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Pimple Hill Castle Bromwich

terry carter

terry carter

Birmingham Pals
Its hard to get to the Pimple nowadays. It is hemmed in by the collector road on one side and then motorway on the other side and busy road island at one end. I remember as a kid a few of us went down it on our bikes. I had a fixed wheel bike and my hip caught fire !!! ;)
 
You're right about it being hard to get to now. when we was kids we used to get to it through the graveyard, a bit creepy if you left it late.:shock:

Hanco
 
Les,
Where about is the "Pimple?
i remember when as a scout during ww2with some friends we went camping
at a farmer Rodger's farm field, Castle Brom,it was at a time when the aero drome was was payed a call by "jerry",& what we never realised was that there was a mobile AA gun in the next field,which became very active,the main chester road sort of turned off towards the Bradford Arms and Rodgers farm was on the left not far away from the river
 
Maybe the Pimple isn't the correct name Dennis, and it's just what kids called it.
 
The Pimple would that be as in a bank or mound ?, if so, would it be the Mound near the Island junction for the M6, with Castle Bromwich Hall on the other side of the mound thanks Dave
 
terry carter said:
The best view of the 'pimple' nowadays is from the cemetery of St Mary and St Margarets Church, Castle Bromwich. There is a wall at the far end of the cemetery which overlooks the collector road. In fact, I have to pop out to the shops and I will take a couple of pictures. It is possible to walk to the 'Pimple' It would be best to cross over the Collector Road near the junction of Parkfied Drive and then get into the land between between the road and the motorway.

Terry
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Terry is right. It was formerly a small hill overlooking the River Tame and overlooked by St Margaret's church but was cut clean through when the Chelmsley Wood collector road was built. When you come off the Newport Road island onto the collector road you are yards away from driving through the cutting that was made. It was probably a motte and bailey castle site and,if I remember correctly, there was some archaeological work done there.
 
As promised here are some of the views of Pimple Hill from St Mary & St Margarets Cemetery. As you can see the top of the mound is now quite overgrown. I am led to believe it was once part of a Motte and Bailey Castle.

Terry
(Replacements)
 

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I live in Castle Bromwich and though I have been to "the pimple" didn't know it had a name. When you pass the "clock island" onto the Bradford Lane there is a little lane that takes you down to Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens and the church, there are bollards across the top end of the lane, but at one time you could drive down there, we often stroll down there and have a rest on "the pimple". Must tell Ray the name.
 
My husband Michael lived at Castle Brom he remembers Pimple Hill well but he thought it had gone under the motorway. He will be chuffed when I tell him. Thanks for the pictures Terry.
 
As I remember, in the 60’s we called it ‘Pimply Hill’ named because of the stones that protruded from the ground. I have a picture of it in my mind, but that picture does not resemble any of the pics posted here. I’m sure the problem is with my mind, not your pics!​
It used to be pretty much a landmark before it was eaten into by the road system. Would it have been so much more costly, given the spending on roads, to have diverted around it, and left a monument to ancient times intact? It was indeed a Roman fort and there has been archaeological evidence of pre-historic occupation found.​
[FONT=&quot]Maybe we should get channel 4’s Time Team on it[/FONT]
 
pimple hill.i remember it well,the old chester rd going down to newport rd,we went up there a lot,the church yard was a bit wierd,and not to be ventured in by night,there was a old house opp
the church were we all collected,the grounds of lady bradfords was also a good place,i was told back in history pagens used the hill,dont know if it is true,never looked into it.When the motorway was built it was not the same,place to hang out.That was 1960s erly 70s.
 
my hubby reckons pimple hill was a tumulus where they buried people and it was split in two with the collector road. i remember having to get thru lady bradfords churchyard which was very very scary and i recall seeing a ghostly figure of a man on a white horse in those fields when i was younger.
 
Does anybody know if Pimply Hill (as I knew it as a kid in the '60's) is a natural or man made feature? I've looked around to try to find out but there doesn't seem to be a reference to its origins apart from it was used as a fort and by the Romans and possibly before that in the iron age?
 
Hi Paul, I'm faily sure that it is a natural feature, being part of the high escarpment overlooking the Tame Valley. This high ground contnues for some distance, levelling out at the approach to Water Orton.
Before the road system around there was developed the old Chester Road ran down beside Pimple Hill and was extremely steep! I remember that there was a bench situated about half way up for people to rest upon before finishing the climb. Part of that road still exists but is not accessible once past the old graveyard.

