Castle Bromwich

Castle Bromwich is a large village situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east, North Warwickshire to the east and north east; also Shard End to the south west, Castle Vale and Erdington to the north and Hodge Hill to the west - all areas of the City of Birmingham. It constitutes a civil parish which had a population of 11,857 according to the 2001 census.

It was a civil parish within the Meriden Rural District of Warwickshire until the Local Government Act 1972 came into force in 1974, when it became part of Solihull.

In 1861 the poulation was 613. This steadily rose to just over 1,000 in the 1920s, when half of the original parish was ceded to the City of Birmingham for the construction of overspill estates. This caused a drop to 678 (almost the 1861 level). Post Second World War estate building in Castle Bromwich increased the population to 4,356 in 1951, 9,205 in 1961 and 15,941 in 1971. The parish was then split into two, resulting in the lower 2001 figures. ^[1]

1 History
2 Churches
3 Castle Bromwich Hall
4 Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens
5 Other Notable Buildings and Places
6 Castle Bromwich Aerodrome
7 Modern Castle Bromwich
8 External links

[edit] History

Castle Bromwich is a very old Warwickshire village. There has been a settlement here since before Stone Age times. There is evidence that the area was first settled some 5,000 years ago. Romans, Saxons and Normans have also settled on this raised piece of land close to a natural ford across the river Tame. The ancient Chester Road that runs through the village was originally cut through the dense Arden Forest. Bromwich comes from the old words 'brom' for the yellow flowering broom (plant) which grows here and 'wich' an ancient name for a dwelling or settlement. Castle comes from the wooden palisaded motte (castle) and bailey (courtyard) built on the top of Castle Hill, north of the church, sometime after 1066. Also, to distinguish the settlement from its neighbours West Bromwich, Little Bromwich and Wood Bromwich (an area then near Park Hall). The motte (called the Pimple Hill locally) is some 40 metres in diameter and appears to be a natural feature that was heightened by its Norman builders or their Anglo-Saxon slaves. This was designed to command the important crossing place of the River Tame. It still remains today, somewhat reduced, sandwiched between the M6 and the Chelmsley Wood Collector bypass road. There is a good view over Castle Vale and the Tame valley from the top. The bailey is some 100 metres in length and runs roughly parallel to the road. Because of the castle's relatively small size it is thought to have been a manned watchtower rather than a manorial residence. It would have been garrisoned by small force of Norman soldiers provided by and under the control of Ralph, the Norman Lord of Castle Bromwich Manor. He is unlikely to have lived in the castle but would probably have lived nearby. The land to the east of the pimple was excavated during the sixties prior to the housing estate being built adjoining the churchyard.

During the 18th century Castle Bromwich was an important place as it was at the junction of two turnpike roads. Chester Road, an old Roman way which ran from London to Chester, joined the Birmingham to Coleshill road near Castle Bromwich Hall. There was a toll gate at the junction of Chester Road, School Lane and Old Croft Lane, near the village green. The toll house still exists, although the massive 14 foot wide toll gate has been lost. In the 1780s stagecoaches travelling from Holyhead to London stopped in the village, as did a horse drawn bus from Birmingham to Coleshill. There were several coaching inns and two survive today. The Midland Railway arrived in 1842 and Castle Bromwich Station was rebuilt in 1901. Boy Scouts used to arrive here and trek the four miles to their major camp at Yorkswood in Kingshurst. The station closed in 1965 and was demolished in 1975, but freight trains still use the line.

Until 1894 the village was a hamlet in the the large parish of Aston. The Local Government Act 1894 created a parish of Castle Bromwich from part of the Aston parish not in either Birmingham or Aston Manor urban district. It was part of the Castle Bromwich Rural District from 1894 until 1912, when it became part of the Meriden Rural District.

During the 18th, and especially during the 19th centuries wealthy Birmingham businessmen built a number of large houses in Castle Bromwich.

Castle Bromwich has its own village green. The land for this, called Seven Acre Green, was given to the village by Viscount Newport in 1895. The War Memorial was erected in 1920 on a small island nearby. There is also another green called Whateley Green. Whateley is derived from the Anglo-Saxon for wheatfield clearing. This was the site of the village's stray animal pounds and a smithy. It had two pounds, stocks and a whipping post. Whateley Hall was nearby. The ancient Duck Pond was filled in during the late fifties.

