SOLIHULL LOCAL HISTORY CIRCLE

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NEW:

Programme of Meetings for the 2008-2009 Sesion

Visit to Coventry

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We are glad that on your surfing trip you took a moment to glance at our Local History Circle. We invite you to ride the information waves with us. We assure you that we will share our talents and treasures open heartedly.

 SLHC is an active group with a current membership of about 80, founded in 1987 to foster and promote knowledge, understanding and appreciation of local history in Solihull. We endeavour to accomplish it by arranging lectures on nearly all aspects of the local history of Solihull, assisting and encouraging research in local history, organising visits to places of historical interest and keeping a record of historical sites threatened by new development. We undertake photographic surveys of historical houses and buildings of special interest, and allied artefacts.

CATALOGUING SOLIHULL'S OLD BUILDING PLANS

SMBC’s Planning Department has passed all the original plans of buildings which sought planning/buildings regulation permission before 1931 to the Library. Peter & Edna Handley volunteered to list them and since March 2007 have spent a morning each week doing so. So far they and two other volunteers have indexed over 2000 plans and are back to 1920.  When completed this will be a valuable source for researchers. Meanwhile Tracey Williams, the Local Studies Librarian, would be glad to receive further offers of help.

NOTABLE BUILDINGS PROJECT

This project was launched in December 2005 when History Circle members were asked to nominate buildings in Solihull and Olton (not Knowle, as the Knowle Society already does invaluable work there) which justified retention if developers threatened them with demolition or major alteration. Members nominated 62 buildings of which 13 were already Statutorily Listed (on two of which we have done a little extra work), 2 Locally listed and 5 were in Conservation Areas. Two, the original Methodist Chapel at Blossomfield/Streetsbrook Roads and Tudor Grange, had already been researched by Edna Handley and Allan Evans respectively. 

This left 40 buildings which appeared to justify research. So far, up to September 2008, we have completed research on 15 of these. Betty & Bob Smith did a wonderful job on Ulleries Farm including maps and photographs; Edna Handley researched Sandall's Cottage and The Cottage, both on Warwick Road; and Allan Evans investigated Alderbrook Lodge (now demolished). Adam & Helen Pearce have examined buildings in Olton outside the Conservation Area, Ros Rafnson has researched The Barley Mow, and Nigel Cameron an Arts & Crafts house in Broad Oaks Road.
Examination of a further 13 buildings continues, but there are still 12 to be allocated to a researcher. We would welcome your help

SOLIHULL STREETSCAPE

In 2003 the History Circle commissioned Mr D.Ayres to photograph the frontages of houses in specified streets. The intention is to record as much of Solihull as possible before it is changed by development. The work is done mostly in the winter when the leaves are off the trees and it is easier to see the properties. Roads already recorded include Broad Oaks, Silhill Hall, Stonor Park and Manor Road; Thornby Avenue, Beechnut Lane and The Crescent. This project continues - with the photography now undertaken by Adam Pearce -  and some of the results are shown on another page of this website.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Probate Wills and Inventories: In the early 1990s a group of members lead by Joy Woodall examined the wills held by Lichfield Record Office for the period 1590-1624. This resulted in an analysis of the material, and a list of terms used in the documents. The latter was much appreciated by the Oxford English Dictionary, who told us that our transcriptions had recorded some earlier versions of words than they had previously known about.

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Our parent Organisation, Solihull Society of Arts was founded in 1944.
In 1987 Mrs. Sue Bates, the then Local Studies Librarian at Solihull Library, approached Charles Lines who raised the suggestion of a new Society of Arts group at an Executive meeting. An inaugural meeting was held in the Exhibition Hall at the Library when over 200 people attended and 70 members joined the new Local History Circle section. That evening. Mrs. Joy Woodall, well known author and local historian, was elected Chairperson and Sue Bates, Secretary. After business of the evening was concluded, Charles Lines gave his popular   illustrated talk "When Solihull was a Village".

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We meet once a month. Talks are arranged on a variety of Local History and related subjects, profusely illustrated with slides and displays. Day visits to places of historical interest in the UK are arranged, and have been  extremely popular. We maintain close links with Solihull MBC

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 Solihull Society Of Arts is a registered charity, No.260027

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Updated 2.09.2008     To Top of Page