The Tudor Hill estate was transferred to the W&S as part of the Hartopp exchange in 1827 but it wasn't until 1864 that the demand for high-status housing in Sutton Coldfield warranted fuller development.
Nearby Anchorage estate was laid out and advertised for sale in July 1870 - 26 building lots - the owner was RH Sadler and a minimum value of £500 per plot was a condition of development. No industry allowed. Four houses were built prior to a delay of 16 years in which time the Sutton Park Line was built. Because the Anchorage estate was already in existence, the Railway Company had to provide a bridge.
There is a little 'unofficial' footpath through from the top of Richmond Road and down the bank to the entrance to the sorting office.
There is a little 'unofficial' footpath through from the top of Richmond Road and down the bank to the entrance to the sorting office.
Have had a further play around with the Lavender House plan and think that there is only one possible area for it and that is one of the two or three plots around the house named 'Drumcrieff' on the 1914 OS map. The angles of the plots on the Lavender plan preclude a lot of potential sites.
Have contacted the Scout Association to try and find a copy of the boarding passes from the 1957 Jamboree and am still trying to uncover the reason for 'Birmingham Z' being applied to the site or the railway spur.
Have some good photos of various documents re. the railway line through the Park including the proposed line marked on an OS map and more detailed surveys with sections... "datum line 250 feet below the underside of girders where intersecting the face of the Northern Abutment of the Turnpike Road over Bridge from Walsall to Bloxwich".
Have contacted the Scout Association to try and find a copy of the boarding passes from the 1957 Jamboree and am still trying to uncover the reason for 'Birmingham Z' being applied to the site or the railway spur.
Have some good photos of various documents re. the railway line through the Park including the proposed line marked on an OS map and more detailed surveys with sections... "datum line 250 feet below the underside of girders where intersecting the face of the Northern Abutment of the Turnpike Road over Bridge from Walsall to Bloxwich".
A few new names as landowners appear in the proposed railway line reference book. Halford Parker farmed fields 24,25,26, and 31 - this was mainly ex Samuel Smith land held in trust at the coming of the railway. Williams Bach and Barker leased plots 27 to 30, 32 to 40 with a host of occupiers listed. 'Carriage Road' 33 (i.e. today's Richmond Road) was owned by Thomas Storer Eddowes, Warden and Sutton Coldfield Gas Company. Mr Eddowes went on to be a supporter of the railway through the Park and it is his firm's archive that contains the lovely, crumbly old papers. Other 'carriage roads' were owned by Warden & Society (29 and 32), RH Sadler (48) and Thomas Hayward (49).
Several of these names crop up as supporters of the railway.
In Kelly's Directory for Warwickshire, the only other trade listed in 1892 and 1896 in and around Tudor Hil apart from Billson is Henry Duncalfe, a surgeon at Aragon House.
Have found what looks like somebody's Masters thesis that was a precursor to the Collins' book (QSH 75.8). Angela Andrews in 1992 wrote 'Over Here: A study of the stationing of American troops in Sutton Coldfield for the purposes of sorting mail for their forces throughout the European theatre of war 1942 - 1945'.
Several of these names crop up as supporters of the railway.
In Kelly's Directory for Warwickshire, the only other trade listed in 1892 and 1896 in and around Tudor Hil apart from Billson is Henry Duncalfe, a surgeon at Aragon House.
Have found what looks like somebody's Masters thesis that was a precursor to the Collins' book (QSH 75.8). Angela Andrews in 1992 wrote 'Over Here: A study of the stationing of American troops in Sutton Coldfield for the purposes of sorting mail for their forces throughout the European theatre of war 1942 - 1945'.
Collins is listed in the acknowledgements and is mentioned as a local author compiling a book on the theme. A lot of the information is in the Collins' book as are many of the photos. Angela Andrews mentions one source as a Mr Brock of the 'Army Postal Workers Association'. One or two useful photos are credited to M. Rothert widow of Eugene.
In BCOL Q 385.0942496MID there is an excellent account of the toing and froings to get the railway line built. Apparently an initial investigation was made in 1865 but "abandoned due to monetary pressure". The ball really started rolling with a meeting of Sutton Coldfield Corporation on 8th January 1872. On the 12th January opposers of the railway included Mr Charles Beaton and Rev WKR Bedford who presented a petition signed by 194 individuals. On the 18th the Corporation appointed a Railway Committee made up of Warden Eddowes, Rev EH Kittoe, Dr G Bodington, Mr J Wiggan and Dr A Johnson, but only Kittoe and Johnson were against the railway.
There followed lots of ill-feeling - letter writing in the Birmingham Gazettte, accusations of skulduggery, and the breaking up of meetings by 'rowdy' groups. A meeting against the railway on 5th April 1872 heard the Rev. Crosskey state that he would as soon see a railway "through Lichfield Cathedral as through the Park". A petition was adopted and signed by J. Sadler, Mayor of Birmingham, for presentation to Houses of Parliament. Also on the 5th, Dr Bodington chaired a 150-strong meeting in support of the railway.
An engineer called Wilson was appointed by the 'No' camp to survey an alternative route to the north of the Park but to no avail. Apparently Joseph Chamberlain was signed-up to the 'No' cause. By the 19th June the Bill had passed it's second reading and then went to the House of Lords Committee (Lord Camoys in the chair, Earl Fortesque, Viscounts Hereford and Gough and Lords Aranmore and Brown).
In BCOL Q 385.0942496MID there is an excellent account of the toing and froings to get the railway line built. Apparently an initial investigation was made in 1865 but "abandoned due to monetary pressure". The ball really started rolling with a meeting of Sutton Coldfield Corporation on 8th January 1872. On the 12th January opposers of the railway included Mr Charles Beaton and Rev WKR Bedford who presented a petition signed by 194 individuals. On the 18th the Corporation appointed a Railway Committee made up of Warden Eddowes, Rev EH Kittoe, Dr G Bodington, Mr J Wiggan and Dr A Johnson, but only Kittoe and Johnson were against the railway.
There followed lots of ill-feeling - letter writing in the Birmingham Gazettte, accusations of skulduggery, and the breaking up of meetings by 'rowdy' groups. A meeting against the railway on 5th April 1872 heard the Rev. Crosskey state that he would as soon see a railway "through Lichfield Cathedral as through the Park". A petition was adopted and signed by J. Sadler, Mayor of Birmingham, for presentation to Houses of Parliament. Also on the 5th, Dr Bodington chaired a 150-strong meeting in support of the railway.
An engineer called Wilson was appointed by the 'No' camp to survey an alternative route to the north of the Park but to no avail. Apparently Joseph Chamberlain was signed-up to the 'No' cause. By the 19th June the Bill had passed it's second reading and then went to the House of Lords Committee (Lord Camoys in the chair, Earl Fortesque, Viscounts Hereford and Gough and Lords Aranmore and Brown).
Promoters of the line were represented by (among others) Messers Denison, Sergeant, Sargood and Round. Inhabitants of Sutton Coldfield were represented by Mr Rodwell and the Hon. Chandos-Leigh. The hearing lasted five days but from the off seemed in favour of the railway. The argument for the railway was based mainly on economics (access to Black Country industries, with many industrialists in favour of the railway), and the argument against was mainly 'environmental'. The resident engineer John Addison made some very poor arguments, but even so by the 26th June the hearing was over.
In May 1873 the exact line of the route was staked-out, construction began in the Spring of 1875, and the railway finally opened in 1879.
In May 1873 the exact line of the route was staked-out, construction began in the Spring of 1875, and the railway finally opened in 1879.
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