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Dorridge

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 Dorridge is a small town in the West Midlands borough of Solihull, England.

Dorridge: The Forest Hotel

Location

Dorridge is to the East of the M40 and the South of the M42 which, along with a small but important green belt area, separates Dorridge and its neighbour Knowle from the greater urban area of Birmingham. It falls in the Meriden Gap and historically was part of Warwickshire. Indeed, there are no major towns between Dorridge and Warwick.

History

Earliest exisitence

Dorridge did not exist as a community until the mid-nineteenth century, though it is mentioned as far back as the 1400s in the Westminister Muniments which recorded a place called 'Derrech'. It was just the name given to the ridge of land running westwards from Knowle (also then called 'Dorege'). The earliest evidence of settlement though is of Bronze Age man - an axe dated to 1300 BC was found in Norton Green. Cottages dating back to the 16th century exist in Mill Pool Lane. However, the lack of any significant road system until the arrival of the railway showed that there was no community there.

Impact of the railway

In 1852 the railway was built by the Great Western Railway, originally in Brunel's preferred 7-foot gauge track. The station, which was originally called Knowle, and later Knowle and Dorridge, created the focal point for a new community. The Munz family granted the land for the railway on condition that a station was built. There is some folklore about the agreement that suggests that the railway was obliged to stop at Dorridge; however, with the affluent residents of Knowle and Dorridge, it was certainly a commercial practicality. Evidence of the popularity of the railway can be seen in that a "bus" service from the Greswolde Hotel in Knowle was provided in the early days of the railway at the high cost of 6d. In its heyday the train service ran between Paddington and and Birmingham with four tracks, but by the mid-1960s the passenger route was all but closed and it then dwindled into a single track route, with no through trains between London and Birmingham. The route was revived in the 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail and full dual track running was reinstated, and, in spite of being a small town, Dorridge still has the privilege of being one of the stops on the express service.

Muntz family influence

The development of Dorridge is strongly linked to the Muntz family, who lived in nearby Umberslade Hall. The Muntz family were descendants of Philip Fredrick Muntz, a French immigrant of the 18th century. Through industrial wealth, founded on a brass-making process for creating Muntz Metal, the family acquired a considerable estate in the area. The William Muntz built, owned and resided in the Forest Hotel, and it is suggested that in part this was created as a stopover for the family and guests to allow an early morning train departure to London. The Forest Hotel only recently left the Muntz family ownership. To support the growing community, the family built the shops and houses of Station Approach, including a doctor's surgery. The family also guided much of the development of Dorridge as a desirable residential area, though the farming family of the Trueloves recognised the need for affordable housing for the 'less wealthy artisans' and built the terraced housing that remains in Poplar Road.

The 'wealthy benefactors' of Dorridge also provided for an 'Ayslum for 20 Idiot Girls' in the mid-19th century, on the site of the former Railway Tavern; the building still exists as a distinctive house on Knowle Wood Road. The demand for this facility was such that a purpose built Idiot Asylum was then built in 1872 for the princely sum of £10,000 near Grove Road. This was extended and evolved into the Middlefield Hospital which existed on the same site until the 1980s.

Development of housing

Dorridge was not considered a district in its own right until 1940. At the turn of the 19th century, much of what is now Knowle Wood Road, (was then Packwood Road) was farmland with just a few dwellings, similarly Avenue Road (which was then Warwick Road) had a handful of dwellings. By the 1930s the main Dorridge Triangle was properly established. Aside from the substantial family homes, there are a significant number of mansions, some of which, such as Parkfield near the park, have now been converted into flats.

During the 1930s, development slowed, and it was not until the 1950s that expansion gathered pace again. One of the earliest post-War developments was Kingscote Road, one of the few developments of semi-detacted housing in the area, followed by the near-by Rodborough Road development in 1960.

There was a substantial development in the 1960s around the area christened by estate agents as the "Golden Triangle" — alluding to the expensive and desirable housing of the area bounded by Dorridge Road, Avenue Road and Knowle Wood Road. Even then the local press noted the high cost of housing, noting many houses cost a 5 figure sum, and that 2 and 3 car households were well above the national average. The population expanded rapidly: there were around 600 dwellings in 1955, which expanded to 1800 by the mid-1970s to somewhere above 2500 homes by the year 2000.

Whilst there is a history of locals taking a dim view of developers, a local developer, Mr Ford, gifted the land which is now Dorridge Park to the community in 1965.

In the late 1990s another substantial development was built on former farmland in the area known as Four Ashes, and the development of the Middlefield Hospital site occurred at a similar time.

The architecture is a reflection of this development — there are some fine buildings from the Victorian era all around the area. Over the years, each period has then added buildings of its style — Avenue Road, for example, has classic Art Deco houses with rounded metal-framed windows. Building sizes were restricted in the post-war era. Buildings in the 1960s, though of limited architectural merit, were built with large gardens; many owners have since imposed character on these houses. More modern developments have seen the move to build apartment-style blocks, though there have also been substantial houses built, often on the site of much smaller houses and at the expense of the large gardens that still characterise the area.

