Sutton Coldfield
Encyclopedia
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham
, in the West Midlands
of England
. Sutton (as it is often abbreviated) is located about 8 miles (13 km) from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington
and Kingstanding
. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census. It forms part of the West Midlands conurbation
.
The town has a historical connection to the Royal Family
, resulting in it receiving the title of Royal Town when it was a municipal borough
in its own right and part of Warwickshire
. When the Local Government Act 1972
came into force in 1974, Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands County.
of the name Sutton appears to be from South Town.
road revealed evidence of Bronze Age
burnt mound
s near Langley Mill Farm, at Langley Brook. Additionally, evidence for a Bronze Age burial mound was discovered, one of only two in Birmingham with the other being located in Kingstanding
. Excavations also uncovered the presence of an Iron Age
settlement, dating to around 400 and 100BC, consisting of circular houses built over at least three phases surrounded by ditches. Closer to Langley Brook (a tributary of the River Tame
), excavations uncovered the remains of a single circular house surrounded by ditches, dating from the same period.
Near to Langley Mill Farm is Fox Hollies, where archaeological surveys have uncovered flints dating from the New Stone Age
. Amongst the finds in the area were flint
cores and a flint scraper, which had been retouched with a knife. The presence of flint cores suggest that the site was used for tool manufacture and that a settlement was nearby. Additionally, a Bronze Age burnt mound was also discovered in the area.
In his History of Birmingham, published in 1782, William Hutton describes the presence of three mounds adjacent to Chester Road on the extremities of Sutton Coldfield (although now outside the modern boundaries of the town). The site, southwest of Bourne Pool (named "Bowen Pool" by Hutton), is called Loaches Banks and was mapped as early as 1752 by Dr. Wilks of Willenhall
. Hutton interpreted the earthworks as a Saxon fortification but further archaeological work led Dr. Mike Hodder, now the Planning Archaeologist for Birmingham City Council, to believe that the site was an Iron Age hill-slope enclosure. Centuries of agriculture on the land has severely affected the visibility of the features, with the earthworks now only apparent in aerial photography.
Further evidence of pre-Roman human habitation are preserved in Sutton Park
. A major fire in the park in 1926 revealed six more mounds near Streetly Lane, excavations of which uncovered charred and cracked stones within them and pits below the two largest mounds. Although their date of origin is unknown, claims they were of Bronze Age origin were disproved. The mounds are now covered in rough heathland. The area around Rowton's Well has been the source of many archaeological discoveries such as flint tools, and in the 18th century, worked timbers were discovered near the well, suggesting a possible Iron Age timber trackway
built across wet land, similar to others discovered elsewhere in the country. A burnt mound was also discovered in New Hall Valley
.
in the area is most visible in Sutton Park, where a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long preserved section of Icknield Street
passes through. Whilst the road ultimately connects Gloucestershire to South Yorkshire, locally, the road was important for connecting Metchley Fort
in Edgbaston
with Letocetum
, now Wall
, in Staffordshire
. The road is most visible from the Royal Oak Gate of the park, where the 8 m (26 ft) wide bank that formed the road surface is most prominent. Excavations at the road have showed that it was made from compacted gravel, never having a paved surface. Along each side are intermittent ditches, marked by Roman engineers, and beyond these are hollows where gravel was excavated to make the road surface. At least three Roman coins have been found along the course of Icknield Street through Sutton Park, as well as a Roman pottery kiln elsewhere in the town.
Next to the Iron Age property at Langley Brook, the remains of a timber building and field system were discovered. Pottery recovered from this site was dated to the 2nd and 3rd century, indicating the presence of a Roman farmstead.
on the continent in the 5th century, the area of Sutton Coldfield, still undeveloped, passed into the Anglo Saxon kingdom of Mercia
. It is during this period that it is believed Sutton Coldfield may have originated as a hamlet
, as a hunting lodge was built at Maney Hill for the purpose of the Mercian leaders. The outline of the deer park that it served is still visible within Sutton Park, with the ditch and bank boundary forming the western boundary of Holly Hurst, then crossing Keepers Valley, through the Lower Nuthurst and continuing on south of Blackroot Pool. Due to the marshy ground at Blackroot Valley, a fence was probably constructed to contain the deer, and the ditch and bank boundary commences again on the eastern side, on towards Holly Knoll.
This became known as Southun or Sutton; "ton" meaning townstead to the south of Tamworth
, the capital of Mercia. Middleton
is situated between the two. "Coldfield" denotes an area of land on the side of hill, that is exposed to the weather. It may also denote a place where charcoal
burning took place.
Sutone, as the manor became known, was held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia
during the reign of Edward the Confessor
. Upon the death of Edwin in 1071, the manor and the rest of Mercia passed into the possession of the Crown, then ruled by William the Conqueror, resulting in Sutton Chase becoming a Royal Forest
.
The manor of Sutone was mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086, where it was rated at eight hides
, making it larger than all surrounding villages in terms of cultivated land.
exchanged it for the manors of Hockham
and Langham
in Rutland
, with Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
. The manor remained in the possession of the earldom of Warwick for around 300 years, with numerous exceptions. As Sutton Forest was no longer in the possession of the Crown, it became Sutton Chase.
In 1242, when the manor was passed to Ela Longespee, the widow of Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick
, it was named as Sutton-in-Coldfield, and again noted as such in 1265 when Ela married her second husband Philip Basset
. The manor of Sutton-in-Coldfield was once again in the possession of the earldom of Warwick when Ela exchanged it with William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
for the manor of Spilsbury in Oxfordshire
. The first mention of a manor house attached to the manor of Sutton was mentioned in 1315 on a site named Manor Hill, west of the parish church.
During the 15th century, Sutton Coldfield underwent a process of change due in part to the turbulent ongoings with the Earls of Warwick and their possession of the manor house. In 1397, Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick
, was punished by King Richard II
for being a member of the Lords Appellant
. All his possessions were confiscated, including the land at Sutton which was transferred to Thomas Holland
, 3rd Earl of Kent
. Upon King Richard II's death in 1400, Thomas de Beauchamp was returned his possessions although he died the following year. In 1446, Henry de Beauchamp, 14th Earl of Warwick
died and the earldom was passed to his two-year old daughter Anne
, however King Henry VI
collected the profits of the land whilst Anne was in her infancy. Anne died in 1448, and the estate and earldom passed to her aunt Anne Neville
, although this was contested by her three older half-sisters. In his Itinerary, John Leland mentions that Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
and his wife Anne Neville, are believed to have built a new manor of timber-frame construction, with a lease given by King Henry VI in 1460 to Edward Mountfort suggesting that the manor was then occupied by the Mountfort family.
Despite being occupied by Mountfort family, Richard Neville regained his power and land, but died in 1471. Normally, the land would have remained in the possession of his wife but instead they were given to his two daughters and their husbands. However, the eldest daughter, Isabella, contested and obtained the remainder of the interests from her sister. Isabella died in 1476, leaving the manor in the possession of her husband, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
. However, in 1478, he was attainted
and executed, meaning that the manor was passed to his only surviving son Edward Plantagenet
, who was still an infant. The Crown held the lands due to Edward's age but in 1487, granted the lands back to Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick
since both her daughters were now dead. She immediately gave the lands back, however she was given Sutton and other manors back to her in 1489. She died in 1492, with all the land returning to the possession of the Crown, with whom it remained until it was incorporated in 1528.
was noted as being in the possession of the de Bereford family of Wishaw as early as the mid-13th century. New Hall Manor
is said to date to the 13th century also, and was mentioned in 1327 as being passed from William de Sutton to Robert de Sutton. It is believed to have originally been a hunting lodge. In 1281, Peddimore Hall
was first mentioned when it was sold to Hugh de Vienna by Thomas de Arden. It is presumed that the land was given to the Arden family by one of the Earls of Warwick.
It is not known exactly when the village of Sutton began to develop but in 1300, Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick
, was granted a charter
by King Edward I
to hold a market
on each Tuesday and an annual fair on the eve of Holy Trinity in the village. Sutton did not establish itself as a market town
like Birmingham
was able to, and the market appears to have fallen out of use as a new charter was granted to Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick
for a market to be held on the same day, as well as fairs on the eve of Holy Trinity and also on the eve of St Martin.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, religious activities were carried out at the free chapel of Saint Blaise
, constructed within the Sutton manor grounds. In the late 1200s, the town constructed its own parish church, the first incumbent of which was ordained in 1305. This later became Holy Trinity Church, and the only remaining features of the original church survive below the east window, where clasping buttresses are visible, a method of construction from the mid-13th century.
Throughout the 15th century, Sutton Coldfield developed a military connection, due in part to Sir Ralph Bracebridge who obtained a lease for his lifetime from the Earl of Warwick for the Manor and Chase of Sutton Coldfield. In return, Bracebridge was required to assist the Earl with nine lancers and seventeen archers in strengthening Calais
from French attack. As a result, Sutton Coldfield became an important training location for English soldiers during the wars between England
and France
. Butts
were assembled within the town for archery training, and marks can still be seen in the sandstone wall on 3 Coleshill Street where archers sharpened their arrows. It is believed that 3 Coleshill Street is of medieval origin despite having a Georgian façade. Bracebridge is remembered as having dammed Ebrook
to form Bracebridge Pool, now in Sutton Park, which he used for fishing.
, who used them in the construction of Bradgate House
in Leicestershire
. It was during the period of decay that John Harman grew up, working at Moor Hall Farm in Sutton and then studying at Magdalen College, Oxford
. He formed a friendship with Thomas Wolsey and started a career in the church, beginning with his appointment as chaplain at the free chapel of St. Blaize in his hometown in 1495. Harman continued to be promoted and became Chaplain to King Henry VIII
, with whom he became friends. In 1519, Harman was appointed Bishop of Exeter
and changed his surname to Vesey, thus becoming John Vesey
.
It was Vesey's respected position within the church and his friendship with the King that set about the start of a revival for Sutton Coldfield, spearheaded by Vesey. He had returned to the town in 1524 for the funeral of his mother to discover the town had further deteriorated. He decided to set up residence in the town again and in 1527 obtained two enclosures of land named Moor Yards and Heath Crofts, as well as 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land for him to construct his own home named Moor Hall. In the same year, he established a grammar school in the southwest corner of the parish churchyard, where 21 people were appointed Trustees to maintain the building and employ a teacher. On 16 December 1528, through the interests of Vesey, Henry VIII granted Sutton Coldfield a Charter of Incorporation
, creating a new form of government for the town which was named the Warden and Society of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield. The society consisted of 25 of the most prominent local inhabitants who elected a new Warden from within them. Vesey's brother-in-law, William Gibbons, became the first Warden. All the town's inhabitants over the age of 22 were permitted to elect members to the Society. The charter had also given the inhabitants permission to hunt and fish freely in the manor grounds, as well as build a house, enclosing up to 60 acres (24 ha), within the manor grounds. Throughout the length of the Society's existence, it was dogged by claims of corruption and malpractice from the town's residents.
