Moor Pool Heritage
History of the Moor Pool Estate
The Moor Pool Estate was the vision of John Sutton Nettlefold (1866-1930), Chair of the Housing Committee in Birmingham. His vision was inspired by the Garden City Movement, as pioneered by Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928).
This aimed to combine the benefits of both the countryside and the town to create an ideal place to live. The architects who built the estate were Martin & Martin, who built around 500 houses over 54 acres between 1907 and 1912, the Hall itself officially opening on the 5th November 1910. John Sutton Nettlefold became a key figure in the history of public housing in Birmingham, signalling the growing emergence of local government in the town planning process.
“It is fortunately becoming more and more recognised every day that open spaces are necessary to the health of the town, as streets are to its traffic.”
J S Nettlefold, 1908.
Estate design
The estate was designed around six different property types, which have diversified further, under-going a wide variety of different treatments to add variety to the street. It would have been so easy to have built each house of the same type with the same format but instead houses side by side can be quite different. All of the houses were designed in the Arts and Crafts style, these buildings often included sculpture and carved or tiled decoration. Another defining feature of this style of architecture was an interest in the vernacular. Architects chose to use traditional styles and local, high quality materials to construct houses that would not conflict with their surroundings, but at the same time be original and contemporary for the time.
Did you know that Moor Pool Hall is linked to the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Discover more of Moor Pool’s architectural secrets!
An example of one of the designs
The Estate was designed around the existing pool with the heart of the estate centered round the Circle which is the location of the shops, Moor Pool Hall, Skittle Alley, Snooker Hall, community shops, fishing pond and allotments. Community facilities were always a fundamental element in the design of the Estate and as well as the Hall, the nearby Moor Pool tennis courts and adjacent bowling green were built.
It was initially a co-partnership housing scheme run by Harborne Tenants Ltd and tenants could buy shares with the intention that they would eventually manage the estate themselves as co-owners. The estate is now a designated conservation area.
“There must be better houses, more air, more gardens, and more spaces for playgrounds for children.”
Dr Gore, 26th October 1907.
In his opening address at the sod cutting ceremony on the 26th October 1907, Dr William Gore said:
“They were perfectly conscious that the housing problem lay at the very root of social reform. There must be better houses, more room, more gardens and more open spaces for the children. The Harborne Tenants aspired to provide houses under these conditions within the means of workmen and artisans……..These houses were to be suitable for bringing up healthy children and healthy men and women. It would be an example of town-planning……..They had set an example of what could be done in the way of town planning on a voluntary basis. They were going to make an Edgbaston for the less wealthy class on that spot”.
The People of Moor Pool
When the Moor Pool Estate was built it was intentionally designed to include a social mix with residents working in a wide range of professions from manual labour to artisan trades, skilled trades and professional occupations. Census records from 1911, 1921 and the 1939 Register reveal a diverse community of teachers, clerks, craftsmen, factory workers, specialists and business owners reflecting the mix of skills that shaped Birmingham’s reputation as the ‘City of a Thousand Trades.’
John Sutton Nettlefold built the Estate on the outskirts of the city, allowing residents to travel easily to work. Many commuted to the Jewellery Quarter, City Centre, Smethwick, Longbridge and Bournville while others worked closer to home in places like Chad Valley Toys and Harborne High Street as well as Moor Pool itself. Residents travelled by bus, tram and rail.
The Estate was home to skilled artisans including silversmith Bernard Cuzner and artist Edward Steel Harper, both associated with the Birmingham School of Art and the Arts and Crafts movement which influenced the design and ethos of the Estate.
The working lives of the residents of Moor Pool did change over time. By 1939 more residents were employed in managerial and professional roles, specialist skills and an increasing number of women were working outside the home. At the same time, teaching, clerical work and service roles were still evident.
Houses on the Estate were passed down through generations, creating a close knit community. Census records show examples of children following their parents into similar occupations. Although census records from less than 100 years ago are not yet available, later evidence suggests a gradual shift towards professional and educational occupations alongside the decline of local manufacturing .
