# Pheasey

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{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Pheasey
| settlement_type         = Urban estate
| image_skyline           = View towards Pheasey - geograph.org.uk - 15056.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Pheasey seen from [Barr Beacon](/source/Barr_Beacon), with [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham) in the background
| etymology               = Simon Veysie
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| coordinates             = {{coord|52.5605|-1.9020|region:GB||display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = United Kingdom
| subdivision_type1       = [County](/source/Counties_of_England)
| subdivision_name1       = [West Midlands](/source/West_Midlands_(county))
| subdivision_type2       = [Metropolitan Borough](/source/Metropolitan_Borough)
| subdivision_name2       = [Walsall](/source/Walsall_Metropolitan_Borough)
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| unit_pref               = UK
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'''Pheasey''' is a residential area of [Walsall Metropolitan Borough](/source/Walsall_Metropolitan_Borough) in the [West Midlands](/source/West_Midlands_(region)) of England, often considered to be part of [Great Barr](/source/Great_Barr). The area was predominantly developed for housing, as the '''Pheasey Estate''', in the 1930s, but work was not completed until after the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War).<ref name="Hammond">{{Cite book |publisher=Walsall Local History Centre |isbn=978-0-946652-33-4 |last=Hammond |first=Joyce |title=I Remember Pheasey |location=Walsall |year=1994}}</ref> [Barr Beacon](/source/Barr_Beacon), a hill, is a local landmark.<ref name="Hammond" />

==Geography ==

Pheasey is situated in the east of the [Metropolitan Borough of Walsall](/source/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Walsall) and is located adjacent to the [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield) and [Kingstanding](/source/Kingstanding) districts of [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham).<ref name="Hammond" /> Being on the south-facing slopes of [Barr Beacon](/source/Barr_Beacon), which separates the area from the rest of Walsall, the area is hilly.

== Government ==

Historically, Pheasey was in [Staffordshire](/source/Staffordshire).

As a result of the [Local Government Act 1894](/source/Local_Government_Act_1894), from 1894 to 1966 it was part of [Aldridge Urban District](/source/Aldridge_Urban_District),<ref name="Hammond" /> and from 1966 to 1974, part of the merged [Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District](/source/Aldridge-Brownhills_Urban_District). Both these Urban Districts were in Staffordshire, and under the aegis of [Staffordshire County Council](/source/Staffordshire_County_Council), but in 1974 the area became part of [Metropolitan Borough of Walsall](/source/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Walsall), and the newly formed [West Midlands county](/source/West_Midlands_(county)).

The local government ward for the area is 'Pheasey Park Farm'.<ref name="WPO">{{cite web |url=http://www.walsallintelligence.org.uk/WI/publications/WP_Pheasey_Park_Farm.pdf |title=Walsall Ward Profiles - Pheasey Park Farm |date=May 2011 |publisher=[Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council](/source/Walsall_Metropolitan_Borough_Council) |accessdate=26 February 2017}}</ref> Its population at the [2011 census](/source/United_Kingdom_Census_2011) was 11,010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689818&c=Pheasey&d=14&e=62&g=6367886&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1450534904078&enc=1|title=Walsall ward population 2011|accessdate=19 December 2015}}</ref>

Pheasey is still considered to be in the Staffordshire [vice-county](/source/vice-county) for the purposes of biological recording.

== History ==

thumb|Ticket for "A Grand Dance" at the then-new Community Hall, 1945

Land on the southern side of Barr Beacon was known as Barr Lea.<ref name="Hammond" /> Record show that in 1559 one Simon Veysie purchased 162 acres, plus a house, garden and orchard, from A John Reddell, for £80.<ref name="Hammond" /> Over time, the name Veysie became corrupted to Pheasey.<ref name="Hammond" />

In the 17th century, much of Barr Lea came into the ownership of the Scott family, whose house [Great Barr Hall](/source/Great_Barr_Hall) was later built nearby.<ref name="Hammond" /> The land was largely consolidated into two farms, Pheasey Farm and Park Farm.<ref name="Hammond" /> George Smith became the Scott's tenant at Pheasey Farm in 1902.<ref name="Hammond" /> In July 1921, the Scotts put the farm up for auction, but withdrew it and made a private sale to Smith.<ref name="Hammond" /> In 1935, he sold the land to the [First National Housing Trust](/source/First_National_Housing_Trust) (FNHT), a subsidiary of [Henry Boot & Sons Limited](/source/Henry_Boot_plc), of Sheffield, for development for housing.<ref name="Hammond" /> Boots asserted that they had evidence of demand from people in Birmingham for better housing, recording 90-100 requests per week.<ref name="Hammond" /> In total they acquired 303,203 acres at Pheasey, a small part of which was on the south side of Queslett Road, and thus in the City of Birmingham.<ref name="Hammond" /> Their proposal was to build 4,225 houses, at 12 houses per acre to be available for rent chiefly to [working class](/source/working_class) people moving from [slums](/source/slums) in inner-city Birmingham<ref name="Hammond" /> There were also to be shops and other amenities. The request for [planning permission](/source/planning_permission) was refused by Aldridge Urban District Council, who wanted no more than three to six houses per acre, with 150 acres reserved as open space.<ref name="Hammond" /> The refusal was overturned on appeal, but Boots agreed to sell 68 acres to Aldridge UDC to be kept as open space "in perpetuity".<ref name="Hammond" />

