Edgbaston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Edgbaston | |
|
Edgbaston shown within the West Midlands | |
| Population | 20,749 (2001 Population Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Birmingham |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | 15 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Birmingham Edgbaston |
| European Parliament | West Midlands |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee.
The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton.
Edgbaston had a reputation for being the most affluent part of Birmingham or "where the trees begin". In the 19th century the town was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family who refused to allow factories or warehouses to be built in Edgbaston, thus making it attractive for the middle class. However, while the central and southern parts of the suburb remains ostensibly affluent, there are several areas in the northern part that are less so, with a high proportion of multi-occupancy rented private housing, as well as council-owned accommodation.
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[edit] Etymology
Edgbaston means "village of a man called Ecgbald", from the Old English personal name + tun "farm". The personal name Ecgbald means "bold sword" (literally "bold edge"). The name was recorded as Celboldistane in 1139, wrongly suggesting that Old English stān "stone, rock" is the final element of the name.
[edit] Population
The United Kingdom Census 2001 found that 20,749 people were living in Edgbaston. Edgbaston has an above average percentage for ethnic minorities with ethnic minorities representing 31.6% (6,403) of the population as opposed to 29.6% for Birmingham. Edgbaston was home to a significant Orthodox Jewish community.
[edit] Sport
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is based in Edgbaston (Edgbaston historically being part of Warwickshire), at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. As well as hosting regular county matches, the ground often plays host to the England cricket team during one day internationals and test matches. In 2006, there were rumours that the team would move to the proposed City of Birmingham Stadium which would be shared with Birmingham City F.C.. However, there are now plans for the expansion of the ground, and no share with the football club.
The area also boasts a world class tennis venue; The Edgbaston Priory Club. The DFS Classic for female players has been held there every year since 1982 and some of the world's top players make appearances. The tournament is part of the WTA Tour and wins count towards world rankings. There is also a members-only golf course which offers good views over the southern part of the suburb.
[edit] Places of interest
The church of the Birmingham Oratory, on Hagley Road, was built in 1907 in the Baroque style as a memorial to John Henry Cardinal Newman, who founded the English Oratory here. Its dome is a prominent landmark. Another religious building in the ward is the Grade II* listed St Augustine's Church. J. R. R. Tolkien lived in Edgbaston during his teenage years, and the two towers of Edgbaston, Perrott's Folly and the Waterworks Tower, both close to the Oratory, are said to have provided inspiration for part of his The Lord of the Rings novel. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which is located on the University of Birmingham campus, is a purpose built gallery which contains a wide range of art from the masters to Picasso.
Edgbaston Reservoir, formerly known as Rotton Park Reservoir, provides a header supply for the Birmingham Canal Navigations and is an important inner city leisure amenity. There are two public gardens located within Edgbaston; the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the lesser known Birmingham University Botanical Gardens. Adjoining the university gardens is Edgbaston Pool (not to be confused with the reservoir) which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Edgbaston contains the only Grade I listed domestic building in Birmingham, notably one of the Arts & Crafts houses number 21 Yateley Road, designed by Herbert Tudor Buckland, and built for his own use. Edgbaston Hall, a Grade II listed country hall, is located within the ward. It is currently the clubhouse for Edgbaston Golf Club.
[edit] Calthorpe Estate
Calthorpe Estates is a property developer and investor, responsible for the regeneration of the Calthorpe Estate in Edgbaston. The Calthorpe Estate covers 1,500 acres, just one mile to the west of Birmingham city centre, consisting of residential properties, a business community and a range of recreational, medical and educational facilities.
Calthorpe Estates are investing £350 million into developing Birmingham's western gateway, creating a range of mixed use, office and science park developments. With a focus on sustainable development, they have achieved Birmingham's first two BREEAM 'Excellent' office buildings at 19 George Road and Calthorpe House.
[edit] Politics
Birmingham Edgbaston is a constituency, and its Member of Parliament (MP) is Labour's Gisela Stuart.
