Handsworth North - The Park and the Old Town Hall

The college is served by buses 40X, 74, 75, 75E, 101 and 123. and the outer circle routes 11A and 11C.

The closest stops on the Midland Metro are at Soho Benson Road and Winson Green.

[1]  Leave the College by the main Soho Road entrance and turn right. You are walking past the old Council House and Library (A).

[2]  Turn first right onto Stafford Road and after 20 metres left onto Union Row. 

At the end is the Shri Guru Ravidass.Bhawan (B).

[3]  Turn right into Grove Lane and continue past the Grammar School (C) and Dawson Road.

After Dawson Road is the Grove Primary School, founded 1906.

[4]  Turn right into Mostyn Road. At the end turn left into York Road and continue across Osborne Road and Leyton Road to Holly Road (unsigned).

[5]  Cross Holly Road, turn left then go right through the gates into Handsworth Park (D).

As you make the turn look at the houses opposite behind the trees. These are unusual, having terra cotta detailing. Terra cotta is yellow or orange coloured clay moulded to look like stonework. It was popular for building around 1900.

Cross the drive, go to the right of the playground  then take the path round the right hand end of the Leisure Centre (E).

This leads to a driveway by a red roofed building.

[6]  Follow the drive through an avenue of Plane trees. At the end fork left past the sunken garden and leave the park by the gates onto Grove Lane.

There is an information board about the park here.

IF YOU REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THE WALK SHORTER, DO NOT CROSS OVER BUT WALK UP TO PHILIP VICTOR ROAD AND TURN RIGHT TO PICK UP THE WALK AT POINT 13.  THIS WILL MEAN THAT YOU DO NOT VISIT THE OLD TOWN HALL, WHICH WOULD BE A SHAME!

[7]  Carefully cross the road and turn right. Cross Herbert Road and Brunswick Road.

Opposite Herbert Road are the Grove Lane Baths (F). Note the name on the frontage, again made out of terra cotta.

[8]  Turn left into Antrobus Road.  

[9]  When you reach number 55 at a slight bend in the road cross over and go down the alleyway opposite. Keep straight on, ignoring a left turn and crossing the end of Grove Hill Road until you reach Laurel Road.

[10]  Bear right along Laurel Road past Orchard Close.

Opposite you will see Laurel Road Community Sports Centre (G).

Continue to Oxhill Road.

Just to your left in St Andrews Church. Grade I listed. Founded in 1907 by the Earl of Dartmouth. Designed by W H Bidlake whose interior design featured round brick arches giving interesting light and shade effects. The church runs a sports and community centre on the site of the old parish hall in College Road which is used by a range of local community groups.

[11]  Cross the road carefully into Slack Lane. Caution, there is no pavement here. Continue until you reach the Old Town Hall (H) on your right.

[12]  Turn right into College Road and continue to the roundabout. Carefully cross Oxhill Road into the right side of Grove Lane. Go on, crossing Grove Gardens and Grove Hill Road.

On the left of the road are pleasant 1930s semi-detached houses. On the right are more modern houses from the 1960s, followed by some interesting villas which were built before 1890.

[13]  At Antrobus Road cross Grove Lane with care into Philip Victor Road.

This road was being planned in 1904. It contains high quality detached and semi-detached houses, mainly of the 1920's and 1930's, with more modern ones at the far end.

[14]  At the end cross Hinstock Road into Handsworth Park. 

Note that the pavement by the park is made of 'Staffordshire Blue'  bricks with a nice star pattern. These pavements were common in the city in the 1800's but now there are very few left, most having been replaced by tarmac..

Fork right then follow the cricket pitch (I)  round to the left to the pavilion by the lake.

[15]  Fork left between the pavilion and the bandstand then when you reach a junction of 4 paths go straight on up to the right towards the railway bridge.

In Victorian times the bandstand would have had a real brass band in it playing on Sundays, while people sat around to listen.

[16]  Bear right at the approach to the railway bridge. Ignore the next right turn and follow the line of the railway to the park exit on Holly Road. 

[17]  Cross directly onto the right hand side of Thornhill Road. Cross Montague Road. On the corner of Golds Hill Road is the Police Station and old Courthouse (J). Continue to Soho Road.

[18]  Turn right and return to the College.

(A) The Council House and Library

Handsworth Library (Grade II listed) was built in 1878 as both the local council house and public library for Handsworth Borough Council. It was incorporated into Birmingham in 1911. 

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

(B) Shri Guru Ravidass Bhawan

The Shri Guru Ravidass Cultural Association (Birmingham) is a registered charity based at the Shri Guru Ravidass Bhawan in Handsworth, Birmingham (Bhawan is another word for temple). The temple was founded in the 1960s by immigrants from Punjab in North India from the Ravidassia community.

