Situated between Tanworth and
Shirley. It was formerly part of a densely wooded waste, the name signifying the Earl's
Wood, the wood of the Lords of the Manor, the Earl's of Warwick.
In the reign of Richard III (1485)
William Catesby had a grant from the King of one hundred oaks, to be taken from the King's
old park at Tanworth, and Earlswood in Tanworth.
In 1545 the Manor of Tanworth was granted to Sir George Throckmorton of Coughton in who's
family it remained until 1605 when it was sold to Andrew Archer of Umberslade.
A notable feature of Earlswood is the
Moat House, once the property of the Misses Smythe, who generously presented the old house
to the nation. It had been in their family since the middle of the eighteenth century,
when it was purchased by their ancestor, John Ashbury, who was Churchwarden of Tanworth in
1743. The Moat House is one of the oldest houses in the parish, and lies well back from
the road in a beautifully secluded position surrounded by trees on all sides. Portions of
the house date from 1480, and the moat, most of which still exists, is much older than
that. The dairy with the two rooms above it, is the oldest part of the house, one of the
two rooms being known as the "Ashbery Room," owing to the name "John
Ashberye" being scratched on a pane of glass in the lead latticed window. The
remainder of the house dates from about 1550. In 1633 the property was known as Cowernes,
and as we know that Richard Cowerne lived hereabouts in 1387, I think that we may safely
assume that he lived in a still older house than the Moat House, but on the same site, and
protected by the same moat.
Extract from "The Story Of
Tanworth In Arden", by John Burman. Published in 1930
See also Salter Street for information on St Patricks Church.
Cutting of the Stratford Canal commenced from the Northern end in 1793. A horse-cutting
machine was tried, without success so navvies used picks and shovels to dig the 25.5 miles
waterway. The men drank heavily and brawls were a common occurrence. After many set-backs
the canal was opened on 24th June 1816 at a cost of £297,000. Earlswood Lakes were
created in 1821 on 51 acres of land known as Warren House Common. They have been a
favourite resort for the people of Birmingham, and give their name to the Earlswood Lakes
station on the Great Western Railway. In the vicinity is the farm known by the suggestive
name of the Witch Pits, probably the site of the barbarous ducking of a poor old woman in
the old days of superstition.
Around the year 1900
Earlswood was becoming a popular tourist area for the working people of nearby Birmingham
and the Reservoir Hotel was advertised as "An Ideal Resort for Pleasure
Seekers". Bank holidays were busy and profitable times for Earlswood's pubs and tea
rooms and drunken revellers brought havoc to peaceful rural community. Fights were
commonplace and a resident of the time described the scene on one bank holiday.
"One young lady was so far gone with drink that she took off all her clothes and
danced naked, much to the amusement of the crowd. However she was quickly covered and
arrested"
Earlswood Stores - Date unknown |
The Boathouse at Earlswood Lakes provided
refreshments |
Children fishing at a West Midland beauty spot, started a full scale police hunt today
after pulling up the body of a man, bound and weighted, in a gangland style murder.
Police
said he had been in the water between six months and two years
The horrified children fishing off a small jetty at Earlswood Lakes near Solihull ran to
fetch help when they hooked a boot and dragged the body to the surface. Their parents
revealed that earlier the children had found near the spot a cache of bullets. Trembling
13 year old Charles Wheelwright, fishing with a six year old friend took his mother to the
waters edge to show her the man, victim of the Chicago style murder, which resulted in one
of the biggest murder hunts in local history.
The man was dumped in the water wearing a brown leather jacket, of rally type with a
zip-up front; blue or green jumper with a crew cut neck; light coloured cord type trousers
which may have been fawn; calf length leather boots with zip side and what is known as a
"half Cuban heel"; and a dark pair of underpants made of nylon with the makers
name "Anderson all stretch." On the third finger of his right hand the man was
wearing a broad gold ring.
This happened in
the early 1970's can you remember it? |
In 1978 a fire destroyed the boathouse |
See also
Salter Street and St Patricks Church
Dilly Forths collection of Photographs Earlswood - Pictures
Earlswood Village Museum
Earlswood Lakes Activities
Earlswood Lakes
Home | Site
Map | Advertise Here | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
© Solihull Online   |
