Kings Norton Union Cottage Homes - Shenley Fields

In the triangle between Woodcock Lane and Shenley Lane the King's Norton Poor Law Union built a series of cottage homes to accommodate and provide vocational training for pauper children away from the adults’ workhouse on Kings Norton Green. (The Birmingham Union built cottage homes at Marston Green, the Aston Union homes were at Erdington.)

In 1887 four cottage homes were opened with 20 children in each. There was a school on site and workshops to train children in tailoring and shoemaking. Girls were trained to go into service and boys also learnt gardening. In 1890 two more homes were built, the school extended and an infirmary added. Three years later two more homes were opened and in 1899 a swimming baths was built. Two further homes opened in 1905.

In 1912 King's Norton Union became part of the Birmingham Union became known as Shenley Fields Cottage Homes. An Assembly Hall was built in 1923; initially used for church services, it was later used for social events when children attended local church services instead. Another home was built in 1935. From the 1940s older children attended local schools while the Cottage Homes nursery school was opened up to local children.

In 1982 Birmingham Social Services began to close the homes one by one over the next five years, the last closing in 1987. All the buildings were subsequently demolished and private housing built on the site.

St David's Church

The new district was split between the parishes of St Laurence, Northfield and St Gabriel, Weoley Castle and so it was decided to build a new church and create a parish of Shenley.

Bournville Village Trust donated a site, formerly Lower Shenley Farm's orchard, and a church hall was built to double as a church. It was dedicated by Bishop Wilson in 1962. The first sod on the new church site was cut on St David's Day 1969, and pieces of stone from St David's Cathedral in Wales were presented which had been brought in a handcart pushed by local scouts.

The church building was consecrated the following year. It is designed with all 300 seats facing the sanctuary and with the priest at the altar facing the congregation for the celebration of the Eucharist. The central area is a flexible space and there are meeting rooms off. Although this is a modern church whose design accommodates congregational participation and multi-purpose use, regard has been paid to the historic and symbolic aspects of the Christian tradition.

Above the entrance to the church a 2-cwt bell by Taylor's of Loughborough hangs in a small bell-tower. At the foot of the tower a stone from St David's Cathedral has been set into the floor. Angels are shown on the outside of the main doors, with the birth and death of Christ represented on the screen. Plaques on the doors represent the four Evangelists and the Resurrection of Christ. In the baptistery is a concrete font whose wooden cover is adorned with a bird symbolising both the legendary pigeon of St David, and the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Various items, including the candlesticks, communion plate, and processional cross were designed by Edwin Mason and made by teachers at nearby Shenley Court School.