The donation by King Henry VIII of his hunting land to the residents of the town set the foundations for the preservation of the area now known as Sutton Park
. Vesey cleared large tracts of the land of trees to allow residents to graze their cattle there for a small fee. He then enclosed wooded areas within the land, added gates and fencing around the park, and then arranged for the transfer of horses to the park at his own expense. Bishop Vesey also paid for the whole town to be paved, which in turn helped revive the markets. In 1527, he set about working on Holy Trinity Church, donating an organ in 1530 and then paying for the construction of two new aisles in 1533. In 1540, he approved the transfer of control of the grammar school to the Warden and Society of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, and gave the school land for its own use the following year. To help expand the town and protect its extremities, he constructed 51 cottages for the poor, including one at Cotty's Moor which was a hotspot for robberies of people using the roads. The stone walls of the former manor house were removed to assist in the construction of a bridge at Water Orton
and another in Curdworth, at his own expense. In 1547, he purchased from the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and in 1549, from the Crown, numerous church properties including the chantry lands of Sutton Coldfield, and those in Deritend
, Birmingham, before dying at Moor Hall in 1555. Vesey's legacy is clearly visible today, with Sutton Park largely unchanged since its enclosure, some stone cottages remaining, and the grammar school he established still operating under the name of Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
. His tomb at Holy Trinity Church is accompanied by memorial gardens to the west of the church named Vesey Gardens.
Moor Hall, Bishop Vesey's residence, was inherited by his nephew John Harman after Vesey's death. He sold the mansion to John Richardson, who died in 1584 leaving an infant son. A manor by the name of Pool Hall is first mentioned as being in the town in 1581, and in the following year, William Charnells leased it for 20 years to Henry Goodere, who transferred the rights to John Aylmer, Bishop of London, in 1583. Upon the Aylmer's death in 1594, the manor was passed on to his sons, who sold it to Robert Burdett in 1598. It is believed that the properties at 62 and 64 Birmingham Road were constructed around 1530, making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in the town. Nearby 68 Birmingham Road dates to the end of the 1500s.
in 1642 saw the Battle of Camp Hill
at nearby Birmingham, which resulted in Birmingham being pillaged by Royalist forces. Despite the nearby action, Sutton Coldfield emerged unscathed, although it is known that it was visited by both Parliamentary and Royalist soldiers. It is claimed that during his escape from England in 1646, Charles II
stayed for a night at New Hall Manor
.
On 26 July 1664, King Charles II renewed the royal charter for Sutton Coldfield, with the additional provision being made for the appointment of two members of the Society as capital burgesses and also as justices of the peace
alongside the Warden.
Civil unrest in Birmingham led to Sutton being used as a place of refuge for some, escaping the troubles. Of the most high profile cases, this first occurred in 1715 when the "Sacheverell riots", named after Dr. Henry Sacheverell
, broke out in Birmingham forcing Sacheverell to travel to New Hall Manor where he stayed with George Sacheverell, who was his once removed first cousin. The town again became a place of refuge in 1791, following the "Priestley Riots
" in Birmingham. The home of William Hutton
was attacked by protesters, prompting him to decide to stay in Sutton for the summer. However, fears from the residents that his presence may cause rioting to spread to the town forced him to move permanently to Tamworth
. Joseph Priestley
himself is believed to have stayed at the 'Three Tuns' following the destruction of his home in the riots.
.
Powells Pool was created in 1730 as a millpond for Powells Pool Mill, a steel-rolling mill. In 1733, a cotton spinning machine was tested at the mill by John Wyatt
with the help of Lewis Paul
, helping to kickstart the creation of the UK's cotton industry in the 18th century. In total, Sutton Coldfield has had 15 watermills, 13 of which were powered by Plants Brook, and the remaining two using an independent water supply. There were also two windmills in the town, at Maney Hill and at Langley.
A heavy storm caused the collapse of the dam holding back the waters of Wyndley Pool, which subsequently swept downstream and broke the banks of Mill Pool at Mill Street in July 1668, subsequently flooding and destroying many homes within Sutton Coldfield. Bracebridge Pool also broke its banks as a result of the storm on the 24 July, causing lesser damage. Wyndley Pool was subsequently drained, although there is another pool within Sutton Park with the same name.
Much of the damming in Sutton Coldfield was carried out using stone and gravel quarried from within the town. These quarries also supplied stone for construction elsewhere in the town, proving to be particularly profitable. The quarry that supplied material for the construction of Blackroot Pool in 1759 was in use until 1914.
imposed the ship money
tax of £80 on the town, compared to £100 for Birmingham and Warwick, £266 for Coventry, and £50 for Stafford, reflecting the wealth of the town at the time. In 1663, an Act was passed to order and collect "Hearth Duty", which led to a subsequent survey of all houses in the country and the noting of all properties with hearths and stoves. The survey of Sutton Coldfield found that there were 67 hearths and stoves, of which 30 were attributed to two houses owned by the Willoughby family.
Some of Sutton Coldfield's most prominent buildings were constructed or underwent changes during this time. For example, the current Peddimore Hall
was constructed in 1659 by William Wood to a design by William Wilson
, who took up residence in the town and married the widowed landowner, Jane Pudsey, in 1681. Her daughters disapproved of the relationship and she was forced out of her home at Langley Hall, resulting in Wilson constructing Moat House
for the couple in 1680. Another of his works in the town was Four Oaks Hall, designed for Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott
, who was the husband of Wilson's stepdaughter. Along with the hall, Lord Folliott enclosed 60 acre (24.3 ha) of woodland.
In 1610, New Hall Manor was purchased by Henry Sacheverell, the family of which were prominent landowners throughout the country. Upon his death in 1620, the hall was inherited first by Valence Sacheverell, and then by George Sacheverell, his eldest son. Notable buildings that were constructed in the town during the 18th century include the Royal Hotel on High Street, which dates to circa 1750. The 'Three Tuns' public house, also on High Street, dates to the late 18th century although retains the cellars and foundations of an earlier building.
s in Walmley in 1828 and a further two adjacent in 1863. By 1837, there were ten almshouses in the parish under the ownership of the Corporation, with others operated by charities.
In 1849, the original royal charters were sent to London to be translated from Latin as a result of the skins on which they were written beginning to deteriorate.
The town hall at the top of Mill Street began to deteriorate throughout the 1800s and the decision was taken to demolish it in 1854. The adjacent workhouse and gaol were renovated to become the new municipal offices, and this was reconstructed in 1858 until 1859 to better suit its purpose. The new offices were designed by G. Bidlake. A fire station was also constructed further down Mill Street.
During the 1830s, municipal corporations were investigated due to corrupt practices within the House of Commons. These inquiries led to the passing of the Reform Act of 1832
and Municipal Corporations Act of 1835
which reformed boroughs nationwide. Despite the radical changes imposed by the Acts, the Sutton Coldfield Corporation was left untouched. It was not until April 1882, as a result of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1882
, that Sutton Coldfield became a municipal borough. The old Corporation was replaced with a new structure consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen elected councillors. Six wards were created in the borough - Holy Trinity, Hill, Boldmere, Wylde Green, Maney, and Walmley - from which three councillors were elected.
. In 1859, an Act was passed for the construction of a railway line connecting Birmingham to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington. Construction commenced in 1860 on the line which passed through Vauxhall station, although by this time it was being used only as a goods station. The line opened on 2 June, 1862 with Sutton Coldfield railway station
being the terminus. An Act of Parliament for the continuation of the railway to Lichfield
was passed on 23 June 1874, with construction starting in October 1881 and services beginning in 1884. The line was extended to Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
on 28 November 1888.
A proposed second railway line by the Wolverhampton, Walsall and Midland Junction Railway Company through Sutton Coldfield was met with opposition from residents who were concerned about the route cutting through Sutton Park. A meeting objecting to the proposal was held on 15 April 1872, however, construction was authorised on the 6 August in the same year. The WWMJR company merged with Midland Railway
in 1874 and construction commenced soon after. To calm objections from residents, Midland Railway promised cheap local coal and paid £6,500 for a 2 miles (3.2 km) stretch through Sutton Park. Services on the line began on 1 July 1879, with trains stopping at Penns (Walmley)
, Sutton Coldfield Town, and Sutton Park
in the town, as well as at Streetly
, Aldridge
, and Walsall
. Ultimately, the line connected the Midland Railway's Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway
line to their Birmingham to Derby line
.
The railways quickly led to Sutton Coldfield becoming a popular location for day excursions and picnic parties for the residents of Birmingham, escaping the pollution of the city for the landscapes of Sutton Park. In the Whit week of 1882, 19,549 people visited Sutton Park, with numbers dropping to 11,378 in the same week the following year. In 1884, there were 17,486 visitors, of whom 14,000 went on the Monday. In 1865, on a small eminence adjacent to Sutton Coldfield station, the Royal Hotel was constructed, hoping to capitalise on the new tourist industry the town was witnessing. The hotel was beset with financial difficulties and closed down in 1895, becoming Sutton Coldfield Sanatorium for a short period of time.
As well as becoming a tourist spot, Sutton Coldfield also developed into a commuter town
to Birmingham, as workers were able to live away from the pollution of the city and travel there by train. During the late 19th century, it was the wealthy manufacturers who moved to Sutton Coldfield, and it was not until the turn of the century that ordinary workers were able to move as well.
In 1836, George Bodington
acquired an asylum and sanatorium at Driffold House (now the Empire cinema), Maney where he researched pulmonary disease.
The increasing population of Sutton Coldfield parish was recognised in the mid-19th century and new ecclesiastical parishes were created from it to better serve the residents of the communities that made up Sutton. The first ecclesiastical parish to be created was Walmley in 1846, with the recently completed St. John the Evangelist Church becoming the parish church. Hill became the next ecclesiastical parish in 1853, with its church being St. James' Church in Mere Green. Boldmere parish was created in 1857, with St. Michael's Church becoming its parish church. Holy Trinity Church was further extended with a north outer aisle and vestries in 1874-9.
