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Lightwoods Park, Bearwood

Lightwoods House will have another Open Day on Sunday 25th March 11.30 to 3.30 when you will be able to take a tour,
The Tea Room which is open now and is run by Jonathon previously of Jonathon's Restaurant and Hotel on Wolverhamton Road.
 
Thanks Viv, it's beatiful. I wish it was still a lovely pool with swans instead of that ugly skateboard area!
Yesterday youths had taken over the play area where the swings are, not so peaceful now.
rosie.
 
I don't remember the children dressed like that but I do remember that many children playing around the area so it could be that the photographer just called the people together for the photo
 
Some images of Lightwoods park from the thirties and forties, The one looks like a paddling pool which I didn't know they had, another is the bowling green and another one of the pond.

The thing about parks is that they were always a safe haven for our children and they kept them off our streets. If times are changing and skateboard parks are doing the same job then my personal opinion is I hope they build more in our parks, at least it might keep some of them off our streets and away from our shopping areas.

Bearwood Lightwoods Park 1933.JPG Bearwood Lightwoods Park 1946.JPG Bearwood Lightwoods Park.jpg
 
The little "Rest House" in #85 no longer has seating, the fixed wooden benches gradually disappeared!
Such a pity there's vandalism in a lovely place.
rosie,
 
I went back to Lightwoods Park on the 2nd June 2020, for a lockdown walk to Warley Woods. Starting from Adkins Lane.

New photo of the Bandstand.



I noticed that the middle part of the Rest House was missing.



New views of Lightwoods House.









 
I also got to see the drinking fountain near Galton Road for the first time without hoardings in the way.







This is a quote from William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, Act I, Scene II.

Those healths will make thee and thy state
look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to
be a sinner, honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire
Click to expand...

 
Gate to the Shakespeare Garden was locked last week, probably due to the lockdown / pandemic.









I've got a project over at Birmingham We Are for Lightwoods Park. I've got one post up, and have two pending posts ready (not sure when they will be published / approved). But you can check out the gallery if you want to.
 
I think that the gate to the Shakespeare Gardens will be kept locked during the present lockdown as it gives access to the back of Lightwoods House which would cause a security problem at the present time. Also looking at the above photos, there is little maintenance on the gardens being done at the moment.
 
Lovely photos as always Ellbrown! I miss my weekly walk there. The Rest House seating was removed bit-by-bit unfortunately, it was handy just there. The Shakespeare Garden was renovated recently, my mother used to say that originally all the plants in there were mentioned in his plays.
rosie.
 
Was the Rest House always there. Or was it new from 2016-17? As I only had the first drinking fountain in that area back in 2011.
 
No the Rest House was new with the refurbishment. There was a previous structure in that area which was the aviary that was demolished some time ago.
 
I agree it's pre 1950's, I remember the Bowling club hut which burned down a few years ago but it wasn't like the house on the right. The cafe had a very high counter or so it seemed , when I was allowed a special treat of ice-cream!!
 
Good old Lightwoods park visited regularly by me and my mates late 50's . Two things I remember most in the early 60's a very bad fight between two boy's from the school I was at . Back to the 50's on the way through the park returning home I found a frog , naughty me I picked it up to take home . Checking regularly on the way home the frog looked well , at home however things were different , it looked dead . Holding it up and forming its mouth to almost kiss like I blew into it's mouth
Eureka life continued it was well , I made what you could call a temporary home for it left it alone for the night in the outside washhouse . The following day I woke and immediately thought frog , after breakfast I went to the back yard to the washhouse only to find zilch my little friend had gone . I could understand why it had gone, our little back yard had nothing for it, yet under the gate next door had grass etc . I'd like to think it lived until a ripe old age .
 
I only recall going to that park once, late fifties I think, there was a show of some sort on which included a pig roast.
A typical British summer day, drizzle all day long, the pig roast must have been started too late as it wasn't served until late afternoon and even then wasn't properly cooked.:(
 
Phil said:
Some images of Lightwoods park from the thirties and forties, The one looks like a paddling pool which I didn't know they had, another is the bowling green and another one of the pond.

The thing about parks is that they were always a safe haven for our children and they kept them off our streets. If times are changing and skateboard parks are doing the same job then my personal opinion is I hope they build more in our parks, at least it might keep some of them off our streets and away from our shopping areas.

View attachment 125700 View attachment 125701 View attachment 125702
Click to expand...

Phil said:
Some images of Lightwoods park from the thirties and forties, The one looks like a paddling pool which I didn't know they had, another is the bowling green and another one of the pond.

