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Hill Top Farm Handsworth

davidfowler

davidfowler

Exiled Brummie
I'm hoping our resident map genius (mikejee of course) can help. Vivienne had posted a map showing Birchfield House, https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=38467&page=2 post #29, and Mike posted later, #31, a 1938 version.
As you can see from Viv's map there's a Hill Top Farm to the left of Birchfield Rd opposite Birchfield House.

My G Grandfather farmed at a Hill Top Farm and I wondered if Mike could move his map a little bit further over to see if the farm was still there in 1938. The family were there from 1851 census to at least the 1891 census.

Thanks
 
David here is a 1950s map of the area, showing Hill Top Farm. You probably have this one already. Growing up in Handsworth, I used to go up to Hill Top now and then from Oxhill Road. I always thought the Hermit's Cave was around there, but this map has a red circle at the top of the page showing the Cave which was nearer the Bluebell Woods I think. Judy

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This is a photo of the farm. As per Judy's map, it confirms the farm was there into the 1950s. I have a feeling I read somewhere the farm was there from the 17th century, but can't find where I read that. Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1329569419.791350.jpg
 
Thanks Judy and Viv.
I've always been unsure of which Hill Top Farm "mine" is. When I saw Viv's map with a Hill Top Farm just off the Birchfield Road and just below the word Handsworth I thought, that's it. Previously I had placed it where Judy's map shows it, by the golf course.
Now, however, doing more detective work (checking Census forms before and after "my" Hill Top Farm) I can see names which relate more to the "golf" one than the Birchfield one. There's mention of Manwoods on the 1851 census, Hamstead Rd on the 1871 and The Friary on the 1881. All are very close in the census for Hill Top Farm so I now go back to my original idea.
Here's a Cassini map 1831 - 1835 which shows the 2 locations.

hilltopfarmposition1075x1500.jpg
 
Jayell said:
David here is a 1950s map of the area, showing Hill Top Farm. You probably have this one already. Growing up in Handsworth, I used to go up to Hill Top now and then from Oxhill Road. I always thought the Hermit's Cave was around there, but this map has a red circle at the top of the page showing the Cave which was nearer the Bluebell Woods I think. Judy

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Sounds like the place our school (WilliamMurdoch) did cross country runs on. I used to hate cross country LOL
 
Jayell said:
David here is a 1950s map of the area, showing Hill Top Farm. You probably have this one already. Growing up in Handsworth, I used to go up to Hill Top now and then from Oxhill Road. I always thought the Hermit's Cave was around there, but this map has a red circle at the top of the page showing the Cave which was nearer the Bluebell Woods I think. Judy

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Click to expand...
Regarding the cave, it is mentioned, along with Hill Top, in this article... https://www.handsworthhistory.co.uk/Handsworth-and-beyond.html
 
thanks for the link to that article gledbach ...i note it was written by paul holmes...i am assuming that it is the same paul holmes who was a member of this forum who sadly passed away recently

lyn
 
Astoness said:
thanks for the link to that article gledbach ...i note it was written by paul holmes...i am assuming that it is the same paul holmes who was a member of this forum who sadly passed away recently

lyn
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Hi Lyn, it could well be the same Paul. I am brand new to the forum. I spent a lot of my growing up doing things I shouldn't have really be doing over Hill Top. Or 'downs the lanes', or 'over the fields', as my mother used to say. No doubt she did things she shouldn't have been doing up there too... growing up on Stockwell Road before and around the war.
 
I have just joined the Forum and saw the posts about Hilltop Farm. The Lloyd family farmed there in the late 50's and early 60's. I don't remember the father's name, but the sons were Derek and Roger Lloyd. I believe they were tenant farmers.
 
Jayell said:
David here is a 1950s map of the area, showing Hill Top Farm. You probably have this one already. Growing up in Handsworth, I used to go up to Hill Top now and then from Oxhill Road. I always thought the Hermit's Cave was around there, but this map has a red circle at the top of the page showing the Cave which was nearer the Bluebell Woods I think. Judy

View attachment 73946
Click to expand...

Jayell said:
David here is a 1950s map of the area, showing Hill Top Farm. You probably have this one already. Growing up in Handsworth, I used to go up to Hill Top now and then from Oxhill Road. I always thought the Hermit's Cave was around there, but this map has a red circle at the top of the page showing the Cave which was nearer the Bluebell Woods I think. Judy

View attachment 73946
Click to expand...
Hello Jayell,
I am new to the Forum and like to add s.th.: I think you are a bit out with the hermits cave. Going down from Oxhill Road you did not go to Hill Top Farm or as we as kids called The Uplands. You had to go further right through the Bluebell Woods and this hermits cave was right by what we called The River Stink, because it was so polluted. We as kids used to go inside, it was a bit creepy. If you are interested, I was born in 39 and we used to go playing around the farm and in the farm yard. This was a couple of years after the war. Next to this farm yard was a POW Camp and they were still there, waiting to go home. Regards George
 
G.Mayes said:
Hello Jayell,
I am new to the Forum and like to add s.th.: I think you are a bit out with the hermits cave. Going down from Oxhill Road you did not go to Hill Top Farm or as we as kids called The Uplands. You had to go further right through the Bluebell Woods and this hermits cave was right by what we called The River Stink, because it was so polluted. We as kids used to go inside, it was a bit creepy. If you are interested, I was born in 39 and we used to go playing around the farm and in the farm yard. This was a couple of years after the war. Next to this farm yard was a POW Camp and they were still there, waiting to go home. Regards George
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George, I think you are correct on the cave. It was close to the river and we used to see who could ride fastest past it without sliding down the river bank. If I remember, at least in the winter (no leaves) you could see the Hamsted Colliery.

