Converted to blade grinding probably during the Civil War, this trade continued until about 1830 when James Horsfall, a wire drawer of Digbeth moved here.

By 1906 there was considerable urbanisation, although Hay Mills was still separated from Small Heath by the undeveloped Cole valley and in the parish of Yardley, Worcestershire, until becoming part of Birmingham in 1911.

Latch and Batchelor Founded by Arthur Latch, Telford Clarence Batchelor and Henry Herbert Horsfall to develop Batchelor's patent of Locked Coil Wire Rope and Flattened Strand, it was formed in 1884 on part of the Hay Mills site owned at that time by Webster and Horsfall Ltd. Due to its smooth outer layer Locked Coil became increasing popular with its use in aerial ropeways and its unexpected yet excellent non-spinning properties and high breaking-strength-to-weight ratio were recognised by the mining industry and adopted worldwide.

Locked Coil development continued with the advent of the half-lock Colliery Guide ropes and more use being made of galvanised wires.

In the 1914–18 war they were the sole manufacturer of shell fuse spring wire, for example, producing 80,260 miles, along with anti-submarine netting, mine, aircraft and balloon cables.

The main crane in the rope mill still shudders halfway down the shop caused by slight track misalignment from this time.

Nationally, Hay Mills is part of the Birmingham, Yardley constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Jess Phillips of the Labour Party.

The Grand Union Canal and the Leamington Spa to Birmingham railway line pass through the district.

Tyseley and Small Heath are the closest railway stations situated approximately a 1 mile (1.6 km) from Hay Mills and served by London Midland to Birmingham, Dorridge and Leamington Spa and Chiltern Railways to Warwick, High Wycombe and London Marylebone.

A smaller aerodrome, Hay Mills Rotor Station, offering helicopter flights to London, operated from June 1951 to April 1952.