In 1931 a portion of Castle Bromwich land was sold and ceded to the City of Birmingham who built the overspill Chipperfield Road development during 1937/38. This halved the area of the parish of Castle Bromwich, from 2,742 acres to 1,239 acres.[1]

During the second world war the occupants of Chipperfield Road pulled down an ancient white-washed farm house thinking it would deny German Bomber crews a marker to the aerodrome and the adjoining factories. This council estate was extended during the late Fifties and early Sixties onto land adjoining Newport Road. It was called The Firs Estate, after the large house that once stood there. This was usually occupied by the Estate bailiff for the nearby Castle Bromwich Hall. It was also extended up what was known locally as 'The Golf Links' to meet the Stables, now known as the Comet.

[edit] Churches

There are two from the Church of England, also a Methodist and a Baptist nearby. St Mary and St Margaret’s Parish Church is the original church and is in the west of the village. It is unusual as it is a “church within a church”. A small wooden chapel was known on the site before 1175, but it is believed that a house of worship has existed here for more than 2000 years. It was replaced in the 15th century by a large half timbered structure. The church was extensively altered between 1726 and 1731 by Sir John Bridgeman and the old timber one was encased in brick and plaster. The massive oak timbers can only be seen now in the roof. It is considered to have outstanding Architectural and Historic merit.

'A proposal to site a mobile phone mast on this historic church has aroused controversy, as it would look out of place and spoil the church building.

St Clement’s Church is in the east and was built in 1967, when the original parish was split into two.

[edit] Castle Bromwich Hall

Castle Bromwich Hall is a Jacobean Mansion that was built between 1557 and 1585 by Sir Edward Devereaux, the first MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire. It was single storey with a plain entrance. It was bought by Orlando Bridgeman (keeper of The Great Seal) in 1657, for his son Sir John Bridgeman I. Sir John extended and improved the property in 1672, adding the second floor and a large front porch. His son, Sir John Bridgeman II, inherited in 1710. He extended the Hall and rebuilt it in local hand made bricks of clay. The Bridgman’s were created Barons of Bradford in 1792 and (Earls) in 1851. A marriage also brought Weston Park into their possession, where they now still reside. The Hall was then rented out or used for other family members to live in. It is famous for having twelve windows (one for each Disciple) and four dormers above (one for each Apostle). The garden door passed through a grapevine which was always trimmed into the form of a cross. The last family member (Lady Ida Bradford) left the Hall in 1936. It then was used for storage during World War II. Post war it was leased out as an apprentice training centre for the GEC, and then used as offices while the outbuildings are used by other small companies. The conservation area is centred on the Hall. The Hall is reported as having tunnels linking to the ex vicarage and ex Public House nearby. These run underground and are not in use anymore.

[edit] Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens which surround the Hall is the only surviving example of an 18th century English formal garden, having escaped the attentions of Capability Brown. Sir John Bridgeman II originally laid out the Hall’s gardens in the style to which they have now been restored by the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust. They commenced the restoration of the ten acres to their former glory in 1985. The Gardens are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction.

[edit] Other Notable Buildings and Places

Many of the old buildings have now been demolished and farms have disappeared to make way for new housing and roads.

The 17th century 'Park Hall Manor House' was owned by the Arden family, ancestors of William Shakespeare. The mansion was supposedly haunted and was demolished in the early 1970s during construction of the M6 motorway. The hall was first mentioned in 1265, but this could have been a nearby moated timbered dwelling. A large housing estate now covers the site. The name lives on in 'Park Hall School', which is on the other side of the road, and is the largest secondary school in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull.

'Castle Bromwich Post Office' was the first to have a telephone outside London so that Benjamin Disraeli could keep in touch with the government. He frequently visited Castle Bromwich Hall in the 1870s, possibly to court Lady Chesterfield and Lady Bradford. Later Queen Mary made use of the telephone when visiting Lady Ida (Lady of the Queen’s Bed Chamber) at the Hall. The Post Office closed in 2004 and is now a hairdressing salon.

A drawing of 1726 shows a large structure called the 'Old Castle Hall' next to the old castle earthworks.

Chester Road used to climb up a steep hill from the river to the church, called 'Mill Hill'. Towards the bottom of the hill was a brick structure surrounding the 'Holy Well of St Lawrence'. This has now been covered by the roundabout for junction 5 of the M6.

'Castle Bromwich Mill' stood on the southern bank of the River Tame, close to the bottom of 'Mill Hill'. It was still grinding corn in 1895 and possibly later. It then became an artist’s studio until it was demolished in 1956. The M6 now covers the site, which is near to ‘The Firs’ estate. There were several other mills in the area, some also drawing water from the River Tame.

Two of the old coaching inns still exist today. 'The Bradford Arms' was built in 1723 on the site of an earlier pub called ‘The White Lion’. The high doors to the coach houses can still be seen. Law courts and Catholic services have been held here. It is the oldest pub in the village. 'The Coach and Horses' originally dated from the 18th century and stood in the front drive of the present public house. This was built in the 1920’s and re-roofed in 1938 when the thatched roof caught fire. Additionally, 'The Castle' dates to the early 1700’s and was the village alehouse. Later it became a general stores and then a private residence. The 17th century Georgian style 'The Bridgeman Arms Inn' is now also a private residence.

Adjacent to the 'The Bridgeman Arms Inn' were several cottages, used for servants, and an estate office for the Earl of Bradford who then owned much of the land in Castle Bromwich. The first Police Station was also established here under Pc Charlie Whale, before moving to a specialist house and lock up near to the Coach and Horses. When the Kingshurst estate was built policing was from a two man unit there, this closed down when the new Chelmsley Wood station opened. Part of the Inn was destroyed by a bomb in World War II, when two platoons of the Home Guard were based there. A 17th century well was found in the courtyard of the cottages. The cottages and office have now been replaced by a service road and new houses.

St Mary and St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School - was built in the 19th century and demolished in 1968 when the move was complete to larger premises with playing fields. Private housing now covers the site.

Harvey’s Drapery Shop - was a single storey extension to the main house. Originally it was a druggist’s (the only one between Birmingham and Coleshill. The visiting doctor from Coleshill arrived on horseback to take his surgery in a room in the house. Later it became a two storey extension to the house and the extended house was the home of the village electrician. It is now a private residence.

The village smithy was amongst the old cottages on the southern edge of the village green. A garage now occupies the site.

Green Lane was the oldest trackway through the village. One of the ancient Ridgeways of England, it ran from the castle to Grimstock Hill at Coleshill. It is now mostly underneath Chelmsley Wood and the M6.

Houses such as:

‘Camden House' - dated to the 17th century and was a gardeners’ cottage for the Hall.
‘The Cedars' - was built in 1897 by Alderman Thomas Clayton JP. It was a large country residence with its own generating plant.
‘Eldon House' - dated from the middle of the 18th century and used as a farm and the rectory.
‘The Elms'
‘The Firs' - was a large house near Castle Bromwich Hall. It was usually occupied by the estate bailiff to the Hall. The site is now a post World War II housing estate of the same name.
‘The Gables' - dating from 1800, but it was a mock half timbered 16th century Manor House.
'The Granary' - dated to the early 18th century was the village malt house. It is now a private residence. The upstairs room was once used for Church meetings and the adjoining building was an early bowling alley. This adjoining building has now been demolished and a private house erected upon the site.
‘Hawkesford'
‘The Hawthorns'
‘The Hollies'
'Rainbow Cottages' - a group of cottages opposite the Post Office.
‘The Southfields' - dated to the middle of the 19th century. In 1908 it was occupied by Edward Randall who owned the first motor car in the village. During the Second World War it became a secret plastics factory. The house is now part of the Remembrance Club.
‘The Sycamores' - later known as Poplar Farm
‘Timberley House' - was built in the late 18th century as a farmhouse. It was demolished in the 1930’s and a cinema was built on the site. Before fitting out it was used a store in the Second World War. This was demolished in 1962 and a small supermarket now exists there.
‘Westeria'
‘Whateley Hall' - probably built in the 18th century in classical style, but there is evidence of a moated structure from the 1300’s. The Hall was surrounded by considerable wooded grounds and was the second largest house in the village, after Castle Bromwich Hall. The Knight family was in residence from the 1860’s until 1935 when it was sold and demolished.

and farms such as:

'Beechcroft' - now a housing estate.
'The Firs' - now a housing estate within the City of Birmingham.
'Green Lanes' - now part of a Chelmsley Wood housing area.
'Hob'
'Park Hall' - now a housing estate.
'Poplar' - now a small housing estate.
'Rawlins' – only the farm house remains as a modernised “half timbered” private residence, the rest is a housing estate.