The construction of Shenstone Pumping Station in 1892 gave Sutton Coldfield its first tapped water supply. In 1870, W.T. Parsons began the publication of Sutton Coldfield's first newspaper Sutton Coldfield News.
Public response to the acquittal was that of outrage and a private appeal was brought against the verdict by Mary's brother, William Ashford. Thornton was taken to London where he was tried at the King's Bench. When Thornton was called upon for his plea, he responded, "Not guilty; and I am ready to defend the same with my body." He then put on one of a pair of leather gauntlets, which Reader handed him. Thornton threw down the other for William Ashford to pick up and thus accept the challenge, which Ashford did not do. By Ashford not accepting the challenge under the trial by combat
laws, Thornton was freed, although by this time he gained a notorious reputation. In 1819, a bill was introduced and an Act passed to abolish private appeals after acquittals and also abolish trial by combat.
. As witnessed nationally, there was a house construction boom in areas such as Boldmere
, Walmley
and Four Oaks. Again, the population increased rapidly. During World War II
, Sutton Park and areas of Walmley were used as prisoner-of-war camps, housing German and Italian prisoners. After the war, Sutton witnessed a major redevelopment. The Borough Council commissioned Max Lock
and Partners to draw up plans for the redevelopment of the town centre in 1960, with a preliminary report being delivered in May 1961 and a detailed report in 1962. The Parade in the town centre was almost completely demolished for the construction of a large new shopping centre named Gracechurch. In addition, shopping centres in New Oscott
, Wylde Green
and Mere Green
were constructed causing considerable objection as many local landmarks were lost to the developers.
In 1974, Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham, despite the objections of local residents, when the metropolitan county of the West Midlands
was formed. More recently, Sutton Coldfield has undergone changes. Areas of the town centre have been pedestrianised and the Gracechurch Centre, now The Mall, has been improved. Construction of a large development along Brassington Avenue although started, is currently on hold due to the economic crisis, however construction of nearby apartment buildings is complete.
gave the town the right to be known for ever as "The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield" and to be governed by a warden and society. The charter was secured by Bishop John Vesey
. This unreformed corporation
survived until 1885, when it was replaced by a municipal borough
. Although the title "Royal Town" was still used, the municipality created in 1885 was not itself a Royal Borough. The town and borough were ceremonially part of Warwickshire
until 1974, when it was amalgamated into the City of Birmingham and the metropolitan county
of the West Midlands
. The formal Mayor
al chains of office are now on display in Birmingham Council House
.
Sutton Coldfield forms the Sutton Coldfield parliamentary constituency
, the largest Parliamentary Constituency in Birmingham whose Member of Parliament
since 2001 has been Andrew Mitchell
(Conservative
). Within the City of Birmingham metropolitan borough, it comprises the wards of Sutton Four Oaks
, Sutton Trinity
, Sutton Vesey
and Sutton New Hall
. Sutton Trinity ward was created in June 2004, at which time the other three wards' boundaries were changed. From 5 April 2004, it has been a council constituency, with many local services managed by a district committee made up of all Sutton's councillors.
Sutton Coldfield borders Erdington
, the district of North Warwickshire
and Lichfield
and Tamworth
in Staffordshire
. The area in general is regarded as one of the most prestigious locations in the Birmingham
area and even in Central England; a 2007 report by the website Mouseprice.com placed two Sutton Coldfield streets amongst the 20 most expensive in the United Kingdom.
The northern stretch of the Birmingham city sandstone
ridge culminates at Sutton Coldfield. Plants Brook
rises in the area of Streetly and flows through Sutton Park and directly beneath the town centre, then Plants Brook briefly flows through Erdington
, notably Pype Hayes Park
before returning to Sutton and culminating at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve
in Warmley
.
and was, by the end of 2008 rebranded 'The Mall, Sutton Coldfield'. The Mall complex also includes a multi-storey car park. As a result of investment, the appearance of the shopping centre was improved in 2006 which included the installation of a glass roof above one of the walkways and the removal of a public square to form a cafe and extra retail units. There are now plans to construct a food court above Bishop's Court in the shopping centre. The shopping centre was formerly home to three bronze sculptures that depict, respectively, a boy and a girl on rollerskates, a boy with a dog, and a boy and a girl playing leapfrog, which have been moved to Rectory Park.
A second shopping centre was named the Sainsbury Centre until Sainsbury's closed their store; the name was later changed to "The Red Rose Centre". The centre has its own multi-storey car park
with access from Victoria Road.
Sutton Parade is a continuation of Birmingham Road and Lichfield Road (though there is a bypass for traffic). New Hall Walk is a row of shops built behind The Parade in the late 1990s. The company that manages the site also manages several of the shops on the Parade built at the same time. It has its own large outdoor car park. Opposite the Red Rose Centre, behind New Hall Walk, is a single floor, indoor market facility known as the In Shops. The exterior of the building was improved in 2005.
There are several local shopping parades serving the suburbs of Sutton, including "The Lanes" Shopping Centre in Wylde Green, at Walmley, at New Oscott (local shops and a large "out of town" style development similar to New Hall Walk called Princess Park), and at Boldmere Road.
Many Sutton shops supply up-market goods but there are also places where economically priced items are on sale.
, which was founded in 1879 and also to Romulus F.C.
who share their ground at Coles Lane. Golf
is a major sport in the town, which is home to numerous golf clubs and courses. In the south of Sutton Coldfield is Walmley Golf Club and Pype Hayes
Golf Course. There are also Aston Wood Golf Club, Moor Hall Golf Club, Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, Little Aston and Boldmere Golf Club. Nearby is The Belfry
, a hotel with a renowned golf complex whose Brabazon course has hosted the Ryder Cup
several times.
Sports facilities, including swimming pool
and 400m athletics track, are located at Wyndley Leisure Centre (which is undergoing a major refurbishment), on the edge of Sutton Park
. This was opened in 1971 by Ethel E. Dunnett. The nearby youth centre was opened in September 1968. Parts of Rectory Park is leased to Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club, Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club and Sutton Town Football Club.
, one of the largest urban parks in Europe
and the largest outside London. It has an area of 2224.2 acres (9 km²) and is used as part of the course for the Great Midlands Fun Run
, sponsored by the Sutton Coldfield Observer
. The park is a national nature reserve
and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. New Hall Valley
, which separates Walmley and Maney, is the location of New Hall Valley Country Park
which was opened formally on August 29, 2005. It has an area of 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) and within it is New Hall Mill which is one of only two working watermills in the West Midlands.
The mill is privately owned but is open to the public several times a year. There are also several nature reserves including Plants Brook
Nature Reserve, in Walmley, and Hill Hook Nature Reserve. On the border between Sutton Coldfield and Erdington
is the extensive Pype Hayes Park
and adjacent golf course, with the park falling within Tyburn ward
but the golf course in Sutton New Hall
.
s and other large houses. Several have been renovated into hotels such as the New Hall Hotel
, Moor Hall Hotel
, Moxhull Hall Hotel
, and Ramada
Hotel and Resort Penns Hall
. Peddimore Hall
, a Scheduled Ancient Monument
near Walmley, is a double moated hall used as a private residence. Demolished manor houses include Langley Hall
, the former residence of William Wilson
and Four Oaks Hall, designed by William Wilson. William Wilson is also known to have designed Moat House
and lived in it with his wife, Jane Pudsey. It is Grade II* listed.
There are two conservation area
s in Sutton Coldfield. The High Street, King Edward's Square, Upper Clifton Road, Mill Street, and the northern end of Coleshill Street are protected by the High Street conservation area, which is part covered by an Article 4 Direction
. At the centre of the conservation area is Holy Trinity Church, which is fronted by the Vesey Memorial Gardens, created in memory of Bishop John Vesey. The High Street conservation area was designated on November 28, 1973 and extended February 6, 1975, August 14, 1980 and again on July 16, 1992. It covers an area of 16.95 square kilometres (41.87 acres).
Beyond the railway bridge, which crosses the Sutton Park Line and separates the Lichfield Road and High Street, is the Anchorage Road conservation area which protects buildings such as Moat House
by William Wilson
. The conservation area was designated on October 15, 1992 and covers an area of 17.57 square kilometres (43.41 acres).
In Four Oaks is the Church of All Saints which is a Grade B locally listed building. It was built in 1908 and designed by Charles Bateman
, whose Arts and Crafts
are seen in the building. Another church in Four Oaks which is of a mixed Arts and Crafts-Gothic style is Four Oaks Methodist Church, built between 1907 and 1908 to a design by Crouch and Butler. It is Grade II listed. The Methodist Hall attached to it is also Grade II listed.
In Mere Green is the Church of St Peter, also by Charles Bateman, which was built between 1906 and 1908. The building is Grade II listed. Also designed by Charles Bateman is the Church of St Chad near Walmley. This was built between 1925 and 1927. The side chapel was built in 1977 to a design by Erie Marriner. It is Grade II listed. St Johns Church, built in 1845 to a design by D. R. Hill, is located on the Walmley Road in Walmley. It is the parish church for Walmley and is of a Norman architectural style. It is Grade C locally listed.
In Maney, near Walmley, is St Peter's Church which began construction in 1905, although the tower, which was designed by Cossins, Peacock and Bewley, was constructed in 1935 and the building is Grade II listed. Located on the border of Sutton town centre is Church Hall, a former Roman Catholic Chapel, built around 1834. The building is now used for offices and is Grade II listed.
, a relic of Sutton Coldfield's former status as a municipal borough, now serves as a theatre, conference, and function venue.
In the town centre is Sutton Parade which is a pedestrianized shopping area. Sutton Coldfield Library, opened in 1974, is located near Sutton Parade above the Red Rose Centre. It also contains the Sutton Coldfield Reference Library, which holds a large collection of newspapers and magazines with all Sutton Coldfield based publications such as Sutton Coldfield News
and Sutton Coldfield Observer
being held permanently. The Library is currently closed and there is no clear indication when it will reopen, there are many branch libraries in Sutton Coldfield and there is also a good bus service from Sutton Parade to Birmingham City Centre
and Birmingham Central Library
, The Central Library and the terminus of busses from Sutton Coldfield are both within the City Centre Core
and in walking distance of each other.
Also in the Town centre is Sutton Coldfield railway station
which is part of the Birmingham Cross-City Line, nearby is the Town Gate entrance to Sutton Park
fairly close to the Sutton Park Visitor’s Centre.
