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Perry Village

When three cottages went up for auction in 1921 in Perry Village, they were listed as being in Church Lane.

The last sentence says "Company's water laid on". Wondering what company ? So who owned the cottages - would it have been the water company ? Viv.

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viv i find it amazing that in 1921 it was being called church lane when its clearly marked on maps as church road as early as 1888
 
viv see my posts 43 and 44...photos i took of the front and back of the 3 cottages next to the church tavern pub.. maybe these were the cottages in your for sale notice as the advert does seem to imply that the cottages could all be next to each other...ie wash house at rear for all 3 tenants...its only a guess mind you

lyn
 
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I lived in the area for many years and always knew it as Church Lane as did most people I knew. I have about a dozen posts on the forum in which I've called it Church Lane one of which is shown below ... it is the Walsall Rd end of the road. It always looked like a lane but now all these years later I've learnt it wasn't a lane !
oldMohawk said:
Walsall Road in 1938. On the left is Perry Avenue leading to Perry Hall Park. On the right is Church Lane leading to Perry Barr Park.
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Available free on Google Play is the Monthly Argus and Public Censor.. No III.. Birmingham, September, 1833,...Vol. VI....(full title)

It describes the consecration of a new Church at Perry Barr dedicated to St John.
 
oldMohawk said:
I lived in the area for many years and always knew it as Church Lane as did most people I knew. I have about a dozen posts on the forum in which I've called it Church Lane one of which is shown below ... it is the Walsall Rd end of the road. It always looked like a lane but now all these years later I've learnt it wasn't a lane !
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I was born 7 years after this photo off Perry avenue, Dewsbury Grove, looks like Perry avenue was just a building site in those days as our house wasn't built until 1939.
 
Thanks Mortun. That looks most likely. Now wondering how much of Perry Village was tied into the waterworks. It's the first time this connection has occurred to me (shouldn't have been so surprised really as it has a long historical connection with water management). And I'd always imagined the Village land to be largely connected to the Goughs/Perry Hall (eg farming) but that seems to have changed by the early 1900s.

Thanks Lyn too - I think that's right looking at Mikes second map in post #21. They seem clearly marked on that one.

Re. the naming of the road - it looks like it continued to be called "Lane" despite being named "Road" on official maps.

Pedro - thanks shall have a look at that.

Thanks all. Viv.
 
Looking at past maps, there's a large reservoir to the north of the village with (what look like) streams coming off it towards the cottages in Lyn's photos in post #43 and #44. Pretty good connection to a water authority I'd say.

Also on the map is a loop of Church Road (next to the word "Perry") leading down to Perry Hall. Could this be the "Lane" ? If so maybe people referred to the whole of the road as Lane. Viv.
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It doesn't ever seem to have a name on any map just leads, 1890, past a gravel pit. Now to a car park for Perry Park and then a roadway round the side of the park. Could have been referred to as a lane.
 
pjmburns said:
It doesn't ever seem to have a name on any map just leads, 1890, past a gravel pit. Now to a car park for Perry Park and then a roadway round the side of the park. Could have been referred to as a lane.
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The mention of a gravel pit reminded me of the mention of a quarry in one of the old Directories. A quick look just comes up with an entry in 1849 for an Edwin Butler, Tailor, Draper, outfitter, 77 High Street; House, Quarry houses, Perry Barr.
 
Ok, some news back from the South Staffs Archive:


To the best of my knowledge South Staffs never supplied Perry Barr / Perry Village with water. They supplied Great Barr to the north and Streetly to the east but I believe the City of Birmingham Water Department would have supplied Perry Village in 1921. In fact prior to the Elan Valley scheme being inaugurated around 1905, water was pumped from wells known as Perry Sinkings in that area.​

I do know that the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks had a number of wells and boreholes around the city. Perry Wells is on Rough Road Kingstanding was one of them. It was quite common for the water company's to build cottage for the workers. in the days of steam pumped water, it was quite labour intensive and needed 24/7 attendance. An average small waterworks like the one at Sandfields needed at least 21 manual staff, three 8 hour shifts of 7 people.
 
In 1920 Lord Calthorpe sold a portion of his Estate...

“The estate covers 2,459 acres and 4 miles in extent. There are 14 important farms, many small holdings and village properties, about 70 houses and cottages, hotels, a brewery, and freehold ground rents; valuable coal royalties will also be included in the sale. We understand that all the tenants will be given the first offer of purchasing their holdings.”
 
Pedrocut said:
In 1920 Lord Calthorpe sold a portion of his Estate...

“The estate covers 2,459 acres and 4 miles in extent. There are 14 important farms, many small holdings and village properties, about 70 houses and cottages, hotels, a brewery, and freehold ground rents; valuable coal royalties will also be included in the sale. We understand that all the tenants will be given the first offer of purchasing their holdings.”
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Some of the farms involved...

Halfway, Warren, Pool, King's Vale, Manor (Oscott), Brooklands, Booths, Old Oscott, Kettle House, Messuage (New Oscott), Bank, Barr Common, and Perry Barr Common Farms.
 
I used to live on Church Road opposite the Church Tavern in the early 1970s. There were cottages to the right and towards the back of the pub ( not the car park side) I can remember visiting a friend there in the cottages about the same age as me. They were very dark, may not have had electric and small were cottages. I can remember the children there. But they were condemned and had to move out. The church was on the other end of the road towards the council estate. This was before the stadium was build. I can remember the stepping stones to cross the steam. I can remember walking to Perry hall and having to cross the main road and walk down the road opposite Church Road.
 
ashmore said:
I used to live on Church Road opposite the Church Tavern in the early 1970s. There were cottages to the right and towards the back of the pub ( not the car park side) I can remember visiting a friend there in the cottages about the same age as me. They were very dark, may not have had electric and small were cottages. I can remember the children there. But they were condemned and had to move out. The church was on the other end of the road towards the council estate. This was before the stadium was build. I can remember the stepping stones to cross the steam. I can remember walking to Perry hall and having to cross the main road and walk down the road opposite Church Road.
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That would be Perry Avenue, I lived first grove on the right after you crossed over the Walsall road but moved September 70.
 
Warren Blackham painted this view of Church Lane Perry Barr (later name d Church Road) pre-1900. On the modern view tge blue dot indicated St John's Church. I think this was probably painted from the junction with Aldridge Road.

Not sure what the lady is selling, but it looks like fruit in the basket under the table.

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Screenshot_20241105_085448_Maps.jpg
 
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