Roads With Rear Facing Houses

[tali]

Hubert st in Aston - it seems unusual as it is a road with the rear of the houses- i can't recall too many roads like that in Brum.

A block in Talfourd St Bordsley Green also features the rear view (whilst rest are normal)

Are there any others in Brum?

 

[mikejee]

Tali
Originally the houses had front doors, where the non-bay windows are.. I suspect that the entire row inside are now combined as a business premises, with a yard at the back.
Mike

 

[lencops]

Houses on Coventry Rd opposite Morrisons have their backs to road. Len.

 

[Arkrite]

Looking at maps of Hubert Street these were typical high density houses. I will go with Mikegee in that the small windows were front doors but not that it is one premises. Looking at Google Earth top down you can see the individual gardens have gone ,it is a communal area with walk ways, not at all like the old maps which show individual plots.
I think , in the not to distant past, this area of terraced property has been block purchased perhaps by the council, housing association or rental developer and "turned around". Twenty or so years ago it was a popular for cars to be separated from communal or garden areas so children could play in safety. Estates were often built in the shape of a horse shoe, Cars and garages around the outside if the shoe, the centre part being pedestrianized and garden or play areas. ( These days kids just dont go out ). Two Connaught property maintenance vans are present ,in the Google Earth view , which support my idea that they are rental property.
Well that is my idea, feel free to pick holes in it.

 

[Ray Griffiths]

Hi Folks.

Houses built during and just after the war at the Kingstanding end Birdbrook Road Great Barr were built with back of the house ie kitchen over looking the road.

Locally they used to be called nosey parker houses.

Ray

 

[Rupert]

I suppose that since dishwashing was a constant feature of life...neighbors always thought that much time was spent looking through the front window...when one was merely doing the dishes in the sink by the kitchen window. Nosey Parker Houses...neat terminology. Not true of course.

 

[sylviasayers]

My parents moved to a council bungalow in Chelmsley Wood in 1968, and their kitchen faced the road.

 

[Elizabeth Redmond]

There is a Rd or Close like this off Quinton Rd near a pub but i cant remember the name,the gardens are steep and back on to the
St,i will try and find out,Cadnom Close i was thinking of,but the front of the house is on Quinton Rd,so i guess thats not what you meant

 

[robert]

Seems strange to have no back door. Could be a fire risk.

 

[Arkrite]

Think about it ,Flats have only one entrance ( and maybe a long drop if you are in a high rise ). I first thought of the safety angle when I looked at the houses. Does this mean that Elf & Safety is slowly creeping into our way of thinking. Having done loads of safety courses when working I often find myself looking at things from an H & S point of view. I'm a sad critter .

I bought a new build bungalow in 1978. All the houses and bungalows on the estate had front facing kitchens and allocated parking spaces but we still had a front and back door.

 

[Frothblower]

There are Bungalows in Erdington, I was told should have been built the other way round facing Bracken road

 

[Alberta]

There are some houses built in Water Orton a few years ago that are back to back houses.
When they were for sale I had a look at them and walked round the back to see how big the garden was and found instead of a garden another house backing on to it.
Just like many years ago all the windows are on the front of the houses.