Sutton Coldfield has 3 Community Centres and a number of smaller Community Halls all offering classes and events in a wide verity of subjects and interests - see Mere Green Community Centre, Falcon Lodge Community Centre and Brampton Hall Community Centre.
Good Hope Hospital
provides main hospital services to the town, including accident and emergency
facilities. Another hospital in Sutton Coldfield is Sutton Cottage Hospital, which is operated by the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust. It opened in 1908 and the buildings were designed by Herbert Tudor Buckland
and Edward Haywood-Farmer.
On Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield is served by a police station, magistrates court (both opened in 1960) and fire station (opened 1963). On the opposite side of the road is Sutton Coldfield College, which is the main college
of further education
for the area. Also located on the north-eastern outskirts of the area is Sutton Coldfield transmitting station, the first television transmitter to broadcast outside the London area.
Linked by regular and fast services from Sutton Coldfield railway station
on the Cross-City Line to the centre of Birmingham, Sutton is mostly a commuter dormitory town for people who work in Birmingham. The 1955 Sutton Coldfield rail crash
occurred here, when an express train entered the very tight curve through the station much faster than the speed limit of 30 mi/h. The Sutton Park Line also crosses the town roughly perpendicular to the cross-city line (crossing at a point out of easy sight near the former Midland Road station), but lost its passenger services and stations in the 1964 "Beeching Axe
". It retained a loading bay at the adjacent Clifton Road Royal Mail sorting office for a time, but now remains as a freight only line.
The Roman road
Icknield Street
cuts through Sutton Park
to the west of the town. The town is bypassed to the north by the M6 Toll
, the first toll motorway in the UK, accessible from Sutton by junction T2 at Minworth (co-located with the M42
junction), T3 and T4 (interchanging with the A38
at the south and north ends of their 5 miles (8 km) parallel run), and T5 at Shenstone. It also has easy access to the M6
to the South, via junctions 5 (Castle Bromwich), J6 (Gravelly Hill, or "Spaghetti Junction"
) and J7 at Great Barr; and also the M42
in the east, via junction 9 near Minworth.
The A38
itself used to run through the centre of the town (literally, using the since-pedestrianised line of the Parade), but now uses the dual carriageway bypass to the east. The former route of the A38 is now the A5127 Lichfield Road, branching from the southern end of the Aston Expressway on the Birmingham Middleway ring road, and continues to provide a major connective route running between and on slightly altered paths through the centres of Erdington, Sutton and Lichfield.
The Parade in the town centre is the main destination and terminus for numerous National Express West Midlands
bus services in and through Sutton Coldfield. Such routes as 'Sutton Lines' (902, 904, 905, 914, 915) to Birmingham, 77 to Walsall' and 451 to West Bromwich; to name just a few arterial routes. The resultant congestion and perceived danger, from heavy (and almost exclusively) bus traffic on the repurposed and poorly sighted Lower Parade and Lower Queen Street coming into conflict with pedestrians (including children from several local schools) crossing between the Red Rose Centre and the other shopping areas, has led to calls for a dedicated bus centre to be built external to the town centre.
This would be built as part of the controversial Brassington Avenue development, with an elevated walkway across the ring road providing access to the main shopping areas. However, there are several sets of pedestrian crossings near to the bus stops, in order to provide a safe area for people to cross. Nevertheless, it remains a dangerous area with the large amount of traffic present, especially in the school holidays.
is on Jockey Road (A453
). Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
, its male equivalent, is on Lichfield Road (A5127
/A453) in the centre of the town adjacent to Birmingham Metropolitan College
. The Arthur Terry School
is on Kittoe Road in Four Oaks in the north of the town near Butlers Lane station
. The John Willmott School
is on Reddicap Heath Road in the east of the town. Opposite the school is Fairfax School. The Plantsbrook School
is on Upper Holland Road near the centre of the town in Maney
. The Bishop Walsh Catholic School
is next to the Sutton Park Line and New Hall Valley Country Park
; the school is 10 minutes from Wylde Green
. All these schools are for ages 11–18. However, from September 1972 until July 1992, the Sutton Coldfield area consisted of 5-8 first schools, 8-12 middle schools and 12-16/18 secondary schools, which was unique to the West Midlands with the exception of the north of the Dudley borough. However, Dudley reverted to the traditional school age ranges two years before Sutton Coldfield did.
There are also a number of primary schools located in the town. Whitehouse Common Primary School in the Whitehouse Common
area, The Deanery Primary School, Holy Cross Infant and Junior Catholic Primary School, and Walmley Primary School serving the Walmley
area. The Shrubbery School, established in 1930, is a private primary school located on the fringes of Walmley and Hollyfield primary located on hollyfield rd founded in 1907.
Highclare School, founded in 1932, is a primary and secondary school located on three sites in the Birmingham area. Two of the sites are located in Sutton Coldfield, with the other being located in nearby Erdington
. The Sutton Coldfield facilities are on the Lichfield Road in the Four Oaks area and in the Wylde Green
area to the south, which houses the nursery.
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
in Jockey Road is a voluntary aided
catholic
primary school. Established in 1967, there are currently about 210 student
s. The school is oversubscribed.
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...
, in the 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...
of 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...
. Sutton (as it is often abbreviated) is located about 8 miles (13 km) from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
and 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...
. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census. It forms part of the West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
.
The town has a historical connection to the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, resulting in it receiving the title of Royal Town when it was a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
in its own right and part of 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...
. When the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
came into force in 1974, Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands County.
Etymology
The EtymologyEtymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the name Sutton appears to be from South Town.
The name "Sutton Coldfield" appears to come from this time, being the "south town" (i.e. south of Tamworth and/or Lichfield) on the edge of the "col field". "Col" is usually derived from "charcoal", charcoal burners presumably being active in the area.
Prehistory
The earliest known signs of human presence in Sutton Coldfield have been discovered on the boundaries of the town. Archaeological surveys undertaken in preparation for the construction of the M6 TollM6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
road revealed evidence of Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
burnt mound
Burnt mound
A burnt mound is an archaeological feature consisting of a mound of shattered stones and charcoal, normally with an adjacent hearth and trough. The trough could be rock-cut, wood-lined or clay-lined to ensure it was watertight...
s near Langley Mill Farm, at Langley Brook. Additionally, evidence for a Bronze Age burial mound was discovered, one of only two in Birmingham with the other being located in 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...
. Excavations also uncovered the presence of an Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
settlement, dating to around 400 and 100BC, consisting of circular houses built over at least three phases surrounded by ditches. Closer to Langley Brook (a tributary of the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
), excavations uncovered the remains of a single circular house surrounded by ditches, dating from the same period.
Near to Langley Mill Farm is Fox Hollies, where archaeological surveys have uncovered flints dating from the New Stone Age
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. Amongst the finds in the area were flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
cores and a flint scraper, which had been retouched with a knife. The presence of flint cores suggest that the site was used for tool manufacture and that a settlement was nearby. Additionally, a Bronze Age burnt mound was also discovered in the area.
In his History of Birmingham, published in 1782, William Hutton describes the presence of three mounds adjacent to Chester Road on the extremities of Sutton Coldfield (although now outside the modern boundaries of the town). The site, southwest of Bourne Pool (named "Bowen Pool" by Hutton), is called Loaches Banks and was mapped as early as 1752 by Dr. Wilks of Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
. Hutton interpreted the earthworks as a Saxon fortification but further archaeological work led Dr. Mike Hodder, now the Planning Archaeologist for Birmingham City Council, to believe that the site was an Iron Age hill-slope enclosure. Centuries of agriculture on the land has severely affected the visibility of the features, with the earthworks now only apparent in aerial photography.
Further evidence of pre-Roman human habitation are preserved in Sutton Park
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
. A major fire in the park in 1926 revealed six more mounds near Streetly Lane, excavations of which uncovered charred and cracked stones within them and pits below the two largest mounds. Although their date of origin is unknown, claims they were of Bronze Age origin were disproved. The mounds are now covered in rough heathland. The area around Rowton's Well has been the source of many archaeological discoveries such as flint tools, and in the 18th century, worked timbers were discovered near the well, suggesting a possible Iron Age timber trackway
Trackway
A trackway is an ancient route of travel for people or animals. In biology, a trackway can be a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by an animal. A fossil trackway is the fossilized imprint of a trackway. Trackways have been found all over the world...
built across wet land, similar to others discovered elsewhere in the country. A burnt mound was also discovered in New Hall Valley
New Hall Valley
New Hall Valley lies between Walmley and Maney in the Sutton Coldfield area to the north of Birmingham.In 2005, much of the valley was designated part of the New Hall Valley Country Park. The Plants Brook stream runs through the valley, and consequently it contains a substantial amount of wetland...
.
Roman period
The presence of RomansRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
in the area is most visible in Sutton Park, where a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long preserved section of Icknield Street
Icknield Street
Icknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in Britain that runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire to Templeborough in South Yorkshire...
passes through. Whilst the road ultimately connects Gloucestershire to South Yorkshire, locally, the road was important for connecting Metchley Fort
Metchley Fort
Metchley Fort was a Roman fort in what is now Birmingham, England.It lies on the course of a Roman road, Icknield Street, which is now the site of the present Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston. The fort was constructed soon after the Roman invasion of Britain in...
in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
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....
with Letocetum
Letocetum
Letocetum is the remains of a Roman settlement. It was an important military staging post and posting station near the junction of Watling Street, the Roman military road to North Wales , and Icknield Street . The site is now within the parish of Wall, Staffordshire, England...
, now Wall
Wall, Staffordshire
Wall is a small village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, just south of Lichfield. It lies on the site of the Roman settlement of Letocetum.The nearby junction of the A5 and A5127 roads and the M6 Toll motorway is often referred to as Wall junction....
, 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...
. The road is most visible from the Royal Oak Gate of the park, where the 8 m (26 ft) wide bank that formed the road surface is most prominent. Excavations at the road have showed that it was made from compacted gravel, never having a paved surface. Along each side are intermittent ditches, marked by Roman engineers, and beyond these are hollows where gravel was excavated to make the road surface. At least three Roman coins have been found along the course of Icknield Street through Sutton Park, as well as a Roman pottery kiln elsewhere in the town.
Next to the Iron Age property at Langley Brook, the remains of a timber building and field system were discovered. Pottery recovered from this site was dated to the 2nd and 3rd century, indicating the presence of a Roman farmstead.
