Following a request made by reader Kevin Barnett, I had a rummage through the excellent aerial images so kindly supplied by Gareth Thomas, Geographic Whizz from Lichfield District Council, feeling sure he’d sent me some. Sadly I was mistaken, and I’d already posted the one of Chasetown that I had.
All was not lost, however, as I asked Gareth if he’d sort me some out, and he kindly obliged with an embarrassment of riches from the 1963 survey that cover a wide area at very high resolution. I include these below.
Click on any image to see a full-size version. These files range in size from 12 to 16 megabytes, so please be patient – but they’re worth waiting for. The one of St. Matthews Hospital is particularly fascinating.
Once again, I thank Gareth most profusely for his act of felicity and generosity to the local history community. This is the kind of stuff map and history geeks like me can only dream of. I owe this guy a whole crate of beer…
Enjoy, folks.
North Chasewater and Chasetown High Street, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
East Chasetown, The Triangle and Burntwood, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
Chase Terrace and Sankeys Corner, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
Bleak House, Cuckoo Bank and Five Ways, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
St. Matthews Hospital, Burntwood Green and Hammerwich, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
Pipe Hill, Woodhouses and Edial, 1963. Image generously supplied by Gareth Thomas/Lichfield District Council 2012. Click for a (very much) larger version.
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Nice one, thanks to all involved.
Brilliant, I can make out the 3 goosberry bushes in our back garden and the blob nearby can only be my dad in his deck chair as I remember him. All my my childhood exposed I am in heaven, thank you very much.
Bob do we know what aeroplane type these pics were taken from, ex airforce sorry!!
Hi Kevin
Glad you’re enjoying them. My thanks to Gareth for sorting this for me.
No idea about the plane – but there’s some really knowledgeable readers out there who may be able to help.
Cheers
Bob
Bob, so glad again that your readers are finding these images enjoyable 🙂 I will look through the paperwork and let you know if I can find details of the plane, camera used and any other details I can find…
Thanks once again!
Thanks Gareth for all the effort and time you spend in doing this for the blog, it is much appreciated by myself and I think for a lot of others too. Again, thank you. Peter
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Hi Folks,
I have had a good old dig around and I can find the following information about the photographs technical side.
As you may know these photo’s were commissioned by the Council for planning purposes in 1962
The date of the images are on the top of each photo. The Camera used is written as “Camera Wild RC8-6”
The height of the aircraft bove mean ground level was 1300’A.M.C.L
The scale of the Photography is documented as 1/2600
The company used was B.K.S Air Survey Limited
Hunting Surveys Limited , 4 Albemarle Street, London W1 prepared the photo’s for distribution on a machine that was electronic controlled to produce the maximum detail in high-lights and shadows!
Hope this helps?
Fantastic information for my research on our House and the surrounding area, how things have changed. Can I ask are these photo’s available in a higher resolution than can be viewed here?
Are they available to view somewhere or have they only been made available on the is blog?
Hi Paul
These images are scanned at high resolution – I trust you’re clicking on them to see the full size version?
I’m not aware they’re anywhere else, but the come from Lichfield Council’s records, and were kindly donated by the wonderful Gareth Thomas, Geo Services officer.
You could contact them and ask – but my experience says that these are already at max detail resolution and scanning them any larger will just result in a larger file, not more detail being revealed. We are at the limits of the film resolution I feel.
They are a remarkable resource, which I’m proud to host. So glad you found them of use.
If there’s anything you think readers can help with, please do ask.
Cheers
Bob
Hi all
These images have been recently published here : Flickr account …
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lichfield_gis/
And also we are working on a mapping app to make more geographical information available to all. Its been a hard 6 – 9 months but we think we are there take a look by all means, things will change as we go further down the development route , but the images will remain the same / location etc…
Old Aerial Photography : http://bit.ly/1fR01zg
Old Maps of Lichfield: http://bit.ly/1imLLwn
and soon old photo’s of Lichfield will be added along with other geographical , not particuarly historical , data and maps..
Regards
Gareth
Nice one, Gareth.
Excellent work.
Cheers
Bob
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Hi Bob. Really excellent. Would Gareth having any aerial shots of Pelsall ? In particular Hall Lane and Pelsall Church ?
Hi Chris
Sorry, old chap, furthest they go east is The Grove, and the scan below, Clayhanger. I will ask, bu I’m fairly certain that’s the case.
Shame, but this was an LDC project. Suprised they went out as far as they did.
I have seen some separate ones of Shire Oak and Walsall Wood belonging to Gerald Reece: I need to contact him so will ask what he’s got.
Cheers & apologies
Bob
Hello! I will check we may have something , it will be later next week as i am on leave , but will go into the archives Thursday next week and will let bob have what i i find…… no promises but will look and let you have whatever I find 🙂
See? There you go, he’s a top chap.
Thought we’d got ’em all…. This is exciting!
Cheers Gareth
Bob
Lot’s of thanks guys. Very exciting !!
Chris
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Amazing stuff. Can see the fields which are now full of housing estates for the overspill from birmingham and black country including my parents.
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