John Leland was Henry VIII’s antiquary. His prime duty was to report on collections of books and manuscripts around the country. However, while on his travels he wrote a commentary on the places he visited. In 1538 Leland rode from Alvechurch to King’s Norton, through Birmingham and on to Lichfield. He wrote:

“Northeton is a party uplandyshe towne in Warwike-shire [actually in Worcestershire], and there be some faire howsys in it of staplears, that use to by wolle [wool merchants]. There is a faire chuirche and a goodly piramis of stone over the bell frame. There rennithe a little brooke [the River Rea] at the est end of the towne. Good plenty of wood and pasture and meatly good corne betwixt Alchirch [Alvechurch], and Northton. And likewise betwixt Northton and Bremischam [Birmingham] that be distaunt from other 5 miles”.

This scheduled Ancient Monument is a fascinating building which raises some unanswered questions. The early 15th-century timber-framed upper storey is older than the ground floor which was built in brick in the early 17th-century.

But the oldest part of the building has an unusual gothic window with wooden tracery at the east end whose origin is unknown. The school may have been built as the priest’s house, or as a church meeting room; equally it could have been a guild hall and/ or a chantry chapel.

Chantry chapels were private chapels, often but not always within a church, bequeathed for the celebration of masses for the soul of the founder and his family. Some chantry chapels were paid for by trade guilds for their members.

It is known that in 1344, Edward III agreed to William Paas’s request to support a chantry of the Virgin Mary at King’s Norton Church. This building and the school possibly date from this time.

In Henry VIII’s reign Henry Saunders was paid a £10 annual stipend as schoolmaster here. He taught 120 pupils in this small building, among them a local nailer’s son, Robert Avenon who subsequently walked to London to make his fortune. He prospered, became the Lord Mayor of London and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

The Grammar School became a National school but was closed in 1875 due to inadequate accommodation. The inspectors were concerned about the suitability of the church burial ground as the children’s playground. Pupils were housed temporarily in the former workhouse on the Green until the new King’s Norton village board school opened on Pershore Road South in 1878. In 1914 the Grammar School building was given to St Nicolas’ Church. It was restored in 2008.

Archaeological and Historical Background (Navigation Public House, King’s Norton)

Designated Heritage Assets

There is one Scheduled Monument, which is also a Grade II* Listed Building, comprising Guillotine Lock on the Stratford Canal. This is located to the northeast of the Site and there will be no impact on the Monument or on its setting.

The search area includes the King’s Norton Conservation Area and eleven Listed Buildings. Of the eleven Listed Buildings, four are located over 600m to the northeast of the Site (Guillotine Lock, Lifford bridge, the Canal House at the junction of the Worcester and Stratford Canals and the Roving Bridge over the Worcester Canal Bridge. The remaining seven Listed Buildings are clustered around The Green 140m west of the site.

Roman

The line of Ickneild Street has been recorded as a gravel surface at Parsons Hill. This Roman road continues north to a fort at Metchley and from there to Wall and also continues south to Alcester, with a spur leading off to the salt-production sites at Droitwich. Parsons Hill recorded Roman surfaces, gullies and burnt layers. Along with ditched land divisions and there are three coin find spots and a single pottery find spot within the search area. There is a more substantial occupation site at Longdales Road to the south of Parsons Hill.

Saxton- Early Medieval

An early Anglo-Saxton charter dating to 699 refers to the estate of “Hellerage”; although the exact boundaries are not known, there has been a series of papers published on the geographical extent of this estate which does appear to include King’s Norton. A possible Anglo-Saxton pottery vessel was found recorded close to ST. Nicolas’ Church to the northwest of the Site, but this identification is not certain.

Medieval

The site lies between the probable eastern extent of the Medieval village of King’s Norton, as mapped by HER. The focus of the village is on St. Nicolas’ Church, the Grammar School and The Green which lie to the west and northwest of the Site. Research, particularly based on a 1514 survey, has suggested that the settlement also extended east along Wharf Road towards the Lint brook, with Worcester Priory houses being located along the northern frontage, as indicated by the later 189th century Tithe Map.

Medieval activity is also recorded to the north of The Green at Hurst Mill and to the east at Parsons Hill where a find spot of a 13th/14th century penny was recorded, in addition to a ditch and gully.
The presence of ridge and furrow just to the north of the Site may also suggest that the Site lay within a more rural landscape which extended from The Green to Parsons Hill. This ridge and furrow is 198th century in date.

Post-Medieval and Modern

Saxton’s map of Worcestershire, dated 1577, provides a simple overview of the surrounding area and shows King’s Norton just to the south of the River Rea and to the west of Norton Wood.