Witton, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
Witton is an inner city area in Birmingham
, England
, in the metropolitan county
of the West Midlands
. It was within the ancient parish of Aston
in the Hemlingford
hundred of the historic county
of Warwickshire
. It is probably best known as the home of Aston Villa Football Club at Villa Park
.
, Witton was the property of a man named Staunchel (also spelled Stannachetel) before being seized by William Fitz-Ansculf following the Norman conquest of England
. Staunchel became the tenant of Fitz-Ansculf, valued at twenty shillings per annum in the Domesday Book
. It was named in the Domesday Book as Witone. It was afterwards vested in the Crown. In 1240, King Henry III
granted it to Andrew de Wicton, indicating that the name of the area had changed to Wicton. Andrew grew cautious of William de Pyrie, his neighbour who owned Perry
and brought action against him for infringing his property. The dispute was settled by the Sheriffs of Staffordshire
and Warwickshire
by the King's request.
In 1290, Witton became the property of William Dixley and then the property of Richard de Pyrie in 1340. In 1426, Thomas East of Hay Hall in Yardley
sold it to John Bond of Ward End
of whose descendants William Booth purchased it in 1620. An heiress of Booth brought it by marriage to Allestree of Yardley. It was sold to John Wyrley in the 18th century and then by George Birch of Hamstead
in the 19th century. In 1730, Witton contained 22 farms and three cottages, apart from Witton Hall at the north-west end of Brookvale Park
. In 1559, the Earl of Warwick
purchased to 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of moor called Wichalmore in Witton.
At around 1460, a route through Witton towards Oscott was mentioned at crossing the River Tame at 'le Foulford', where Witton Bridge was later built.
Witton Hall was the manor of Witton and it stands at the junction of Brookvale Road and George Road. By 1850, it was being used as a private school
, and c. 1907 was acquired by the Aston Board of Guardians as an elderly home. It continued to be such under the Birmingham Corporation
in 1959. The buildings have been extended, both before and after World War II
, but the original house is represented by a tall, square, three-storey tall block dating from around 1730. Internally, a panelled room and the original staircase have survived.
On June 13, 1902, Birmingham Industrial School opened on Witton Lane. It moved from Penn Street in Deritend
, where it was called Penn Street Industrial School. The school had room for 60 boys and opened January 30, 1869. The new school in Witton had room for 80 boys. It closed on June 14, 1905.
In 1907, All Souls Church on Wenlock Road was consecrated. It was built using red brick with stone dressings in the Gothic style to a design by Philip Chatwin
. When opened, it had a chancel, nave, east and west aisles, and a low central tower with a pyramidal roof. In 1926, a parish was assigned out of Holy Trinity, Birchfield, and St. Peter and St. Paul, Aston
. The living was declared a vicarage, in the gift of the Vicar of Holy Trinity, Birchfield
, for the first turn only and then of the bishop.
On June 28, 1934, Hugo Hirst
was made 1st Baron Hirst, of Witton
. He was the only person to have this title, which was made extinct January 22, 1943 upon Hugo's death.
. The company was responsible for construction a conveyor next to Witton Brook and dredging the brook in from 1922 to 1929. The conveyor was dismantled in 1943. On November 13, 1929, a waste lime main pipe installed by IMI became dislodged at Lovett's point and slid six to twelve feet downstream. Kynoch
Ltd began in 1862 when George Kynoch, a Scottish
entrepreneur, opened a percussion cap
factory at Witton. Once Nobel Industries, including Kynoch Ltd, had merged to form ICI
, the original Kynoch factory in Witton became the head office and principal manufacturing base of the 'ICI Metals Division'. In 2003, IMI moved from the Witton site to new headquarters close to Birmingham International Airport.
The General Electric Co. Ltd.
(GEC) established a very large engineering works in Witton in 1901. The General Electric Company acquired land at Witton in 1899, and in 1901 began building its large factory together with houses for its workers. At one time, the company was employing 18,000 people on the site. By 1927, London Aluminium was employing 400 people at its works in Witton.
