A Rich Legacy

Jack Butcher, an ‘Old Salt’, provides for us a backdrop to the history of St. Peter’s College.
Jack studied at the college from 1951–1953 and was a former Chair of The Old Salts’ Association, until his retirement in 2020.

It was on 10 October 1815 that the foundation stone of Saltley Training College was laid by Sir John Packington, deputising for Lord Lyttleton.

The event was mentioned in the Illustrated London News, together with an artist impression, the caption of which read “The site of the building is at Saltley, near
Birmingham, upon land, given by C.B. Adderley MP… and it is in the style of domestic architecture of the time of Edward III”.

The teachers trained here were originally intended to take a post in C of E schools in the diocese of Worcester, and the building of the college is part of a national movement at that time towards improving the education of the poor.

The Old Quad was the 1850 building and by 1852 it housed 25 students who studied: Holy Scripture and the evidence of Christianity; the English language; Writing; Arithmetic; Elements of mathematics and Practical Science; Geography and history; Latin; Model Drawing; Music; Natural History and the Art and Practice of Teaching.

It was a spartan life and their daily routine was 5:30am – 7am private study; 7am Prayers; 8am Breakfast 8.30am to 12.15 Lectures; 1215pm - 1:30pm industrial drill; 1.30 dinner; then an interval for recreation; 3.00pm – 6.00pm Lectures; 6.00pm - 6:30pm leisure time specifically designed to give opportunity for a game of cricket or gymnastic exercises; 6:30pm – 7.00pm – 9.00pm Private
Study; 9.00pm Prayers; 10.00pm Lights Out.

Little time, one might think, to brood, except during the night when in the ‘Shants’ (the cubicles into which North, East and West wings were divided were known as Shanties), it was so cold that to get warm, they took the wooden drawers out to the cupboards and put them over the counterpane. But
despite all this, there are many accounts of men who thoroughly enjoyed their time at Saltley.
On a personal note, I can tell you that 100 years later, the luxury of a heating system in the old ‘Shants’ never produced a tropical heat!

In 1900 expansion of the building took place in the area, which is now the Residents’ Lounge in Middle College House was added. Then came the Chapel, later the Gymnasium, and above it, an Art Room.

World War I had an immediate effect on Saltley when almost the whole college marched out of the gates in August 1914. Very few were to return. During the war the buildings were used by the WAAF and the Tank Corp.

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When the College reopened in September 1919 there was 37 Second Year students and 59 First Years. In 1928 building was begun on the South Wing, and there was a major alteration to the Old Quad, including reconstruction of the Dining Hall and kitchens.

These three projects cost £20,000. A feature of South Wing was the Hobbis Memorial Library, erected by Old Students to the memory of the man who would be the head of the Practising School which was built in Bridge Road in 1869.

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During the second world war, despite being bombed – East Wing received a direct hit – college remained open, although the bulk of students were evacuated to St. Luke’s, Exeter, and later, St John’s, York.
After the war there was major development again. The Practising School had been destroyed by bombing and a new hostel block, and Gymnasium were built on that side of the field near to the workshops which had been erected in the 1930s and which had given Saltley outstanding, for that time, facilities in the area of Arts and Crafts.

In 1950 the College celebrated it Centenary. In 1959 It was decided to change the name from Saltley Training College to St. Peter’s College, Saltley. At the time they were those who had doubts about the change. Some felt it might encourage more Roman Catholics to apply, whilst others felt that many
young men might not realise it was Saltley College about which they had heard such good reports.
In the 1960s, came a further period of expansion. In January 1961 the foundation stone of the new library was laid; the North Wing of the Old Quad was extended, so that the new Library, the Chapel, and the old East Wing now formed a new quadrangle. A new residential block was also built parallel to Bridge Road.

In the 1960s too the College experienced its greatest change. Women were admitted!
Further expansion continued right up to 1970s before for reasons far too complex to go into here, the decision taken was to close the College in 1978.

The site was purchased by Aston University, who used it purely for residential purposes, but later for some tuition. Then in 1984, Aston decided it no longer needed the accommodation, and it is from this point that the new story unfolds.
In 1985 a group, including the former Warden of Aston University, two local MPs, a lawyer, and a number of accountants got together to raise funds to buy the site with a view to establishing an urban village.
Between 1985 and 1991 much work was done converting the properties to residential, commercial and industrial use. The residential section comprised, the Old Quad area and most of the tutorial student study- bedroom section was converted to one and two bedroom flats with a section devoted to
sheltered housing.

This was given over to be run by the newly formed St Peter’s [Saltley] Housing Association Ltd. With the money for conversion, some £6,000,000, coming at that time from the Housing Corporation.

The remainder of the site has been let to various social agencies, small business start-ups, a community day-nursery, and a fitness centre. There is still some student accommodation on site and this is often occupied by students from overseas in the UK for short periods.

The tenants of the Housing Association enjoy a very secure site and are involved in the management of the Association sitting on the Board of Management and having a separate Tenants’ Forum in which they have the opportunity to discuss proposed new policies and procedures before they go to the board. It has taken some years, but there are strong signs that a real ‘Village’ atmosphere is
taking shape at St Peter’s. This will be further enhanced by the opening of the new allotments for use by the tenants and which were developed with the help of a National Lottery Grant.

Old Salts often refer to the ‘Saltley spirit’ – something tangible but nonetheless real - in the atmosphere of this place; something which makes it easy to make a friend of one’s fellow man.
There’s a fellowship born here, which has lasted many for the whole of the rest of their lives - all brothers all comrades, linked in each other’s service. I have a feeling it’s still alive in the new enterprise, which we are sharing today in Saltley.