A lost Birmingham street, a deadly haunting, and a call for local memories
In the summer of 1955, a Birmingham family moved into what they believed would be their long-awaited new home: a council house at 32 Coxwell Road, in Ladywood. Within weeks, their lives had unravelled. According to contemporary newspaper reports, the family experienced unexplained banging on doors, strange smells, sudden drops in temperature, and whispering voices coming from empty rooms. A Catholic priest was called to bless the house and later told the family the presence there was “too strong” for him to remove.
Then came the tragedy.
Their baby son died in the house under circumstances that were officially ruled an accident - but which the family never fully accepted. Shortly afterwards, they fled the property in terror, leaving behind their belongings and refusing to return.
And what makes the case even more unsettling is this: Coxwell Road no longer exists.
A street erased from the map
Coxwell Road and the surrounding houses were demolished during post-war redevelopment in the 1960s. The street was wiped from Birmingham’s maps, and the site is now occupied by modern housing and a public play area. Many people living in Ladywood today may not even be aware the road ever existed.
Yet the events of 1955 were widely reported at the time. Journalists stayed overnight in the house. Council officials investigated. Visitors reported hearing tapping sounds and feeling oppressive cold. And similar strange experiences were recorded on neighbouring properties in later years.
So why has the story faded so completely from local memory?
New research, old ground
The case has now been re-examined in a new episode of the popular YouTube channel Into The Fog, presented by author and broadcaster Peter Laws. You can watch the whole story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMr1KqiZSNo
The investigation draws together original 1950s newspaper reports, eyewitness testimony, and new historical research into the land beneath Coxwell Road. That research suggests the houses may have been built on or near historic plague burial ground - an unsettling detail given the repeated reports of illness, fear, and psychological distress linked to the street over decades.
The episode doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it explores how grief, belief, environment, and history can intertwine - and how entire stories can be lost when streets themselves disappear.
Can you help?
As part of the investigation, Into The Fog is now appealing directly to people in Birmingham.
Do you remember Coxwell Road?
Did you or your family live in Ladywood before redevelopment?
Have you ever experienced anything strange or unsettling in the area where the street once stood?
You can get in touch by email at [email protected] or via the form at: https://bit.ly/ITF-YourStory.
As Birmingham continues to change, stories like this remind us that the city’s past isn’t always as distant as it seems - sometimes it’s just buried beneath our feet.