Tourism In The Area

Toby Jug from the Lickey's. Just to prove we were once a tourist hot spot, look what I found! These would have been sold at the Post Office along with post cards and stamps. At one time our only form of communication, and also using the telegraph service before the phones came along. I remember West Park Avenue PO selling cards at one time too. My gran had one of these in the form of Winston Churchill, being the hero of WWII.

The hills had been a royal hunting reserve belonging to the Manor of Bromsgrove. Free public open access began in 1888 when Rednal Hill was bought by the Birmingham Society for the Preservation of Open Space. The Society then presented it to the City of Birmingham in trust. Pinfield Wood and Bilberry Hill were then leased at a nominal rent. Beacon Hill was bought by Edward, George and Henry Cadbury in 1907 and then given to the City of Birmingham. Cofton Hill, Lickey Warren and Pinfield Wood were bought in 1920. The final stage in restoring public access to the area was the purchase of the Rose Hill Estate from the Cadbury family in 1923. Although fully owned and maintained by Birmingham City Council, only a small part of the Lickey Hills Country Park is within its boundary. (wiki)

Three Lickey Hills

The three hills of Lickey; Rednal (right), Bilberry (left) & Beacon Hill (centre). Lickey the name given to two ridges of hills, a higher and a lower. The higher ridge includes Rose Hill, Beacon Hill and Stock Hill; the lower includes Rednal Hill, Bilberry Hill and Cofton Hill,

1908

Antonio Tavolier (in white coat) c1900 The Lickeys

Old Rose & Crown

Old Rose & Crown coaching Inn, Lickey Hills (re-built in 1881) Once it was on the main route South via Bromsgrove, Worcester & Bristol, then in 1831 an easier route for coaches avoiding the Lickey Hills was made from Longbridge to Lydiate Ash via the Bristol Road South, New Road Rubery and the Birmingham Road. Rednal is one of Birmingham's oldest recorded place-names and is mentioned in a charter of King Offa of Mercia in 780 AD.

The Stables area, now  the Golf Club's maintenance buildings

The River Rea, at it's source follows the road en route to Birmingham and loins River Tame

A short walk/climb away will take you to this spot on Bilberry Hill (Drovers walk) 100 steps

Bilberry Hill Tea Rooms 1908 (few hundred yards down the road) Still there but sorry no tea!

The Lickey Hills

The hills had been a royal hunting reserve belonging to the Manor of Bromsgrove. Free public open access began in 1888 when Rednal Hill was bought by the Birmingham Society for the Preservation of Open Space. The Society then presented it to the City of Birmingham in trust. Pinfield Wood and Bilberry Hill were then leased at a nominal rent. Beacon Hill was bought by Edward, George and Henry Cadbury in 1907 and then given to the City of Birmingham. Cofton Hill, Lickey Warren and Pinfield Wood were bought in 1920. The final stage in restoring public access to the area was the purchase of the Rose Hill Estate from the Cadbury family in 1923. Although fully owned and maintained by Birmingham City Council, only a small part of the Lickey Hills Country Park is within its boundary.

The view here shows the Horse & Hounds pub in the centre of the picture, viewed from Bilberry Hill.

Part of a map of the Lickey Hills in 1920. Showing footpaths. 
The numbers are; 
  1  Open Air Theatre
  2  Croquet Lawn
  3  Water Garden
  4 Club Rooms / Babies Hollow
The highest point is 'the Beacon' on Beacon Hill at 974 feet above sea level