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Tom Knockers Wood Harborne
- Thread starter Astoness
- Start date
Radiorails
master brummie
Lyn, a little here in post 21:
birminghamhistory.co.uk
Woodgate valley
there used to be a fun fair that came every year to woodgate valley in the 60's....anyone remember it?
birminghamhistory.co.uk
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
Mopbeggar Farm (Moor End Farm)
Mopbeggar Farm was a large farm estate which straddled the border between Warley and Harborne and extended as far north as Quinton Lane. The name Mopbeggar is thought to derive from a corruption of Mockbeggar – an old and common name used to describe a large house which gave little charity.
The farmhouse was situated at the end of a meandering trackway leading south from Tennall Road, located where Simmons Drive is today.
In 1840 the farm was owned by William Penn, occupied by William Johnson.
There were a number of blocks of woodland in the estate. The northernmost of which – Pits Wood – still exists today just off Overdale Road, though it is much smaller than it was shown in 1840. The wood is outside of the Country Park boundary.
To the south, were three further woods, which fell outside of the modern day Country Park. Where Ridgemont Croft is today, was Pool Tail Plantation. This is marked on later maps (1880s) as an old sand pit. In the location of the modern day Bolney Road stood Feston Wood, which had also been cleared by the 1880s. Where First Meadow Piece is today stood Bearlands Wood (also known as Tom Knocker’s Wood)...
Woodgate Valley – a History – ANDY_UNDERSCORE
Mopbeggar Farm was a large farm estate which straddled the border between Warley and Harborne and extended as far north as Quinton Lane. The name Mopbeggar is thought to derive from a corruption of Mockbeggar – an old and common name used to describe a large house which gave little charity.
The farmhouse was situated at the end of a meandering trackway leading south from Tennall Road, located where Simmons Drive is today.
In 1840 the farm was owned by William Penn, occupied by William Johnson.
There were a number of blocks of woodland in the estate. The northernmost of which – Pits Wood – still exists today just off Overdale Road, though it is much smaller than it was shown in 1840. The wood is outside of the Country Park boundary.
To the south, were three further woods, which fell outside of the modern day Country Park. Where Ridgemont Croft is today, was Pool Tail Plantation. This is marked on later maps (1880s) as an old sand pit. In the location of the modern day Bolney Road stood Feston Wood, which had also been cleared by the 1880s. Where First Meadow Piece is today stood Bearlands Wood (also known as Tom Knocker’s Wood)...
Woodgate Valley – a History – ANDY_UNDERSCORE
lesley60
Brummie babby
Hi Lyn,
That 'House' In the picture Pedrocut posted, Is the old Monarch Pub In Quinton Road West, which is now, The Island Inn Pub restaurant.
Lesley.
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Pedro Torpe
New Member
Pedro Torpe
New Member
I went to Four Dwellings School at end of 40s/early 50s. In a school notebook I have written that the class went to Tom Knockers Wood and planted trees!
Very interesting! I'm coming across this thread after searching for 'Tommy Knockers Wood', which my grandad described. He lived in Harborne in the 30s and fondly remembered going 'just up the hill' to get into the countryside when he lived on West Boulevard. Maybe its now part of the country park there?
That said, he may not be aware the wood was decimated in 1945 by the looks of that newspaper article - and I'd rather not tell him! Kids can do terrible things in every generation... By that point he'd left for Yardley.
That said, he may not be aware the wood was decimated in 1945 by the looks of that newspaper article - and I'd rather not tell him! Kids can do terrible things in every generation... By that point he'd left for Yardley.
A 'Tommy Knocker' is a hob or goblin, often thought to haunt mines. As a child, I knew the woods [like Leasowes Park- Blue Bell Dell] well in the 1960s -1970s, but I think this wood was long gone by then. Looking at the newspaper photo, I doubt this was done by children. More like housing developers.
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Undoubtedly true. There are houses there now by the looks of it!
Pedro Torpe
New Member
Are there any photos of what it looks like now or has it totally disappeared?
Wendy in 2010 wrote that according to legend Tom Knocker hanged himself there.... post #333
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/brummie-ghosts.10330/page-12
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/brummie-ghosts.10330/page-12
splinter555
knowlegable brummie
Back in the early 1950.s, it was said to us kids to keep out of Tommy Knockers wood because it was haunted by Tommy who hung himself in the wood years before.
Interesting Splinter. I've looked for a suicide or hanging before 1834 when the name is used on the Harbourne map. Of course, 'Knocker' might have been Tommy's nickname? He might have lived and died in the 1700s?
Its disappeared under housing. This link to Google Streetview will take you to the approximate spot - Notice the pub "The Lion Bar and Restaurant" and compare it with the photo in post #5.
Street view is amazing! Put in 'First Meadow Piece' and you can walk round the probable location of Tom Knocker's Wood. Few mature trees to see and certainly no woods.Its disappeared under housing. This link to Google Streetview will take you to the approximate spot - Notice the pub "The Lion Bar and Restaurant" and compare it with the photo in post #5.
