Cheswick Green is located south of the A34 and bounded by Creynolds Lane, Watery Lane and Tanworth Lane and the watercourses of the River Blythe and Mount Brook.

Cheswick is the location of an ancient fortified site, known as the Mount, and a manor house, situated to the north of the modern settlement. The origin and purpose of the site remain a mystery, but there have been claims that it is of Saxon or even Roman origin. A large portion of the site was, some believe criminally, destroyed by the builders of modern Cheswick Green.

In Medieval times the Archer Family who, from the time of the Conquest, had settled in the vicinity of what is now Umberslade, owned most of the land in Tanworth and are recorded as holding court at a manor house at Cheswick. Also in Medieval times a water mill, known as Benettsford Mill, existed on the River Blythe at the junction of Watery Lane and Tanworth Lane. At the turn of the last century much of the land belonged to Banisters Farm which fronted Tanworth Lane and later became Mount Dairy Farm. The land was acquired by a Birmingham Lawyer, Philip Baker, who laid it out its lands as an extensive pleasure ground including refreshment rooms, a ballroom, tennis courts, a maze, a garden representing the atrium of the Vestal Virgins of Rome and another in the shape of a Victoria Cross to commemorate the fallen of the Boer War,
For many years the area was a popular resort for Birmingham people, who were treated to many spectacular events.

Part of an old postcard showing the Vestal Virgins Atrium Garden At the Mount Pleasure Grounds

The venture was eventually killed off by the outbreak of World War I, but there had previously been a period when the owners had been dogged by vandalism.

In 1916 the Mount Estate was divided into individual plots of approximately 2,000 sq. yards, which were sold off individually. The new owners of these plots were encouraged to grow crops to help the War effort, to live on their plots and to build a dwelling upon it in which to live.

A community of hardy, independent individuals grew up on the Mount as it was called, living in a collection of many different types of dwelling. There followed a number of years when the community tried in vain to get the local authority to provide the community with proper facilities for the settlement. Although electricity was provided, there was no water or sanitation, and the roads were never adopted. The community maintained their own roads and supplied themselves with water from wells. The local authority refused to allow them to improve their properties and demolished those properties that it believed to be unfit for human habitation.

When the Parish was transferred to Stratford Rural District the individual landowners were persuaded to sell their land to a private company thus consolidating the site into a single unit to be developed as a self-contained modern village.

The site was redeveloped by a single private developer, who was constrained by the rather arbitrary drawing of the inset boundary that determined the irregular shape and size of the village rather than any concept of optimum settlement size to support a range of services/amenities.

Cheswick Green Village Centre
The Village has a clearly defined social and service centre which is focused around a ‘traditional Green’; opposite is a landscaped area with a cluster of six shops (Pharmacy, Post Office/Off-Licence, Newsagent/Provisions, Restaurant, Kitchen Furniture, Uni-sex Hairdresser), the Saxon Public House the Village Hall and Doctor’s Surgery, beyond which is a Recreation Ground, extending down to the River Blythe, with Children’s Play Area, open space and a Football Pitch.


Cheswick Green Village Hall built with money raised by the residents and with contributions from the Parish Council. The Recreation Ground with Children’s Play Area can be seen beyond the Hall.

There are a number of other open spaces throughout the Village maintained by the Parish Council and the archaeologically important remains of the Mount.



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