, Witton Lakes
, the River Tame
, the remains of Witton Hall and Witton railway station
. The Birmingham Bulldogs
rugby team's training ground is also based on Moor Lane in Witton. Witton Centre is the shopping area for Witton, featuring independent traders. Refurbishment of the shops was carried out in the 1980s under the City Council's Inner City Partnership Programme, although by the late 1990s, shops were beginning to show signs of need of further investment. The quality of the environment in Witton is poor with heavy traffic flows, poor parking and servicing arrangements. There are a number of buildings here which reflect the Victorian
and Edwardian
legacy of Aston, with the Aston Hotel possibly the most well-known local landmark. In some cases, however, the character and architectural quality of these buildings has been disrupted by modern signage and shop front design.
as a result of heavy rainfall causing the River Tame to burst its banks. Residents at 300 homes in the Brookvale Road area were sent advice by the city council on dealing with the clean up and cost of the floods. Parts of the area were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Residents were encouraged to evacuate to Great Barr Leisure Centre, in Great Barr
where Birmingham City Council
was staffing a rest centre. The majority of people chose to remain at home. Roads affected were Brookvale Road, Tame Road, Deykin Avenue and Brantley Road. The river threatened to flood for a second time when the water level rose to within eight inches (203 mm) of the top of the river bank.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in the metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
. It was within the ancient parish of Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
in the Hemlingford
Hemlingford
Hemlingford was one of the four hundreds that the English county of Warwickshire was divided into, along with Kington, Knightlow and Barlichway. It was recorded in the Domesday Book under the name of Coleshill....
hundred of the historic county
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. It is probably best known as the home of Aston Villa Football Club at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
.
History
According to William DugdaleWilliam Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
, Witton was the property of a man named Staunchel (also spelled Stannachetel) before being seized by William Fitz-Ansculf following the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. Staunchel became the tenant of Fitz-Ansculf, valued at twenty shillings per annum in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. It was named in the Domesday Book as Witone. It was afterwards vested in the Crown. In 1240, King Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
granted it to Andrew de Wicton, indicating that the name of the area had changed to Wicton. Andrew grew cautious of William de Pyrie, his neighbour who owned Perry
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
and brought action against him for infringing his property. The dispute was settled by the Sheriffs of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
by the King's request.
In 1290, Witton became the property of William Dixley and then the property of Richard de Pyrie in 1340. In 1426, Thomas East of Hay Hall in Yardley
Yardley, Birmingham
Yardley is an area in east Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee.Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its Member of Parliament is John Hemming.-Features:...
sold it to John Bond of Ward End
Ward End
Ward End is an area of Birmingham, England. It covers the area between Saltley, Hodge Hill and Stechford and includes Ward End Park, a public park that has been open for over 100 years.-Ward End territory:...
of whose descendants William Booth purchased it in 1620. An heiress of Booth brought it by marriage to Allestree of Yardley. It was sold to John Wyrley in the 18th century and then by George Birch of Hamstead
Hamstead, West Midlands
Hamstead is an area of Birmingham, England, between Handsworth Wood and Great Barr, and adjacent to the Sandwell Valley area of West Bromwich. Historically it has its foundations as part of the Hamstead Colliery from the early to mid 20th Century with a lot of the housing have been built for the...
in the 19th century. In 1730, Witton contained 22 farms and three cottages, apart from Witton Hall at the north-west end of Brookvale Park
Brookvale Park Lake
Brookvale Park Lake is a former drinking water reservoir in the Erdington area of Birmingham, England.Two brooks, arising at Kingstanding and Bleak Hill, Erdington, respectively, feed first Witton Lakes, then overspill into Brookvale Park Lake, before reaching the River Tame, and ultimately the...
. In 1559, the Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
purchased to 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of moor called Wichalmore in Witton.
At around 1460, a route through Witton towards Oscott was mentioned at crossing the River Tame at 'le Foulford', where Witton Bridge was later built.
| Year | Population figure |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 157 |
| 1851 | 160 |
| 1861 | 126 |
| 1871 | 217 |
Witton Hall was the manor of Witton and it stands at the junction of Brookvale Road and George Road. By 1850, it was being used as a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, and c. 1907 was acquired by the Aston Board of Guardians as an elderly home. It continued to be such under the Birmingham Corporation
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
in 1959. The buildings have been extended, both before and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but the original house is represented by a tall, square, three-storey tall block dating from around 1730. Internally, a panelled room and the original staircase have survived.
On June 13, 1902, Birmingham Industrial School opened on Witton Lane. It moved from Penn Street in Deritend
Deritend
Deritend is an historic area of Birmingham, England, built around a crossing point of the River Rea. It is first mentioned in 1276. Today Deritend is usually considered to be part of Digbeth.-History:...
, where it was called Penn Street Industrial School. The school had room for 60 boys and opened January 30, 1869. The new school in Witton had room for 80 boys. It closed on June 14, 1905.
In 1907, All Souls Church on Wenlock Road was consecrated. It was built using red brick with stone dressings in the Gothic style to a design by Philip Chatwin
P. B. Chatwin
P. B. Chatwin was an architect in Birmingham, England.From 1866 he worked with his father, architect J. A...
. When opened, it had a chancel, nave, east and west aisles, and a low central tower with a pyramidal roof. In 1926, a parish was assigned out of Holy Trinity, Birchfield, and St. Peter and St. Paul, Aston
Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Aston
The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul in Witton Lane, Aston, Birmingham, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:Aston and Northfield are the only churches within the City of Birmingham mentioned in Domesday Book...
