Great Barr
Encyclopedia
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham
, West Bromwich
(Sandwell
; including the Great Barr with Yew Tree Ward) and Walsall
(including Pheasey
), West Midlands
, England
. The area was historically in Staffordshire
, and the parts now in Birmingham were once known as Perry Barr
, which is still the name of an adjacent Birmingham district.
"Barr" means "hill", and the name refers to nearby Barr Beacon
.
, on its border with Warwickshire
, as recently as the First World War, but during the 1920s development for private and council housing began. The urban district
of Perry Barr was ceded to Birmingham, then in Warwickshire, in 1928.
By the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 it was a very busy residential area with good road connections to West Bromwich
, Walsall
and Birmingham
.
Expansion continued after the war, and during the 1960s the area received a motorway link when Junction 7 of the M6 motorway
was opened on the A34. It is also located close to the starting point of the M5
, which can be accessed just one mile (1.6 km) northwards on the M6.
On 11 August 1975, eight-year-old local schoolgirl Helen Bailey was found dead from a single knife wound, in woods near Booths Farm. Her killer was never found.
Kidnapper Michael Sams
abducted estate agent Stephanie Slater from a house in Turnberry Road, Great Barr before holding her for eight days in January 1992. Following receipt of £175,000 ransom, Sams released her. Police arrested him three weeks later and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for abducting Slater and murdering Leeds
prostitute Julie Dart.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980816/ai_n14179797
and shopping centre. This is named after the Scott family
of Great Barr Hall
, which was once home of Samuel Galton
and a meeting place of the Lunar Society
.
However, the name is also loosely applied to a swathe of the West Midlands bounded by junction 8 of the M6 motorway
in the west, the Birmingham - Walsall railway line
(part of the former Grand Junction Railway
, opened in 1837, and including Hamstead railway station
, formerly called Great Barr station) and Perry Barr to the south, Kingstanding
to the east, and the open countryside of Barr Beacon to the north.
Great Barr includes much of the B42, B43 and B44 postcode areas
.
(incorrectly named as "Bishop Ashbury's Cottage" on Ordnance Survey
maps), was where Francis Asbury
, the first American Methodist Bishop, was raised. It is owned by Sandwell Council
and is Grade II listed. It is open by appointment for group visits, and opens occasionally to the general public.
Great Barr Hall
is a Grade II* listed building, and due its current state of disrepair is not open to the public.
Red House Park
is open to the public and provides important amenities for the local community. It is owned by the Sandwell Council. In the grounds are both the Red House itself and an obelisk erected in memory of Princess Charlotte who died in childbirth in November 1817. The Red House is Grade II listed building, but is not currently open to the public and its future is uncertain.
Birmingham Canal Navigations
' Tame Valley Canal
runs through Great Barr, from Piercy Aqueduct at Hamstead, along a cutting in 200-million year old sandstone
, under Freeth bridge at Tower Hill, under the A34 and into Perry Barr Locks at Perry Barr.
Great Barr School is the largest single-site school in the country with over 2,400 pupils on roll.
is at the junction of Beeches Road and Aldridge Road, at the Old Oscott
side of Great Barr. The buildings were originally Brooklyn Technical College.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
(Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
; including the Great Barr with Yew Tree Ward) and Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
(including Pheasey
Pheasey
Pheasey is a residential area of Great Barr in the West Midlands of England.It is situated in the east of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall and is located near to the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham. Prior to 1974, it was part of Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District. The area was...
), West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The area was historically in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and the parts now in Birmingham were once known as Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
, which is still the name of an adjacent Birmingham district.
"Barr" means "hill", and the name refers to nearby Barr Beacon
Barr Beacon
Barr Beacon is a hill on the edge of Walsall, West Midlands, England, very near the border with Birmingham. It gives its name to nearby Great Barr and to the local school Barr Beacon Language College. It is historically the site of a beacon where fires were lit in times of impending attack or on...
.
History
Great Barr was a largely rural area in south StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, on its border with Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, as recently as the First World War, but during the 1920s development for private and council housing began. The urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Perry Barr was ceded to Birmingham, then in Warwickshire, in 1928.
By the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 it was a very busy residential area with good road connections to West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
, Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Expansion continued after the war, and during the 1960s the area received a motorway link when Junction 7 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
was opened on the A34. It is also located close to the starting point of the M5
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
, which can be accessed just one mile (1.6 km) northwards on the M6.
On 11 August 1975, eight-year-old local schoolgirl Helen Bailey was found dead from a single knife wound, in woods near Booths Farm. Her killer was never found.
