Stratford House: a timber framed survivor dating to 1601

Located in Highgate near Highgate Park is a remarkable survival. Stratford House is close to Highgate Middleway on the no 50 bus route. You can see it from the bus on Moseley Road and New Moseley Road. Built in 1601 for Ambrose Rotton and his wife Bridget, it was once surrounded by farmland. In recent years it's been offices and a swingers club. A fire in 2015, led to restoration 2016.

On the trail between Digbeth and Kings Heath, if you are getting the no 50 National Express West Midlands Platinum bus (you can catch it from outside Selfridges on Moor Street in the City Centre). Heading past Highgate Park on Moseley Road, you will spot Stratford House. One of the oldest remaining buildings within the City Centre and within the middle ring road, dating to 1601 (last few years of Tudor and Elizabethan England).

 

Stratford House is located at 82 Stratford Place, Highgate, Birmingham B12 0HT. Since 2020 it has been the offices of Age UK Birmingham and Age UK Sandwell.

 

I personally think it could become a museum, run by the Birmingham Museums Trust, or the National Trust. With period furniture. The noise from the passing traffic on Highgate Middleway might causes issues though.

 

The history of Stratford House

The timber framed manor house was built in 1601 for Ambrose Rotton and his wife Bridget. It was originally part of a 20 acre farm that Ambrose owned. He farmed sheep, pigs, oxen and cows on the land.

In 1840, a goods yard was opened nearby at Camp Hill by the Midland Railway. The companies successor, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in 1926 bought the house and wanted to demolish it. There was a public outcry and the house was saved.

There was further plans to demolish the house in the 1950s due to it dilapidated state. But it was bought by Ivor Adams in 1954 and it was saved. It has been a Grade II* listed building since 1952.

 

The following two images taken from the Birmingham Museums Trust Collection, Digital Image Resourse and are in the Public Domain and dates to the early 1950s. Under the Creative Commons Zero Licence (CCO).

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/1996V79 Stratford House Camp Hill Birmingham.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Stratford House in 1950. Ink drawing by John L. Baker. Topographical view of Birmingham, from the Birmingham Museums Trust collection.

 

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/1976V92 Stratford Place Birmingham.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Old houses, Stratford Place, Birmingham in 1951. Watercolour. By Allen Edward Everitt. Topographical view of Birmingham, from the Birmingham Museums Trust collection.

 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the house was home to Network Records, one of the UK's exponents of Techno music.

 

Stratford House, 2010

By the late 2000s and early 2010s it was occupied by Birmingham Centre for Art Therapies (BCAT).

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House 2010.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />Stratford House on Stratford Place in 2010.

 

Stratford House, 2016

In 2014 it was a swingers club called the Tudor Lounge (who signed a 10 year lease with Birmingham City Council). This opened in January 2015, but by December 2015 there was a major fire here. The building was extensively restored during 2016.

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (Apr 2016) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (Apr 2016) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Restoration of Stratford House during April 2016. Views from the no 50 bus.

 

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (May 2016) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (May 2016) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Restoration of Stratford House during May 2016. Seen from the Moseley Road in Highgate.

 

Stratford House, 2018

By 2018, Stratford House was fully restored, and was available to let.

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (April 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford House (Apr 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" /> Stratford House fully restored as of April 2018

 

Stratford House, 2021

From 2020, the building is now home to Age UK Birmingham and Age UK Sandwell. In April 2021, Birmingham City Council approved plans for the road in front of Stratford House to be closed to create a Knott Garden. It lies within the Clean Air Zone. If you go onto Highgate Middleway, that is outside of the zone.

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford Place Highgate (Jun 2021) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford Place Highgate (Jun 2021) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford Place Highgate (Jun 2021) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Stratford House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Stratford Place Highgate (Jun 2021) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Stratford House at the end of June 2021.

 

Modern 21st Century photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown