Erdington
| Erdington | |
| Warwickshire | |
|---|---|
 Erdington High Street | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP111919 |
| Location: | 52°31’25"N, 1°50’16"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 23,853 (2001) |
| Post town: | Birmingham |
| Postcode: | B23, B24 |
| Dialling code: | 0121 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Birmingham |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Birmingham Erdington |
| Website: | ErdingtonTownCentre.com |
Erdington is town in Warwickshire which has become a closely bound suburb of Birmingham. It is found 5 miles northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutton Coldfield. This is a mixed area, with a pleasant central High Street and green, surrounded by more ordinary housing and student digs.
It is believed that the name 'Erdington' is from the Old English Eardwulfinga tun, meaning "Eardwulf's people's village".
History
The original village of Erdington, or Eardwulfingatun from which today's suburbit developed was in the area of Bromford.[1]
Middle Ages
Erdington developed as a village as a result of settlers travelling up the course of the River Tame from Tamworth in the 9th century. The settlers also established communities in what is now Minworth and Curdworth. It is also believed that the Roman track 'Ridgeway', now Chester Road, also provided a source of people looking to settle. Evidence to support this comes from the early nucleus of the village which was located a very short distance from the path.[1]
The Earls of Mercia had possession of the village at the time of the Norman Conquest. At this time, Edwin, grandson of Lady Godiva, owned the property and he resisted all attempts by the Normans to gain possession of Erdington. However, he failed and as a result was executed in 1071. The earldom was then passed to the King who placed the manor and village in the possession of William Fitz-Ansculf, a powerful baron of Norman heritage who lived at Dudley Castle. He then gave the manor to a man named Peter de Erdington.[2]
Erdington was mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name Hardintone and was in the possession of Peter. It had arable land for six ploughs, a mill and 5 acres of meadows and woodland. It was valued at 30 shillings and was one mile in length and half a mile in breadth.
As a result of Erdington's close proximity to Sutton Coldfield and more precisely, Sutton Forest, strict Norman laws were placed upon the village forbidding the hunting of wild animals and the keeping of sheep. However, tenants were permitted an allowance of timber from the forest, though, with limitations to protect royal game. Erdington remained within the precincts of Sutton Forest until 1126, when Henry I exchanged the Manor of Sutton, with forest, for two manors in Rutland belonging to Roger, Earl of Warwick. The forest became a chase and the laws placed on the woodland were relaxed.[1]
The mill mentioned in the Domesday Book was located in Bromford, where it stood close to the manor house at a loop in the river, at which a straight channel was cut to facilitate the milling of corn. The mill was owned by the lord of the manor and the tenants were obliged to grind their corn there. Erdington was connected to Bromford via Bromford Lane, which still exists today in the midst of a 1960s council estate.
In the 15th century, a chapel was constructed on the side of the manor house for the residents of Erdington. However, attendance was low and the chapel fell into decay. The residents were then urged to travel to the parish church in Aston, however, again the attendance was low. A south aisle was therefore added to the church and became known as the Erdington chantry.[1]
The Black Death affected Erdington severely as indicated by the 14th century local records. Henry de Pipe, owner of the Manor of Pipe (now Pype Hayes Hall), suffered the loss of all but one child and his wife. Henry married another woman, Maud, who was the daughter of George de Castello of Castle Bromwich. However, after soon discovering that she was pregnant with a child conceived with another man, he died.
Erdington Manor
The village once had an impressive manor house, Erdington Hall, which was protected on three sides by a double moat on the fourth by the River Tame. Demolished in the 17th century, it stood on a hill at the junction of what is now Wheelwright Road and Tyburn Road. The double moat was drained in the 18th century by Sir Charles Holte. Up until 1912 stood another building which was demolished for the construction of the Tyburn Road, though a small section did remain until the First World War.
Other moated properties included one at Fern Road, one at the junction of Moor End Lane and Berkswell Road, and another that surrounded a large farm called Pipe Orchard, the site of which can be seen in the Erdington Grammar School playing fields.
Tudor period
It was around the 1500s in which the area of Gravelly Hill began to become mentioned in documents. John Leland described the area as being "by sandy ground, better wooded than fertile of wheat... the soil is sandy and good for conyes [rabbits]." Much of the land hereabout remained busy with rabbits for as it was deemed unsuitable for cultivation.
At the foot of Gravelly Hill is the River Tame which was spanned by Salford Bridge, a bridge first mentioned as Shrafford Brugge during the reign of Henry III. It was originally a footbridge, however, in 1810, it was improved for the crossing of vehicles. The name 'Shrafford' is the Old English scræf ford, or "cave ford", referring to cavities in the nearby Copeley escarpment. The caves were artificially enlarged and survived Second World War. During the war, they were converted into air raid shelters. After the war they were completely destroyed for the construction of the Gravelly Hill Interchange.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, new families resided at Erdington Hall. The Dymock's moved in and were a prominent family, with several members being knights. However, their strict rule which consisted of unpopular manorial laws made them unpopular amongst the residents of Erdington.
