Hockley Heath

The area known as Nuthurst derives its name from the anglo saxon Hnuthyrste, meaning Nut Wood, a woodland that covered what is now Nuthurst, along with the hamlet of Illshaw Heath, within the larger Forest of Arden.

Lord Archer's Obelisk, Umberslade Park, Nuthurst

William Dugdale found no mention of a settlement before the reign of Henry III (1216–72)[2] but it has been identified with the woodland 'aet Hnuthyrste' given with Shottery to Worcester Cathedral by Offa of Mercia c. 705.[3] In 872 Werfryd, Bishop of Worcester, granted to Eanwulf, the Kings thane, land at Hnuthyrst for four lives, with reversion to the monastery of Stratford.

After the Norman Conquest the name usually appeared as Notehurst, but gradually reverted to its present and original spelling.[4] It was part of Hampton-in-Arden, and 1/5 knight's fee in Nuthurst was held of Niel de Mowbray c. 1230 and of Roger de Mowbray in 1242. The overlordship descended in this family, being held by Roger de Mowbray at his death in 1297, and by John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, in 1432.[3]

Umberslade Baptist Church, Nuthurst

The church at Nuthurst - at the time a curate chapel of Hampton in Arden - dates from at least 1216 and was dedicated to St Peter. A painting from 1820 shows the church in ruins and the only thing that remains of the church now is the graveyard and a ruined mortuary chapel dating from the 1800s.[5] The church likely fell out of use because of the construction of the church of St Thomas in Hockley Heath, which was closer to the main road of the hamlet.

After the Mowbrays the manor passed to the Montforts, Hastings and then to the Trussells. It was Sir William Trussell, of Nuthurst who informed Edward II of his disposition in favour of his son.[2] During the conflict against Edward II, Sir William Trussell found himself fighting the Despencer family, who were amongst their other titles, lords of the manor of nearby Solihull.

Umberslade Hall, Nuthurst

By the 18th century the manor had passed to the Archers of Umberslade Hall and the hamlet was briefly reoriented around its Umberslade area. The Umberslade estate sits on the border of Nuthurst and Tanworth in Arden and had been built for the Archer family in 1680. Lord Archer raised a 70 feet (21 m) limestone block obelisk on the estate in 1749.[6] The reason for this is unclear, possibly to celebrate his elevation to the peerage or just, as was the fashion during that period, as a folly.[4] However, according to local folklore it is said to mark the passing of a favoured horse, which is buried beneath it.

When local industrialist and politician, Mr G. F. Muntz became resident in Umberslade Hall he instigated the building of Umberslade Baptist church in Nuthurst and the adjoining Baptist school in 1876. The Baptist Church and Obelisk are now separated from Umberslade Hall by the M40 motorway to London, which controversially cuts through the Halls former grounds and the avenue of giant sequoiadendron which once marked the path between the two.[7]

A country house called Nuthurst Grange was built in the settlement in 1882, once serving as home to Walter Higgs. It is now a luxury hotel and wedding venue.[8]

There is a public house and hotel in the hamlet called The Oak. It was previously an organic French market and deli called Oro.[9][10]

Today the hamlet lies in the south of Hockley Heath, and borders Lapworth to the South East, and Tanworth-in-Arden to the southwest.

Hockley Heath first appeared in the 13th century.[4] 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.[11] 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.[12]

By 1361 the Aylesbury family had settled in the area and constructed a large house called Aylesbury hall. The family were descended from the Aylesbury who represented Warwickshire in the parliament of Edward III.[13][14]

Hockley Heath - The Nags Head circa 2005

Hockley Heath was originally part of the ecclesiastic 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 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.[15] 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.[12][15]

Aylesbury House Hotel

By the 1760s the Aylesbury family would own Box Trees farm in the north of the village, which now gives its name to the Box Trees area between the village and the Blythe Valley Park area.[16] By the mid 1800s further construction had been undertaken on Aylesbury Hall, rechristened Aylesbury House and remaining home to the Aylesbury family. It later became a hotel. The Aylesbury family were also prominent in neighboring Packwood, and many artefacts of the family are now in Packwood House and St Giles Church Packwood.[17][18] In 2016 Aylesbury house suffered a devastating fire which destroyed much of the interior following a suspected arson attack. The property had recently been sold to a housing developer, who converted the shell of the property into luxury apartments, and built several additional properties in the surrounding grounds.[19]

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.[20]

St. Thomas, Nuthurst-cum-Hockley-Heath Church

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.

In the 1850s the village bakery 'Wedges' would open, remaining in the same family until 2013.[21]

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 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.[22]

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[23]

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 Box Trees farm. The former RAF site 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.[12]

In the north of the village Box Trees farm is now an Arts and Craft Centre.[16]

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.