THE HISTORY of DORRIDGE

The map of Knowle Manor c 1850 showed a country side of farms where Dorridge (ridge inhabited by wild animals) is today. Some still survive like Norton Green, but the original Blue Lake House (used for Dissenters’ meetings in the 17^th century) was demolished in 1963. Bentley Farm in Mill Lane was moated: opposite was the Windmill, built c 1820, and converted to steam in the 1880s when it lost its sails. Much of the land was owned by G.F.Muntz I who had made his fortune from ‘Muntze’s Metal’ a brass alloy, and lived at Umberslade. The roads had different names from today. Muntz allowed the Birmingham-Oxford Railway to be built and sold land for the station, on condition that a London express train stopped there daily which he could use. This continued until 1948. Knowle Station opened on 1 October 1852. Later it was renamed Knowle & Dorridge and then in 1862 reverted to Knowle. It was rebuilt in the 1930s and is now called Dorridge. A railway village grew up gradually from c10-20 people in the 1890s around the station. The Forrest Hotel was built in 1866 with its bowling green (and telephone number Knowle 1 when it arrived in the 1890s), where Muntz could dine/stay before returning to Umberslade, and a row of shops on Station Approach. These included the Post Office opened in 1885.

From 1852 to 1918 businessmen from Birmingham moved out into the area, including the Jacques family whose son was a photographer, now highly valued. Mr Muntz bought more land to the south of the railway in 1876 after the death of John Stubbs, a neighbouring landowner, and land to the north before his death in 1896. His son, G.F.Muntz II allowed development. In 1878 two estates for villas were laid out; in Arden Road those included the three story Bankford and in Knowle Grove there was Hillside. Four large semi-detached houses were built at the south end of Station Road. At their rear were the Brickyard Cottages, known as the Rabbit Hutches. Avenue Road, then called Warwick Road, appeared in 1904. In 1910 the train to London took two hours (the same as today) and during WWI the Red Cross operated in the Old Church Room.

Besides The Forrest, Dorridge had a number of inns all of which had served the railway navvies. The Vine, pictured in 1866, closed in 1930 and became the Midland Bank. On Four Ashes Road The Drum & Monkey was originally called The White Lion; a new sign made the lion look like a monkey, hence the change in name. The Railway Tavern at the corner of Windmill Lane with Grange Road was the furthest from the railway.

The original North Packwood brick mission church of 1878 remains as the nave of St Philip’s, for which the land cost £100 gifted by Philip Wykeham-Marten of Packwood. A grander church was begun in 1894 by J.A.Chatwin with a lofty stone chancel, The Church Hall was originally not on church land to avoid future financial commitments. The Vicarage, also in Manor Road, was replaced by W.H.Bidlake in 1928. The parish was separated from Knowle in 1966. The Roman Catholics met in a chapel in John Hardman’s garden from 1905. He was the fourth generation head of the famous firm making ecclesiastical metal work and stained glass. Their first church of 1917, dedicated to St George & St Theresa, was destroyed by fire in 1934 and immediately rebuilt. The Methodists met in a terrapin hut on what had been Bentley’s Farm in Mill Lane in the 1960s, which was replaced on site by a brick church in 1963.

There was great expansion between 1918 and 1945, especially along The Avenue and Dorridge Road to the east of the station and along Widney Road and Mill Lane to the north. More shops established themselves up Station Road. The coal merchants moved from the canal wharf to yards around the station. Horse boxes also arrived there but the horses were always walked to Shirley Racecourse as exercise after the train journey. The livestock market was held every Wednesday at the canal wharf. Sometimes cattle were driven down Manor Road and, on one occasion, ate all the flowers and young shrubs besides snacking on the grass.. New businesses appeared, eg Dorridge Press on Blue Lake Road, but Mr Low was still the water carrier – though a van had replaced his horse. Pitts taxi at the station was still horse-drawn. Dr Hilditch was Dorridge’s first doctor; he was also a keen fox hunter. A Scout group was formed in 1920. The Midlands Counties Institution had opened in 1866 and provided for 300 mentally challenged patients. It had great support from locals particularly after WWI and at one time was advertised as ‘for middle class idiots’. It evolved into Middlefield Hospital and was taken over by the NHS in 1948, but was closed in 1994 when Government policy placed the patients into the community and the site was redeveloped as housing.

After WWII there was more development with Victorian and Edwardian villas being demolished and replaced by more manageable houses, which also covered their large gardens. Grange Road, south of the station was also developed and old farm buildings converted into private houses. Children had always gone to school in either Bentley Heath or Knowle, but Dorridge School opened in 1955 and Arden, a Secondary Comprehensive now an Academy, in 1958. That year also saw The Square built on Truelove’s coal yard, although before that Evesons had taken over the business. In 1950 the Maraki, an upmarket car selling at £1,300, was built in the village: only 15 were ever made. Dorridge Park opened in 1969.