Family Memories Birmingham Handsworth

Friary Road

Friary Road is in Handsworth and connects Oxhill Road with Hamstead Road. It slopes gently from Oxhill Road to the junction of College Road then continues rising gently opposite Handsworth Hall (University of Aston) to a level stretch to form a T-junction with Hamstead Road.

The portion from Oxhill Road to College Road is built up on the eastern side only and faces the allotment gardens, fields and open spaces for many miles through to West Bromwich and Walsall. The rest of the road from College Road to Hamstead Road is built up on the northern side and faces Handsworth Hall and modern buildings to its junction with Hamstead Road.

Geologically the terrain is glacial drift, a mixture of sand, clay and the remnants of the Bunter Pebble Beds. The drainage is from South to North, to the valley down which the Hawthorn Brook flows to join the river Tame at Hamstead.

Across the open fields are the sites of former farms, Hill Top, Brains Farm, Park Farm and Manwoods. The whole expanse forms part of the "Green Belt" and is scheduled as a Leisure Area. To date only Manwoods area has been developed and forms a large golf course and some playing fields.

From Oxhill Road to College Road was formerly known as Stockwell Lane. The remainder of Friary Road was cut at a date sometime prior to 1887 to form a direct link from Oxhill Road to Hamstead Road.

Stockwell Farm was situated in Stockwell Lane. The farm land consisted of the triangular section of land bounded by College Road, Oxhill Road and Friary Road.

The land (including Friary Road) on which Stockwell Farm was situated originally in 1870 was in the possession of 1. Earl of Aylesford, 2.The Earl of Dartmouth, 3. Jesse Simcox, 4. Richard Lewis.

It then passed into the hands of the Stockwell Estate Co. Ltd. Who developed the estate and on the 16th April 1913 sold to Walker Bros, Timber merchants, the portion of land fronting on to Friary Road, including with it Stockwell Farm Buildings. 44, 46 and 48 actually occupy the site on which Stockwell Farm was situated. Eventually in 1914 it became a scene of development with Walker Bros building houses upon the former farmhouse and surrounding land in Stockwell Lane.

Numbers up to 40 were first constructed. They were six roomed dwellings with no hall entrance and no inside toilet or bathroom. Numbers 44 to 78 were built with several improvements in design. These now had a porch entrance, prominent bay windows, a hall entrance and inside toilet and bathroom. The block from 80 to 98 complete this portion of Friary Road, the houses being of a later date and conforming more to present day standards. In 1965 we moved into one of these from our house in Newcombe Road. Although the houses have been erected for over 70 years they are still in good condition and were re-roofed under a Birmingham City Council Scheme in 1983/84.

Handsworth Hall became a residential village of the University of Aston having formerly been a Wesleyan Theological Training College.

Within the triangle where once were the fields, we now have Stockwell Road (built to the rear of Friary Road), Windermere Road and Slack Lane. Similarly, surrounding land was taken to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding population of Birmingham, except the farms and fields to the North and West which have still retained their open character. St. Andrew's church facing Oxhill Road was erected in 1906. Some of the opposite fields can be seen still as they were 200 years ago and maybe an even earlier date. In fact a description could liken them to a museum exhibit of bygone days. The farm buildings have been demolished and some of the fields have been taken by the City of Birmingham to provide extensive allotment gardens, names of the sites being Oxhill Road, Camp Lane, Hermitage Farm and Friary Road. The outlook to the north and north-west is still free from building and stretches away to West Bromwich and Walsall. It is a green oasis situated in the conglomeration popularly named the Black Country. This is the aspect seen from our windows in Friary Road. Farming is finished but the open aspect remains, belonging to the City of Birmingham who have plans to convert it to a monster leisure centre. Stockwell Lane, as it was formerly known became Friary Road, was extended through to join up with a main route from Birmingham to Walsall meeting at Brownes Green. Oxhill Road is still as it was and used as a thoroughfare from Aston and Erdington via Church Lane, thereby providing a connection through to West Bromwich and beyond.