19/10/26 - On the Trail of...... Joseph Chamberlain

Hit The City

To complete the Wyre Valley Line Railway Stations Walk, I need to plot a short walk between the Jewellery Quarter and Moor Street, via Snow Hill Station. A short city walk, with plentiful distractions. To avoid turning it to a lengthy pub crawl, I'll combine my investigations with the latest History West Midlands Podcast.  The political dynasty of the Chamberlains is the topic, with my walk concentrating on Joseph.

The Chamberlains were one of Birmingham’s most influential political dynasties, built on industrial wealth rather than inherited aristocratic privilege. Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914) made his fortune in the screw-manufacturing business before entering politics, becoming Birmingham’s reforming mayor in the 1870s and later a national politician. His sons followed him into public life: Austen Chamberlain became Chancellor of the Exchequer and won the Nobel Peace Prize, while Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister. Their story is unusual because their political influence grew out of the wealth and status created by Victorian industry, rather than an established landed family inheritance. Joseph’s municipal reforms transformed Birmingham through improvements to housing, sanitation and public services, helping establish the modern civic identity of the city. The family’s legacy illustrates how Birmingham’s industrial success created a new kind of political elite, capable of shaping both local government and national affairs.

Meet the gang

In an unusual turn of events for a politician, the Birmingham's population appeared to adore Joseph. There are no end of monuments and squares dedicated to him. As I am at the Jewellery Quarter - I start at the end of the story. Like all the Birmingham greats, he is buried at Key Hill Cemetery. 

Joseph Chamberlain’s funeral in July 1914 was a remarkable demonstration of his standing in Birmingham. Although he had been a major national politician, his family declined the offer of a burial at Westminster Abbey. Chamberlain had expressed a wish to be laid to rest among his 

own people, and the family chose a relatively modest Unitarian burial at Key Hill Cemetery in Hockley.

The grave takes a little hunting, even with the information boards.  Section K, plot 610. Next to an obelisk, but a simple stone marker.

Understated

Off to the Civic celebrations - the Chamberlain Clock outside the Rose Villa Tavern. No point stopping for a drink. The windows are gorgeous, the cask ale - if there at all - awful during recent visits.

All the details

Wharstone Lane meets Frederick Street

Dedication

Drinks stop - the 1000 trades is not open on a Monday Lunch, so I am all the way to Summer Row before I make a stop. It's rare to walk past The Shakespeare, so I feel a revisit is in order. My wallet winces as I spot the Nicholson's brass plate on the entrance.

Lime Bike Central

To be fair, if you are after lunch, a bargain can be had. A club sandwich - with chips and a pint - for a tenner. Makes the £6.30 for a Proper Job look like this week's biggest mistake - even if it was in absolutely perfect condition.

Onwards, to Chamberlain Square for more Joseph Joy. When you see those "Birmingham is not all crap" social media posts, the photos are invariably from here.

Chamberlain Square

Chamberlain Fountain

Chamberlain Fountain

I'm right in the City now. Our newest bar, the Boiler Room, had to be checked out. I thought craft beer was so last decade, but this cocktail bar is all craft keg. 10 on, admittedly from interesting breweries but when a Cloudwater 5%'er is £8 a pint, I refuse to do their marketing for them. Good luck competing with the far better Colmore around the corner - where excellent cask is half the price.

One of Chamberlain's biggest successes was the slum clearance and development of Corporation Street - as a boulevard of modernity. Alas, things have gone full circle and in another 10 years it will be back to slum status. I find it terrible that the current Birmingham Council cannot look after nice things. Photos too ugly - unless you like urban decay and trees growing out of the upper floors of beautiful buildings with boarded up windows.

Moor Street Station marking the logical end of this section of the Rail Trail. I'm about to enter Bandit County, as I make my way down the Shakespeare Line.

Selfridges, behind Moor Street

Walk Details

Distance - 3.25 miles

Geocaches - 2

Previous Stages on the Wyre Valley Line - Worcester to Droitwich, Droitwich to Hartlebury, Hartlebury to Kidderminster, Kidderminster to Hagley, Hagley to Stourbridge, Stourbridge to Cradley Heath, Cradley Heath to Old Hill, Old Hill to Langley Green, Langley Green to Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Galton Bridge to The Hawthorns, The Hawthorns to Jewellery Quarter

10/09/26 - Powick Hospital

Church, Civil War and the Madhouse

This month's History West Midlands Podcast is about Powick Hospital. Growing up in Worcestershire in the 70s, this was often referenced. Any odd behaviour, however mild, would be met with "You'll end up in Powick".

Interesting podcast. I had no idea of the scale or the fact that each authority was responsible for creating a "madhouse".

