Horse Fair

[negritaspider]

Please can someone help to confirm if this was an area in Brum?
and if so, is there a map?

Many thanks!

 

[Shera]

just google horse fair birmingham. there is even a picture there. it was indeed in the city centre of bham

 

[mikejee]

Horsefair is shown in red on this 1862 map
Mike

 

[Stitcher]

negritaspider, the original Horse Fair was an event and was held in the Bull Ring. In 1812, because of overcrowding it was moved to what was at that time called Brik Kiln Lane. The road name was then changed to The Horse Fair and the horse trading fair carried on for a few more years. The Bristol Rd tram service was opened in 1890 with self contained accumulator cars which were electrified and extended to Selly Oak in 1901.

 

[negritaspider]

Many thanks both!
Stitcher, do you know what year Brik Kiln lane changed it's name?

 

[Phil]

A photo of the Horse Fair itself, it doesn't much look like the Horse Fair I remember that was part of Bristol St (no high pavement). There again they stopped having the Horse Fair before I was born.

Phil

 

[Stitcher]

negritaspider, not with any certainty, I would assume it was when it started to host the horse trading event in 1812.

 

[paul stacey]

Hi all
I left Brum some time ago and as I am now getting on a bit, the old grey matter is sharply in decline. I was speaking to my sister some time ago, about a few places I thought I remembered she thought I might be dreaming. Could not remember the name of was the drill hall off the Horse Fair where I would go with the army cadets, it was towards the Bristol Road end of the Horse Fair in a little side St. Next about 1962/3 I used to go to a coffee bar called "The Sombrero" I think towards Holloway Circus. Any one remember ?

 

[Astonian]

hi paul
i certainly remember it the both the sombero and the dril hal you had togo up a couple of steps at the drill hall and there was an old paper shop next door
you arenow going back abit in time ---tempus musus---
best wishes astonian ;;

 

[mikejee]

Below is a cutting from the evening mail in 1970 of memories of the old horsefair
Mike

 

[Astonian]

HI mike
yes i recall that story of memories being published and i can recll the old horse fair
long before the mexicana caf was on the scene and i remembe mr tripas cakes shop
he moved and went up ladypool rd my dear old dutchess worked for him at the ladypool shop
when we were first courting ,and st catherines and the big house
as previous threads i have said i worked for mr divis the builder whom yard was down wrentham st just along from st lukes rd he got a contract to do housing repairs in and around right up to camp hill
st lukes rd including princess rd and alexander and varna and the belgrave rd
and when harry cresswell and is brother had the litle car sales
i have good memorys ofhe old horse fair and when we uded to trek up to the old grey hound entry for a pint of the true rough cide a i penny a pint
i am sure there is other members can recll there memories especialy those from balsal heath
best wishes Astonian ;;

 

[Aidan]

There is a lovely atmospheric watercolour of the Horsefair by David Cox on BMagic https://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1909P55

 

[Stitcher]

This is The Horse Fair in Bristol Street in 1901.
I know I have a picture with some writing about the Horsefair but I can't put my hand it at the moment. I will find it and re-post it on post 4 of this thread.

 

[Stitcher]

1900.
The Horsefair.

 

[carolina]

Stitcher great picture.

 

[ellbrown]

Between Bristol Street and Holloway Circus, it's still called Hose Fair



There's this plaque about Horse Fair, next to the mural

 

[carolina]

Horse Fair/Windmill Street 1956

 

[paul stacey]

Fascinating thread this, when a boy I passed regularly down the "Horse Fair", and wondered often where the weird name came from!!
I wonder when it stopped? when there was't the need for horse drawn transport I suppose!!.
paul

 

[ellbrown]

According to the plaque 1911. Charter was granted by Henry III in 1215 (technically Henry III's reign started in 1216 when he was a child!).

The buildings here are on "Horse Fair" (end of Bristol Street)

 

[Vivienne14]

I do like this photo of the Horsefair as it once was. Photo by Percy J Deakin. Bears a lot of similarity to Ell's mural photo in post #12. Viv.

 

[paul stacey]

Do you know, as a lad I always wondered why the "Horse fair ", being a street was so named,and no one could tell me, now I know, was it held where "Bristol Street Motors" is/was??
paul

 

[Phil]

Paul

It was The Horse Fair from Smallbrook St to Essex St I believe.

 

[derekw]

I reckon my mother would have seen the horse's..she was born in Bromsgrove St and was living in Inge St by 1911..her mother had a fish dealers shop in either Essex St or Lowers Essex St...fascinating reading all the history on here..thanks for that.

 

[Vivienne14]

In the interests of adding or re-instating lost info from this thread I'm adding a few images.

Derek you might like this 1911 photo from the Digital Ladywood site:



This map (which is earlier than Phil's) might also be of interest. Again from the Digital Ladywood site. I've marked the start of the Horsefair - which on this map is named Brick Kiln Lane:



Finally Hutton's explanation of the move of the horse fair from Edgbaston Street in the Bull Ring to Brick-kiln Lane (later re-named The Horsefair):



Interesting that Brick-kiln Lane was 'the extreme part of the town'!
Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

And this is the David Cox painting which was attached to Aidan's post #8 (before the site images were hacked). The background buildings in Cox's painting are very insignificant, the focus being the business of the day. Viv.

 

[paul stacey]

Thanks Phil, Viv, very interesting information, as a young lad with the ACF, I would often go to Thorp Street Drill Hall/Barracks, for parades though Birmingham city centre, with the cadet bugle and drum band.
paul

 

[derekw]

In the interests of adding or re-instating lost info from this thread I'm adding a few images.

Derek you might like this 1911 photo from the Digital Ladywood site:

View attachment 85034

This map (which is earlier than Phil's) might also be of interest. Again from the Digital Ladywood site. I've marked the start of the Horsefair - which on this map is named Brick Kiln Lane:

View attachment 85035

Finally Hutton's explanation of the move of the horse fair from Edgbaston Street in the Bull Ring to Brick-kiln Lane (later re-named The Horsefair):

View attachment 85036

Interesting that Brick-kiln Lane was 'the extreme part of the town'!
Viv.

Many thanks Vivienne,there's so much going on in the first photo is'nt there..and I have always found black and white photo's have so much character.

I also like the painting,thats another one of my interests...thankyou.

 

[Phil]

This is a photo of the entire length of the Horse Fair, it's dated 1952, but I think it's later than that possibly the early 60's.

 

[Vivienne14]

I was wondering what it looked like before the area was developed Phil as I don't really remember it. As your map shows, quite a short street. Was also wondering if any of the older buildings remain but doubt any survived the re-development. Thanks for posting. Viv.

 

[derekw]

There used to be a Dry Salters,George Hull in Essex St,we used to buy Squirrel Hair artist brushes and Lining Fitches from there,that would have been in the late 70/80s,it was one of the last remaining shops of its kind and I believe they were bought out in the late 80s.