pixrobin Canley All posts by this member | 1 of 41 Sat 12th Jul 2014 3:23pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 The title of Westwood Parish is used for convenience. It is the only way that describes the parcel of land that I wish this topic to be about. Until 1926 it formed part of Lord Leigh's estate to the south west and west of Coventry. It included the hamlets of Canley, Westwood, Bockenden, Tile Hill, Fletchamstead, and Whoberley.
The area has seen significant development both in the immediate pre-war period and the post-war period through to the present day which made a large contribution to the city of Coventry. During the war years it contained many hostel developments to house workers in local factories. It also has a history of its own, away from the hustle and bustle of crowded city life.
For centuries the land was worked mainly by tenant farmers employing their own agricultural labourers. Brian Devine writing in the Coventry Standard in 1960 suggests of Fletchamstead "Years ago the whole area was divided up into two farms, Silk's and Capel's." From memory Capel's farm was situated at the old Fletchamstead Hall, but I have no memory of Silk's farm. Can anyone help with the latter. |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
Annewiggy Tamworth All posts by this member | 2 of 41 Sat 12th Jul 2014 7:38pm Member: Joined Jan 2013 Total posts:1835 This is the only reference I can find to Silk's Farm on the newspaper archive
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Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
Annewiggy Tamworth All posts by this member | 3 of 41 Sat 12th Jul 2014 8:00pm Member: Joined Jan 2013 Total posts:1835 On the 1911 census there is an Arthur Silk, farmer, Fletchamstead. It is listed next to Whoberley Hall. Arthur Silk was born in Nether Whitacre
Arthur Silk died in 1918 and was buried at Nether Whitacre. He had previously farmed at Gibbett Hill. |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 4 of 41 Sat 12th Jul 2014 9:43pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 Thanks Anne - any idea of date of newspaper article? Question |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
Annewiggy Tamworth All posts by this member | 5 of 41 Sat 12th Jul 2014 9:58pm Member: Joined Jan 2013 Total posts:1835 Sorry Pixrobin 1913
I have just found this site fletchamstead hall
I think this is the same place as Mr Harriss put it up for sale in 1900. Arthur Silk was at Gibbett Hill in 1891 but at Fletchamstead in 1901. |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 6 of 41 Sun 13th Jul 2014 12:25am Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 Thanks Anne - brilliant site for my research |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 7 of 41 Fri 18th Jul 2014 6:06pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 Looking into this area I have noted that many of the farms were approx 230 - 270 acres. Being brought up a Canley kid and not one of the landed gentry ![]() |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
Mike H London Ontario, Canada All posts by this member | 8 of 41 Fri 18th Jul 2014 7:45pm Member: Joined Apr 2012 Total posts:400 Get you wi' yer fancy 'hectares' and Memorial Park ![]() ![]() |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 9 of 41 Fri 18th Jul 2014 9:11pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 ![]() |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 10 of 41 Mon 25th Aug 2014 12:24am Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 In the British History Online it notes " Westwood, with its hamlets of Fletchamstead, Canley, and Tile Hill, was included within the city boundary in 1927, and other parts of the parish were added under the Coventry Extension Act of 1931."
What was the Coventry extension Act of 1931 and what were the 'other parts'? Question |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
Annewiggy Tamworth All posts by this member | 11 of 41 Mon 25th Aug 2014 10:54am Member: Joined Jan 2013 Total posts:1835 Pixrobin. This may be of some help. This is from the book "Coventry the development plan 1951" so the "Present City Boundary would refer to that date.
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Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 12 of 41 Mon 25th Aug 2014 11:04am Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1932 The Leigh family of Stoneleigh owned Westwood Heath school. Photo of the pld school.
LINK |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 13 of 41 Mon 25th Aug 2014 4:14pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 Yes Morgana, my mother attended Westwood School from 1913-1916. She left school at the age of 12. I was the youngest in our family, born a couple of months prior to her 40th birthday.
Edited by member, 25th Aug 2014 4:18 pm |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 14 of 41 Mon 25th Aug 2014 4:51pm Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 From what I can make out of the 'green-belt' shapes on the map (printed in the Coventry Telegraph) to be developed it looks as though Park Wood and Ten Shilling Wood are going to disappear under plans for new housing. Both have been previously described as ancient woodland. ![]() ![]() |
Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) | |
pixrobin Canley All posts by this member Thread starter | 15 of 41 Tue 26th Aug 2014 11:25am Member: Joined Mar 2014 Total posts:1103 Seems to be a bit of confusion with historic land owners here. Prior to 1926 Westwood was owned by Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh. Farmers were tenant farmers not farm owners. Any new buildings the farmer required had to be approved by the Stoneleigh estate but initially paid for by the farmer, or sometimes a split with the Leighs providing the materials and the farmer paying for the construction. An adjustment would be made at the end of the tenancy for any increase in farm value. It may have been this arrangement that drove farmer William Wakefield (Fletchamstead Hall) into bankruptcy by 1881.
The area being the property of one land-owner would have meant that the purchase by Coventry Corporation in 1926 would have eased negotiations compared to having to negotiate with the individual farmers.
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Coventry Suburbs and Beyond - Westwood Parish (incl. Land Ownership and Development) |