The Edgbaston ward of Birmingham City Council elected three Conservative councillors in 2004 and re-elected one of the three, Fergus Robinson, in 2006. Another Edgbaston councillor, Deirdre Alden, unsuccessfully challenged Gisela Stuart, MP for the Edgbaston constituency, in the 2005 general election and has been re-selected as Conservative PPC in the seat for the next election. Of the other wards of the Edgbaston constituency, Harborne and Bartley Green are each represented by three Conservative councillors, while Quinton is represented by two Conservatives and one Labour councillor.
The ward has sent a female candidate to Parliament for the past 54 years. In the next election both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party candidates will be female, making it almost certain that this trend will continue. The most notable MP from the ward was Neville Chamberlain. The area has adopted a ward support officer with the holder of the status being Tony Bailey.
[edit] Education
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Edgbaston has been home to the main campus of the University of Birmingham and to Edgbaston High School for Girls, St Paul's School for Girls, St. Georges School, King Edward's School and King Edward VI High School for Girls. Due to this, there are numerous university halls of residence in the area. At the centre of the university can be found the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, one of Birmingham's tallest buildings.
Edgbaston is also the home of Queen's College, an ecumenical theological college. The Birmingham Blue Coat School is also located in the area. The Elmhurst School for Dance, the oldest vocational dance school in the United Kingdom, relocated to a new building in Edgbaston in 2004. St. Philip's School used to be located adjacent to the Oratory, however it merged with South Birmingham College in 1995.
[edit] Transport and amenities
Two railway stations serve the area. The first, University station, is found in south Edgbaston, west of Birmingham University. The second is Five Ways railway station in the north of the ward on the city's inner ring road. Both stations are on the Cross-City Line. Between these two stations used to be another; Somerset Road station. However, this was closed and demolished some years ago.
The A38 road runs through the ward and is one of the main traffic arteries of the city reaching out to the southeast of the city and beyond from the city centre and Birmingham New Street. Along this route buses frequently stop. There are several other bus routes throughout. The Birmingham and Worcester Canal passes through the area, connecting the city centre with the River Severn at Worcester. This was constructed and opened in the 1790s and is used mainly for leisure and recreational purposes as opposed to its originally intended industrial usage.
The A456 road runs through the north of Edgbaston and gives a relatively swift link with the city centre as well as faraway places including Halesowen, Kidderminster and Hereford.
The area is served by Balsall Heath library, which is operated by Birmingham City Council, and the University of Birmingham library which members of the public can join for a fee. There are a number medical facilities in the area, with two of the most well known being the University Medical Centre and the Calthorpe clinic. Two hospitals are nearby, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital.
[edit] Further reading
- Canon Doctor Terry Slater, 2002, Edgbaston Past, Phillimore, Chichester
[edit] External links
- Birmingham City Council: Edgbaston Constituency
- Birmingham City Council: Edgbaston Ward
- Edgbaston Community Network pages
- Calthorpe Estates
- Edgbaston Mill
- Edgbaston Galleries
- University Science Park
- Calthorpe House
Council constituencies in Birmingham: |
|---|
| Edgbaston · Erdington · Hall Green · Hodge Hill · Ladywood · Northfield · Perry Barr · Selly Oak · Sutton Coldfield · Yardley |
Government of Birmingham | |
|---|---|
| Birmingham council constituencies and wards | |
| Edgbaston | Bartley Green · Edgbaston · Harborne · Quinton |
| Erdington | Erdington · Kingstanding · Stockland Green · Tyburn |
| Hall Green | Hall Green · Moseley and Kings Heath · Sparkbrook · Springfield |
| Hodge Hill | Bordesley Green · Hodge Hill · Shard End · Washwood Heath |
| Ladywood | Aston · Ladywood · Nechells · Soho |
| Northfield | Kings Norton · Longbridge · Northfield · Weoley |
| Perry Barr | Handsworth Wood · Lozells and East Handsworth · Oscott · Perry Barr |
| Selly Oak | Billesley · Bournville · Brandwood · Selly Oak |
| Sutton Coldfield | Sutton Four Oaks · Sutton New Hall · Sutton Trinity · Sutton Vesey |
| Yardley | Acocks Green · Sheldon · South Yardley · Stechford and Yardley North |
Coordinates: sv:Edgbaston