Source:  http://gururavidassbhawan.org/about/

(C) Handsworth Grammar School

Handsworth Grammar School was set up in 1862 by Handsworth Bridge Trust, who had accumulated more capital from tolls and investments than they could spend on bridge maintenance. (See Holford.) The Bridge Trust School, which originally had a hall and three classrooms for 59 pupils, became a grammar school in 1890. By 1914 there were 7 classes with two more in the hall. The building was enlarged in 1929 and again in 1951.

The gothic front with its entrance, clock and bell turret were designed by George Bidlake of Wolverhampton. An outstanding architect he designed a good number of important Birmingham buildings many of which, like this one, which are now Listed buildings. The Bridge Trust was also responsible for setting up the Handsworth National School which was built next to St Mary's Church in 1812. The trustees provided girls with a set of clothes every year, boys every two years. The school was the forerunner of the present St Mary's Church of England Primary School.. The selective school admits boys from the age of 11, and has also been allowing a small number of girls into the sixth form since 1997. It is the oldest selective school in Birmingham. Grade II listed.

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

(D) Handsworth Park

Handsworth Park (Grade II* listed) is the jewel in the area's crown. It provides a vital green lung for this part of the city. Formerly known as Victoria Park, the 63 acre site was largely created in two parts towards the vend of the 1800s. In 2006 the park was restored to its former Victorian splendour including the refurbished bandstand. Today the park boasts a wondertfully maintained landscape, childrens play area, cafe and leisure centre and is well used by Handworth's many communities.

The Sikh Vaisakhi celebrations have traditionally been celebrated with a procession of the Guru Granth Sahib from one or more local Gurdwaras  to Handsworth Park.

Birmingham International Carnival takes place biennially in August. It is a celebration of African-Caribbean culture, arts, food and entertainment. Caribbean style carnivals were held in Handsworth Park, Birmingham, from 1984 to 1994. The following year, the carnival moved from the park onto the streets of Handsworth, and became known as the Birmingham Carnival. Since 1999, it has been held as the Birmingham International Carnival in Perry Barr (Perry Park), following a procession from Handsworth's Soho Road.

Eldridge Cleaver the Black Panther leader and Cliff Richard visited Handsworth Park in 1970, art which time Cleaver had apparently become a born again Christian. Caption to photos on  www.connectinghistories.org.uk says: One shows a black man wearing a suit standing behind a microphone, addressing a crowd. Cliff Richard can be seen in the background, making a 'peace' sign. The other photograph shows a large group of young black men and women, many with dreadlocks, outside a house. Some of the group have drums, and others are holding banners. The panel also contains two captions. One reads: ''Hosannah '79 in Handsworth Park featured ex-Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and Cliff Richard. Cleaver told the crowd: 'Yes, I've sold out. I've sold out to Jesus, and it's the best bargain I've ever made.''

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

(E) Handsworth Leisure Centre

The leisure centre offers Aerobics/Aqua Aerobics, Boxercise Circuit Training, Fitness Classes, Pulse Point Gym, Sauna/Steam Room, Women Only Swimming, Yoga, Basketball, Bowls (Indoor), Children's Parties, Community Centre, Dance Studio, Sports Hall, Strikes Soccer Academy, Strokes Swimming, GWKW and other short walks.  Conference/Function Room.

Source: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

(F) Grove Lane Baths

In Victorian times, public baths were introduced to allow people to become healthy through swimming. But an even more important thing in those days was to give people washing facilities when very many houses had no bathroom or even piped water supply. That is why these buildings were called 'baths' and not 'swimming pools'.

Handsworth Baths, better known as Grove Lane Baths, were built by the Handsworth Local Board and opened to the public in January 1907. The building contained two swimming baths that were 100 feet long. This was an unusual feature for baths built at this time, It also had first and second class private baths for men and women and a Turkish bath designed in an appropriate Eastern style. 

After standing derelict for many years the building has now been converted into flats.

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

(G) Laurel Road Community Sports Centre

Offers: Climbing, Mini Soccer, Netball, Tennis, Boxercise, Aerobics, 5-a-side Football, Artificial Floodlit Pitch, Basketball, Bowls, Community / Activity Hall (with kitchen)., Meetings Room, Outdoor Rock Climbing Tower, Strikes Soccer Academy.

