Sidenhall, the origin of the name is open to speculation. It may mean "at the wide angle of land," as the Place Name Society for Warwickshire suggests, or the broad low Iying land in a valley. Alternatively it might take its name from an early settler, one Sida or Side. The earliest known version of the name is Sydenhale, which appears in the Feet of Fines for 1286.

Sidenhall, an ancient manor, was for so many years a solitary farm lying in an isolated position on the edge of Illshaw Heath. Much earlier though it had been an active and industrious estate, with a stone-built manor house surrounded by a moat. Dugdale in his "Antiquities of Warwickshire," published in 1656, indicates that the family living there in the Medieval period, took their name from their Tanworth-in-Arden estate. Their coat of arms, listed in Burkes "General Armory", published in 1884, was "a Fesse betwixt three Cressents."

The family held their land from the Earls of Warwick, and later from the Archer family.
A rental of 1299 includes a payment to Margery Archer from Henry de Sydenhale for additional land at Cheswyke. The family also owned land in Solihull. In 1285-6 William de Sidenhale, probably the father of Henry above, leased a house and virgiate of land in Solihull to Adam de
Sidenhale, possibly a younger son. Early the next century we find Roger De Sydenhale acting as a witness in several land transactions, a statement of his place in local society. In the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1327, two members of the family, Robert, head of the family, and Henry de Sydenhal(e), are listed in Tanworth-in-Arden. There is also a "Will' o de Sidenal" listed in Solihull, possibly the son, or grandson of Adam. He was taxed at two shillings, indicating that he was a moderately wealthy man.

A further five acres of land in Tanworth-in-Arden were granted by the Archers to the Sydenhale family, c.1300, and Robert de Sydenhale also acquired a further leld of new land in the upper Blithe valley. from the three daughters of Roger Atte Berne. By 1317 Henry de Sydenhale had expanded the family wealth by adding a fish-farm to the manor. He was selling fish bred in Sydenhale pond, probably the broad northern extension of the ' h' shaped moat surrounding the house.

"Robert de Sydenhalle of Tanworth, Esq.," as he is styled in Sir Simon Archer' s notebook, died without a male heir. In 1330 his daughter and heiress Joan, married William Fulwode of Clay Hall, and Sydenhall Manor and its hall passed out of the family. (5)

Meanwhile a junior branch of the family continued in Tanworth, headed in 1331 by Henry de Sidenhale. The Assize Roll of Warwick for 1381 records that the house of "Henrici de Sydenhale" in Tanworth was broken into by the appropriately named Geoffrey Crok, who carried away goods to the value of £10. The Tanworth branch were still living locally in 1580. One John Sydnall is listed as a Freeholder of Tanworth for that year.

The Solihull branch of the family also had its problems. In 1380, their guest, Margaret, the daughter and heiress of Sir Egidius de Ardern, was abdueted by Thomas de Elmedon, a Solihull farmer, and five of his companions. That he was fined only 3 s. 4d. would perhaps indicate that Margaret was a willing accomplice.(6)

In 1404, in what appears to be a marriage settlement, William Woodward gave as a gift to Thomas Sydenhale of Tanworth and his wife Alice, 4 houses, 4 carucates of land, 24 acres of meadow, 18 acres of wood, and 2 acres of moor in Solihull, Tanworth, Claverdon and Preston Bagot. ( 7)

From this junior branch, "Jane filia & haeres [of] Tho. Sidenhall," married into the Warwickshire family of Shuckburgh of Shuckburgh Hall. As a consequence the Sydenhall coat of arms was incorporated into that of the Shuckburghs (8)

The manor of Sydenhall meanwhile was sold to John Hugford of Henwood, who in 1544, refers to his manor of "Sydenalles Hall." In the following century the manor was sold to Nathaniel Cookes of Ingon, near Stratford-upon-Avon, who was in possession of it by 1675, as the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire indicates.

Sydenhall, along with the Cookes family's other property in Rowington. was bought by Aaron Rogers. In 1765 the manor was held by his descendent, Bridget Prew, and by her grand-daughter Elizabeth Wise and her husband, Robert Roe, in 1775. Dying wlthout children to succeed her, Sydenhall passed to Elizabeth' s sister Patience, wife of Thomas Benbow. In 1803 Matthew Wise, a relative of the Benbows, is recorded as lord of the manor. His son Matthew sold it to James Mann, Earl Cornwallis, whose nephew Philip Wykeham-Martin inherited it. His son, Cornwallis Philip Wykeham-Martin, who died in 1924, succeeded to the estate which by that time had lost its manorial rights.(9)

Over the years the owners of Sidenhall Farm were frequently absentee landlords, and the land was leased out to a number of farmers. The Tithe Apportionment of 1840 shows Thomas Green to have been farming here then. In 1851 Joseph Marston, a Staffordshire man from Aldridge, is shown on the Census as its farmer, working some 200 acres of land. Throughout the 1860s to the 1890s, Joseph Tavlor farmed here, followed by John Gray, John Lowe at the turn of the century, later John Murray, and during the 1920s by William Moseley. (10)

Tragically Sidenhall Farmhouse was accidentally burnt down in 1998. It was Grade II listed, and dated from c.1600, replacing an earlier Medieval hall. It was L-shaped in plan, the main part facing south, with the east gabled cross-wing projecting in front. On the east side of the wing was a projecting chimney stack of stone, over 9 feet in height (perhaps originating from the original moated house), while beneath it was a wide fire-place. The walls of the house were of later brick, but the story posts remained in the north wall. The south-east room contained a heavy chamfered ceiling beam, this beam having mortices for former wide flat joists. To the north of the house is the now overgrown moat which contains the foundations and paving of the former Medieval Manor House.

Shuckburgh Family Crest

1. Solihull Archaeological Group News sheet, No.3, Feb. 1974
2. Feet of Fines, 14 Edward I, 12 85-6.
3. Archer Collection, Stratford-upon-Avon Record Office
4. Ancient Deeds A.9631 P.R.O.
5. William Dugdale, "Antiquities of Warwickshire"
6. Warwickshire Assize Rolls 973/ l6, 1380
7. Feet of Fines, 6 Henry IV, 1404-5
8. Visitation of the County of Warwick in the year I6I9, Harleian Society 1877
9. Victoria County History of Warwickshire, vol.4
10. Directories of Warwickshire, various.

Thanks to Joseph McKenna a Local Historian living in Cheswick Green
for permission to use this article.

The house burnt down a few years ago leaving only a barn and some more recent farm buildings (derelict.) Part of the old moat is still to be seen.
Since these pictures were taken the barn has been demolished and the area cleared as part of the development of the Blythe Valley Business Park. Only a small part of the moat remains. A public footpath, part of the Solihull Way from Warrings Green to BoxTrees passes through the area then over the BVBP access road and M42 motorway.