OLD ROADS

What had caused so much wear at 'Flyover Junction' that by Georgian times there was a gorge nearly 60 feet deep, with only a two-wagon track at its miry bottom ? Clearly the reason for the greater use of Deritend ford was the growth of Birmingham, whose neighbours trudged, trotted, and trundled to its markets and fairs, source of their money income from surplus produce sales and of the luxury goods they could buy with it.

The early provision of a timber footbridge (C13th ?) and the building of two stone bridges with a causeway across the island (in 1392 ?) did something to offset difficulties of access. Before the Conquest the Rea ford had been a hundred yards west of the present crossing point, on a channel which had silted up by Georgian times but was dangerous enough in Henry VIII's reign to drown one John a-Dean. It was this that formed the boundary of Aston Parish. Obstruction of the downstream movement of gravel at the ford by early bridges created an island (such as may be seen today at Water Orton bridge and Greet millsite on Stratford Road). Eastward creep of a secondary channel, cutting into the relatively higher ground on the Deritend side, gave a less flood-prone approach to the river than on the west side, where Holme (flood-meadow) Park was often inundated. Proof of the Deritend bank's normal immunity to flood is the siting of a medieval chapel close to the river.

Duddeston ford acquired a footbridge in the C15th and Watery Lane continued to be the churchway, wholly within the parish and free, while Deritend bridge was often chained to prevent use and subject to toll when open. Alcester Road joined Stratford Road on Kemp Hill by way of Stratford Place prior to 1767. This is clearly shown by the width of the Place, in contrast to the narrow track that now forms the north end of Moseley Road and Warner Street. It is clear that while economic forces made necessary the use of bad roads into Birmingham, elsewhere in Bordesley the road layout was dictated by geology.

The once-wooded western third has two highways and a few farm tracks. The eastern third is crossed by three roads only, a great half-square mile wedge of clayland being completely untracked. But the central drift, firmer footing and lighter wood cover, has several tracks and six roads - to Duddeston ford, Upper Saltley, Bordesley Green, Yardley, Haybarnes, and Danford; Both Coventry and Stratford Roads have odd routes. The former's way through Bordesley is a direct line between Haybarnes and Duddeston ford apart from a slight detour round Callow Field (see below): but it crosses six furlongs of clay as it descends to the Cole, beyond which is a very difficult clay slope, Red Hill. Both Yardley and Sheldon are bypassed.

Why was this route preferred to Yardley Green Road, which comes directly from Yardley ? There are two reasons: that road crosses nearly three miles of clay and the river crossing was rightly called Rotyford - slippery crossing, while beyond Red Hill the Coventry Road has firm going on 1½ miles of drift. However, both roads were very bad indeed (see below). I postulate an earlier and better way across Bordesley - from Hay Hall via Hay Mill weir on the Cole to the south-west extension of the drift nearby and thereupon to Danford Farm; (a fieldpath followed this line in 1760): thence by way of Glovers Road to tracks on either side of the demesne (Arthur Road, Sampson Road) to the churchway. (See below, Turnpike Roads). The right-angled bend in Coventry Road opposite Cattell Road may be due to its having originated as a track bounding the demesne.

Green Lane, Little Green Lane, and Garrison Lane led to the manorial pasture, Bordesley Green. Hobmoor Lane was a foredrove to two farms on the drift patch (near and opposite Waverley School), that avoided the Hol and Hob Brooks. Danford Lane (Golden Hillock Road) led to a ford and lake on Spark Brook, thence to Greet manor house. Alcester/Vaughton Streets were only hedgeside paths that had begun as perambulation tracks. Darwin Street descended to Reaside meadows. Ladypool Lane went to St. Mary's Pool in Moseley Yield and to Moseley Village. Kyrwicks Lane (Skirts Lane) and Moseley Road north end/Warner Street were back lanes about properties. In what is now called Sparkbrook - the district extending a half-mile north of the brook - there were several foredroves and one lane between Stratford Road and Danford Lane.