History

 

Archaeology

Highbury’s history can be traced back to the Bronze Age with evidence of Bronze Age Burnt Mounds by the stream. Read more about them here: Bronze Age Mounds and here Burnt Mounds

Burnt Mounds in South Birmingham

Read a report here about Burnt Mounds in South Birmingham sent to us by ex city archaeologist Mike Hodder 

There is evidence of mediaeval ridge and furrow in ten different places at Highbury. Click these links to view maps of their locations ridge and furrow1 and ridge and furrow2

For more information on the Ridge and Furrow written by ex city of Birmingham archaeologist, Mike Hodder please click here ridge and furrow3

For information about field boundaries and lynchets at Highbury click here: Field boundaries

Other aspects of the history of Highbury Park

Local historian, Gail Pittaway, has a number of articles you can read here:

• Highbury’s Formal Gardens
•  Highbury Park – The History Within
• An article about Joseph Chamberlain: Joseph Chamberlain.
• An article about the Moor Green Estate which can be found here: Moor Green Estate 

More about the history of Kings Heath can be found on the website of Kings Heath History Society.

An interesting article about Austen Chamberlain and the Bull written by Maureen Perrie can be found here: Austen and the Bull. Thank you Maureen.  Maureen was also the guest speaker at our 2018 AGM talking about “The Chamberlains, the expansion of Kings Heath, and the landscaping of Highbury” a summary can be found here.

There are some interesting memories from former local resident Philippa Robinson which can be found here: Phillipa Robinson

The Highbury Estate

The Highbury estate was the rus in urbe estate of the Chamberlains from 1879 to 1914, when the idea of bringing the countryside into the town was popular among wealthy families. It was named after the London suburb where Joseph Chamberlain grew up. The latter came to Birmingham in 1854 to join a family manufacturing business, and this brought him enough wealth to retire and enter politics in 1874.

Highbury Hall was built in the ‘Venetian Gothic’ style, and the grounds – 25 acres on a south facing slope – were landscaped by Edward Milner, whom Joseph had employed at his previous Edgbaston home.

At that time the main entrance was from the western boundary in Shutlock Lane, next to the lodge cottage, to allow for a carriage drive to the Hall. One side of this was planted with the rhododendrons which are still there, partly to screen Yew Tree Road from view.

At the south-facing front of the Hall was a lawn with clipped holly and box along a semicircular path that also featured beds of shrubs and annual plantings.

Further out was a wide gravel path around the estate boundary, including rustic bridges across to the two islands in the lake. Existing field boundaries were removed to create thirteen acres of parkland. Trees were retained, additional stands were planted, including the beech copse north of the lake.

By 1903 the grounds extended to over 100 acres, some leased from Richard Cadbury (who had built Uffculme in 1891 next door to Highbury). In 1903 Charles Curtis describes the features of the estate, including iron railings, borders planted with bulbs, annuals and herbaceous plants on either side of the circuit path. There was extensive tree planting to mask the sight of the growing Kings Heath.

The gardens followed the fashion of the times, thus, in 1890 there was a new rose garden, in the ‘Elizabethan’ style, with beds edged with box, and enclosed by yew hedging, at the end of the kitchen garden. In 1901 a ‘Dutch’ garden had beds wholly of bulbs, with terracotta tile edging and paths, and surrounded by a holly hedge. Next in 1902 came the ‘Italian’ garden- this and the rock garden below it are the only visible sites of Chamberlain’s formal gardens. This had a pergola for climbing roses, and an attractive brick balustrade. A photograph taken in 1904 shows the steps between the rock and Italian gardens (see the leaflet called Highbury, A Brief History & Guide). The latter had ornate iron gates from Siena, and a fountain and a small pool at its centre, and was enclosed by the beech hedge (which still exists, unlike the pergola). In 1904 a formal tea garden was added to the front of the Hall, while the shrubbery near the lodge had additional plantings, including magnolia and bamboo, newly introduced from the east.

However it was hothouses for which Highbury was best known. There were 25 by 1903, 12 containing orchids. These had a central corridor, with electric lighting installed in 1889.

The idea that food should be fresh meant that estates grew as much of their own produce as possible. This was Austen Chamberlain’s interest, and the farm produced fruit, vegetables, with dairy cows, pigs, poultry and sheep. By 1904 a new lodge was needed to house the farm bailiff. Furthermore, Chamberlain’s three oldest daughters lived at Highbury and took a lively interest in the farm; if one sister was away, the others took care to report farm events by letter. The ‘farmery’ was on the eastern border, where it was judged unsightly so a thatched dairy was built to hide it. The dairy verandah was also used for having tea and coffee with visitors.

The spectacular gardens were suitable for entertaining the many house parties held during Joseph’s political career. But garden parties were also given to Birmingham society, and used for larger events, such as the Moseley Flower Show and the Kings Heath horse show.

There were 20 gardeners, 5 for the hothouses alone, with Edward Cooper, affectionately remembered by the family, as head gardener, until he retired and the Kew–trained John Deacon took over.