Powick Mental Hospital began life in 1852 as the Worcester City and County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, built as a direct consequence of the Lunacy Act and County Asylums Act of 1845. These Acts required counties and county boroughs to provide accommodation for paupers suffering from mental illness, rather than leaving them in workhouses or private madhouses. Worcester took a little persuading before finally agreeing to build its own institution at Powick, where the first patients arrived on 12 August 1852. Originally designed for around 200 patients, the asylum expanded considerably and eventually accommodated around 1,000. It later became Powick Mental Hospital and closed in 1989, with most of the complex subsequently demolished.

It would appear that a World In Action documentary in the sixties hastened its demise.  The images in this YT video are from that programme. 

A walk to determine if anything remains on the ground. This can be linked in to an investigation of St Peters and St Lawrence Church. No point going to the Medieval bridge. It's still awaiting repair, although (slow) progress is promised.

The Hospital

A little more research was completed. The Internet Archive, my new favourite resource for antiquated books, contains the annual reports from several years in the early 1900s. 

The next page details mortality rates, escapees and how they were captured.

The bus stop is called Hospital Lane. The site was redeveloped extensively for housing (what else) after the hospital's closure. A load of photos from the early nineties at Geograph, where we have a candidate for first "urban explorer".

In the right place

The early photos show a massive rambling complex of buildings. Only one remains, the central office block, which has been repurposed as flats and offices.

The Church and Pub

Nothing else medical to explore, I focus my attentions on the English Civil War. 

Powick found itself at the heart of the English Civil War on more than one occasion. In 1642, the first significant clash, the Battle of Powick Bridge, saw Royalist cavalry defeat a Parliamentarian force; nine years later, the village was again caught up in the Battle of Worcester, the final major battle of the war. The Red Lion, an early-17th-century building, is said to have been pressed into service as a hospital for wounded soldiers during the fighting. Meanwhile, the tower of St Peter and St Lawrence's Church provided the Royalists with a useful lookout, its elevated position giving a commanding view towards the bridge and surrounding countryside. Parliamentarian troops eventually fired on the tower to discourage its use, leaving the remarkable pockmarks and shot holes still visible in the stonework today. Archaeological research confirms Civil War musket and other shot in the vicinity, while studies of the tower suggest that at least some of the damage was caused by small-bore artillery rather than simply musket fire.

And I time things perfectly. Well sort of. The pub offers little hope - with midweek opening times at 3pm. The church is usually doors closed. But on a Thursday between 10am and midday, the volunteer ladies are doing a weekly clean and keen to allow a mooch around. Information boards on both the hospital and the war are on display.

Brick exterior of the pub covering up the original timber framing

Approach to Powick Church

Target practice on the south side of the tower

The Walk

A simple crossing of the Powick Hams, where I need to find elevated access to the Southern Relief Road to cross the Severn. Note to future self - as the map is unclear - an access road is available right next to the water. Then follow the river back into Worcester - spotting more Civil War information boards.

Worcester - ahead

Refreshment stop  - The Diglis Hotel

Walk Details

Distance - 7 miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - History WM Podcast

17/08/26 - On the Trail of...... Eliza Tinsley

West Midlands' Widow

The latest West Midlands History Podcast concentrates on Victorian widows. The central argument is that widowhood was not simply a story of female tragedy and poverty. Although many widows faced extreme hardship, the death of a husband could also fundamentally change a woman's position. In a society where married women were often financially and legally subordinate to their husbands, becoming a widow could give a woman control of property, money, household affairs and, sometimes, a degree of political independence.

They discuss the life of a West Midlands Widow - Eliza Tinsley.

Eliza Butler married Thomas Tinsley in 1839 and they had six children. Their home, The Limes in Sedgley, was built for them shortly before Thomas died in 1851, along with their eldest daughter Elizabeth. Eliza was then widowed and took over the family nail and chain-making business. She expanded it into a major Staffordshire manufacturer, employing around 4,000 people by 1871 and producing nails, chains, rivets and anchors for markets in Britain and overseas. She lived at The Limes until her death in 1882.

Sedgley - the obvious target for a walk and to find what remains on the ground. Getting there might be easier when the tram extension is created. For me it's bus, rail replacement bus, train, train and a 2 mile walk from Coseley station. The walk is through houses, although I do find a medieval lane over Turl's Hill. 

The Limes is the obvious target. The grounds have been donated as a public space. There is a filthy notice board telling the history of the building. Information on that board can be used to plot the co-ordinates of the only Geocache on route.

Italianate Tower no longer present 

Now executive flats

Who need to show as much civic pride as the Victorians

There are other potential locations. The Leopard, a pub owned by the family, is just down the road. Alas, demolished and replaced by Lego houses. Their main factory was at Cradley Heath. But the Victorians were great at celebrating civic success.

Now located in St Andrews Church

And although not her final resting place, a large memorial cross at All Saints Church.