. The living was declared a vicarage, in the gift of the Vicar of Holy Trinity, Birchfield
Birchfield
Birchfield is an area of Birmingham, England. It gave its name to the Birchfield Harriers athletics club, now based at the nearby Alexander Stadium, also in Birmingham.- References :...
, for the first turn only and then of the bishop.
On June 28, 1934, Hugo Hirst
Baron Hirst
Hugo Hirst, 1st Baron Hirst , known as Sir Hugo Hirst, Bt, between 1925 and 1934, was a German-born British industrialist....
was made 1st Baron Hirst, of Witton
Baron Hirst
Hugo Hirst, 1st Baron Hirst , known as Sir Hugo Hirst, Bt, between 1925 and 1934, was a German-born British industrialist....
. He was the only person to have this title, which was made extinct January 22, 1943 upon Hugo's death.
Industry
Like the rest of Birmingham, Witton was heavily industrialised. The area was the base of industrial company IMI plcIMI plc
IMI plc , formerly Imperial Metal Industries, is a British based engineering company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
. The company was responsible for construction a conveyor next to Witton Brook and dredging the brook in from 1922 to 1929. The conveyor was dismantled in 1943. On November 13, 1929, a waste lime main pipe installed by IMI became dislodged at Lovett's point and slid six to twelve feet downstream. Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
Ltd began in 1862 when George Kynoch, a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
entrepreneur, opened a percussion cap
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
factory at Witton. Once Nobel Industries, including Kynoch Ltd, had merged to form ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
, the original Kynoch factory in Witton became the head office and principal manufacturing base of the 'ICI Metals Division'. In 2003, IMI moved from the Witton site to new headquarters close to Birmingham International Airport.
The General Electric Co. Ltd.
The General Electric Company plc
The General Electric Company or GEC was a major British-based industrial conglomerate, involved in consumer and defence electronics, communications and engineering. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It was renamed Marconi Corporation plc in 1999 after its defence arm,...
(GEC) established a very large engineering works in Witton in 1901. The General Electric Company acquired land at Witton in 1899, and in 1901 began building its large factory together with houses for its workers. At one time, the company was employing 18,000 people on the site. By 1927, London Aluminium was employing 400 people at its works in Witton.
Places of interest
Other notable features of Witton are Witton CemeteryWitton Cemetery
Witton Cemetery , which opened in Witton in 1863 as Birmingham City Cemetery, is the largest cemetery in Birmingham, England.Covering an area of , it once had three chapels, however, two of these were demolished in 1980. The cemetery would perform up to 20 burials a day, however, it now carries out...
, Witton Lakes
Witton Lakes
Witton Lakes are a pair of former drinking water reservoirs between the Perry Common and Erdington areas of Birmingham, England ....
, the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
, the remains of Witton Hall and Witton railway station
Witton railway station
Witton railway station serves the Witton area of the city of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the Birmingham-Walsall Line, part of the former Grand Junction Railway, opened in 1837. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland....
. The Birmingham Bulldogs
Birmingham Bulldogs
Birmingham RLFC are a rugby league team based in Birmingham. They play in the Midlands Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:Birmingham Bulldogs were founded in 1989...
rugby team's training ground is also based on Moor Lane in Witton. Witton Centre is the shopping area for Witton, featuring independent traders. Refurbishment of the shops was carried out in the 1980s under the City Council's Inner City Partnership Programme, although by the late 1990s, shops were beginning to show signs of need of further investment. The quality of the environment in Witton is poor with heavy traffic flows, poor parking and servicing arrangements. There are a number of buildings here which reflect the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and Edwardian
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
legacy of Aston, with the Aston Hotel possibly the most well-known local landmark. In some cases, however, the character and architectural quality of these buildings has been disrupted by modern signage and shop front design.
Flooding
On June 15, 2007, parts of Witton were flooded2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
as a result of heavy rainfall causing the River Tame to burst its banks. Residents at 300 homes in the Brookvale Road area were sent advice by the city council on dealing with the clean up and cost of the floods. Parts of the area were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Residents were encouraged to evacuate to Great Barr Leisure Centre, in Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
where Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
was staffing a rest centre. The majority of people chose to remain at home. Roads affected were Brookvale Road, Tame Road, Deykin Avenue and Brantley Road. The river threatened to flood for a second time when the water level rose to within eight inches (203 mm) of the top of the river bank.