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Hockley Heath history

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Nuthurst

Nuthurst derives its name from the anglo saxon Hnuthyrste, meaning Nut Wood. The name usually appeared as Notehurst, but gradually reverted to its present and original spelling. It was part of Hampton-in-Arden, and 1/5 knight’s fee was held of Niel de Mowbray c. 1230 and of Roger de Mowebray in 1242. The church at Nothurst – at the time a curate chapel of Hampton in Arden – dates from at least 1216 and was dedicated to St Peter.

Hockley Heath

Hockley Heath first appeared in the 13th century. Originally the area north of Nuthurst was known as “Hocca’s Hill” possibly named after a local Anglo Saxon chieftain or landowner. There are a number of other places across historic county Warwickshire with ‘Hockley’ in the name, including Hockley in the Jewellery Quarter, so it is possible that Hocca was an important landowner of the area. By 1280, Hockley Heath was known as “Huckeloweheath”. By 1542, the single word was split and the village had become “Hokeley Heath”. Due to its growth Hockley Heath eventually absorbed the settlement of Nuthurst at the south of the village. Hockley Heath was originally part of the eclesiastic parish of Tanworth-in-Arden. The village owes its first stage of independent development to the roads that cross through it, specifically the Stratford Road and Old Warwick Road, which allowed for the transportation of post through from London to Birmingham and beyond. Because of this the village became a staging post on the old mail coach road from London to Birmingham. A large property called Hockley House was turned over to become a high end coaching inn, with another coaching inn opposite called the Nags Head, where post horses were kept. Queen Victoria stayed at Hockley House in 1837 prior to taking the throne, possibly on her way to visit nearby Packwood House. Hockley House was demolished in 1968 and housing now sits on the site. The Nags Head is still in operation as a restaurant. Because of its position on the road between Oxford and Solihull with road links out towards Warwick and Worcester, Hockley Heath became a central distribution point for postal deliveries over a wide area. As the canal network came to replace coach and horse transport, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was dug through the village in 1798 and a wharf built known as Hockley Port. The wharf supplied the surrounding area with commodities such as coal, stone, lime, bricks, salt and timber. Today the wharf is a public house. By 1850 the importance of canals died down as they were replaced by rail transport. The last commercial load was brought into the wharf on Christmas Eve, 1929. Hockley Heath did not receive a station and so residents had to use the nearby Dorridge railway station, Lapworth railway station, or Whitlocks End railway station. Until 1837, Hockley Heath had neither a church nor school. To remedy this, Umberslade resident and Whig MP for Warwick, Edward Bolton King, gave land for the building of a chapel on Orchard road and a school. The school building still stands on the end of School Road and is now used as an offices for John Shepherds estate agents. The Church of St Thomas was built in 1879. Local industrialist and politician, Mr G. F. Muntz instigated the building of the village institute in 1892, later renamed King George VI Memorial Hall. In the mid 1800s construction finished on Aylesbury House, home to the Aylesbury family. It later became a hotel. In the 1850s the village bakery ‘Wedges’ would open, remaining in the same family until 2013. In 1913, the old school was closed and a new council school was built for 120 pupils from the old school and now closed Baptist school. The school is now Hockley Heath Primary Academy. The village was attacked during the First World War when Zeppelin L 62 bombed the village during an attempted raid on Birmingham but heavy anti-aircraft fire prevented the airship from getting near the city centre. The sporting life of the village increased in the 1920s with the acquisition of land for recreation. This was due to the enterprise and generosity of Mr Harry Mould of Hockley House and grants from Warwickshire and National Playing Fields Associations, Carnegie trustees and by money raising events. Several hundred pounds was raised by Mr Mould, who acquired a Rhode car, value £235, and took it around the country inviting people to subscribe one shilling to the Recreation Ground Fund. The car was raffled at a concert held at the institute on 3 November 1923 During the Second World War, the village had an air station called RAF Hockley Heath. The station opened in 1941 and closed in 1948. The airfield was situated on the Stratford Road opposite what is now Box Trees. The land is currently used for farming. In 1978, the Memorial Hall was modernized. Due to its rural location, until at least 1998 the village had its own policeman who resided in the Police House near to the Nags Head. The house had a small office for the police officer to use as a base. There is a road called Cut-Throat-Lane out towards Earlswood, which despite local rumors involving an 18th century highway man, is likely a corruption of “Cut Through Lane” Today the village is an affluent commuter village for those working in Solihull town centre, Stratford Upon Avon, and other surrounding larger towns and cities. The village still has four public houses/restaurants, a parade of shops, a petrol station, a village hall, recreation ground, a luxury hotel, a number of footpaths, and a Rolls-Royce and McLaren showroom. There is a cycle route to the nearby Blythe Valley Business Park. The village has the hamlet of Nuthurst in the south, and borders Dorridge and Packwood to the North East, and Illshaw Heath and Earlswood to the North West.

  

Hockley Heath map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to Hockley Heath Map

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