Anglo-Saxon establishment, c. 600-1135
Upon the Roman withdrawal from Britain to protect the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
on the continent in the 5th century, the area of Sutton Coldfield, still undeveloped, passed into the Anglo Saxon kingdom of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. It is during this period that it is believed Sutton Coldfield may have originated as a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
, as a hunting lodge was built at Maney Hill for the purpose of the Mercian leaders. The outline of the deer park that it served is still visible within Sutton Park, with the ditch and bank boundary forming the western boundary of Holly Hurst, then crossing Keepers Valley, through the Lower Nuthurst and continuing on south of Blackroot Pool. Due to the marshy ground at Blackroot Valley, a fence was probably constructed to contain the deer, and the ditch and bank boundary commences again on the eastern side, on towards Holly Knoll.
This became known as Southun or Sutton; "ton" meaning townstead to the south of Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, the capital of Mercia. Middleton
Middleton, Warwickshire
Middleton is a small village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire, England.At the time of Domesday Middleton was under a Norman Overlord Hugh de Grantmaisnil who had several holdings in Warwickshire. When he died it passed to the Marmions of Tamworth. In 1291 the...
is situated between the two. "Coldfield" denotes an area of land on the side of hill, that is exposed to the weather. It may also denote a place where charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
burning took place.
Sutone, as the manor became known, was held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's death in 1062...
during the reign of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
. Upon the death of Edwin in 1071, the manor and the rest of Mercia passed into the possession of the Crown, then ruled by William the Conqueror, resulting in Sutton Chase becoming a Royal Forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
.
The manor of Sutone was mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, where it was rated at eight hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
, making it larger than all surrounding villages in terms of cultivated land.
Possession of the manor
The manor remained in the possession of the Crown until 1135, when King Henry IHenry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
exchanged it for the manors of Hockham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
and Langham
Langham, Rutland
Langham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is situated about two miles north-west of Oakham.The village is located on the main road, the A606, linking Oakham to Melton Mowbray....
in Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, with Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick was the elder son of Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick and Marguerite, daughter of Geoffrey II of Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier...
. The manor remained in the possession of the earldom of Warwick for around 300 years, with numerous exceptions. As Sutton Forest was no longer in the possession of the Crown, it became Sutton Chase.
In 1242, when the manor was passed to Ela Longespee, the widow of Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick , Earl of Warwick, Baron of Hocknorton and Hedenton, was the son of Henry de Beaumont, 5th Earl of Warwick and Margaret D'Oili...
, it was named as Sutton-in-Coldfield, and again noted as such in 1265 when Ela married her second husband Philip Basset
Philip Basset
Philip Basset was the Justiciar of England.Philip was the son of Alan Basset of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and his wife, Alice, the daughter of Stephen Gray. He inherited the manor of Wycombe and served as the Justiciar of England between the two terms served by his son-in-law, Hugh le...
. The manor of Sutton-in-Coldfield was once again in the possession of the earldom of Warwick when Ela exchanged it with William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick was an English nobleman and soldier, described as a “vigorous and innovative military commander”...
for the manor of Spilsbury in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The first mention of a manor house attached to the manor of Sutton was mentioned in 1315 on a site named Manor Hill, west of the parish church.
During the 15th century, Sutton Coldfield underwent a process of change due in part to the turbulent ongoings with the Earls of Warwick and their possession of the manor house. In 1397, Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, KG was an English medieval nobleman, and one of the primary opponents of Richard II.- Birth and Marriage:...
, was punished by King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
for being a member of the Lords Appellant
Lords Appellant
The Lords Appellant were a group of nobles in the reign of King Richard II who sought to impeach some five of the King's favourites in order to restrain what was seen as tyrannical and capricious rule. The word appellant simply means '[one who is] appealing [in a legal sense]'...
. All his possessions were confiscated, including the land at Sutton which was transferred to Thomas Holland
Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey
Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, 3rd Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.-Early life and family:...
, 3rd Earl of Kent
Earl of Kent
The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.See also Kingdom of Kent, Duke of Kent.-Earls of Kent, first creation :*Godwin, Earl of Wessex...
. Upon King Richard II's death in 1400, Thomas de Beauchamp was returned his possessions although he died the following year. In 1446, Henry de Beauchamp, 14th Earl of Warwick
Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick
Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was an English nobleman.He was the son of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and Isabel le Despenser...
died and the earldom was passed to his two-year old daughter Anne
Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick
Anne Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick was born in Cardiff, the only child of Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick and Lady Cecily Neville. Her maternal grandparents were Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Alice Montagu, Countess of Salisbury...
, however King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
collected the profits of the land whilst Anne was in her infancy. Anne died in 1448, and the estate and earldom passed to her aunt Anne Neville
Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick
Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick was the daughter of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, and his second wife Isabel le Despenser. Isabel was a daughter of Thomas le Despenser Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick (13 July 1426 – 20 September 1492) was the daughter of...
, although this was contested by her three older half-sisters. In his Itinerary, John Leland mentions that Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
and his wife Anne Neville, are believed to have built a new manor of timber-frame construction, with a lease given by King Henry VI in 1460 to Edward Mountfort suggesting that the manor was then occupied by the Mountfort family.
Despite being occupied by Mountfort family, Richard Neville regained his power and land, but died in 1471. Normally, the land would have remained in the possession of his wife but instead they were given to his two daughters and their husbands. However, the eldest daughter, Isabella, contested and obtained the remainder of the interests from her sister. Isabella died in 1476, leaving the manor in the possession of her husband, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
. However, in 1478, he was attainted
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
and executed, meaning that the manor was passed to his only surviving son Edward Plantagenet
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick was the son of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and a potential claimant to the English throne during the reigns of both Richard III and his successor, Henry VII...
, who was still an infant. The Crown held the lands due to Edward's age but in 1487, granted the lands back to Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick
Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick
Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick was the daughter of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, and his second wife Isabel le Despenser. Isabel was a daughter of Thomas le Despenser Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick (13 July 1426 – 20 September 1492) was the daughter of...
since both her daughters were now dead. She immediately gave the lands back, however she was given Sutton and other manors back to her in 1489. She died in 1492, with all the land returning to the possession of the Crown, with whom it remained until it was incorporated in 1528.
Growth and military influence
The manor of Sutton was not the only manor house within Sutton, as the manor of LangleyLangley Hall, West Midlands
Langley Hall was a manor house just off Fox Hollies Road, one mile from the centre of Walmley in Sutton Coldfield in the historic county of Warwickshire....
was noted as being in the possession of the de Bereford family of Wishaw as early as the mid-13th century. New Hall Manor
New Hall Manor
New Hall Manor is a medieval manor house, now used as a hotel, located in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.It is claimed to be one of the oldest inhabited moated houses in Britain, dating from the 13th century when the Earl of Warwick built a hunting lodge on the site...
is said to date to the 13th century also, and was mentioned in 1327 as being passed from William de Sutton to Robert de Sutton. It is believed to have originally been a hunting lodge. In 1281, Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall is a manor house in the Walmley area of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II listed building. It is now in use as a private residence....
was first mentioned when it was sold to Hugh de Vienna by Thomas de Arden. It is presumed that the land was given to the Arden family by one of the Earls of Warwick.
It is not known exactly when the village of Sutton began to develop but in 1300, Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick
Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick
Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick was an English magnate, and one of the principal opponents of King Edward II and his favourite Piers Gaveston. Guy de Beauchamp was the son of William de Beauchamp, the first Beauchamp earl of Warwick, and succeeded his father in 1298...
, was granted a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
by King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
to hold a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
on each Tuesday and an annual fair on the eve of Holy Trinity in the village. Sutton did not establish itself as a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
like 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...
was able to, and the market appears to have fallen out of use as a new charter was granted to Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, KG was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War...
for a market to be held on the same day, as well as fairs on the eve of Holy Trinity and also on the eve of St Martin.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, religious activities were carried out at the free chapel of Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, constructed within the Sutton manor grounds. In the late 1200s, the town constructed its own parish church, the first incumbent of which was ordained in 1305. This later became Holy Trinity Church, and the only remaining features of the original church survive below the east window, where clasping buttresses are visible, a method of construction from the mid-13th century.
Throughout the 15th century, Sutton Coldfield developed a military connection, due in part to Sir Ralph Bracebridge who obtained a lease for his lifetime from the Earl of Warwick for the Manor and Chase of Sutton Coldfield. In return, Bracebridge was required to assist the Earl with nine lancers and seventeen archers in strengthening Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
from French attack. As a result, Sutton Coldfield became an important training location for English soldiers during the wars between 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...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Butts
Archery butts
An archery butts is an archery practice field, with mounds of earth used for the targets. The name originally referred to the targets themselves, but over time came to mean the platforms that held the targets as well. For instance Othello, V,ii,267 mentions "Here is my journey's end, here is my...
were assembled within the town for archery training, and marks can still be seen in the sandstone wall on 3 Coleshill Street where archers sharpened their arrows. It is believed that 3 Coleshill Street is of medieval origin despite having a Georgian façade. Bracebridge is remembered as having dammed Ebrook
Plants Brook
Plants Brook is a stream in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.-Course of the stream:...
to form Bracebridge Pool, now in Sutton Park, which he used for fishing.
Influence of Bishop Vesey
By the beginning of the 16th century, the town of Sutton Coldfield had started to decay as a result of the War of the Roses. The markets had been abandoned and the manor house itself was becoming dilapidated. Around 1510, the manor house was demolished by an officer to the Crown, who sold the timbers for a profit to Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of DorsetThomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, KG, KB was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, briefly Queen of England.-Early life:...
, who used them in the construction of Bradgate House
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. It was during the period of decay that John Harman grew up, working at Moor Hall Farm in Sutton and then studying at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. He formed a friendship with Thomas Wolsey and started a career in the church, beginning with his appointment as chaplain at the free chapel of St. Blaize in his hometown in 1495. Harman continued to be promoted and became Chaplain to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, with whom he became friends. In 1519, Harman was appointed Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
and changed his surname to Vesey, thus becoming John Vesey
John Vesey
John Vesey or Veysey was an English bishop.-Life:He was born John Harman, probably about 1462, the son of a yeoman farmer, in a farmhouse now known as Moor Hall Farm, Sutton Coldfield...
.