Kidnapper Michael Sams
Michael Sams
Michael Sams is an English rapist, kidnapper, extortionist and murderer who kidnapped Julie Dart on 9 July 1991 and Stephanie Slater on 22 January 1992....
abducted estate agent Stephanie Slater from a house in Turnberry Road, Great Barr before holding her for eight days in January 1992. Following receipt of £175,000 ransom, Sams released her. Police arrested him three weeks later and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for abducting Slater and murdering Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
prostitute Julie Dart.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980816/ai_n14179797
Geography
The traditional centre of Great Barr is focussed on the busy junction of the A34 and A4041 roads, at the Scott Arms public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and shopping centre. This is named after the Scott family
Scott Baronets of Great Barr
The Scott Baronetcy, of Great Barr in the County of Stafford, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 30 April 1806 for Joseph Scott of Great Barr Hall, Member of Parliament for Worcester....
of Great Barr Hall
Great Barr Hall
Great Barr Hall is an 18th century mansion situated at Pheasey, Walsall, on the border with Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. It is, however, in a very poor state of repair and is on the Buildings at Risk Register.-The Scotts:In the mid-17th...
, which was once home of Samuel Galton
Samuel Galton, Jr.
Samuel "John" Galton Jr. FRS , born in Duddeston, Birmingham, England. Despite being a Quaker he was an arms manufacturer. He was a member of the Lunar Society and lived at Great Barr Hall.He married Lucy Barclay...
and a meeting place of the Lunar Society
Lunar Society
The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 in Birmingham, England. At first called the Lunar Circle,...
.
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
in the west, the Birmingham - Walsall railway line
Chase Line
The Chase Line is the railway line from Birmingham New Street to Walsall and Rugeley.-Overview:The line from Birmingham to Walsall has two alternative routes, both of which are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
(part of the former Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
, opened in 1837, and including Hamstead railway station
Hamstead railway station
Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of the West Midlands, England, located at the junction of Rocky Lane and Old Walsall Road, in the city of Birmingham, on its border with Sandwell. It is situated on the Birmingham-Walsall Line, part of the former...
, formerly called Great Barr station) and Perry Barr to the south, Kingstanding
Kingstanding
Kingstanding is an area in north Birmingham, England. It gives its name to a ward in the Erdington council constituency. Kingstanding ward includes the areas; Perry Common, St. Mary's College, Witton Lakes and parts of Kingstanding, Wyrley Birch and New Oscott...
to the east, and the open countryside of Barr Beacon to the north.
Great Barr includes much of the B42, B43 and B44 postcode areas
B postcode area
The B postcode area, also known as the Birmingham postcode area, provides postcodes for the boroughs of Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell and parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire in England.-Coverage:...
.
Places of interest
Bishop Asbury CottageBishop Asbury Cottage
Bishop Asbury Cottage is the boyhood home of Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist Bishop, in Great Barr, England.Now a grade II listed museum, the 18th century cottage is furnished in period style, with memorabilia and information relating to Asbury's life in West Bromwich and Great Barr...
(incorrectly named as "Bishop Ashbury's Cottage" on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps), was where Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
, the first American Methodist Bishop, was raised. It is owned by Sandwell Council
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
and is Grade II listed. It is open by appointment for group visits, and opens occasionally to the general public.
Great Barr Hall
Great Barr Hall
Great Barr Hall is an 18th century mansion situated at Pheasey, Walsall, on the border with Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. It is, however, in a very poor state of repair and is on the Buildings at Risk Register.-The Scotts:In the mid-17th...
is a Grade II* listed building, and due its current state of disrepair is not open to the public.
Red House Park
-The Red House:Within the park is The Red House, a country house built in the 1841 for the then Liberal MP for Walsall, Robert Wellbeloved Scott, and stood in his estate. Since 17 June 1996 it has been a Grade II listed building, statutory list reference: 5/110011 . It uses red bricks in Flemish...
is open to the public and provides important amenities for the local community. It is owned by the Sandwell Council. In the grounds are both the Red House itself and an obelisk erected in memory of Princess Charlotte who died in childbirth in November 1817. The Red House is Grade II listed building, but is not currently open to the public and its future is uncertain.
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations is a network of navigable canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country...
' Tame Valley Canal
Tame Valley Canal
The Tame Valley Canal is a relatively late canal in the West Midlands of England. It forms part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. It takes its name from the roughly-parallel River Tame.-Geography:...
runs through Great Barr, from Piercy Aqueduct at Hamstead, along a cutting in 200-million year old sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, under Freeth bridge at Tower Hill, under the A34 and into Perry Barr Locks at Perry Barr.
Great Barr's notable current and former residents
- John BainbridgeJohn Bainbridge (author)John Bainbridge is an English author and campaigner for countryside preservation and access. He read Literature and Social History at the University of East Anglia....
, writer, attended Hamstead Primary School, Grove Vale School and Dartmouth Comprehensive - William BoothWilliam Booth (forger)William Booth , one of eight children of a farmer and church warden, John Booth, and his wife Mary, was a farmer and forger, who lived at Great Barr, Birmingham...
