Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I have just ordered it Lyn, there were 3 left tonight.
Interesting about Holford Drive playing fields, when I was at Birchfield Road Junior we used to use them sometimes - don't remember seeing any Roman remains ;-)
This is part of what i had read lynLAND ADJACENT TO THE CROWN AND CUSHION PUBLIC HOUSE,
WELLINGTON ROAD, PERRY BARR, BIRMINGHAM
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT, 2006
SUMMARY
An archaeological desk-based assessment was carried out in January 2006 on land at
the Crown and Cushion public house, Wellington Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham (NGR
SP 0671 9088
) in advance of residential development. The site is located on the
north side of Wellington Road, adjacent to the Crown and Cushion, and at the
intersection of Walsall Road, Birchfield Road, Wellington Road and Aston Road.
Previous archaeological work to the west along Wellington Road identified
archaeological remains associated with a Roman kiln dating to the second century,
and evidence of settlement from the first and second centuries. The site is also close
to the predicted line of Icknield Street, and spot finds of Romano-British coins, and
the assessment has highlighted the potential for archaeological remains of this
period to survive within the site boundaries. The assessment also highlighted the
potential for archaeological remains of the post-medieval period to be present within
the site boundaries.
Years ago I read somewhere that Roman archaeology had also been found around what's now Holford Drive and the area of the playing-fields. I can also remember reading that there was a Roman road roughly along the line of Kingstanding Road/Wellhead Lane/Stoneleigh Road/Wheeler St/Great Hampton Row. How true this is I don't know. When I was a lad people used to say that the Zig-Zag bridge was on the site of what was originally a Roman crossing of the Tame. Most of the Birmingham history and archaeology books I've read have been concerned only with the Middle Ages and later - there doesn't seem to be much published about the history of the area prior to the Norman Conquest. But obviously there was a Roman presence in the greater Birmingham area - ref: Metchley Fort, Icknield Street, etc. Interesting, and worth finding out more.
Big Gee
Now had a look at the survey that Topsy mentioned. There are a few maps in there which will be of interest. Here're two of them.
View attachment 74495 The possible route of Icknield Street. Map from 1775.
View attachment 74496 The Crown & Cushion area surveyed and the Roman kiln location from a map of 1890. Interestingly too the original Aston Villa ground is marked for you footie fans.
Viv.
thanks tospy...let me at it lol
viv i think its now known as church road off the aldridge road..next to perry park...st johns church is still there..if i am wrong someone will correct me...
Hi Vivienne,
your map would indicate that the Roman kiln was excavated in the area of Willmore Road and Leslie Road. There was a BCT Bus Garage just there, so I assume that the archaeology was carried out when that building was demolished? I never knew that.
One of these days I really must re-visit the area I grew up in....
Big Gee