Joseph left politics after a stroke in 1906, and died in 1914. His son Neville continued Joseph’s passion for orchids at his house Westbourne in Edgbaston.

The family left the house and it became an auxiliary military hospital. Most of the grounds became a public park in 1930.

If you have memories of the Park since then, or know someone who has, please send us your stories, so we can build up an extensive description of Highbury Park. (PAC)

More about the park

(sources: BCC Parks page, Birmingham Civic Society)

The public park consists of land from three estates; The Chamberlains at Highbury, the Cadburys at Uffculme and the Henburys. Details of how the park came into being can be found in the leaflet “Historic Landscapes of Highbury Park”. Please click here to read it. historic landscapes

The north-western part of the park and the house and grounds behind were the property of Joseph Chamberlain MP, and, at the turn of the last century, included formal gardens and a circular walk around the estate. This area was given to the City for ‘the benefit of the people of Birmingham’ in 1932. Currently the conference and banqueting centre based at Highbury Hall, and the Social Services premises at Chamberlain House are fenced off from the main part of the park.

The north-eastern part of the park, including the allotments, belonged to the Cadbury family. This property was given to the City in 1916. The Uffculme house and garden is not now part of the park. The pasture land and the Henbury’s garden area now forms the allotments and the park’s entrance from Alcester Road. The Southern part of the park had also been owned by the Cadbury’s. This 42 acre parcel was bought at public auction in 1923 by the Birmingham Civic Society and gifted to the city in the same year. For many years this area was leased to the Chamberlains who used it to graze animals from their hobby farm.

The Crucible Wall

Have you ever noticed the above wall in the park? It appears to be built of very rough quality “earthenware pots”. Read the report below to find out more about it.

The Crucible Wall at Highbury Hall

Wall of Disused phosphorus retorts in Oldbury

 

Uffculme House

Click here to read about and see old photographs of Uffculme House.

A drawing displayed in Uffculme created by a convalescent soldier in 1917 Soldier’s park sketch

The Henbury’s

“The Henbury’s is a name now, sadly, lost to Kings Heath and Moseley. It was the name of a house that once stood in Highbury Park from, at least, the late 1600s. All trace of it now lost. Without the Henbury’s there would be no Highbury Park. The park’s current boundaries were once the grounds of the Henbury’s. It stood long before Joseph Chamberlain’s Highbury, or Richard Cadbury’s Uffculme. Subtle clues of where it once stood still remain. If you know where to look.” (Andy Bishop, local historian)

 

The Henbury’s dated 1801 – 1895 was a substantially sized house on a 45 acre estate. It was owned and occupied by Charles Ratheram and comprised a house, carriage drive, orchard, pools and several fields of arable, pasture and meadow land. It was also lived in for a time by Joseph Purden a Birmingham Metal Maufacturer and later by the Lyndon family, who built an obelisk to mark the burial of their favourite racehorse. The house was demolished in most part in 1895 and the grounds of The Henbury’s became a public park in 1922. The remaining part of the house was used as a refreshment room and was known locally as the Bonkoms. The obelisk remained within the park until as late as 1957. (Gail Pittaway, Highbury Park – The History Within, 2019)

Read about a walk in 2009 in The Henbury’s area of the park.

The following information about The Henbury’s was provided by Andy Bishop, local historian.

These are pictures of The Henbury’s c1933.

There is further information from a newspaper about the auction of the Henbury’s in 1826 Auction 1826
Photographs of the Henbury’s Estate showing the wall that still remains Henbury 1993

Thank you again to Andy Bishop, for sending us these two photos taken at The Henbury’s (date unknown).

 

Below are maps from 1884 showing the Henbury’s

 

 

 

Below are census data relevant to the Henbury’s. (Not every entry is relevant to the Henbury’s.) Transcriptions are underneath. Information provided by Andy Bishop.

1841

1851

1851 (2)

1861

1871

1871 (2)

1881

1891

 

Click this link below to see transcriptions of all the census data above.

The Grange

Click here for information about the auction of The Grange in 1895

Sketch Plan, Grange Estate

The Grange Estate Plan

 

The Current Situation: The Chamberlain Highbury Trust

In 2015, following extensive public consultation, a new independent Trust, the Chamberlain Highbury Trust (CHT) was founded, with the aim of restoring the House and Gardens. In 2020 work began to restore paths in the gardens, improve accessibility and improve water flow in the ponds.

In 2025 the CHT received a £2 million grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to revive key garden features including the Italian Garden, the Rock Garden and the Crucible Wall. The funding supports a three -year programme of garden restoration and enhancement. Much of the work will be delivered by volunteers with specific plans to engage young people. A part time Head Gardener has been recruited for a period of three years.

Longer term the aim of the CHT is to restore and repair the House, both structurally and aesthetically as a vibrant asset for the community.

The stakeholders on the park, Highbury Park Friends, Highbury Community Orchard, Four Seasons, The Birmingham Beekeepers meet together with the Chamberlain Highbury Trust and Birmingham City Parks Department once a quarter.

Further information about the restoration can be found on the CHT website: highburyhallandpark.co.uk