William Dargue  A History of BIRMINGHAM Places & Placenames from A to Y

Griffins Hill

B29 - Grid reference SP036816

Located on the Bristol Road by the Selly Oak Colleges, this hill derives its name from a family who lived in the area before 1800. Similarly named is Griffins Brook which runs west-east north of Griffins Brook Lane into Wood Brook/ The Bourn at Bournville Lane. Griffins Hill is now a map reference rather than a district name.


Worth a careful look on the river bank - Just off the Bristol Road South in Cob Lane Park a burnt mound exposed by Griffins Brook was recorded in 1950. As a result of excavations in 1980 a post hole and stake hole were discovered among burnt shattered pebbles and charcoal, evidence of a building perhaps. This is unusual: burnt mounds generally yield up only burnt pebbles and evidence of wood burning. The wooden lining of the rectangular pit was radiocarbon-dated to c1190 BC. The exact purpose or nature of the process that created burnt mounds is not entirely clear. Although this is clear evidence of a Bronze Age population, no settlement site here is known.

 

 

William Dargue 06.03.09/ 24.10.2012

 

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For 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps of Birmingham go to British History Online.

See http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55144&sheetid=9254&ox=1964&oy=1261&zm=2&czm=2&x=293&y=290

 

Map below reproduced from Andrew Rowbottom’s website of Old Ordnance Survey maps Popular Edition, Birmingham 1921. Click the map to link to that website.