Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group

Manley Hall, formerly Thickbroom Hall, Weeford, was begun in 1831.  Its style of architecture was Elizabethan with Gothic overtones in the way of turrets, battlements, decorative chimneys, pinnacles and even a viewing tower.  A succession of "Manleys" lived there until the early 1920s when it became a boys' school.  It was finally demolished around 1961.

This is a plan of the Town of Sutton Coldfield in the County of Warwick and of the several Farms and Lands adjoining thereto belonging to Andrew Hacket Esq. Surveyed in the Year 1765 by John Snape.

This is a miscellany of 13 maps kept in a red folder within the NG Evans Collection in Sutton Coldfield Library Archives.  Some are his own reproductions of 19thc maps but all are very interesting to the local historian.

Evidence abounds in Sutton Coldfield of marl pits, particularly in the Walmley area, yet how many know what they were for?  Mike Hodder’s article explains all. Janet Jordan2026

These are the two Maps referred to in William Midgley’s “Sutton Coldfield Town and Chase (1904)”, the text of which book is to be found on this website under Links/Book and above.

This comprehensive history of Midland Lodge and its architecture, liberally illustrated, was written originally to support an application to the Planning Committee of Birmingham City Council for Local Listing of the building. The article was previously published in Volume 13: Spring 2017 of the SCLHRG’s Proceedings and has now been brought up to-date. A later article, “Two Remarkable Tenants – Midland Lodge” was published on our website in November 2017. The two articles are meant to complement one another.

The sale of land owned by the Bagot family of Pype Hayes Hall in 2 tranches of approximately 350 acres each, in 1881 & 1888, in order to develop the Minworth Sewage Farm for the newly created Birmingham Tame & Rea Drainage Board was to have a major impact on the hamlet of Minworth, adjacent Minworth Greaves, the nearby village of Curdworth and other local settlements.

Did you know that Birmingham was for three centuries Britain’s most historically important centre for printing outside London. Also, 19th century Birmingham came to be regarded as the most artistic town in England. This is the background history to an account of three local men, one a highly regarded illuminating artist, one a printer and author, and one an artist, designer and naturalist who together produced a commemorative illuminated book for the 1911 Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. As if this were not enough, we are presented with a potted history of the While family of Sutton Coldfield and their association with While Road.

One of a set of pamphlets researched by the late Ken Williams, this on the subject of Newhall Water Mill.

Sutton Park was originally larger than it is now, extending beyond Monmouth Drive, and up to the town centre and Lichfield Road. By walking around the outside, you can appreciate the land it included, and how its boundary was laid out.