And welcome to the Forum, enjoy!
 
Is the cave you're speaking of by the river Tame in Hamstead?

If so I think I know it, a junior school classmate lived in The Croftway to the left of the Old Walsall Road looking north, just before where the railway line runs across.
I remember going into the woodland area behind the houses where the Tame runs and I vaguely remember she showed us the cave.
 
A Sparks said:
Is the cave you're speaking of by the river Tame in Hamstead?

If so I think I know it, a junior school classmate lived in The Croftway to the left of the Old Walsall Road looking north, just before where the railway line runs across.
I remember going into the woodland area behind the houses where the Tame runs and I vaguely remember she showed us the cave.
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this is correct, because it was so filthy we called it The River Stink. George
 
Richard Dye said:
George, I think you are correct on the cave. It was close to the river and we used to see who could ride fastest past it without sliding down the river bank. If I remember, at least in the winter (no leaves) you could see the Hamsted Colliery.

And welcome to the Forum, enjoy!
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Thank you, Richard,
the only colliery I know was behind Watson Poole where we used to go fishing (not allowed). We were coming from Douglas Rd by Handsworth Park which means we were coming from the other side so I am not so sure about the colliery name.
 
G.Mayes said:
Thank you, Richard,
the only colliery I know was behind Watson Poole where we used to go fishing (not allowed). We were coming from Douglas Rd by Handsworth Park which means we were coming from the other side so I am not so sure about the colliery name.
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Really pushing my memory but if your back is to the cave with the river Tame in front, the colliery it off slightly
A Sparks said:
Is the cave you're speaking of by the river Tame in Hamstead?

If so I think I know it, a junior school classmate lived in The Croftway to the left of the Old Walsall Road looking north, just before where the railway line runs across.
I remember going into the woodland area behind the houses where the Tame runs and I vaguely remember she showed us the cave.
Click to expand...
A Sparks, that's the place!
 
G.Mayes said:
Thank you, Richard,
the only colliery I know was behind Watson Poole where we used to go fishing (not allowed). We were coming from Douglas Rd by Handsworth Park which means we were coming from the other side so I am not so sure about the colliery name
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From the colliery behind Watson Pool the coal used to be transported in small open trucks, coming from the pit full of coal towards West Bromwich, coming back on the other side empty. I would like to know where the trucks went to. Was it a canal? It must have gone underground somewhere. Does anyone know? This is from the early 50ies.
 
I have walked that path many times in my youth, and can remember the slack heap by the side of Sandwell pool (Wassan pool). I was actually standing with my uncles dog on the heap as a massive earth scraper was removing it, for use as the base of the M5/M6. The slack was actually on fire and smoke could be seen rising from the centre, and when I walked off, the poor dogs paws were burnt and so where the soles of my shoes. The dog was taken for vets treatment next day.
I also remember the cable way across the Old Walsall Rd, as it took slag to the heap from Hamstead Colliery. My school pal actually broke into the coal yard and hitched a lift in a bucket, and was dumped on the slag heap by the canal, ripping his clothes. He got a right belting from his dad for that stupid trick.
For reference, my old work mate was an electrical apprentice in Hamstead Colliery when it was decommissioned and went to work for Post Office Telephones, on the power branch. He is now heavily involved with the Handsworth Historical Society.
 
Handsworth Wood Ann said:
I have just joined the Forum and saw the posts about Hilltop Farm. The Lloyd family farmed there in the late 50's and early 60's. I don't remember the father's name, but the sons were Derek and Roger Lloyd. I believe they were tenant farmers.
Click to expand...
The farm was, and the fields still are, part of Birmingham City Councils Estate, and each farmer was a tenant. I, and many friends, went to Hill Top Farm in our teenage youth, when Joe Ryman farmed it. His son Paul was my Best Man in 1970, and is still in Birmingham. His daughter Pam now lives near Douglas, Dumfries.

Us gang of 15 kids occupied the kitchen, listen to Radio Luxembourg, whilst Joe and his wife watched a flashing screen TV, caused by the two stroke diesel generator which provided the power, as it was never connected to the mains. Come harvest time, we helped with the hay making, me on an old paraffin driven Furgi tractor.

We broke our hearts when the place was demolished, a travesty as it was Tudor and should have had a Class 1 preservation order on it.

Joe, Paul and Pam went to a farm on Canvey Island, before retiring, as mom had passed away some years previously.
Some happy days, and nights spent there, with fond memories.
 
So nice to hear about the ryman family who lived and farmed at hilltop , i only remember pam ,vaguely, but as kids we often walked past the farm on my way to play on the german camps as we called them ,sometime in mid 1960s, always remember the sound of the generator thumping away, .
do any of you know anything about the house or farm called the uplands on the lane from hilltop to the german camp, cant find out anything about this place ? only a few bricks left now on side of lane ,recently went for a walk here nov 2022, also when was hill top farm built anyone know ?.
 
I recall two things from Hill Top in the 50's........There was a bike dirt track we used to ride on and a stream where there was a lot of clay that we used to make pots and dishes at school.
The track was homemade nothing formal just fun with old put together bikes.
 
brisan said:
I made a 30 min video (very amateur) of the recent walk i did fom sivercroft avenue , hill top remains ,the german camps ,swan pool (watson pool) the sandwell and monastry . here is link for anyone interested - link -
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Great film, thanks!
Back in the 90's I used to live just off Friary Road and I've walked up over the fields from Silvercroft Avenue a few times, I remember the remains of the Priory and the lake where the sailing boats are.
If I remember rightly, you can get over a footbridge on the Newton Road and into Dartmouth Park?
 
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