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Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath maps
Historic maps of Cradley Heath and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Cradley Heath maps
Cradley Heath photos
We have no photos of Cradley Heath, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Lye| Brierley Hill| Dudley| Old Swinford| Stourbridge| Wordsley| Wollaston| Kingswinford| Hagley| West Hagley| West Bromwich| Harborne| Clent| Sedgley| Stourton| Rubery| Bilston| Northfield| Edgbaston| Churchill| Belbroughton| Bournville| Wednesbury| Rednal| Blakedown| Wombourne| Penn| Kings Norton
Cradley Heath area books
Displaying 1 of 7 books about Cradley Heath and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Cradley Heath
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Cradley Heath.
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Moving to The West Midlands
We moved from The Medway Towns in South-east of England in the early nineties to the West Midlands to go narrow boating on the canals. I worked for premier narrow boat builders Les Allen and Sons at Velencia Wharf in Oldbury and we bought a small seventeenth century cottage in Corngreaves road nearly opposite Corngreaves Hall beside what was then Clancey's Foundary and the river Stour. The Hall was then in use or part use, as the clubhouse and car park of Corngreaves Golf Course which was a municipal eighteen hole course where I walked my Alsatian dog night and morning for the five years we lived happily in Holmestead Cottage. At the time there was a part derelict but nearly intact nail making shop built onto the back of a cottage just up the road, which still had the little forge and all the rusted tools hanging from the rafters, in the Highstreet near the railway station the site of the large chain makers where the anchor chain for... Read more
West Midlands memories
Quarry Bank
To me the first eleven years of my life, growing up in Quarry Bank, was the most enjoyable. I was born Kenneth Graham Sewell, on the 26th January 1947, at 59 Saltwells Road, now renamed White City, and the whole country was in the grip of the worst snows for years. I can remember from when I was eight months old and can recall being held in my mother's arms, watching our new council house being built. Number 3 Montgomery Crescent was to become a wonderful place for me, with my dad Joe, mom Lily, and my sister Janet. And later at number nine, a boy named Danny Priest was to become my life-long friend. One fine memory I have is of the Queen's coronation in 1953. The government doubled the sugar ration so as our mothers could bake cakes for the celebrations. Chairs and tables were lined up all down our streets and they were festooned with red white and blue. And that day was the best day... Read more
WESCO Not TESCO - The First Ever Supermarket in The UK?
I have so many wonderful memories of growing up in Quarry Bank - from moving into the brand new 'fashion houses' when I was 3; four of us on a motorbike, with me wedged between mum and dad (Wes Archer) as he negotiated the roads before they were finished (my 7 year old sister, Jenny, on the back!); the proud opening of the shop in Lawnsdown Road - it was actually called W.E.S. & Co and became the social focus of the estate - only recently did we realise that dad was way ahead of his time with the name of the grocery-cum-sweet shop that my mother, Hilda, ran cheerfully for several years. She sold just about everything Dad brought back from an Aladdin's cave beyond Dudley. And every day I was allowed 2 custard tarts and a Mars bar before I did my homework. No wonder I have so many fillings! In the early days we often played 'armies' in the 'oods behind the houses, made... Read more
Nan's House
Mr grandparents lived at 80 Dudley Road. This property was many years earlier a public house (I think it was called the Raven or the Blackbird). It was next to the railway line. To this day it has helped to give me a love of steam engines.
I remember the Christmas tree was at the top end of the high street (later it was moved to the Cross). The Clifton cinema had been converted to a toy store, it was like an Aladdin's cave. John Webb and his pony and trap were a regular sight.
Later I would work in Lye, first with the parks department of the council, later for Annabel's florist. I love the humour and warmth of Lye people, my immediate family have all at some time felt the love of Lye people.
Like all places, Lye has changed, and I don't think for the better. Ok, the slum housing has gone, but what has replaced it, yet more (modern) back to backs. I remember the... Read more
Memories of Lye in The 1950s
I too remember the Clifton Cinema and the temp. cinema, also the Salvation Army. There was 'Thornley' who sold veggies from his horse and cart, also 'Kitson' who sold bread from his horse drawn van with his brother, 'Wacaden' milk, the knife grinder who came round on his bike and coverted it into a grinder, gas lamps in the street, and where I lived at 19 Hayes Lane, gas and electric was in the house, Lye church when it had a steeple, the water tank opposite the Clifton from which my father Josh saved a small boy from drowning. Orchard Lane Infants School, also the Juniors and Valley Road Secondary Modern, where Jeramiah Harper was the headmaster.
Just a few of my memories, I've hundreds more...
Keith Shaw
Finding an Old Friend in Lye
I wonder if anyone can help me? I'm looking for a girl I grew up with - Mary Brettel was her maiden name, she lived in Stourvale Road off Hayes Lane where I lived. Mary left there in about 1958 when she was 13 or 14 years old and moved to High Park Avenue in Norton. Her father Ben and his brother Stan and his son David owned a holloware factory in Lye, BRETTLE BROTHERS, opposite the Station pub. I last saw and spoke to Mary in the late 1960s
at Lye Labour Club. I would love to find her again after all these years and talk over old times, I do hope someone can help.
Keith Shaw.
Ragamuffins Growing Up!
My name was Betty Knowles, my family and I also lived in Hayes Lane at number 48, and my grandfarther lived next door, his name was Wilfred Poole. I remember the ash bank over the road where we use to put jacket potatoes in the ash at night where the fires used to glow at night. What a sight we must have been when we got home. My mother married twice so another name for us is Pearson - we were a BIG family, 8 girls and 1 boy. We moved from Hayes Lane to Waste Bank, later to become Hill Bank. I met a girl at Valley Road School, her name was Janice Edwards who lived with her grandmother, her name was Mrs Walsh. I've lost contact with Janice and would love to get in touch with her again, can anybody help me? I remember that her nan and grandad owned a old-fashioned bike shop, I can't think of the name of the road but "Golfars", a... Read more