Easy Find

Walk Details

Distance - 4 miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - History West Midlands Podcast

14/07/26 - Rail Trail - Smethwick Galton Bridge to The Hawthorns

Quadruple Inspiration to Find "Sand Well"

A lot going on for a simple walk between two West Midlands Railway Stations.

History West Midlands Podcasts

My monthly listen is the opening podcast about the Black Country, focusing on the post WWII glory years. Full employment, workers rights, massive house building. Setting the boomers up for a life of good luck unavailable to the future generations. 

There is nothing specifically mentioned in terms of people or places to base a walk on. The Bentley Estate in Darlaston a possibility but I doubt it offers much in the way of walking or pubs. The GKN factory in Heath Street long gone. Inspiration was found from the former mining works in Sandwell Valley Country Park. A walk - the Miner's Trail - was found and adapted into the walk.

Sandwell Country Park - a pond hiding former mine works

The real interest here is from a much older age. Three information boards tell all you need to know about the spring that gave the area its name, a priory and a later hall. Only some foundations - and the unattractive, sandbagged spring remain.

Tucked away in Sandwell Valley are the remains of Sandwell Priory, a small Benedictine monastery founded in the late 12th century beside the Sand Well, a natural spring believed to possess healing qualities that gave both the priory and the modern borough their name. Following the priory's closure in 1525, the site later became home to Sandwell Hall, a grand country house built by the Dartmouth family in the early 18th century. Although the hall was demolished in 1928, archaeological excavations have since revealed the foundations of both the medieval priory and the later mansion, allowing visitors to trace more than 700 years of history in a single peaceful corner of the valley.

Priory and Hall Remains

Sandwell, bubbling up

Pub Walks in the Black Country

My next walk from this book is in Sandwell Country Park. Only two miles, and covering the afore-photographed pond, Swan Pond and the priory remains. Two miles cannot justify the public transport costs for a separate visit, so I simply add most of the loop into the walk. And the pub? The Churchfield Tavern, Little Lane is recommended for Banks Bitter and Mild.

Demolished in 2013

From the photo, it looks a mishmash of extensions, with a rather oddly positioned chimney. Research shows that somewhere there was a both a bowling green and a petting zoo for goats, horses and rabbits.

High in the list of google results was Alan Winfield's epic (aren't they always) 1988 pub crawl of West Bromwich. Added to my to-do list to see if anything still remains in this fast changing pub ticking world. 13 pubs are listed, my betting is there are no more than four remaining. 

I will report back.

Dudley Geosites

Sandwell Valley Country Park and Smethwick Galton Bridge are both Dudley Geosite locations. 2 more knocked off.

Rail Trails

Of course, there is no official route from Smethwick Galton Bridge to The Hawthorns. An unofficial one from Railwalks.co.uk is only 1.2 miles (but the next stage is perfect, downloaded and ready to go). It's down to me to work out how to cross the bridge and get to Sandwell Country Park. A decent enough urban walk on properly marked walking/cycling paths. I learn just how close the Vine is to SGB station, which I am sure will come in useful. Handy twirly footbridges allow for safe crossings of dual carriageways and an interesting way to access Dartmouth Park.

SGB, 1829 and once the highest single span bridge in the world. Looks better from the canal below.

A view of Turner's Hill from a twirly footbridge

Dartmouth Park leads to Sandwell Country Park, where Park Lane can be avoided by a parallel, unmarked footpath that avoids death-by-hatchback. Into Handsworth Cemetery, where a handily placed exit leaves you opposite the Hawthorns, stadium, not station.

Proving just how much of a community club West Bromwich Albion are, they offer a lovely Garden of Remembrance. Loved ones' ashes can be left looking at the stadium. It has been my dad's home for the last 11 years.

Of course, I popped in. 

"Gone for a shout"

Walk Details

Distance - 6 miles

Geocaches - 2

Previous Stages on the Wyre Valley Line - Worcester to Droitwich, Droitwich to Hartlebury, Hartlebury to Kidderminster, Kidderminster to Hagley, Hagley to Stourbridge, Stourbridge to Cradley Heath, Cradley Heath to Old Hill, Old Hill to Langley Green, Langley Green to Smethwick Galton Bridge

17/06/26 - Rail Trail - Langley Green to Smethwick Galton Bridge

Back to my roots

A combination of sources for today's walk, which is possibly the most personal one undertaken.

This month's History West Midlands Podcast is about racism in 1960s Smethwick and specifically Malcolm X's 1965 visit to the area. The next leg of my "rail trails" series is between Langley Green and Smethwick.

Peter Griffiths became Smethwick’s Conservative MP in the 1964 general election after running a notoriously racist and anti-immigration campaign, winning against the national trend and displacing Labour’s Patrick Gordon Walker. A few months later, on 12 February 1965, Malcolm X visited Smethwick at the invitation of Avtar Singh Jouhl and the Indian Workers’ Association to see the discrimination faced by Black and Asian residents, including the colour bar at the Blue Gates pub, where he was not served. He described the situation in Smethwick as even worse than America, and his visit became a powerful symbol of international solidarity against racism. Malcolm X was assassinated in New York on 21 February 1965, just nine days after the Smethwick visit.

