Bartley Green District

History Group

1910 looking from centre of village up along Wood Lane

Woodgate, a cross roads, is believed to have been a turnpike road leading from Wood Lane to Kitwell and Frankly. The well known turnpike road led from Adams Hill to Bartley Green and then on to Northfield and from Moor Street (Woodgate Lane) to the Hamlet of Moor Street and beyond to Carters Lane.  The original Clapgate Lane eventually led to the area known as California and onwards to Harborne.  The major site in this locality was Broadhidley Farm which is mentioned in the 13th century Court Rolls of Hales[owen].  A farm further down Adams Hill was known as Heathy Farm.

Close to the cross roads stood an Inn known as The White Horse.  On the corner of Wood Lane and Adams Hill there was a large shop.  This was occupied at one time by the local Nail Factor.  The people of this area would have to weigh their nails in at the back of the shop and then with the tokens they had received for their nails go through the shop to spend the tokens on what groceries, etc. they needed. Thankfully the Truck Act did away with this form of payment.

There was a smallholding close to Moor Street (Woodgate Lane) which was in existence as early as 1840, if not before, and was being used up until the 1960s.

On the right-hand side of Adams Hill stood the Woodgate Methodist Chapel and later the Methodist School.  On the left facing the Chapel, was the Crown Inn.

c.1910 from Wood Lane looking across to the first houses in Adams Hill with the old Clapgate Lane where tree is situated.

c.1910 T. Payne's shop

1910 looking down Adams Hill, with Crown Inn bottom left and Methodist Chapel on right in background