File:Lightwoods House - Lightwoods Park, Bearwood - staff entrance (5562677796).jpg

I thought about getting the bus to Bearwood (on the Outer Circle) and wasn't sure what was there to take. After I arrived I headed towards the Bus Station, and behind that was this park - Lightwoods Park.

I always thought that Bearwood was within Birmingham, but now it appears to be in the district of Sandwell.

The park was run by Birmingham until November 2010, when Sandwell took over running it.

There is signs here of it's Birmingham past.

Behind all this scaffolding is the Grade II listed Lightwoods House. I think it is supposed to be getting restored, but there are demolition signs around it. It appears externally to be in poor condition. I hope Sandwell Council restore it, and turn it into a museum.

House. Late C18, re-fronted mid-C19. Brick with stucco dressings and slate roof. A symmetrical composition of two storeys and five bays, with chamfered quoins. The three central bays project, also with chamfered quoins, and with a pediment. The ground floor windows have rusticated surrounds and keystones. The first floor windows, above a cornice, are sashed, have segmental heads, and are flanked by pilasters with triglyphs over. Each has an apron with blind balustrade and a segmental pediment with scallop shell motif. The porch has rusticated engaged columns, triglyph frieze, and balustrade. The doorway has a round head. Set back to the left is a one-bay pedimented pavilion, remain- ing from the C18 building. At the rear is a Venetian stair window with Doric columns as mullions. The VCH gives a sketch plan and elevation of the original house, showing the extent of the C19 alterations. They state that a brick to the east of the porch is inscribed: "Jonathan Grundy, June 19, 1780". (VCH, pp 101, 102).

<a href="http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=219292&resourceID=5" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Lightwoods House, Lightwoods Park, Bearwood - Heritage Gateway</a>

Staff are only allowed past this point.

The gate and back areas. Looks like somewhere servants may have gone, with the rubbish etc.

Sign of Staff Only Beyond This Point.

Taken through the gate.

Lightwoods House in the south of Smethwick near the Harborne boundary took its name from the tract of woodland in the area. The house is said to have been built by Jonathan Grundy in 1791, but a brick in the wall immediately east of the entrance porch is inscribed 'Jonathan Grundy, June 19, 1780'. Grundy, the eldest son of Jonathan Grundy of Wigston Parva (Leics.), is the first known occupant of Lightwoods House and lived there until his death in 1803. His widow Hannah lived there until her death in 1815, and their daughter, also Hannah, lived in the house until she died unmarried in 1829. The house and its land then passed to Jonathan Grundy's niece Eliza, the wife of Henry Goodrich Willett. In 1842 Willett, whose wife had died in 1837, owned 38 a. of land in Smethwick; most of his estate lay immediately around the house, but part was between the present Bearwood, Waterloo, and Grange Roads. Willett lived at Lightwoods House until his death in 1857. His nephew, Captain H. J. Willett, occupied the house for a few months after his uncle's death, but in 1858 it was leased to George Caleb Adkins, a local soap manufacturer. Adkins bought the house with some land from Willett's trustees in 1865 and lived there until his death in 1887.

Taken from <a href="http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36176" rel="noreferrer nofollow">British History - Smethwick - Other estates</a>