- have all disappeared; some are remembered on road signs.

[edit] Castle Bromwich Aerodrome

A large piece of Warwickshire grassland (Castle Bromwich Playing Fields) became the Castle Bromwich private aerodrome, when Alfred P Maxwell flew the first aeroplane in the Birmingham area in September 1909. It became a stopping place during early air races. The War Office requisitioned it for use by the Royal Flying Corps and flying schools in 1914, when proper roads and buildings were established. The British Industries Fair (the pre runner to the National Exhibition Centre) was a large complex of buildings built on land adjacent to the aerodrome and Castle Bromwich Railway Station in 1920. In the inter war years the aerodrome had a dual military and civilian function. In these early days it was the busiest airport in the area due to its passenger, post and railway air business.

In 1934 the Air Ministry stated that Castle Bromwich could not be used for civil purposes indefinitely, so a new airport was built at Elmdon (some five miles away) which is just outside the Birmingham city boundary. It opened in 1939 and is now the present Birmingham International Airport. In 1937 more hangars and a Squadron Headquarters were built for the Royal Air Force. In 1939 it was extended further to become a fighter station and a base for other units. It was visited by Churchill during World War II.

In 1936, the air ministry purchased a parcel of land opposite the Castle Bromwich aerodrome. On this site they built The Castle Bromwich aeroplane factory.This factory was first managed by the Nuffield company to manufacture Spitfires and laterLancaster bomber planes.These were towed across to the airfield, Castle Bromwich Aerodrome though early plans included an aerial bridge from E block to the airfield. This was the largest Spitfire factory in the UK, building over half of them.Lord nuffield was piqued into relinquishing control of the factory by air minister Lord Beaverbrook and from May 1940 its succesful years were overseen by Vickers Armstrong (Vickers having purchased Supermarine in 1936). The factory's legendary chief test pilot was Alex Henshaw MBE, who has recently been proposed to receive the freedom of The City of Birmingham, by local actor and screenwriter John Barton (Jon Carver) and local historian and broadcaster Professor Carl Chinn MBE. After the war it became a car body factory, most recently for Jaguar.Its first post war owners were Fisher and Ludlow (themselves having been bombed out of their inner city factory). This company were the body in white sub contractors for most of the now defunct BMC and British Leyland marques. The last being Jaguar, who took over outright control of the factory in 1977. Various units used the airfield post war and there was a famous annual display to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Civilian flights returned, including the first scheduled helicopter service from London.

The airfield closed in 1958 and in 1960 the site and that of the BIF, and nearby farmland was sold for housing. The runway was broken up, the buildings were demolished and a Birmingham overspill estate (Castle Vale) was constructed. All that remains now is a memorial, a stained glass window in the estate’s church, streets and housing blocks with aviation names, a row of ex RAF houses along the Chester Road, and a new Spitfire Memorial. This is a large steel sculpture called Sentinel designed by Tim Tolkien which was erected on the roundabout where the road to the estate joins the Chester Road in 2000. The roundabout was subsequently renamed "Spitfire Island".

[edit] Modern Castle Bromwich

Today Castle Bromwich retains its village character but is very active. There is a well used multi function village hall called Arden Hall. The office of Castle Bromwich Parish Council is situated there, as is the local police office of the West Midlands Police. The adjacent playing fields have a sports centre which supports cricket, football, golf and tennis clubs. There are three primary, one specialist and one secondary school(s). There are two main shopping areas, several smaller ones and numerous small businesses.

Castle Bromwich also has several neighbourhood watch schemes, one of which was set up by two teenagers