A History of BIRMINGHAM Places & Placenames . . . from A to Y

William Dargue - A History of Birmingham Places & Placenames . . .  from A to Y

 

My Top Ten Birmingham websites

. . . in alphabetical order

 

 

Acocks Green

Acocks Green History Society An excellent website - one of the best! - packed with well-presented accessible information. A model for local history websites.

 

Aston

Astonbrook Through Aston Manor A wealth of information about Aston maintained by John Houghton & Rod Birch - contributions welcomed.

 

Bartley Green

Bartley Green The Local History Project and Local History Digital Archive are important elements of the Humanities Specialist Status work at King Edward VI Grammar School, Five Ways, Bartley Green. History is the second specialist subject of. A need was identified for more Local History in schemes of work and after much research and investigation it was decided to introduce a unit titled: The Local History Project – Bartley Green: Past and Present.

 

Birmingham

Birmingham Archaeology is part of the City Council's official website. It is an attractive easy-to-use which is continually revised to present up-to-date information on archaeological finds in the city. A site well worth returning to from time to time.

 

Birmingham History Webring A valuable forum organised by Rod Birch and John Houghton to which users can contribute items or ask for information. There are links to other local history websites including some hosted by the Webring itself.

 

Birmingham, The Workshop of the World The personal site of Andrew Spencer has sections on churches, cemeteries, Jewish and Irish immigrants, industries, streetnames, and a Synchronopsis giveing a timeline of the most important events in the town's history. A Research page helps those starting out their own research, but doing it from outside the UK.

Birmingham Canals Navigation

Birmingham Canal Navigations Society The Birmingham Canal Navigations Society was originally formed as a registered charity in 1968. The Society aims continue to conserve, improve and encourage a wide range of interests in the 100 mile network of Birmingham and Black Country waterways known as the BCN.

 

flikr

flickr is a facility which allows anyone to upload their photographs to the internet. This is a huge collection of every type and quality of image imaginable, but they are searchable. Here's a selection of good Birmingham pictures (in no particular order):

 

 

Geograph

The Geograph British Isles project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland. An excellent collection of images with a Search facility and links to Ordnance Survey maps.

 

Great Barr

Great Barr, Past & Present B43 A web site dedicated to presenting past, and present, information on Great Barr. The area is loosely defined but includes Hamstead, Gorse Farm, Newton, Grove Vale, Pear Tree, Scott Arms, Queslett and Pheasey. There are a number of significant historic areas, including the Great Barr Hall estate, Red House Park, Bishop Asbury’s House and Hamstead Colliery. The site is organised by geographic area and various themes. The personal website of Anthony Lewis.

 

Handsworth

Handsworth Digital Handsworth Project is financed by the New Opportunities Fund, one of seven projects forming the Digital Midlands consortium. Digital Handsworth provides a multimedia resource guide to the history of the community focussed on the ancient parish of Handsworth. The project will both improve access to material of historical significance and capture and preserve ephemeral resources such as photographs, personal documents and film in the possession of archives, libraries, museums and the community. The intention is to chart the development of the area from a rural village, with medieval origins, through its rapid urbanisation between 1850 and 1940, into the multicultural suburb of today.

Handsworth Historical Society - an interesting site wth lots of background information and a good set of old photographs, unfortunately only viewable in thumbnail but available full-size by email.

Kings Norton

Kings Norton Local History Society The aim of this site, the official website of Kings Norton Local History Society, is to paint an authoritative picture of King's Norton - past and present. A good example of an attractive, easy-to-use and informative local history site wth articles, photographs and maps, created and maintained by Barry Pearson.

 

Ladywood

Ladywood, Digital, a Local History Project which aims to record the life and times of people living on the five estates making up Attwood Green, and the wider area of Ladywood. The project aims to: support schools with their local history curriculum, provide opportunities for learning by involving local people and children in the creation of the website, and research about their local area, encourage and support oral tradition focusing on the development of communication, interviewing, speaking and listening skills, provide historical background for new residents, help foster community spirit, generate pride and a sense of belonging in the area. The site seems to have been developed by the Optima Housing Association.

Ladywood Past & Present is the website of a non-profit making organisation that is trying to preserve the memories, whether written or photographic of Ladywood - maintained by Mac Joseph.

 

Photographs -

Photographs - Birmingham past & present A collection of interesting photographs taken from the 1960s on the personal site of Keith Berry - mainly the City Centre, Aston and nearby districts.

Photo by D J Norton The personal site of Mark Norton, son of D J Norton, an amateur photographer of the 1950s and -60s. Many photographs are railway- and tram-related and many were taken during the development of the Inner Ring Road. The author is developing the site with his own photographs especially of the changing City Centre.

- and Illustrations

Historic Buildings in Pen & Ink Birmingham-born, William Albert Green 1907-1983 drew many pen and ink pictures of historic buildings in the Midlands, the majority the Birmingham and Warwickshire and in Shropshire selling at a nominal price to family and friends. They were later used for tour guides and in various local newspapers and magazines. Many of the buildings have been demolished, and so this collection forms a valuable historic record which we wish to share with others. Drawings are free for non-commercial use, and may be bought. The website of his son, Edwin Green.

 

Railways

Rail Around Birmingham This site is intended for those who have a keen interest in local history and the region's railway history. Although the site is 'Rail Around Birmingham' the author has chosen his boundary to suit areas that interest him. His aim is to visit the site of every disused station and operational station in the area as a snapshot of the current state of the railways in the West Midlands.

Warwickshire Railways The Warwickshire Railways Study Group was formed in 2005 to research, record and share information on the county's railways via this web site. We welcome others to contribute to the site at any level ranging from simply checking the information published to contributing information and photographs. The personal site of Mike Musson.

 

Sutton Coldfield

Sutton Coldfield History  Graham Ord’s personal website presented as a Sutton encyclopaedia.