The nineteenth century
The first known documentary reference to Hazelwood Road is
from 1580, when it was called Dogge Lane. That name survived into
the late nineteenth century. A sale catalogue of 1875 shows the
road as "Dog Lane or Hazelwood Road". The introduction
of the name Hazel could be associated with the appearance of two
houses on the north side of the road, Fair View (later Hazelwood
House) and Hazel Dale (Hazel Dell). These later became numbers
25 and 27, but are no longer there. These two houses were probably
built around 1860.
The Tithe Map was published in 1847, and shows Hazelwood Road
as Doge Lane, running past a series of fields. The field names
have been transcribed on the map below. At the top of the map
is what was later known as Clifton House, (replaced by council
flats around 1965). Here there were a house, shop, garden and
meadow, occupied by a Henry Mathews. The land was owned by Rev.
Rann Kennedy, who at the time also owned the house called Fox
Hollies. (That house was rebuilt in an Italianate style as Fox
Hollies Hall about ten years later by Zaccheus Walker III). Most
of the fields either side of Doge Lane were owned by a John Horton.
His cottage and farm buildings were on Well Lane (Westley Road
today), and became known as Fox Green Farm. The farmhouse still
stands, and was a dancing school for a number of years.
1843 Tithe Map of Yardley (extract)
Acocks Green was a rural backwater until the railway station
was opened in 1852. The station was given the name Acocks Green
and South Yardley, although the nearest settlement was called
Westley Brook. Acocks Green itself, the stop for the coaches on
the turnpike road, was out near today's Woodcock Lane, and the
station may have adopted the name associated with the existing
mode of transport. The area we know as the core of Acocks Green
was in fact three hamlets strung out on the Warwick Road: Acocks
Green, Westley Brook, and Flint Green.
As Acocks Green developed, rich people built houses near the
station. Roads such as Sherbourne and Botteville housed retired
people who had made their money or businessmen who wanted to escape
the dirty and noisy city. The land owned by John Horton in the
1840s came up for sale on 6th May 1875 at the Hen and Chickens
Hotel, New Street. In addition the ground rents on land beyond
Well Lane (Westley Road) and Shirley Road developed by Benjamin
Cook a couple of decades before were included. Stone Hall was
one of the rents listed. The sale was on behalf of Cook's Executor,
which may possibly have been John Horton. All the fields were
described as 'Building Land', although they had obviously been
agricultural up until then. John Horton sold Three Acres, Big
Marsh Piece and Little Marsh Piece to Thomas Naden on 25th March
1876, and he in turn sold part of Big Marsh Piece to Edward James
Adams, a silversmith, three days later. Thomas Naden sold another
part to Samuel Balden. Samuel Balden's piece later found its way
into the hands of Albert Aston, builder on 26th September 1900.
Little Marsh Meadow was sold to Thomas Herrivel Bott, gentleman,
of Stechford on 24th June 1875. He used to live on the Warwick
Road in Acocks Green. The sale catalogue also shows that a Mr
Edmonds was at Clifton House, and that Fox Green Farm was described
as a compact residence occupied by a Mr Harrison, and a separate
small farmstead worked by George Beech. Mr Beech farmed at Gospel
Lane at the Warwick Road end as well. Subsequent ownership of
these fields is complex. Big Marsh Meadow was in the hands of
Zaccheus Walker IV of Fox Hollies Hall at the end of the nineteenth
century. The name Marsh must refer to the swampy ground in the
valley of the Westley Brook, which runs behind Shirley Road. Indeed
there used to be a pond in the far left corner of what is now
Hazeltree Croft.
Despite the speculative promise of this area, within easy reach
of the railway station, Hazelwood Road remained largely undeveloped
for fifty years. Not all of Hazelwood Road was covered by the
1875 sale. Two fields belonging to Clifton House were not, nor
were Hazelwood House, Hazel Dell, and the land east of there (the
field named The Moor).
Ordnance Survey 1888 (extract)
By 1888, the First Edition Ordnance Survey, two large houses
had appeared on the southern side of the road. These were Hazelhurst
(number 58) and Hazel Glen (number 62). Hazelhurst was probably
built shortly after the sale to Edward Adams in 1876. On 30th
November 1888 Alfred Laycock bought the house, on 28th June 1893
William Waterhouse bought it, and on 10th May 1901 Theodore Brocker
bought it. At this point Mr Brocker bought part of the land adjoining
to the east from Albert Aston, and it was at that time presumably
that a coach house was built on the narrow strip fronting Hazelwood
Road. At the rear Albert Aston sold a large area which he did
not require for his own houses numbers 44 - 54 (see below), and
this piece became the orchard. On 12th November 1919 Annie Nash
bought Hazelhurst. By 30th March 1924 the Nash family were living
in the coach house, which had become number 56, and they sold
Hazelhurst to William Russell Montgomery. He sold it to William
James McClintock, a civil servant, on 29th July 1925. From around
1905 the house was renamed Holly Bank, quite appropriately. Part
of this Holly Bank still survives at the front. Hazel Glen may
have been built by 1880, as an unnamed house was listed from then
until 1891 occupied by a William Henry Wood: in 1892 he disappeared
from the directories and Frederick Hawkins, Hazelglen appeared,
followed by Henry John Hart by 1896. Thomas North Odell was there
a few years later, and by 1910 Frank Arculus was in residence.
The Arculus family were still there at the outbreak of World War
Two. Number 56 was later renamed The Lilacs.
A 1901 sketch from the deeds to Hollybank
Four smaller houses are shown on the 1888 map at the eastern
end of the road, on the part of Little Marsh Meadow not facing
Shirley Road: these are numbers 12 - 18. The lease for these houses
dates from 12th July 1877. They were built by Thomas Price and
William Hossack, and in 1883 were called The Grove, The Retreat,
Kimberley and Littleton. Occupiers were Henry Harris, Charles
Rudd, James Waldron, and Thomas Edgington.
Hazelwood House, number 25, was sold at auction on 23rd March
1899. This is how it was described in the sale catalogue.
By direction of Howard Archer, Esq., the owner, who is removing
to London:
LOT A The pleasantly-situated detached RESIDENCE, standing
in its own grounds, known as "HAZELWOOD HOUSE", Hazelwood
Road, Acock's Green, with Lawn, Dwarf Wall, and Carriage Sweep
in front, within 10 minutes' walk of the Railway Station, and
about four and a half miles from Birmingham, now in the occupation
of the owner, and containing the following accommodation : "Vestibule,
Entrance Hall, Dining Room, 20 ft. by 13 ft. 6 in., exclusive
of Bay Windows, one opening on to Garden, and the other into a
Span-roof Conservatory, size 20 ft. by 12 ft., fitted and heated
with Hot Water Pipes; Drawing Room, with Bay Window; Kitchen,
with Range; Pantry, Scullery (with Hot, Cold, and Soft Water Supply),
and Cellar. On the First Floor: Four Bedrooms, Dressing Room,
and fitted Bath Room; and on Second Floor, Servants' Bedroom,
and Box Room. In Enclosed Yard, Earth Closet, Coal-house, and
Fowl Pen, and there is a brick-built Bicycle House. In the rear
of the house are full-size Tennis Lawn, and well-planted Garden,
with Summer Arbour. Immediate possession can be given.
The Property is Leasehold for a term having sixty-one years unexpired
at Michaelmas, 1898 (less three days), subject to a Ground Rent
of £7 0s. 11d. per annum. Frontage, about 20 yards. Total
Area, 1,691 square yards, or thereabouts.
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