, forger - Mike BurneyMike BurneyMike Burney is a jazz saxophonist, most notable for his tenure in Roy Wood's Wizzard.- Early life :...
, musician from WizzardWizzardWizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
, attended at Hamstead Junior School and Churchfields Comprehensive - Vaughan LoweVaughan LoweAlan Vaughan Lowe QC is a leading barrister and academic specialising in the field of international law. He has been Chichele Professor of Public International Law in the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, since 1999...
, lawyer and Oxford professor, attended Hamstead Primary School - Martin ShawMartin ShawMartin Shaw is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in shows such as The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.-Theatrical background:...
, actor, attended Great Barr SchoolGreat Barr SchoolGreat Barr School is a co-educational secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School on the same area site.-History:... - Dave SwarbrickDave SwarbrickDave Swarbrick is an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. He has been described by Ashley Hutchings as 'the most influential [British] fiddle player bar none' and his style has been copied or developed by almost every British, and many World folk violin players that have followed him...
, musician, attended Great Barr SchoolGreat Barr SchoolGreat Barr School is a co-educational secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School on the same area site.-History:... - Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
, musician, attended Great Barr SchoolGreat Barr SchoolGreat Barr School is a co-educational secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School on the same area site.-History:...
, born in HandsworthHandsworth, West MidlandsHandsworth is an inner city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. The Local Government Act 1894 divided the ancient Staffordshire parish of Handsworth into two urban districts: Handsworth and Perry Barr. Handsworth was annexed to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1911... - Keith Law, Songwriter for Velvett FoggVelvett FoggVelvett Fogg are a cult British psychedelic rock band. Tony Iommi was a member in mid-1968, but soon left to form Black Sabbath. Their lone eponymous album was released in January 1969, and re-released on CD by Sanctuary Records in 2002.-Development:...
attended Hamstead Junior School and Churchfields Comprehensive - Cat DeeleyCat DeeleyCatherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley is an English television presenter and model. Since 2006, Deeley has also been the host of So You Think You Can Dance in the United States, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition...
, TV presenter, actress and former model, attended Grove Vale Primary School and Dartmouth High School. - Jeff Smith (motorcyclist)Jeff Smith (motorcyclist)Jeffrey Vincent Smith MBE is a former world champion motocross racer.His achievements include two FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships , two British Trials Championships, multiple British Experts Trial wins, four individual race wins in the Motocross des Nations, one Scottish Six Days Trial win...
, motocross world champion 1964 & 1965, born in ColneColneColne is the second largest town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, with a population of 20,118. It lies at the eastern end of the M65, 6 miles north-east of Burnley, with Nelson immediately adjacent, in the Aire Gap with two main roads leading into the Yorkshire...
, Lancashire.
Education
Great Barr is well served with a number of primary and secondary schools.Great Barr School is the largest single-site school in the country with over 2,400 pupils on roll.
Primary schools
- Calshot Primary School
- Dorrington Road Primary school
- Ferndale Primary School
- Glenmead Primary School
- Great Barr Primary SchoolGreat Barr Primary SchoolGreat Barr Primary School is a junior and infant primary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for children aged 3–10. The school usually acts as a precursor for Great Barr School a secondary school adjacent the site....
- Greenholm primary school
- Grove Vale Primary School
- Hamstead Primary Scool
- Holy Name RC Primary School
- Perry Beeches Primary School
- St Margarets CE Primary School
- St Mark's RC Primay School
- Whitecrest Primary School
- Meadow View Primary School
- Pheasey Park Farm Primary School
Secondary schools
- Great Barr SchoolGreat Barr SchoolGreat Barr School is a co-educational secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School on the same area site.-History:...
is a mixed school catering for children aged 11 to 19. - Perry Beeches School is a technology college catering for children of both sexes aged 11 to 16.
- Q3 Academy (formerly Dartmouth High School) is a mixed academy catering for children aged 11 to 19.
- Barr Beacon Language CollegeBarr Beacon Language CollegeBarr Beacon Language College is a mixed secondary school in Pheasey, Walsall, England. It takes its name from the adjacent hill, Barr Beacon. The school has been a specialist Language College since September 2003 and has a sixth form of approximately 180 pupils....
is a mixed school catering for children aged 11 to 19.
College
The James Watt campus of Birmingham Metropolitan CollegeBirmingham Metropolitan College
Birmingham Metropolitan College is a further and higher education college with eight campuses distributed within Birmingham, England. The college was created in August 2009 as a result of the amalgamation of Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College...
is at the junction of Beeches Road and Aldridge Road, at the Old Oscott
Old Oscott
Old Oscott is an area of Great Barr, Birmingham, England . The suburb forms a triangle bounded to the north by Pheasey, to the west by Perry Beeches, and to the east by Kingstanding. The Birmingham City Council ward that covers the area is called simply Oscott.The area has been known locally as...
side of Great Barr. The buildings were originally Brooklyn Technical College.