It was Vesey's respected position within the church and his friendship with the King that set about the start of a revival for Sutton Coldfield, spearheaded by Vesey. He had returned to the town in 1524 for the funeral of his mother to discover the town had further deteriorated. He decided to set up residence in the town again and in 1527 obtained two enclosures of land named Moor Yards and Heath Crofts, as well as 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land for him to construct his own home named Moor Hall. In the same year, he established a grammar school in the southwest corner of the parish churchyard, where 21 people were appointed Trustees to maintain the building and employ a teacher. On 16 December 1528, through the interests of Vesey, Henry VIII granted Sutton Coldfield a Charter of Incorporation
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, creating a new form of government for the town which was named the Warden and Society of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield. The society consisted of 25 of the most prominent local inhabitants who elected a new Warden from within them. Vesey's brother-in-law, William Gibbons, became the first Warden. All the town's inhabitants over the age of 22 were permitted to elect members to the Society. The charter had also given the inhabitants permission to hunt and fish freely in the manor grounds, as well as build a house, enclosing up to 60 acres (24 ha), within the manor grounds. Throughout the length of the Society's existence, it was dogged by claims of corruption and malpractice from the town's residents.
The donation by King Henry VIII of his hunting land to the residents of the town set the foundations for the preservation of the area now known as Sutton Park
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
. Vesey cleared large tracts of the land of trees to allow residents to graze their cattle there for a small fee. He then enclosed wooded areas within the land, added gates and fencing around the park, and then arranged for the transfer of horses to the park at his own expense. Bishop Vesey also paid for the whole town to be paved, which in turn helped revive the markets. In 1527, he set about working on Holy Trinity Church, donating an organ in 1530 and then paying for the construction of two new aisles in 1533. In 1540, he approved the transfer of control of the grammar school to the Warden and Society of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, and gave the school land for its own use the following year. To help expand the town and protect its extremities, he constructed 51 cottages for the poor, including one at Cotty's Moor which was a hotspot for robberies of people using the roads. The stone walls of the former manor house were removed to assist in the construction of a bridge at Water Orton
Water Orton
Water Orton is a village near the River Tame in the North Warwickshire borough of Warwickshire in England. It is located between Castle Bromwich and Coleshill, and borders the West Midlands metropolitan county boundary to the north, west and south. At the last census in 2001, the population was...
and another in Curdworth, at his own expense. In 1547, he purchased from the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and in 1549, from the Crown, numerous church properties including the chantry lands of Sutton Coldfield, and those in Deritend
Deritend
Deritend is an historic area of Birmingham, England, built around a crossing point of the River Rea. It is first mentioned in 1276. Today Deritend is usually considered to be part of Digbeth.-History:...
, Birmingham, before dying at Moor Hall in 1555. Vesey's legacy is clearly visible today, with Sutton Park largely unchanged since its enclosure, some stone cottages remaining, and the grammar school he established still operating under the name of Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century...
. His tomb at Holy Trinity Church is accompanied by memorial gardens to the west of the church named Vesey Gardens.
Moor Hall, Bishop Vesey's residence, was inherited by his nephew John Harman after Vesey's death. He sold the mansion to John Richardson, who died in 1584 leaving an infant son. A manor by the name of Pool Hall is first mentioned as being in the town in 1581, and in the following year, William Charnells leased it for 20 years to Henry Goodere, who transferred the rights to John Aylmer, Bishop of London, in 1583. Upon the Aylmer's death in 1594, the manor was passed on to his sons, who sold it to Robert Burdett in 1598. It is believed that the properties at 62 and 64 Birmingham Road were constructed around 1530, making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in the town. Nearby 68 Birmingham Road dates to the end of the 1500s.
Emergence of industry
During the 16th century, the waters and pools within Sutton were exploited for industrial purposes and following the death of Vesey, the town continued to prosper and expand. In 1510, two watermills under the ownership of William Weston were recorded, and upon the establishment of the park, he was forced to pay rent on them. Three other mills were recorded in 1576, after they were sold to two unnamed local men. In 1585, John Bull sold a water-fulling mill and two blade-mills, which would have been powered by water, to Edward Sprott. Four additional mills were recorded in 1588, and another two in 1595. A blade mill was constructed at Bracebridge Pool in 1597, on a site now occupied by Park House. Despite the growth of industry here, five pools in total were drained in the 16th century, although some were recreated later including Bracebridge Pool and Keeper's Pool.Civil War, unrest and governance
The outbreak of the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642 saw the Battle of Camp Hill
Battle of Camp Hill
The Battle of Camp Hill took place during the First English Civil War, on Easter Monday, 3 April 1643, when a company of Parliamentarians from the Lichfield garrison with the support of some of the local townsmen, in all about 300 men, attempted to stop a detachment of Royalists, of about 1200...
at nearby Birmingham, which resulted in Birmingham being pillaged by Royalist forces. Despite the nearby action, Sutton Coldfield emerged unscathed, although it is known that it was visited by both Parliamentary and Royalist soldiers. It is claimed that during his escape from England in 1646, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
stayed for a night at New Hall Manor
New Hall Manor
New Hall Manor is a medieval manor house, now used as a hotel, located in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.It is claimed to be one of the oldest inhabited moated houses in Britain, dating from the 13th century when the Earl of Warwick built a hunting lodge on the site...
.
On 26 July 1664, King Charles II renewed the royal charter for Sutton Coldfield, with the additional provision being made for the appointment of two members of the Society as capital burgesses and also as justices of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
alongside the Warden.
Civil unrest in Birmingham led to Sutton being used as a place of refuge for some, escaping the troubles. Of the most high profile cases, this first occurred in 1715 when the "Sacheverell riots", named after Dr. Henry Sacheverell
Henry Sacheverell
Henry Sacheverell was an English High Church clergyman and politician.-Early life:The son of Joshua Sacheverell, rector of St Peter's, Marlborough,...
, broke out in Birmingham forcing Sacheverell to travel to New Hall Manor where he stayed with George Sacheverell, who was his once removed first cousin. The town again became a place of refuge in 1791, following the "Priestley Riots
Priestley Riots
The Priestley Riots took place from 14 July to 17 July 1791 in Birmingham, England; the rioters' main targets were religious Dissenters, most notably the politically and theologically controversial Joseph Priestley...
" in Birmingham. The home of William Hutton
William Hutton (Birmingham historian)
William Hutton was a poet and the first significant historian of Birmingham, England.-Biography:...
was attacked by protesters, prompting him to decide to stay in Sutton for the summer. However, fears from the residents that his presence may cause rioting to spread to the town forced him to move permanently to Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
. Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
himself is believed to have stayed at the 'Three Tuns' following the destruction of his home in the riots.
Industrial growth
The manufacture of blades, gun barrels, spades and spade handles as well as the grinding of knives, bayonets and axes, mainly at mills constructed at pools in Sutton Park and on the banks of Ebrook, became an important contributor to the town's economy in the 17th century. The blade mill at Bracebridge Pool fell out of use by 1678 and was destroyed, however, it was reconstructed by 1729. The creation of Longmoor Pool, caused by the damming of Longmoor Brook in Longmoor Valley, was approved in 1733 and carried about by John Riland, who built a mill there in 1754 with his co-tenant for the manufacture of buttons. Blackroot Pool was also constructed in around 1757 by Edward Homer and Joseph Duncomb. In 1772, the Warden and Society of the town gave a lease of 30 years to Thomas Ingram at the pool. The mill at Blackroot Pool was originally used for leather dressing, although later became a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
.
Powells Pool was created in 1730 as a millpond for Powells Pool Mill, a steel-rolling mill. In 1733, a cotton spinning machine was tested at the mill by John Wyatt
John Wyatt (inventor)
John Wyatt , an English inventor, was born near Lichfield and was related to Sarah Ford, Doctor Johnson's mother. A carpenter by trade he began work in Birmingham on the development of a spinning machine...
with the help of Lewis Paul
Lewis Paul
Lewis Paul was the original inventor of roller spinning, the basis of the water frame for spinning cotton in a cotton mill.-Life and work:Lewis Paul was of Huguenot descent. His father was physician to Lord Shaftesbury...
, helping to kickstart the creation of the UK's cotton industry in the 18th century. In total, Sutton Coldfield has had 15 watermills, 13 of which were powered by Plants Brook, and the remaining two using an independent water supply. There were also two windmills in the town, at Maney Hill and at Langley.
A heavy storm caused the collapse of the dam holding back the waters of Wyndley Pool, which subsequently swept downstream and broke the banks of Mill Pool at Mill Street in July 1668, subsequently flooding and destroying many homes within Sutton Coldfield. Bracebridge Pool also broke its banks as a result of the storm on the 24 July, causing lesser damage. Wyndley Pool was subsequently drained, although there is another pool within Sutton Park with the same name.
Much of the damming in Sutton Coldfield was carried out using stone and gravel quarried from within the town. These quarries also supplied stone for construction elsewhere in the town, proving to be particularly profitable. The quarry that supplied material for the construction of Blackroot Pool in 1759 was in use until 1914.
Financial prosperity and town growth
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the town prospered from the growth of industry and this led to improvements in the quality of life for the residents. They were now able to experience new luxuries such as seafood. Products were 10% more expensive in Sutton Coldfield than in neighbouring towns and villages. The town also grew, due in part to the wealthy industrialists of Birmingham seeing Sutton Coldfield as a suitable location for their country houses, away from the pollution of the larger town. A survey of the parish in 1630 reported that there were 298 houses, and this number had increased to 310 when another survey was conducted in 1698. Of these houses would have been 20 High Street, which was built around 1675. A survey of the parish in 1721 noted that the number of houses in Sutton Coldfield had increased to 360. In 1636, King Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
imposed the ship money
Ship money
Ship money refers to a tax that Charles I of England tried to levy without the consent of Parliament. This tax, which was only applied to coastal towns during a time of war, was intended to offset the cost of defending that part of the coast, and could be paid in actual ships or the equivalent value...
tax of £80 on the town, compared to £100 for Birmingham and Warwick, £266 for Coventry, and £50 for Stafford, reflecting the wealth of the town at the time. In 1663, an Act was passed to order and collect "Hearth Duty", which led to a subsequent survey of all houses in the country and the noting of all properties with hearths and stoves. The survey of Sutton Coldfield found that there were 67 hearths and stoves, of which 30 were attributed to two houses owned by the Willoughby family.
Some of Sutton Coldfield's most prominent buildings were constructed or underwent changes during this time. For example, the current Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall is a manor house in the Walmley area of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II listed building. It is now in use as a private residence....
was constructed in 1659 by William Wood to a design by William Wilson
William Wilson (architect)
Sir William Wilson was an English architect, builder and sculptor.Born in 1641 in Leicester, he was the son of a baker. In his early life, it is believed that he served an apprenticeship with a statuary mason. It is also claimed that he studied under Sir Christopher Wren at Oxford University where...
