Church Lane Handsworth

[Vivienne14]

There are many postcards of Church Lane in Handsworth. Below are five pcs of the old cottages on Church Lane. Although they're very picturesque and very photogenic, I wondered if there's another reason why they were photographed so often. There's a sign in a couple of the photos to the left of the cottages, but I can't read the writing. I wonder if that has anything to do with its popularity. Maybe it was a tearoom? Or maybe someone famous stayed there? Perhaps it was a particular attraction for ramblers exploring Handsworth ? Viv.

 

[Astoness]

hard to believe that was church lane viv...i cant make out what the signs say either...lovely pics..

 

[A Sparks]

Gosh I can't imagine whereabouts that would be in Church Lane!

I was wondering if the area where the trees are might be where the school was built as the road bends round like that?
Very difficult to tell as the road looks far more narrow then.
I tried with a magnifying glass but I can't make out the sign either.

Great photos though.

 

[Astoness]

same here sparks...i cant even make a guess as to where the cottages would have been..

lyn

 

[pjmburns]

I don't know the area well enough to comment but there is a suggestion about the site of these cottages here https://www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=770&SearchType=2&ThemeID=176

Janice

 

[Astoness]

thanks janice so now we have a rough idea of where they were situated and when they were demolished...such a shame...

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

Very helpful Janice. Looking at present day Google maps there seems to be a slip road (above my blue line) near the College Road/Grove Lane end of Church Lane. I wonder if this was around the site of cottages - the old photos show a sharp bend, so they might well have been somewhere at this point. There's now a row of 1930s houses along there. College Road has obviously been widened considerably/made into the A4040. Maybe the road was widened in the 1930s when the houses were built? Viv.

 

[mikejee]

AS was said in the reference they were demolished after the 1938 map. It is before th 1960 map also (which, bacause the years are publication dates) probably means between about 1935 and 1957, Looking at the c 1890 map I think they can only be the buildings in red, which are one of the few sets of similar buildings and also have two smaller next to another larger oneon the right slightly set back from the other two.

 

[Vivienne14]

So that's on the other side of the road Mike. Looks very like it with the curve in the road on your old map. The road's been radically changed over time. It's much, much wider in several places and the houses now seem to be set further back from the road. Would be interesting to see how the road has changed in relation to the earlier Church Lane.

The other question in my mind is which church does Church Lane relate to? Was it St Mary's with its memorials to Boulton and Watt? It also has some very ancient features. If so, were the cottages cashing in on the visitors to the Church - hence the sign on the cottages? Maybe refreshments? Viv.

 

[mikejee]

To check the assumption that the cottages in red are the ones, I did an overlay. This makes them just straggling where Wineleigh road joins. In case it is of interest they are below

 

[Vivienne14]

Very helpful Mike. Theres a retaining wall along there by the traffic lights which, I think is the same wall. The cottages would have lined up with that wall. So the modern house in view (1980s ?) was built a little further back from the original lane. The road was been widened and straightened along the opposite side travelling in the direction Hamstead Road. It certainly points to the demolition of the cottages to make way for the wider road. Winleigh Road itself looks like a 1970s/80s road so it wouldn't have been constructed until some 40years after the demolition of the cottages.Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Two more of photos of Church Lane in Handsworth. Think there's a milkman (carrying a milk churn?) in the middle of the road in the second one. Interesting to see that some parts of Church Lane had rows of trees separating the footpath/pavement from the lane. Viv.

 

[pjmburns]

In Kelly's for 1892 and 1900 the list includes Sunny Bank, The Fieldhouse (both on Mike's map) then The Oaklands and then a market gardener William Smallwood. I think the Smallwoods (can't check as the Handsworth site seems to be down at the moment) are listed as owning the cottages at one time so could the sign be to do with that business?

Janice

 

[Vivienne14]

Church Lane Handsworth - probably early 1900s. Very quiet scene. Why did people still walk in the middle of the road when there were pavements?/footpaths ? I suppose there weren't so many hazards. Viv.

 

[Radiorails]

It is curious why people walked in the road - and still do as far as I see - when there was a pavement especially considering the road hazards, where no self respecting person would fear to tread,
I wonder if it is/was because so many folks who lived on the perimeter areas of cities and large towns were used to walking rural roads which did not have pavements.

 

[Stitcher]

Another one that shows peace and tranquillity without the motor vehicles.

 

[Vivienne14]

A 1937 Church Lane view with, what I think is, a pub on the right. Anyone know ? The photographer seems to have excluded it from the views in post #1. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

A sketch and painting by George Willis-Pryce. Maybe the sketch was made before the painting. He left out the people in the painting. Viv.