I was born in Birmingham and spent the first two years in Smethwick. In a street very near and similar to where Malcolm X visited. My parents - white, working class, moved away in 1971. I never heard them be racist but their reasons were "they didn't want their kids to be in the minority at school".

With this as a backdrop - I trace a route between the two stations, taking in key locations to the story and from my life. It's an urban walk - so certainly not pretty.

Mappiman's First House - Remembered only through photos

There's not that many pubs in the area. The first seen, the Merrivale - a burnt-out shell that is bound to be demolished soon. Most in the area are "Desi-Pubs" - a perfect blend of beer and Indian Food, mixed grill platters a speciality. The Old Chapel is a surviving traditional pub and also the oldest non-secular building in Smethwick. Long been of interest, as we drive past it from the Albion. My mom tells me stories of sharing half a cider with my dad, unable to afford a drink each, having mortgaged themselves to the hilt to purchase the two-up, two-down.

I was hoping to visit today, but it appears to be going through a change of ownership. Stonegate has it up for sale and Facebook has an enthusiastic post suggesting a new chapter is starting soon. 

Old Chapel - I can claim a tick from my pram in 1970

Blue Plaque

Lunch and an interlude at Smethwick Heritage Centre in Victoria Park. A tiny room celebrating Smethwick's industrial past and West Bromwich Albion's former glories.

Picnic in a Park

The Red Cow - Peter Griffiths, the Racist MP, used to campaign from there. Now Desi

The Blue Gates - Visited on my Metro Pub Crawl Walk

My acting career died a death before it had chance to flourish. In Smethwick High Street - where I was busy photographing the mosque, I was approached by a film producer who needed white Caucasian males to appear as extras in a movie being shot. Photos taken and paperwork part completed until I asked how long I would be needed for. Alas, shooting was between 2pm and 8pm. I couldn't commit.

A statue to Sikh Soldiers in WW1

Marshall Street - not far from Smethwick Galton Bridge - is the logical conclusion to the day's activities. A blue plaque marking Malcolm X's visit to Smethwick.

A street of terraced houses

Malcolm was here

Walk Details

Distance - 5 miles

Geocaches - 2

Previous Stages on the Wyre Valley Line - Worcester to Droitwich, Droitwich to Hartlebury, Hartlebury to Kidderminster, Kidderminster to Hagley, Hagley to Stourbridge, Stourbridge to Cradley Heath, Cradley Heath to Old Hill, Old Hill to Langley Green

07/05/26 - Dudley Geological Heritage Trail

Rock and (beef and onion) Roll

My latest West Midlands History Podcast is not really suitable for going on a fact-finding walk for. It concerns the improvement in household living in the Black Country home.

I could have gone to the Back to Back Houses in Birmingham, but have already visited. The Black Country Living Museum falls into the same category, but next door is the free Dudley Museum and Art Gallery.

This is the first listing in Black Country Geosites list and there is a Good Beer Guide Tick up for grabs. A day out is possible, although we're going back further in time than the podcast.

Would have more apt

I'll look at plastic dinosaurs, instead

I did manage to get all the leaflets I needed for future Black Country Geo-sites walks. Including a heritage trail around Dudley town centre, where 23 interesting rock locations are highlighted. I enjoyed the statues and priory, Poundland and the Halifax less so.

What retirement holds in store for you

Duncan Edwards - the best statue in town

Priory Park is lovely

Nothing says tourist more than a man struggling to unfurl an A1 sized leaflet in a town centre. And Dudley doesn't get many tourists. It was best that I repaired to the unvisited GBG Tick at the Malt Shovel.

Former Banks

Should you be able to zoom in on the external chalk board - it says they do have Real Ale. Not that this was encouraging my fellow lunchtime drinkers, all on Carling. Comfortable enough and my Pictish Brewing Blue Moon was perfect, even if it was from Rochdale, rather than Scotland, as informed by the bar staff.

A cob lunch, perfect.

A two phase lunch

The Fellows is highlighted on my Google Maps as being part of the Holdens chain, but my spider senses were instantly alerted to this being fake news.

Too smart

Online, its still listed. It serves a perfect Golden Glow. And Holdens scratchings. Yet it has been sold and is now an independent concern.

Lunch - Part 2

A walk back to Tipton Train Station (evidence that the future tram extension may make getting to Dudley slightly easier). Long closed pubs, ruined vans with repossession notices on the smashed windscreens and celebrations of the local celebrities.

The Tipton Slasher

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 12

Walk Inspiration - West Midlands History Podcast and the Dudley Geological Heritage Trail