A ceremonial "[first sod](/source/Groundbreaking)" was cut on 13 July 1937, by [Kingsley Wood](/source/Kingsley_Wood), the then [Minister of Health](/source/Secretary_of_State_for_Health). The FNHT's published proposals for the estate included a public square, shops, cinema and public house at the junction of Wimperis Way and Romney way.<ref name="Hammond" /> These never materialised. Shops were built on Collingwood Drive. A planned community centre on Collingwood Drive eventually opened later, and as of 2018, still operates.

At the outbreak of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), in September 1939, around 1,700 houses were complete.<ref name="Hammond" /> During the [Birmingham Blitz](/source/Birmingham_Blitz), demand for housing on the estate increased. Later in the war, some houses that were already constructed but not occupied were requisitioned by the [War Office](/source/War_Office) for use by American troops who were preparing for the [relief of Europe](/source/Normandy_landings).<ref name="Hammond" /> At the end of the war, the requisitioned houses, in a poor state of repair were sold off, to high demand.<ref name="Hammond" />

Park Farm was sold for development in 1955.<ref name="Hammond" />

In the early 1960s, the FNHT offered to sell houses to their tenants, and many converted their rents into [mortgage](/source/mortgage) payments with the [Banner Building Society](/source/Banner_Building_Society).<ref name="Hammond" />

The estate is featured on one of the [Silver Thread Tapestries](/source/Walsall_Silver_Thread_Tapestries).<ref name="CreativeFactory">{{cite web|url=https://creativefactory.org.uk/projects/silver-thread-tapestries/|title=Silver Thread Tapestries|publisher=Creative Factory|accessdate=11 February 2017}}</ref>

== Facilities ==

The estate in 2017 includes two primary schools, a community centre, and library. These were all anticipated by the Trust's 1937 plan.<ref name="Hammond" /> [Barr Beacon School](/source/Barr_Beacon_School), built to serve the estate, lies just across Beacon Road from it.<ref name="Hammond" />

A former [public house](/source/public_house), ''The Trees'', built with the estate, is now ''Buffet Island'', a restaurant. Another ''The Old Horns'', built in  the 1960s on the site of one predating the estate, is extant.<ref name="Hammond" /><ref name="OldHorns">{{cite web|url=http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastandwestmidlands/theoldhornsgreatbarr|title=Old Horns|publisher=[Sizzling Pubs](/source/Sizzling_Pubs)|accessdate=26 February 2017}}</ref>

Pheasey Evangelical Church, behind ''Buffet Island'', was built by volunteer labour between 1954 and 1962, on a site once earmarked for the pub's [tennis court](/source/tennis_court) and [bowling green](/source/bowling_green).<ref name="Hammond" />

== Notable places and places of interest near Pheasey ==

* [Barr Beacon](/source/Barr_Beacon) (opened 1919)
* Doe Bank Park
* Barr Beacon Quarry (closed 1920s, now public area)
* [Great Barr Hall](/source/Great_Barr_Hall) (built 1777, abandoned 1978, to be renovated.)
* [St Margarets Mental Hospital](/source/Great_Barr_Hall) (opened 1918, closed in stages 1992–2004, mostly demolished 2008.)

==Public transport==
The only public transport is operated by bus. These are operated by [NXWM](/source/National_Express_West_Midlands) and Walsall Community Transport (service 25).
Routes include:
*5 [West Bromwich](/source/West_Bromwich) – [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield)
*25 [Bloxwich](/source/Bloxwich) – [Aldridge](/source/Aldridge) – [Kingstanding](/source/Kingstanding)
*33 [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham) – Pheasey
*936 [Walsall](/source/Walsall) – [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham)
*997 [Walsall](/source/Walsall) – [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham)
*998 [Streetly](/source/Streetly) - [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Walsall
Category:Great Barr
Category:History of Birmingham, West Midlands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pheasey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheasey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheasey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