Commercial development

When coming to Dorridge today, a visitor would be surprised to know that there was significant activity in the area over the last hundred years.

At the Station, a significant goods yard existed. During the 1960s the Austin Motor Company used it to deliver up to 600 cars a day for export, via the railway.

A brickworks, the Knowle Brick Company, existed in Mill Lane which ceased production as recently as 1969. Mill Lane also had a large milk-distribution depot until the mid-1990s. On a smaller scale, Dorridge Road had a marble works, handling imported stone from Italy and elsewhere. Further down in Blue Lake Road, there was a print shop, the building which is the distinctive shed of Steve's Mowing. Nearer the centre of Dorridge, in the building now occupied by the architects, there was a Cabinet Maker, Wallace and Champness.

A gasworks was developed on land that, as of 2005, is known as Eveson's, a fuel merchants, but this land is due to be developed into flats. Many of the buildings around the area that is now a Conservation Area — Station Approach — date back to the turn of the century or before, though aside from the Forest Court shopping centre and the HSBC Bank, the centre is essentially unchanged from the mid-1950s.

To support the growing township, the 'controversial' Arden Buildings were built - considered to be quite out of keeping with the fine architecture of Dorridge, and in 1965, the Dorridge Shopping centre was developed at a cost of £20,000.

Dorridge today

The station again fulfils an important role providing easy travel to London and Birmingham, for Dorridge and for numerous local villages such as Knowle, which do not have a train station, with Chiltern Railways having created an inter-city route out of the run-down remnants of what had become primarily a goods line.

Dorridge is neither urban nor a village. However, it sits right next to the Warwickshire countryside, with green fields being a short walk from the town centre.

It has a small shopping centre, a village hall, at least three churches and also an excellent primary school. It has a substantial park bordering the countryside. There are a few small restaurants, and three pubs: The Railway Inn (nowhere near the railway), the Forest Hotel (right next to the railway) and the Drum and Monkey near the Four Ashes estate.

Accomodation is available at the Forest Hotel and at Hogarths. Nearby is a golf driving range and a riding Club. It has two cricket clubs. It also has a tennis club. Solihull is just five minutes' drive away with its modern shopping centre, cinema and variety of sports facilities.

The property prices around Dorridge are amongst the highest in the West Midlands region, in part driven by the perception of desirability of the local state schools, the easy access to the main motorway system and the airport, as well as the train links mentioned earlier, but in part it is also a reflection of the well-spaced gardens and large houses. In 2005, several houses changed hands for over £1,000,000 according to the land registry.

There are a number of notable residents who live here or very nearby, Jasper Carrott, Sir Adrian Cadbury, Karen Brady Managing Director of Birmingham City F.C, Steve Bruce, manager of Birmingham City F.C., along with a number of other Premiership Football notables.

Dorridge is part of the Meridian constituency, MP Caroline Spelman who also lives nearby. Dorridge is regarded as a Conservative stronghold.

Community groups

Aside from the strong church communities, the town benefits from a Round Table, a Residents' Association, drama groups and youth organisations. Some of the organisations are shared with Knowle, such as the Sea scouts.

Residents' Association

The Residents' Association was formed in 1961. It was formed in response to concerns over unwelcome developments and also helped develop facilities for local residents. In 1974, Dorridge Day was first held as a fundraising event for the Village Hall which was opened in 1976. The Dorridge & District Residents Association first ran the event, though in recent years, Knowle and Dorridge Round Table have run this popular annual fair.

Anglican Church

With the growing population, the need for a Church was recognised and St. Phillip's Church was built in 1878. It soon had to be expanded.

Catholic Church

Originally, the Catholic population had no formal meeting place but meet in Cross Close, a house in Arden Drive. In 1917 St. George & Teresa's church was built on Station Road. This burnt down in 1935 and was replaced with the substantial building on the same site, which still exists today.

Methodist Church

The Methodists put down their roots in 1958 with the arrival of their church in Mill Lane.

Baptist Church

In 1877, George Fredrick Muntz founded the Baptist Church at Nuthurst, adjoining Hockley Heath. In later years, due to ill-health, he had a microphone system installed and linked to Umberslade Hall so he could hear the services.

Round Table

Knowle and Dorridge Round Table 812 was founded in 1964. For many years its regular meeting place was in Knowle at the Greswolde Hotel, but the membership has always been drawn from the two communities. Whilst primarily a friendship organisation, it supports local charities, with the two main events it runs being Dorridge Day and the Christmas sleigh, visiting nearly every street in the area every December.

Places of interest

Nearby there are the historic buildings of Packwood House and Baddersley Clinton now in the care of the National Trust, and the Grand Union Canal is in walking distance with both the Heron's Nest and Black Boy pubs being accessible. The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal also links in nearby.

A short distance away, Knowle has a 600 year-old church, and a number of buildings dating back to the 16th century, including a recreation of a knot garden.

The ancient town of Warwick is a short drive away, notable for its castle.

References

  • Around Knowle & Dorridge. Charles Lines. Alan Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0750908173
  • The Rise of the Commuter Village of Dorridge Gem Bradley. Unpublished Thesis 1972. Available at Solihull Library.
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