William Dargue A History of BIRMINGHAM Places & Placenames from A to Y
Bleak Hill/s
B23 - Grid reference SP094922
Blakhilles: first record 1461
![Bleak Hill - Reproduced with the kind permission of the late Keith Berry.](https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=407x1024:format=jpg/path/s0031f87db135fdc9/image/ic3c046ac474c607b/version/1609093162/image.jpg)
This topographical name near Upper Witton refers either to 'bleak hills', or possibly 'black hills' (but see Blakesley).
The soil this side of the city lies on quickly-draining sand and pebbles, poor agricultural land which was generally left as waste. Left to nature the area would have been scrubland with low-growing bushes and few substantial trees. A windmill was built on this windy spot sometime after 1760; it ceased operation before the end of the 19th century.
The name is not used as a district name, but is recalled in Bleak Hill Road which leads to the top of the hill.
William Dargue 13.09.2008/ 30.07.2010