On a 70 acre Greaves site at Creynolds Lane Shirley, Solihull, giant machines are digging, levelling and reshaping the land which will soon become a new village that will eventually have a population of 2,000. The overall concept is the creation of a traditional English village with modern amenities - Cheswick Green is planned as a total community,

A community complete with its own village green, shops, pub, assembly hall, playing fields and open spaces. House designs range from three bedroom terrace houses (modern equivalent of the traditional cottage) to large four bedroom detached houses with full central heating and two car garage, set on large plots.

Prices in the first sales phases are from £4,345 to £8750.
So great was the demand that all the homes offered in Phase 1 were sold out in only 2 days and more had to be released for sale immediately. A waiting list is already in operation for some designs which will not be available until later this year.

Three Years Later there was trouble brewing over the last phase of construction.
Ancient mount to be bulldozed in plans for housing
By Peter Johnson
A thirteenth century earthwork - described as "one of the finest Archaeological sites in the area" - is to be bulldozed flat to make way for a major housing development.

Archaeologists describe as "scandalous" permission given "to developers to build on the ancient Cheswick Green Mount. They believe it should be preserved and incorporated in the Cheswick Green estate as a recreation area. The Mount is a thirteenth century, defended platform surrounded by 10ft banks and a 6ft deep moat.

It is 100 yards across at its widest' point. Nearby there are some more earthworks and the remains of a large sixteenth century house and workers' cottages. Mr Jeff Perry, secretary of Solihull Archaeological, Group, said: "Along with Hob's Moat, this is the finest in the area. There are mentions of Saxons and Romans being here and we feel it would be a terrible loss if it were to vanish. "But our argument is not with the developers. There is a demand for housing and they are in business to meet that need. We are angry with the Department of the Environment for allowing them to build on this historic site; the developers appealed after Stratford upon Avon Rural District Council refused their application and the Department allowed their appeal without even consulting any archaeological groups in the area. "He said the developers were to start filling in the moats and bulldoze the site flat on July 30th. Solihull Archaeological Group had been given permission to watch the work and to rescue any pieces brought to light. Mrs Ruth Taylor, secretary of Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society, said: "I think it is scandalous that permission was given to build on the Mount and to destroy it in such a drastic way. A spokesman for the developers, the Greaves Organisation Ltd., said: "It appears the site was excavated 20 years ago and the then Ministry of Housing and Loca1 Government ruled that it had no historic interest and it was quite in order to flatten the site and fill the moat. We rely on the Ministry's findings. If the archaeologists have any argument, it is with the Ministry, not us."
Extract from the Birmingham Post July 1973

See Also
Extract from Solihull News August 30th 1985
Photograph of the Mount / Moat as it was c1972
Arial view Cheswick Way / Saxonwood Road
1973 Mount Excavations