Edgbaston

Edgbaston (/ˈɛdʒbəstən/) is a suburb of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It lies immediately south-west of Birmingham city centre, and was historically in Warwickshire.^[1] The wards of Edgbaston and North Edgbaston had a combined population of 42,295 at the 2021 census.^[2]

Edgbaston is the location of Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and the Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society, the oldest lawn tennis club in the world.

Etymology

Edgbaston means "village of a man called Ecgbald", from the

In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family and the Gillott family, who refused to allow factories or warehouses to be built in Edgbaston, making it attractive for the wealthier residents of the city. It then came to be known as "where the trees begin". One of these private houses is grade one listed and open to the public.^[4]

Demography

In 1801, Edgbaston had a population of around 1,000 people. By 1841, this had increased to 16,500 as a result of wealthy manufacturers moving to the area. By 1850, 29 roads had been laid out and uninterrupted growth continued.^[5]

The

46.4% of households were owner-occupied, below the Birmingham figure of 60.4%. 19.3% were rented privately, 15.2% were rented from a housing association and 11.6% were rented from Birmingham City Council. There was a total number of 9,191 houses in Edgbaston, 525 of which were vacant. At 45.6%, the largest proportion of houses in Edgbaston were purpose-built blocks of flats. This is much higher than the city average of 17.9%. Detached houses were the second most common housing type in the ward at 19.7%.^[6]

Edgbaston had an unemployment rate of 8.1%, below the city average of 9.5% although above the national average of 5%. 13.4% of the population stated themselves as students. Of the unemployed, 42% were in long term unemployment and 15.6% had never worked. At 24.6%, the majority of the population worked in finance, real estate, and business activities.^[6] The largest employer in the area was the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust, employing 10,000 people.^[7]

The Edgbaston Parliamentary Constituency has a much higher population.

Governance

Edgbaston forms two wards within the metropolitan district of Birmingham–

Sport

Warwickshire County Cricket Club is based at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the area historically being part of Warwickshire. As well as hosting regular county matches, the ground plays host to the England cricket team during one day internationals and test matches.

The area also has a world class

There is also a members-only golf course which offers views over the southern part of the suburb. Edgbaston Croquet Club has been located in the area since 1915.^[9]

Places of interest

The

The BBC opened its Pebble Mill Studios at Pebble Mill in 1971, which were in use for 33 years until their closure in October 2004 and demolition the following year. The site is now the location of the new Birmingham Dental Hospital.^[11]

Politics

The constituency has sent a female member to Parliament for the past 68 years. Previous MPs included Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was born in Edgbaston.

Education

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Edgbaston has been home to

Two universities have campuses in Edgbaston, the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University; there are numerous university halls of residence in the area. The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, one of Birmingham's tallest buildings, can be found at the centre of the University of Birmingham.

In addition, the area is also home to a number of independent preparatory schools namely, West House School, Norfolk House School and Hallfield School, along with primary intakes at Edgbaston High School for Girls, Priory School and St Georges School.

Edgbaston is also the home of

Transport and amenities

Two railway stations serve the area. The first,

The A456 Hagley Road runs through the north of Edgbaston and gives a relatively swift link with the city centre as well as further away places including Halesowen, Kidderminster and Hereford.

The nearest public libraries to the area are in Harborne,

Edgbaston Village tram stop opened as the terminus of the West Midlands Metro in July 2022.^[13][14][15]

Notable residents

Here is a list of notable residents, many of whom have had blue plaques erected on their former houses by The Birmingham Civic Society:

• Annette Badland, actress.
• Sir Gilbert Barling, surgeon, lived at Blythe Court, Norfolk Road and moved to 6 Manor Road after the death of his wife.
• Rosslyn Bruce
  , priest and naturalist, lived at 4 Manor Road between 1912 and 1923.
• Kate Bunce a famous Pre-Raphaelite painter 1856–1927.
• Sir Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, lived at 83 Harborne Road.
• Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, was born in a house called Southborne, in Edgbaston, and later became the area's MP.
• Oscar Deutsch, founder of Odeon cinemas, lived at 8 Rotton Park Road.
• George Harry DeVall, architect, lived at 152 Rotton Park Road 1901-1934.
• Charles Geach MP, founder of the Midland Bank, lived in Wheeleys Hill (now Wheeleys Road).^[16]
• William Haywood, architect, lived at 245 Bristol Road (house now demolished).
• Sir Rowland Hill
  , the postal reformer, lived at 146 Hagley Road (house now demolished).
• Sir
  John Jaffray
  , founder of the Birmingham Daily Post and Birmingham Mail, lived at 249 Bristol Road.
• Major
  Arthur Keen MC (1895–1918), World War I flying ace
  , lived in Edgbaston until his military service.
• Celia Levetus (1874–1936), illustrator.
• Sir Oliver Lodge, physicist, lived at Westbourne Road (house now demolished).
• Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was born in Edgbaston.
• Constance Naden, poet and philosopher, lived most of her life at Pakenham House, Edgbaston.
• Mary Neal social worker, suffragette and collector of folk dances, was born in Edgbaston.
• Cardinal John Henry Newman lived at the Birmingham Oratory, Hagley Road.
• Eugene W. Oates, ornithologist.^[17]
• Catherine Osler, suffragette, lived at 'Fairfield' on the corner of Hagley Road & Norfolk Road.
• John Henry Poynting, physicist, lived at 11 St Augustine's Road.
• Bertha Ryland (1882-1977), militant suffragette.
• Joseph Henry Shorthouse, Victorian novelist, lived at 60 Wellington Road, Edgbaston.
• Field Marshal William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim lived in Poplar Avenue.
• Joseph Sturge, abolitionist, lived at Wheeleys Road (house now demolished).
• J. R. R. Tolkien lived here for a period during his younger life, living for a time in Stirling Road, with Perrott's Folly and the Edgbaston Waterworks supposedly providing him with the inspiration behind The Two Towers.
• Dr William Withering, physician, lived at Edgbaston Hall.
• John Wyndham, the science fiction author, was brought up here and lived at 239 Hagley Road (now demolished) until 1911 when his parents divorced.
• Francis Brett Young, novelist, lived at 105 Harborne Road.
• Arts and Crafts
  architect, lived at 21 Yateley Road; it is open to the public.

References

Further reading

• Terry Slater, 2002, Edgbaston Past, Chichester: Phillimore.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edgbaston.

• Birmingham City Council: Edgbaston Constituency
• Birmingham City Council: Edgbaston Ward
• Calthorpe Estates
• Edgbaston Mill
• Edgbaston in the Domesday Book
• Profile: Edgbaston