Source: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

(H) The Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall (Grade II listed) is the popular name for this building, although it never was the Town Hall, being a Constable's dwelling from 1520 until the 1800s. It was built around 1460, and is a fine example of cruck construction, in which the roof ridge is supported  at each end on curved timbers split from a single oak tree trunk. The building is wood framed; the spaces between the timbers would originally have been filled with wattle and daub (mud supported by a frame of laths and woven reed). Repairs between 1625 and 1946 have replaced this by brickwork, so the timbers can only be seen on half the house. Note that the two parts of the house have two numbers, one for Slack Lane, the other for College Road.

Nearby barns and outbuildings were demolished in th 1930s and part of the building now contains a small community museum and archive, run by the Handsworth Historical Society, which is open regularly for visitors.

PRC note: I couldn't see any sign of a museum, so book ahead if you want to visit.

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

(I) Handsworth Cricket Club

From early 1970s Continental & Rangers CC started off cricket in The Handsworth Park League on Saturdays and the Commonwealth League on Sundays, before joining what was called the Business House League in 1983. Around 1999 they both amalgamated and became a member of Warwickshire Cricket County League 5th Division under the name of Continental Rangers, which lasted for 2 yrs. In 2001 the name was changed to Handsworth CC, and soon after a Ladies Team was formed. We take pride in saying we remain the only West Indian cricket club in Birmingham. We are still affiliated to Warwickshire Cricket Board with the men 1st and 2nd Teams playing in the League's Premiership Division 1 and the 3rd Team playing in 3rd X1 and Single Team League and the Ladies in the West Midlands Women's League.

Source: http://www.handsworthcricketclub.co.uk/

 (J) Handsworth Police Station

Thornhill Road police station was built in 1893 at which time it also contained a courthouse. Unusually this building is situated not in a prominent location on the Soho Road, but in a residential setting in the middle of the surrounding houses. It is built of the same brick as the nearby properties, but is distinguished by its grandiose stone entrance which gives it its status as an important public building.

Source: http://handsonhandsworth.info/handsworth-heritage-trail/

HANDSWORTH

In 1831, the Ordnance Survey Map of Birmingham showed Handsworth to be a village of 6 houses close to St Mary's Church, situated in heathland with a few houses and farms dotted about. To the south was the Soho Road (the Holyhead Turnpike) with the villages of Soho and Soho Hill adjacent. South of the Soho Road was Boulton's estate centred on the Hockley Brook which stretched all the way from Soho House to Nineveh Road opposite what is now the college, and contained the large pool used to power the Soho Manufactory until 1863. Then south of that again was the empty expanse of Birmingham Heath, bisected by the old and new Birmingham Canals.

In only 80 years the entire countryside would be filled with houses, churches and schools, with factories, hospitals and the asylum relegated to the area around the canal (now Winson Green). In 1911 Handsworth (which was then in Staffordshire) was absorbed into Birmingham.  The situation of high employment in heavy metal working industry was maintained up until the end of the Second World war, when labour shortages led to the arrival of workers, mainly from the West Indies, but also from the Indian sub-continent, the Sikhs being prominent amongst them.  Unfortunately decline of a lot of heavy manufacturing industry followed, leading to unemployment. The early settlers were joined by people from many other lands, leading to Handsworth being a relatively poor but uniquely multiracial place, not without its tensions.  

 Handsworth represents many of the features of contemporary Birmingham:

   • A change in the local economy from manufacturing to service industries. As local manufacturing has declined in recent decades, Handsworth’s economy shifted towards retail, leisure and the arts. New businesses emerged, created by and serving the needs of Handsworth’s and Britain’s diverse communities such as East End Foods, Thandi Coaches and a kaleidoscope of restaurants and shops.

  • An area where different communities have settled. In the 19th century, Handsworth became home to people of Scottish, Irish and Jewish origin. After 1945 Polish refugees and migrants from the West Indies and South Asia settled in the district. In the 1980s Handsworth became the most important local place of settlement for displaced Vietnamese boat people and more recently, it has become a home for asylum seekers and refugees from Afghanistan, Africa, Eastern Europe, Iran and Iraq.

   • Religious activity representing many world faiths and diverse sects. Handsworth has been the location of Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Christadelphian congregations. The Rastafarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the New Testament Church of Christ and Asian Christians have places of worship there. There are also Hindu mandirs, Muslim mosques and Sikh gurdwaras in the area.

  • The importance of the arts within the local cultural scene. Musicians such as Ruby Turner, Joan Armatrading, Apache Indian and Steel Pulse hail from Handsworth and the area is a home to British bhangra. Photographers & artists such as Vanley Burke, Pogus Caesar and Sukhvinder Singh Ubhi also reside in Handsworth. The poet Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Handsworth.