Bartley Green & District Through Time

Bartley Green and District is a patchwork of villages and hamlets, each with its distinct character and history. Their shared heritage is a blend of agriculture, commerce and industry. Wheelwrights and smithys were of course prevalent in an area where many roads met, while brickworks, mills and the clay quarry provided employment for many. Bromwich Wood and ancient Weoley Castle and the modern monuments of the Lapal Canal Tunnel and Bartley Green reservoir - made famous by bird spotter Bill Oddie - stand side by side. The area also has its celebrities, including Josiah Mason, founder of what was to become the University of Birmingham, Mrs Jane Loudon, the celebrated authoress, and Jane Bunford, the tallest person ever to have lived in the UK. In this delightful collection of old and modern photographs from across the area, we discover the many delights of Bartley Green and its villages, including Woodgate, Weoley, Illey and Moor Street.