Squirrels Estate

Squirrels Estate is a residential area of Halesowen in the West Midlands conurbation of England. It is situated approximately two miles south-west of the town centre, bordering onto countryside in the direction of Kidderminster. It is located in the Hayley Green & Cradley South ward of Dudley Metropolitan Borough.

The estate was developed predominantly by Bryant Homes during the 1970s and early 1980s, and takes its name from the huge number of squirrels that occupied the land during its days as farmland. The farmhouse was built during the 1930s but survived its grounds by some 30 years, finally being demolished in 2004 amid controversy and local opposition to make way for four new houses which were built by Hadzor Davies, a local house builder.

Due to financial difficulties, Bryant Homes sold off the final phase of the estate to the a local housing association, Jephson Housing Association who built a small concentration of houses and flats in the Snowdon Grove/Mendip Road area. Also, Halesowen Borough Council brought some of the houses built by Bryant Homes on the oldest part of the estate (Mendip Road, Long Mynd, Purbeck Close, Polden Close) due to the financial difficulties of the developer. These were originally rented to tenants as council housing and the vast majority have been purchased via the Right to Buy. Only a handful of properties remain as council owned dwellings. The original Bryant houses were 3 bedroom semis/terraced and a few detached. The later homes included more 3 and 4 bedroom detached homes, but also more semis/terraces. The last homes to be built on the estate were the last ever homes constructed by A&J Mucklow PLC at the end of Campion Grove and were 5 and 6 bedroom large executive homes.

The only thoroughfare on the estate is Portsdown Road, which links Dunstall Road to Lutley Lane. The estate is served by the 244 bus service, which gave links to Old Hill and Dudley, and Service 417 to Halesowen town centre, Blackheath, Oldbury and West Bromwich.

Street names on the estate take their name from "hilly" areas of the United Kingdom - these include Mendip Road, Moorfoot Avenue, Long Mynd, Cheviot Way and Wenlock Close. The focal point of the estate is Lutley Community Centre, which shares a site with Lutley Primary School.

Coordinates: 52°26′35″N 2°04′44″W / 52.443°N 2.079°W