The thing about parks is that they were always a safe haven for our children and they kept them off our streets. If times are changing and skateboard parks are doing the same job then my personal opinion is I hope they build more in our parks, at least it might keep some of them off our streets and away from our shopping areas.

View attachment 125700 View attachment 125701 View attachment 125702
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting the photograph of the bowling green. I have a letter from grandad which talk about going to Lightwoods Park in May 1952 and walking past the bowling green.
 
“And when they got there the pond was bare .
Adaptation of the old rhyme seems to fit this picture of crestfallen boys who found that park authorities bent on cleaning the pond in
Lightwoods Park had got there before them.”

(Evening Despatch, March 1940)

IMG_3489.jpeg
 
kdharrison said:
Just by way of an update, I have just picked this up from Smethwick Local History Society

"Lightwoods Park
Sandwell MBC has set aside £1.25M for the restoration project with a further £80k p.a. being allocated for annual maintenance. Much needed refurbishment work has now begun on Lightwoods House and an enthusiastic 'Friends' group has been set up to help decide the future of the park and house. A highly successful event was held on 2nd May attended by around 10,000 people and this Society had a stall there selling our publications. Several members of this Society usually attend meetings of the 'Friends of Lightwoods Park' at which we try to ensure that local history is kept prominently on the agenda."

More details can be found here; https://www.smethwicklocalhistory.co.uk/#/news/4538063427
Click to expand...
Unless my memory is failing me the house used to be a posh Afternoon Tea room (Jonathan’s in the Park) up to a few years ago , we booked it for my parents 70th birthday between Covid lockdowns. The food was really special and the staff very attentive., they made my parents feel very welcome and it was a lovely venue for 3 generations of family to get together… I’m not surprised it closed though as their overheads must have been horrendous . The loos were upstairs and I think there was a large function room upstairs and I got the impression only some of the upstairs rooms were in use.

When I was little and lived in harborne we used to get the 11 bus and go to the park, the band stand and rose gardens were lovely and if you were lucky the back gate of the house was open and you could see the gardeners tending the walled garden at the back. I think there was some sort of crazy golf and a big concrete paddling pool ( which never had any water in it, esp in the summer of 77 when I think water was in short supply

It would be great if the house could be used for some sort of cafe and community hub like they have done in Kings Heath park???
 
ellbrown said:
Lightwood House

I found this under scaffolding. There is also demolition signs up. But sure that wouldn't happen as it is Grade II listed. In very poor condition.


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood by ell brown, on Flickr


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood by ell brown, on Flickr


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood by ell brown, on Flickr

What has happened to this porch?


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood - Porch by ell brown, on Flickr

All the windows are covered up


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood by ell brown, on Flickr

Is this the servants entrance?


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood - staff entrance by ell brown, on Flickr


Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood - staff entrance by ell brown, on Flickr
Click to expand...
I think the Staff signs are from when Jonathan’s ran it asa a tea room a few years ago ..
 
Pedrocut said:
“And when they got there the pond was bare .
Adaptation of the old rhyme seems to fit this picture of crestfallen boys who found that park authorities bent on cleaning the pond in
Lightwoods Park had got there before them.”

(Evening Despatch, March 1940)

View attachment 197752
Click to expand...
I remember the pool being drained about every 2-3 years in the 60s & 70s for cleaning. The amount of broken bottles convinced me never to go paddling in it, but it was ideal for toy yachts & boats - until the wind dropped or the clockwork motors ran down in the middle of the water.
 
B16girl said:
I think the Staff signs are from when Jonathan’s ran it asa a tea room a few years ago ..
Click to expand...
Again, back in the late 1950s I got soaked by riding my tricycle into the pool (!) and was taken by a worker (gardener?) to a room through the left hand door in those staff quarters, where there was a roaring coal stove to dry out and wait for my father to come with some dry clothes for me (someone had phoned him, luckily I knew our phone number!), so it was at that time at least a mess room for the ground staff. The stove possibly fed radiators in the house, too.
 
Lightwoods House and Shakespeare Gardens have been restored. There's a wide variety of activities, from pilates and yoga to wedding hire and a tea room. https://lightwoodsparkandhouse.co.uk

I played in the park as a child and later pushed my mother round Shakespeare Garden in a wheelchair (she took some persuading as she didn't normally use one, but she eventually admitted it was worth it.) I'm glad that the place is still going strong. Of course Warley Woods close by has strong memories for me too.
 
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