Bromford

The old boundary between Little Bromwich and (Ward End) and Castle Bromwich ran from Bromford Bridge on the river Tame along Bromford Lane and Stechford Lane to Stechford Bridge on the river Cole, thus Bromford, the broom ford, was within the manor of Castle Bromwich. However, Bromford Mill was on the north bank of the Tame and fell within the manor of Erdington. Probably it was the mill mentioned for that area in the doomsday book of `stagnum de Bramford` was noted and within a hundred years , Bromford Bridge was also named.

In the twentieth century , Bromford was best known as the Birmingham Racecourse.  This was drawn into Birmingham in 1931 along with other parts of Castle Bromwich


Castle Bromwich


Given as Bramewice in 1168, Bromwich means the dwelling or farm where the broom grows. A shrub with yellow flowers, broom was common in the Birmingham region. By the late thirteenth century, Bramewice was known as Castlebromwic to distinguish it from a nearby Bromwich which became Little Bromwich. For centuries the manor of Castle Bromwich was held by the Devereux family, but in 1657 Anne Devereux sold her lands locally to the Bridgemans, who later became the Earl of Bradford. In 1931, Birmingham took over the Bromford, Buckland End, Hodge Hill and Shard End localities of Castle Bromwich. The village itself and Water Orton remain outside the city.

Carl Chinn

from the book

ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF BRUM