Soho, Birmingham
Encyclopedia
Soho is an area in north west Birmingham
, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41
, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth
District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood
. The name is an abbreviation of South House, denoting that it was located to the South of Handsworth proper.
councillors on Birmingham City Council
; Sybil Spence, Chaman Lal and Dorothy Hargreaves.
Soho Ward has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Tariq M. Khan.
opened his "Soho Manufactory
" (an early factory
) there in 1761. Boulton himself resided at Soho House
, now a community museum
of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery run by Birmingham City Council
.
The parish church is dedicated to St John Chrysostom. The area is served by Handsworth Library.
Winson Green Prison
and City Hospital
are located within the Winson Green
area of the ward.
was centred in these homes during the 1950s and 1960s. Most of the immigrants who settled in Soho
were of Asia
n origin.
Further housebuilding took place by the local council during the 1960s and 1970s.
It has a lot of ethniclly diverse shops located within the soho and handsworth area.
Stour Valley Line between Smethwick Rolfe Street
and the also closed Winson Green railway station
, and on the GWR
between Handsworth and Smethwick
(now Handsworth Booth Street
) and Hockley (replaced by Jewellery Quarter). It is currently served by the Midland Metro
on the former GWR line with a stop at Soho Benson Road tram stop
.
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...
, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth
Handsworth, West Midlands
Handsworth 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...
District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood
Ladywood
Ladywood is an inner-city area in Birmingham, England. It is a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Ladywood ward and the wards of Aston, Nechells and Soho. In June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a city-wide "Ward Boundary...
. The name is an abbreviation of South House, denoting that it was located to the South of Handsworth proper.
Demography
The 2001 Population Census found that 25,634 people were living in Soho with a population density of 5,369 people per km² compared with 3,649 people per km² for Birmingham. Soho covers an area of 4.8 km². The ward is a very ethnically diverse area with ethnic minorities consisting of 76.2% (19,522) of the ward's population, compared with 29.6% for Birmingham.Ethnicity
- White British - 20.48%
- White Irish - 2.20%
- White Other - 1.17%
- Mixed: White and Black Caribbean - 2.80%
- Mixed: White and Black African - 0.22%
- Mixed: White and Asian - 0.81%
- Mixed: Other - 0.95%
- Indian - 26.77%
- Pakistani - 13.99%
- Bangladeshi - 3.88%
- Other Asian - 2.31%
- Afro-Caribbean - 18.13%
- African - 1.44%
- Other Black - 2.42%
- Chinese - 0.69%
- Other - 1.77%
Politics
Soho Ward is represented by three LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillors on Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
; Sybil Spence, Chaman Lal and Dorothy Hargreaves.
Soho Ward has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Tariq M. Khan.
Places of interest
Industrialist Matthew BoultonMatthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
opened his "Soho Manufactory
Soho Manufactory
The Soho Manufactory was an early factory which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle, in Soho, Smethwick, England, during the Industrial Revolution.-Beginnings:...
" (an early factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
) there in 1761. Boulton himself resided at Soho House
Soho House
Soho House , Matthew Boulton's home in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, is now a museum , celebrating his life, his partnership with James Watt and his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham. It was designed by Samuel Wyatt and work on the current building began in 1789...
, now a community museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery run by Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
.
The parish church is dedicated to St John Chrysostom. The area is served by Handsworth Library.
Winson Green Prison
Birmingham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Birmingham is a Category B/C men's prison, located in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. The prison was formally operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service...
and City Hospital
City Hospital, Birmingham
City Hospital is a major hospital in the city of Birmingham, England. It is located in the Winson Green area of the west of the city....
are located within the Winson Green
Winson Green
Winson Green is a loosely-defined inner-city area in the west of the city of Birmingham, England. It is part of the ward of Soho.It is the location of HM Prison Birmingham and City Hospital .The area has a very multi-racial population, with large Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities.R&B singer...
area of the ward.
History
Soho expanded dramatically during the 19th century with the construction of numerous houses and factories, and immigration from the CommonwealthCommonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
was centred in these homes during the 1950s and 1960s. Most of the immigrants who settled in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
were of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n origin.
Further housebuilding took place by the local council during the 1960s and 1970s.
It has a lot of ethniclly diverse shops located within the soho and handsworth area.
Transport
Soho had stations on the LNWR'sLondon and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
Stour Valley Line between Smethwick Rolfe Street
Smethwick Rolfe Street railway station
Smethwick Rolfe Street railway station serves the town of Smethwick, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Stour valley line 5 km north west of Birmingham New Street...
and the also closed Winson Green railway station
Winson Green railway station
Winson Green railway station was a railway station in England, built by the London and North Western Railway on their Stour Valley Line in 1876...
, and on the GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
between Handsworth and Smethwick
Handsworth and Smethwick railway station
Handsworth & Smethwick was an intermediate station on the GWR line from Birmingham Snow Hill station to Wolverhampton Low Level. It was opened in 1854....
(now Handsworth Booth Street
Handsworth Booth Street tram stop
Handsworth, Booth Street tram stop is a tram stop in Handsworth, Birmingham England. It was opened on 31 May 1999 and is situated on Midland Metro Line 1.It is situated on the site of the old Handsworth and Smethwick railway station, which closed in 1972....
) and Hockley (replaced by Jewellery Quarter). It is currently served by the Midland Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
on the former GWR line with a stop at Soho Benson Road tram stop
Soho Benson Road tram stop
Soho, Benson Road tram stop is a tram stop in Soho, Birmingham England. It was opened on 31 May 1999 and is situated on Midland Metro Line 1. This part of the route of the Midland Metro follows the former Great Western Railway route between Birmingham and Wolverhampton...
.