Squirrels Estate
Encyclopedia
Squirrels Estate is a residential area of Halesowen
in the West Midlands conurbation
of England
. It is situated approximately two miles south-west of the town centre, bordering onto countryside in the direction of Kidderminster
. It is located in the Hayley Green & Cradley South ward of Dudley Metropolitan Borough.
The estate was developed predominantly by Bryant Homes
during the 1970s and early 1980s, and takes its name from the huge number of squirrels that occupied the land during its days as farmland. The farmhouse was built during the 1930s but survived its grounds by some 30 years, finally being demolished in 2004 amid controversy and local opposition to make way for four new houses which were built by Hadzor Davies, a local house builder.
Due to financial difficulties, Bryant Homes sold off the final phase of the estate to the a local housing association, Jephson Housing Association who built a small concentration of houses and flats in the Snowdon Grove/Mendip Road area. Also, Halesowen Borough Council brought some of the houses built by Bryant Homes on the oldest part of the estate (Mendip Road, Long Mynd, Purbeck Close, Polden Close) due to the financial difficulties of the developer. These were originally rented to tenants as council housing and the vast majority have been purchased via the Right to Buy. Only a handful of properties remain as council owned dwellings. The original Bryant houses were 3 bedroom semis/terraced and a few detached. The later homes included more 3 and 4 bedroom detached homes, but also more semis/terraces. The last homes to be built on the estate were the last ever homes constructed by A&J Mucklow PLC at the end of Campion Grove and were 5 and 6 bedroom large executive homes.
The only thoroughfare on the estate is Portsdown Road, which links Dunstall Road to Lutley Lane. The estate is served by the 244 bus service, which gave links to Old Hill
and Dudley
, and Service 417 to Halesowen town centre, Blackheath
, Oldbury
and West Bromwich
.
Street names on the estate take their name from "hilly" areas of the United Kingdom
- these include Mendip Road, Moorfoot Avenue, Long Mynd, Cheviot Way and Wenlock Close. The focal point of the estate is Lutley Community Centre, which shares a site with Lutley Primary School.
According to a YouGov survey conducted in 2010, who asked 230 people on what they thought the best area in Halesowen was, 88% thought the Squirrels estate was the best.
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
in the West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated approximately two miles south-west of the town centre, bordering onto countryside in the direction of Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
. It is located in the Hayley Green & Cradley South ward of Dudley Metropolitan Borough.
The estate was developed predominantly by Bryant Homes
Bryant Homes
Bryant Homes was one of the larger UK housebuilders when it was acquired by Taylor Woodrow in 2001; Bryant then became the principal housebuilding operation of the enlarged group. Taylor Woodrow merged with Wimpey in 2007 and during 2010 the Bryant brand was phased out...
during the 1970s and early 1980s, and takes its name from the huge number of squirrels that occupied the land during its days as farmland. The farmhouse was built during the 1930s but survived its grounds by some 30 years, finally being demolished in 2004 amid controversy and local opposition to make way for four new houses which were built by Hadzor Davies, a local house builder.
Due to financial difficulties, Bryant Homes sold off the final phase of the estate to the a local housing association, Jephson Housing Association who built a small concentration of houses and flats in the Snowdon Grove/Mendip Road area. Also, Halesowen Borough Council brought some of the houses built by Bryant Homes on the oldest part of the estate (Mendip Road, Long Mynd, Purbeck Close, Polden Close) due to the financial difficulties of the developer. These were originally rented to tenants as council housing and the vast majority have been purchased via the Right to Buy. Only a handful of properties remain as council owned dwellings. The original Bryant houses were 3 bedroom semis/terraced and a few detached. The later homes included more 3 and 4 bedroom detached homes, but also more semis/terraces. The last homes to be built on the estate were the last ever homes constructed by A&J Mucklow PLC at the end of Campion Grove and were 5 and 6 bedroom large executive homes.
The only thoroughfare on the estate is Portsdown Road, which links Dunstall Road to Lutley Lane. The estate is served by the 244 bus service, which gave links to Old Hill
Old Hill
Old Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...
and Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, and Service 417 to Halesowen town centre, Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, Oldbury
Oldbury
Oldbury may refer to:*Oldbury, Western Australia, a district south of Perth, Australia*Oldbury, Shropshire, a village near Bridgnorth, England, UK*Oldbury, South Gloucestershire, a village south of Bridgnorth, England, UK...
and West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
.
Street names on the estate take their name from "hilly" areas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- these include Mendip Road, Moorfoot Avenue, Long Mynd, Cheviot Way and Wenlock Close. The focal point of the estate is Lutley Community Centre, which shares a site with Lutley Primary School.
According to a YouGov survey conducted in 2010, who asked 230 people on what they thought the best area in Halesowen was, 88% thought the Squirrels estate was the best.