Ian
 
welder said:
Hi Paul, I'm faily sure that it is a natural feature, being part of the high escarpment overlooking the Tame Valley. This high ground contnues for some distance, levelling out at the approach to Water Orton.
Before the road system around there was developed the old Chester Road ran down beside Pimple Hill and was extremely steep! I remember that there was a bench situated about half way up for people to rest upon before finishing the climb. Part of that road still exists but is not accessible once past the old graveyard.

Ian
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Hi Ian

I'm sure you're right about the escarpment, but of course occupying
forces and defenders have always in the past looked for natural features
to reinforce and fortify without the need to 'build from scratch'. I
understand that excavations have shown that the Romans occupied
the hill as a fortification (not surprising as there was a large Roman presence in the area), and that later a motte and bailey fort was
constructed on the site by the Normans. The 'Castle' in Castle Bromwich tells the story. I've lived in the area for 40 years, and I've always heard it either referred to as Pimple Hill, or sometimes as 'the Castle'

Kind regards

Dave
 
welder said:
Hi Paul, I'm faily sure that it is a natural feature, being part of the high escarpment overlooking the Tame Valley. This high ground contnues for some distance, levelling out at the approach to Water Orton.
Before the road system around there was developed the old Chester Road ran down beside Pimple Hill and was extremely steep! I remember that there was a bench situated about half way up for people to rest upon before finishing the climb. Part of that road still exists but is not accessible once past the old graveyard.

Ian
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ian. As I remember it I always had the impression it didn't look natural but have never found a definitive answer. Until I find evidence to the contrary, I'll take it as read.

PS
The Conker Whitegate I knew as a boy was in Walmley. A farmers field who chased you off if he caught you and sometimes left a bull in the field to deter conkerers!
 
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I used to go to the small school in Castle Bromwich and I always thought the avenue of conker trees was the original drive to Bradford Hall from the main road ? My wife who lived in Pype Hayes always new the large mound as "The Giants Pimple"
Regards Chris B
 
I always assumed (maybe incorrectly) that the avenue of trees at the front of the house was the start of a route that led down to the River Cole and on to Stechford Hall (now a carvery) which was a grand house of the same era.
As for Pimple Hill, as a kid I used to ride my bike down the through the graveyard down the hill before gathering enough speed to get to the top of the hill.
I'd say only about 50% of it is standing now. Also read somewhere that when excavations were being made for the motorway, the results of the archaeology were not disclosed for some reason.
 
You are correct tayrich. The avenue of trees, conker trees I believe, went from the main gate of the Hall all the way across to what is now The Heathway. They are clearly shown on a 1886 map of Castle Bromwich. Although what is now Birmingham Road passed in front of the main gate the avenue would have made a grand entrance for horse drawn carriages to enter the Hall. The map shows another avenue of trees going to west of the Hall towards The Firs. Of course Bradford Road and Newport Road didn't exist in those days. The avenue of trees can be seen passing through the "B" of Bromwich on this link:-

https://www.francisfrith.com/castle...gle.co.uk&utmcmd=referral&utmccn=google.co.uk

The avenue of trees, what's left of Pimple Hill and other fine photos of Castle Bromwich can be seen in Jim Perkins' website on this link:-

https://www.btinternet.com/~jimperkins/page66.html

In his book "Castle Bromwich In Times Past" Colin Green has a photograph, c1962, of The Mound (Pimple Hill) before being largely destroyed by roadworks.
 
tayrich said:
I'd say only about 50% of it is standing now. Also read somewhere that when excavations were being made for the motorway, the results of the archaeology were not disclosed for some reason.
Click to expand...

Because it was so important it would have halted construction?
 
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I remember Pimple Hill in the early to mid 50's. We used to walk down what we called Leafy Lane (Birmingham Road) and on the left was Castle Bromwich Hall. We used to climb over the wall and get tadpoles from the ponds. When we visited Castle Bromwich Hall a few years ago, I was told that a lot of people had related this story. It is lovely to see it all restored now.
 
Terry, there is a distint similarity between those two, very interesting, thanks.
stitcher.
 
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