, who took up residence in the town and married the widowed landowner, Jane Pudsey, in 1681. Her daughters disapproved of the relationship and she was forced out of her home at Langley Hall, resulting in Wilson constructing Moat House
Moat House, Sutton Coldfield
Moat House is a Grade II* listed building situated in Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It is part of the Anchorage Road conservation area....
for the couple in 1680. Another of his works in the town was Four Oaks Hall, designed for Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott
Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott
Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott was the second son of Thomas Folliott of Pirton Court, Pirton, Worcestershire.From about 1594 he served the Crown in Ireland and in 1603 was commissioned to develop a township adjacent to Ballyshannon Castle...
, who was the husband of Wilson's stepdaughter. Along with the hall, Lord Folliott enclosed 60 acre (24.3 ha) of woodland.
In 1610, New Hall Manor was purchased by Henry Sacheverell, the family of which were prominent landowners throughout the country. Upon his death in 1620, the hall was inherited first by Valence Sacheverell, and then by George Sacheverell, his eldest son. Notable buildings that were constructed in the town during the 18th century include the Royal Hotel on High Street, which dates to circa 1750. The 'Three Tuns' public house, also on High Street, dates to the late 18th century although retains the cellars and foundations of an earlier building.
Municipal projects and change of government
The 1800s would prove to be another century of major change for the town, built upon the wealth it had generated in years before and the power that the Sutton Coldfield Corporation had. Dealing with a growing town, they sought to improve the quality of life for residents. The Corporation were forced to fell trees within the town and sell the timber as means to fund the construction of schools and almshouses. In 1826, timber worth £1,116 3s. was sold. The first of these schools were founded during the 1820s. The Corporation also constructed two almshouseAlmshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s in Walmley in 1828 and a further two adjacent in 1863. By 1837, there were ten almshouses in the parish under the ownership of the Corporation, with others operated by charities.
In 1849, the original royal charters were sent to London to be translated from Latin as a result of the skins on which they were written beginning to deteriorate.
The town hall at the top of Mill Street began to deteriorate throughout the 1800s and the decision was taken to demolish it in 1854. The adjacent workhouse and gaol were renovated to become the new municipal offices, and this was reconstructed in 1858 until 1859 to better suit its purpose. The new offices were designed by G. Bidlake. A fire station was also constructed further down Mill Street.
During the 1830s, municipal corporations were investigated due to corrupt practices within the House of Commons. These inquiries led to the passing of the Reform Act of 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
and Municipal Corporations Act of 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
which reformed boroughs nationwide. Despite the radical changes imposed by the Acts, the Sutton Coldfield Corporation was left untouched. It was not until April 1882, as a result of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1882
Municipal Corporations Act 1882
The Municipal Corporations Act 1882 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced existing legislation governing municipal boroughs in England and Wales, and gave the corporations powers to make byelaws and to acquire land and buildings. Municipal boroughs continued to be...
, that Sutton Coldfield became a municipal borough. The old Corporation was replaced with a new structure consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen elected councillors. Six wards were created in the borough - Holy Trinity, Hill, Boldmere, Wylde Green, Maney, and Walmley - from which three councillors were elected.
Arrival of the railways
For the majority of the 19th century, people travelled between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield by horse-drawn carriage, a journey that took around 80 minutes. Birmingham received its first railway in 1837 with a terminus at Vauxhall station, now Duddeston railway stationDuddeston railway station
Duddeston railway station is a railway station serving the Duddeston area of Birmingham. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line, and also on the Walsall line. Services on both lines are usually operated by Class 323 electrical multiple units...
. In 1859, an Act was passed for the construction of a railway line connecting Birmingham to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington. Construction commenced in 1860 on the line which passed through Vauxhall station, although by this time it was being used only as a goods station. The line opened on 2 June, 1862 with Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street....
being the terminus. An Act of Parliament for the continuation of the railway to Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
was passed on 23 June 1874, with construction starting in October 1881 and services beginning in 1884. The line was extended to Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Lichfield, the other being in the city-centre.-History:...
on 28 November 1888.
A proposed second railway line by the Wolverhampton, Walsall and Midland Junction Railway Company through Sutton Coldfield was met with opposition from residents who were concerned about the route cutting through Sutton Park. A meeting objecting to the proposal was held on 15 April 1872, however, construction was authorised on the 6 August in the same year. The WWMJR company merged with Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in 1874 and construction commenced soon after. To calm objections from residents, Midland Railway promised cheap local coal and paid £6,500 for a 2 miles (3.2 km) stretch through Sutton Park. Services on the line began on 1 July 1879, with trains stopping at Penns (Walmley)
Penns railway station
Penns railway station was a railway station, since demolished, that served the area of Walmley in Sutton Coldfield when it was in the historic county of Warwickshire, now the West Midlands....
, Sutton Coldfield Town, and Sutton Park
Sutton Park railway station
Sutton Park railway station was a railway station in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, on the Midland Railway's Sutton Park Line. The station opened in 1879, and closed to passengers in 1965.-References:...
in the town, as well as at Streetly
Streetly railway station
Streetly railway station was a station on the Midland Railway in England. It was opened in 1879 and closed in 1965, although the track through the station is still in use for freight.It was located on the corner of Foley Road and Thornhill Road...
, Aldridge
Aldridge railway station
Aldridge railway station was a station on the Midland Railway in England. It was opened in 1879 and closed in 1965, although the track through the station is still in use for freight....
, and Walsall
Walsall railway station
Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall, West Midlands, England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by London Midland, who run all of its train services...
. Ultimately, the line connected the Midland Railway's Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway
Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway
The Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway was incorporated in 1865 in order to connect the city of Wolverhampton, England with nearby towns such as Walsall, Willenhall and Wednesfield.-The route:...
line to their Birmingham to Derby line
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British railway company. From Birmingham it connected at Derby with the North Midland Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
.
The railways quickly led to Sutton Coldfield becoming a popular location for day excursions and picnic parties for the residents of Birmingham, escaping the pollution of the city for the landscapes of Sutton Park. In the Whit week of 1882, 19,549 people visited Sutton Park, with numbers dropping to 11,378 in the same week the following year. In 1884, there were 17,486 visitors, of whom 14,000 went on the Monday. In 1865, on a small eminence adjacent to Sutton Coldfield station, the Royal Hotel was constructed, hoping to capitalise on the new tourist industry the town was witnessing. The hotel was beset with financial difficulties and closed down in 1895, becoming Sutton Coldfield Sanatorium for a short period of time.
As well as becoming a tourist spot, Sutton Coldfield also developed into a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
to Birmingham, as workers were able to live away from the pollution of the city and travel there by train. During the late 19th century, it was the wealthy manufacturers who moved to Sutton Coldfield, and it was not until the turn of the century that ordinary workers were able to move as well.
In 1836, George Bodington
George Bodington
George Bodington was a British general practitioner and pulmonary specialist.Born in Buckinghamshire and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, he served a surgical apprenticeship then studied at St Bartholomew's Hospital...
acquired an asylum and sanatorium at Driffold House (now the Empire cinema), Maney where he researched pulmonary disease.
Population growth and public facilities
The first census of Sutton Coldfield took place in 1801. It recorded that the town had a population of 2,847. The following census of 1811 recorded that this had risen to 2,959 with 617 houses. This was partially down to the construction of barracks to the east to accommodate the Edinburgh and Sussex Militias, the 7th Dragoon Guards and a Brigade of Artillery. By 1821, the population had further increased to 3,426 and then to 3,684 in 1831. The census of 1881 revealed that the population had increased from 4,662 in 1861 to 7,737.The increasing population of Sutton Coldfield parish was recognised in the mid-19th century and new ecclesiastical parishes were created from it to better serve the residents of the communities that made up Sutton. The first ecclesiastical parish to be created was Walmley in 1846, with the recently completed St. John the Evangelist Church becoming the parish church. Hill became the next ecclesiastical parish in 1853, with its church being St. James' Church in Mere Green. Boldmere parish was created in 1857, with St. Michael's Church becoming its parish church. Holy Trinity Church was further extended with a north outer aisle and vestries in 1874-9.
The construction of Shenstone Pumping Station in 1892 gave Sutton Coldfield its first tapped water supply. In 1870, W.T. Parsons began the publication of Sutton Coldfield's first newspaper Sutton Coldfield News.
Ashford v Thornton
Sutton Coldfield was the focus of national attention in 1817 when a young woman named Mary Ashford was found murdered in the town. She had been attending a party in Erdington on the evening of 26 May 1817, and had left with Abraham Thornton and her friend Hannah Cox, who left Mary and Abraham. The following morning, her body was recovered from a water-filled pit by Penns Lane. Thornton was quickly traced and arrested for her murder. At the trial, Thornton provided evidence that it was not possible for him to have killed Mary at the suggested time. As a result, the jury found him not guilty of her murder and rape, allowing him to walk free from the court.Public response to the acquittal was that of outrage and a private appeal was brought against the verdict by Mary's brother, William Ashford. Thornton was taken to London where he was tried at the King's Bench. When Thornton was called upon for his plea, he responded, "Not guilty; and I am ready to defend the same with my body." He then put on one of a pair of leather gauntlets, which Reader handed him. Thornton threw down the other for William Ashford to pick up and thus accept the challenge, which Ashford did not do. By Ashford not accepting the challenge under the trial by combat
Trial by combat
Trial by combat was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession, in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it is a judicially sanctioned duel...
laws, Thornton was freed, although by this time he gained a notorious reputation. In 1819, a bill was introduced and an Act passed to abolish private appeals after acquittals and also abolish trial by combat.
20th century
In the 20th century, Sutton Coldfield continued to grow. The areas on the fringes of the district remained rural up until the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. As witnessed nationally, there was a house construction boom in areas such as Boldmere
Boldmere
Boldmere is a residential area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is bordered by New Oscott, Sutton Park, Wylde Green and Erdington, and is in the ward of Sutton Vesey.- Toponymy :...