Civil War
As the Civil War erupted, Erdington was expanding rapidly through the purchase of land for agricultural purposes. In 1643, Birmingham was plundered by the Royalists. After his victory in Birmingham, Prince Rupert passed through Erdington and Sutton Coldfield with his troops on their way to Lichfield.[1]
18th and 19th centuries
In 1759, a turnpike Act was passed for the Chester Road and another Act was passed in 1807 for a road that passed through Erdington village from Birmingham. This resulted in Erdington being a stop-off location for stage coaches which passed along the Chester Road to Chester from London. In 1783, the Birmingham-Fazeley Canal]] was completed. It passed along the southern boundary of Erdington at Tyburn; in the examination of the Bill for the canal by the Parliamentary committee it was requested included that the canal not pass within 500 yards of Pype Hayes Hall.[1]
By the mid-1700s, Erdington had a population of under 700 and within its boundaries were 52 roads, one forge, 40 farms, 96 cottages, two smithies and a shop. By 1832, it had a population of 2,000.
Erdington developed as a suburb of the great industrial city to the south, in particular in the Victorian age. Erdington shopping centre formed the core of the area with most of the older housing being located close to it. The railway alongside also attracted the development of many Victorian and Edwardian houses.
Erdington's best known resident was Josiah Mason, the philanthropist whose bust now stands at the centre of the roundabout at the junction of Chester Road and Orphanage Road, so named because he founded an Orphanage there in 1860.
Highcroft Hospital
Highcroft Hospital was a former Poor Law institution, then a Psychiatric hospital. The hospital closed in 1996, its grounds used for new housing, and the main hospital itself has been renovated into luxury apartments and has been named Highcroft Hall. Highcroft Hall was built between 1869 and 1871 by the architect Yeoville Thomason.
The building, sanctioned by the Poor Law Board, was originally a workhouse providing housing to paupers, idiots, tramps, seniles, lunatics and imbeciles (terms used at the time with distinctive definitions). It was originally named the Aston Union Workhouse although it has undergone name changes over the years; Erdington House (1912), and Highcroft Hall Hospital (1942) more commonly referred to in later years as just Highcroft Hospital.
The site was derelict for the subsequent eight years, before being refurbished by property developers between 2004 and 2006.
Sights about the town
Erdington's history is documented well through its buildings. One of the most well-known features in the area is Spaghetti Junction, a massive and massively complicated motorway junction on the M6. Spaghetti Junction is on the southern edge of Erdington and on the border of Aston and Gravelly Hill. As well as being a road interchange, two railway lines, three canals, and two rivers also converge on that location. Britain's longest bridge, Bromford Viaduct starts here, carrying the M6 to Junction 5, Castle Bromwich. It has long been a historic crossing point in Birmingham, with the incorporation of Salford Bridge, which was first mentioned in a deed in 1490, although a bridge is believed to have been at this location since 1290.[3]
Parish church
St Barnabas' Church stands on the High Street. Nearby, on Sutton Road, is The Abbey Church.
The Parish Church was severely damaged by fire on the morning of 4 October 2007.[4]
Fort Dunlop
Nearby is Fort Dunlop, former home of Dunlop Rubber, a relic of Erdington's industrial past. At its peak, it employed 10,000 people but its industrial usage has declined since with Dunlop maintaining only a small presence in the area. The main building was redeveloped from 2005 to 2006 into office and retail space by Urban Splash. The area surrounding Fort Dunlop is used by logistics companies and also features showrooms operated by several car manufacturers, including Birmingham's only Lamborghini dealership.
Shopping
Fort Dunlop lends its name to the nearby The Fort Shopping Park, constructed on reclaimed land by the Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation in 1996.
Erdington has a distinct concentration of retail space, known as Erdington town centre or Erdington village, the main focus of which is Erdington High Street. There is also a market located on Barnabas Road and another market, Wilton Market, between Sutton New Road and the High Street, next to Witton Market is Swannies which is intermediate between a market and a shopping centre. Opposite Witon Market and Swannies on the High Street is the Co-op, the largest Supermarket in the town centre.
Others
Erdington Swimming Baths on Mason Road were built by the Birmingham Baths Committee. This is a complex including saunas and a fitness centre as well as a swimming pool.
Erdington Library, opened in 1907 as a Carnegie library, is a public library operated by Birmingham City Council.
Josiah Mason Campus, a campus forming Birmingham Metropolitan College, was formerly a further education college by the name of Josiah Mason College that merged with Sutton Coldfield College in 2006.
To the north of Erdington, within the area of Pype Hayes on the border with Walmley, is Pype Hayes Park and Pype Hayes Hall, the former home of the Bagot family. A smaller park in the area is Sorrel Park.
The Old Green Man on Bromford Lane (now known as the Lad in the Lane) is one of the oldest public houses in Birmingham.
Culture and sport
- Cricket:
- Football: Paget Rangers FC
- Gaelic football: Erin Go Bragh GAA
- American Football: The Birmingham Bulls
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Erdington) |
- Birmingham City Council: Erdington Ward
- Erdington Community Network
- Erdington library
- "Photographs of Erdington". Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20080505004345/http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/erdington.htm.
- Profile: Erdington
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Douglas V. Jones (1989). The Story of Erdington - From Sleepy Hamlet to Thriving Suburb. Westwood Press. ISBN 0-948025-05-0.
- ↑ William Hutton (1836). The History of Birmingham. J. Guest.
- ↑ A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham - Communications
- ↑ "Fire destroys 150-year-old church". BBC News. 2007-10-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7027313.stm.
Further reading
- Douglas V. Jones (1985). The Story of Erdington. BIGinINK Ltd. ISBN 0-948025-05-0.
- Mike Green (1991). Erdington, Birmingham. Stylus Pubns.. ISBN 1-85620-162-7.