OLD NAMES

Few district names have lasted, Small Heath and Sparkbrook having since urbanisation spread far from their original areas. Heybarnes and Little Hey, Bordesley Wood, Bordesley Park, Danford, Hobmoor, and Spring Vale (Bordesley Brook valley south of Coventry Road) survive in street-names or not at all. The strangest example of a forgotten name is Victoria Park. The Rylands' Little Hey farmland, laid out as a park in 1878, was renamed in honour of the Queen's visit nine years later. Local residents might have been expected to cling to a royal address, but it has disappeared - even the Corporation calls it Small Heath Park, and since the loss of the Victoria telephone exchange there is no reminder today.

Regent Park is an alien import. Golden Hillock and Grange Roads commemorate farms, the latter an outlying demesne property with an ox-house. Green Street is not a direct reference to Deritend green, but to a landowner thereabout. Watery Lane was well-named for its brook crossing, and its final approach to Duddeston ford, where it ran along the Rea bank. Several streets recall buildings - Heybarnes, Ravenhurst, Garrison, Chapel House, Whitmore, Larches and Poplar Farms. Cheapside led to Birmingham markets, Fazeley Street to the canal that went to Fazeley Junction. Birchall Street's name went through several changes: it was the way to Birch Hills pasture. Derby Street was near the Derby (Midland) line terminus.

Landowners have given their names to the following streets and roads: Allcock, Anderton, Bedford, Bradford, Bishop, Broom, Chapman, Freeman (B'ham 5), Green, Greenway (B.9), Daniels, Dartmouth, Dixon, Henshaw, Jenkins, Kelynge (later Tilton Road), Kyrwick, Lloyd, Lowe, Millward (B.9), Mountford (B.11), Oughton, Simcox, Turner, and Vaughton. Lower Dartmouth Street is so called because what is now Lawley Street was formerly an extension of Dartmouth Street. Digby Park was given by the landowner, C.Wingfield-Digby. Glover, Palmer (B.9), and Haden were tenants. Priestley, Erasmus, and Darwin honour scientists. Farm, Sampson, Braithwaite, Dearman, Dolobran, Montgomery, Kendal, and Kyotts Lake are family and place associations with the Lloyd family. The 'Black Horse' is named after the Lloyds' Bank symbol.

The 'Old Lodge' on Bordesley Park Road stood at one of the entrances to the Taylor Estate, and 'The Old Gate' beside Small Heath tollgate. The Simcox' New Zealand connection explains the name of Auckland Road. Many first names and surnames cannot now be explained. Imperial, Palace, Whitehall, and Carlton Roads may have been inspired by the nearby Victorian and Albert Streets; Gordon, Wolseley, Arsenal, and Artillery Streets by Garrison Lane. Armoury Road led to the Birmingham Small Arms Company factory. The 'Holmes' on Garrison Lane are complete misnomers. Two lost names are Apollo Row off Charles Henry Street, site of Apollo Inn and Gardens, and New England off Bordesley High Street.