HISTORY

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=215 BGCOLOR="#CC3366" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04106732dkcfyw.png"> <div> H</div> <div> I</div> <div> S</div> <div> T</div> <div> O</div> <div> R</div> <div> Y</div> <div> <B>LATEST     UPDATES</B></div> <div> 16/01/04</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #CC6699;" BGCOLOR="#CC99CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>BROOKFIELDS, Birmingham, England</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>.</B></FONT><B>       </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Birmingham, England. 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Unlike much of the heath, though Brookfields was fertile and had a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#00FFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>brook</B> </FONT>running through it's <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#00FFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>fields</B></FONT><B>.</B> The area was owned by the Gooch family and no development was indicated on Pigott Smith's map of 1824-5. However in 1833, All Saints Church was opened to serve as a centre for what was 'already becoming a very large populated district' (Robert K Dent). Six years later the map of the Society for the Diffusion of Usefull Knowledge still showed the brook as well as a number of streets which it seemed were intended to be laid out locally. Non of them were named, but amongst them can be picked out the lower part of Camden Street, New Spring Street, George Street and Hingestion Street.</div> <bR> <div> Up to this date  the development of Brookfields had focused upon providing housing for middle-class people. They fled in the 1860's and 1870's, probably because although the district was to the west of Birmingham it lay downwind of industrial Smethwick. This flight was accompanied by the emergence of new streets and the building of back-to-back houses for the poorer working-class folk . These houses  were cleared in the 1960's. Indeed, folk in Hingestion Street especially, were amongst the last brummies to live in back- to -back housing.</div> <bR> <div> New homes have replaced the majority of  the old homes but unfortunately the use of the name Brookfields is slowly dying out.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Adapted from Carl Chinn's  "One Thousand Years of Brum"  1999  </U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>AREA COVERED </B></div> <bR> <div> Defining the area that Brookfields covered or covers will in some peoples understanding differ to that of mine however from the start I make it clear the following is my interpretation of the area based on local knowledge over the years 1940 to 1961. If you think I am not correct in any detail please email me with your correction.</div> <div> Starting at Western Road down one side of Spring Hill to the Library on the corner of Icknield Street, then turning left down Icknield Street to the railway bridge at Pitsford Street, left up Pitsford Street over the junction into Western Road all the way to Dudley Road. Back down Western Road along All Saints Road turning left into Lodge Road taking in only the left hand side until opposite Norton Street is reached. All that is within the roads thus described is in my opinion <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#00FFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>BROOKFIELDS</B></FONT><B>. </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The Brookfields boundary </B>described is slightly incorrect!!, where it states that "at bridge in Icknield street,left up Pitsford street accross junction to Western Road", this should say accross junction to Crabtree Road, up Crabtree Road to Brookfields Road (culdisac on right) up (right hand side of Brookfields Road and back down other side) then continue up Crabtree Road to junction with New Spring street and Western Road , then along Western Road to Dudley Road and Spring hill.</div> <div> I believe the area along Allsaints Road is called Allsaints where the church (Allsaints church) and the school (Allsaints school) have been demolished.  I am fairly sure I am correct, </div> <div> Ken Grinnell,<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Email: </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>kgrinnell55@hotmail.com</U></FONT>16/01/04</div> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>BIRMINGHAM  WORKHOUSE</B></div> <div> <B>Western Road Brookfields</B></div> <div> Opened 19th March <B>1852.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>SCHOOLS</B></div> <div> <B>Brookfields School </B>Pitsford Street built in <B>1877</B> by the Birmingham School Board designed by Martin and Chamberlain now demolished.  </div> <div>  </div> <div> Referring to the comment that Brookfields School is now demolished infact it is still standing as proud as ever on George St West have you mistook it for camden st school which was demolished many years ago cheers</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >Fay</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT><U>fbjingx@yahoo.co.uk</U>    <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> I can confirm Brookfields School is there we seen it on our travels yesterday. but its not the old one. that was bombed in the war and we always knew it as Ellen St. our back entrance was right opposite it </div> <div> was are a bit confused really the way its been altered because part of it was in Prescott St .and it went round</div> <div> into Ellen St its just like a maize now. but it does have  Brookfields school sign up.</div> <div> poppy. Email: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>poppy_jim@blueyonder.co.uk </U></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >16/01/04</FONT></div> <bR> <div> I would just like to confirm that Brookfields school is still standing, it is also known as Ellen street school. </div> <div> Ken Grinnell  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Email: </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>kgrinnell55@hotmail.com</U></FONT>16/01/04</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>All Saints School </B>All Saints Road erected in <B>1843</B> as an early National School. In its first year it accommodated 616 boys, girls and infants in three separate class areas/rooms.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER </B></FONT><B>"</B><B><U>BROOKFIELDS"  </U></B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>HISTORY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO see PUBLISHED here?????</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact "><B>Contact </B></A></div> <bR> <div>  </div> </td> </tr></table></body>