Road is the first Road on the Right the white building on the corner is a Post Office, there is also another photo of the street on the Forum I'm still looking. I has school friends at Cowper St School who lived in Asylum Road, a Stanley Storer & Derek Smith

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28844&page=2&highlight=asylum+Road
 
moss thats a cracking pic...thanks for posting it..just going to consult me map to get my bearings....

lyn
 
hi again moss...hard to imagine that those houses were on the now newtown shopping centre ground....

thanks again....

lyn
 
Thanks Moss, great to see more photos of the now infamous Asylum Road, I have never seen it in the flesh as it were, so any and all pics are most welcome, you certainly get the atmosphere of the place
 
hi ipowell6 i agree with you there...this pic is full of atmosphere..although i was born more or less adjacent to asylum road in paddington st i left when i was 5 to villa st so i dont have any memory of it all all....great to see pics like this...

lyn
 
My memory may be playing tricks, but I seem to remember the big house on the left of the photo Moss posted was a doctor's surgery.
 
sylviasayers said:
My memory may be playing tricks, but I seem to remember the big house on the left of the photo Moss posted was a doctor's surgery.
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hi slyvia...maybe if someone would kindly look it up in kellys it would confirm that for you

lyn
 
asylumroad.jpg
 
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