, Walmley
Walmley
Walmley is an area of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is in south Sutton Coldfield, near to Minworth, Wylde Green, Erdington and south of Thimble End. It is approximately northeast of Birmingham city centre...
and Four Oaks. Again, the population increased rapidly. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Sutton Park and areas of Walmley were used as prisoner-of-war camps, housing German and Italian prisoners. After the war, Sutton witnessed a major redevelopment. The Borough Council commissioned Max Lock
Max Lock
Max Lock was a British postwar urban planner who emphasised the importance of incorporating social research in the planning process. His most notable contributions were associated with planning in Middlesbrough, where he worked with Griselda Rowntree and Ruth Glass on the 1944 Middlesbrough...
and Partners to draw up plans for the redevelopment of the town centre in 1960, with a preliminary report being delivered in May 1961 and a detailed report in 1962. The Parade in the town centre was almost completely demolished for the construction of a large new shopping centre named Gracechurch. In addition, shopping centres in New Oscott
New Oscott
New Oscott is an area of Birmingham, England.It was named after the Oscott area of Birmingham, when St. Mary's College, the Roman Catholic seminary, moved from that site to the new one. The original then became known as Old Oscott....
, Wylde Green
Wylde Green
Wylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
and Mere Green
Mere Green, Birmingham
Mere Green is an area of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is a small commercial centre on the edge of Sutton Park. The area features a shopping area, which has a range of independent shops, along with national chain stores...
were constructed causing considerable objection as many local landmarks were lost to the developers.
In 1974, Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham, despite the objections of local residents, when the metropolitan county of the 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...
was formed. More recently, Sutton Coldfield has undergone changes. Areas of the town centre have been pedestrianised and the Gracechurch Centre, now The Mall, has been improved. Construction of a large development along Brassington Avenue although started, is currently on hold due to the economic crisis, however construction of nearby apartment buildings is complete.
Governance
In 1528, a charter of King Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
gave the town the right to be known for ever as "The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield" and to be governed by a warden and society. The charter was secured by Bishop John Vesey
John Vesey
John Vesey or Veysey was an English bishop.-Life:He was born John Harman, probably about 1462, the son of a yeoman farmer, in a farmhouse now known as Moor Hall Farm, Sutton Coldfield...
. This unreformed corporation
Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835 - 1886
Unreformed boroughs were those corporate towns in England and Wales which had not been reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. A handful of these obtained new charters under the 1835 Act...
survived until 1885, when it was replaced by a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. Although the title "Royal Town" was still used, the municipality created in 1885 was not itself a Royal Borough. The town and borough were ceremonially part of 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...
until 1974, when it was amalgamated into the City of Birmingham and the metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of the 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...
. The formal Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
al chains of office are now on display in Birmingham Council House
Council House, Birmingham
Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. It provides office accommodation for both employed council officers, including the Chief Executive, and elected council members, plus the council chamber, Lord Mayor's Suite, committee rooms and a large and...
.
Sutton Coldfield forms the Sutton Coldfield parliamentary constituency
Sutton Coldfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Sutton Coldfield is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, the largest Parliamentary Constituency in Birmingham whose Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
since 2001 has been Andrew Mitchell
Andrew Mitchell
The Right Honourable Andrew John Bower Mitchell MP is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield...
(Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
). Within the City of Birmingham metropolitan borough, it comprises the wards of Sutton Four Oaks
Sutton Four Oaks
Sutton Four Oaks is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England.Sutton Four Oaks is one of the four wards that make up the Parliamentary Constituency and council constituency of Sutton Coldfield. The ward lies to the north of Sutton Coldfield town centre and covers Hill Hook, Hill Wood,...
, Sutton Trinity
Sutton Trinity
Sutton Trinity is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England. The ward is named after Holy Trinity Church, the town's parish church....
, Sutton Vesey
Sutton Vesey
Sutton Vesey is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England.Sutton Vesey is one of the four wards that make up the Parliamentary Constituency and council constituency of Sutton Coldfield. The ward lies to the south of Sutton Coldfield town centre and Sutton Park and includes the...
and Sutton New Hall
Sutton New Hall
Sutton New Hall is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England and is named after New Hall, a medieval manor house.Sutton New Hall is one of the four wards that make up the Parliamentary Constituency and formal district of Sutton Coldfield. The ward lies to the south-east of Sutton...
. Sutton Trinity ward was created in June 2004, at which time the other three wards' boundaries were changed. From 5 April 2004, it has been a council constituency, with many local services managed by a district committee made up of all Sutton's councillors.
Geography
Areas of Sutton Coldfield include:Sutton Coldfield borders Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, the district of North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire is a local government district and borough in Warwickshire, England. The main town in the district is Atherstone where the council is based...
and Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
and Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
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...
. The area in general is regarded as one of the most prestigious locations in the 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...
area and even in Central England; a 2007 report by the website Mouseprice.com placed two Sutton Coldfield streets amongst the 20 most expensive in the United Kingdom.
The northern stretch of the Birmingham city 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,...
ridge culminates at Sutton Coldfield. Plants Brook
Plants Brook
Plants Brook is a stream in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.-Course of the stream:...
rises in the area of Streetly and flows through Sutton Park and directly beneath the town centre, then Plants Brook briefly flows through Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, notably Pype Hayes Park
Pype Hayes Park
Pype Hayes Park is one of the larger parks in Birmingham. The park is in Erdiington Constituency and straddles the boundary between Pype Hayes and Erdington Pype Hayes Park is one of the larger parks in Birmingham. The park is in Erdiington Constituency and straddles the boundary between Pype...
before returning to Sutton and culminating at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve
Plantsbrook Local Nature Reserve
Plantsbrook Local Nature Reserve is a nature reserve on the Plants Brook in Birmingham, England, consisting of open water, wetland, woodland and meadow. It is located on Eachelhurst Road, on the border of the Pype Hayes and Walmley districts....
in Warmley
Warmley
Warmley is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, to the east of Kingswood on the outskirts of Bristol.In the mid 18th century it contained the Warmley Works of William Champion...
.
Retail
The main shopping centre is the Sutton Coldfield Mall, which was built in 1974 as 'The Gracechurch Shopping Centre'. It changed its name after being bought by The Mall CompanyThe Mall Company
The Mall Fund owns and operates a number of shopping centres in England and uses the trading name "The Mall Company" The shopping centres are usually branded as "The Mall"....
and was, by the end of 2008 rebranded 'The Mall, Sutton Coldfield'. The Mall complex also includes a multi-storey car park. As a result of investment, the appearance of the shopping centre was improved in 2006 which included the installation of a glass roof above one of the walkways and the removal of a public square to form a cafe and extra retail units. There are now plans to construct a food court above Bishop's Court in the shopping centre. The shopping centre was formerly home to three bronze sculptures that depict, respectively, a boy and a girl on rollerskates, a boy with a dog, and a boy and a girl playing leapfrog, which have been moved to Rectory Park.
A second shopping centre was named the Sainsbury Centre until Sainsbury's closed their store; the name was later changed to "The Red Rose Centre". The centre has its own multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
with access from Victoria Road.
There are several local shopping parades serving the suburbs of Sutton, including "The Lanes" Shopping Centre in Wylde Green, at Walmley, at New Oscott (local shops and a large "out of town" style development similar to New Hall Walk called Princess Park), and at Boldmere Road.
Many Sutton shops supply up-market goods but there are also places where economically priced items are on sale.
Sport
Sutton Coldfield is home to Sutton Coldfield Town F.C.Sutton Coldfield Town F.C.
Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. are a football club based in Sutton Coldfield, England. They were formed in 1879 and currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division South ....
, which was founded in 1879 and also to Romulus F.C.
Romulus F.C.
Romulus Football Club is a football club based in Sutton Coldfield, England. They currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division South .-History:...
who share their ground at Coles Lane. Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
is a major sport in the town, which is home to numerous golf clubs and courses. In the south of Sutton Coldfield is Walmley Golf Club and Pype Hayes
Pype Hayes
Pype Hayes is an area in the east of the Erdington district of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. It is located within the Tyburn ward.-Etymology:The name of the area derives from a major landowner in Erdington called Henry de Pipe...
Golf Course. There are also Aston Wood Golf Club, Moor Hall Golf Club, Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, Little Aston and Boldmere Golf Club. Nearby is The Belfry
The Belfry
The Belfry is a golf resort in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, very near the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham, and owned since 2005 by Irish businessman Sean Quinn....
, a hotel with a renowned golf complex whose Brabazon course has hosted the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
several times.
Sports facilities, including swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and 400m athletics track, are located at Wyndley Leisure Centre (which is undergoing a major refurbishment), on the edge of Sutton Park
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
. This was opened in 1971 by Ethel E. Dunnett. The nearby youth centre was opened in September 1968. Parts of Rectory Park is leased to Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club, Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club and Sutton Town Football Club.
Places of interest
Parkland
The area is home to Sutton ParkSutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
, one of the largest urban parks in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the largest outside London. It has an area of 2224.2 acres (9 km²) and is used as part of the course for the Great Midlands Fun Run
Great Midlands Fun Run
The Great Midlands Fun Run is an annual charity fundraising event held in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.The event began in 2003 with a total of over £40,000 being raised. This was doubled in 2004 to £82,700 and a further £81,800 was added in 2005 before raising £108,300 in the 2006 event...
, sponsored by the Sutton Coldfield Observer
Sutton Coldfield Observer
The Sutton Coldfield Observer is a free local newspaper serving the residents of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England. Launched in 1985, it took over from the Sutton Coldfield Times newspaper...
. The park is a national nature reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. New Hall Valley
New Hall Valley
New Hall Valley lies between Walmley and Maney in the Sutton Coldfield area to the north of Birmingham.In 2005, much of the valley was designated part of the New Hall Valley Country Park. The Plants Brook stream runs through the valley, and consequently it contains a substantial amount of wetland...
, which separates Walmley and Maney, is the location of New Hall Valley Country Park
New Hall Valley Country Park
New Hall Valley Country Park is a country park located in New Hall Valley between Walmley and Wylde Green in the Sutton Coldfield area of north Birmingham. It is the first new country park in the UK for over a decade...
which was opened formally on August 29, 2005. It has an area of 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) and within it is New Hall Mill which is one of only two working watermills in the West Midlands.
The mill is privately owned but is open to the public several times a year. There are also several nature reserves including Plants Brook
Plants Brook
Plants Brook is a stream in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.-Course of the stream:...
Nature Reserve, in Walmley, and Hill Hook Nature Reserve. On the border between Sutton Coldfield and Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
is the extensive Pype Hayes Park
Pype Hayes Park
Pype Hayes Park is one of the larger parks in Birmingham. The park is in Erdiington Constituency and straddles the boundary between Pype Hayes and Erdington Pype Hayes Park is one of the larger parks in Birmingham. The park is in Erdiington Constituency and straddles the boundary between Pype...
and adjacent golf course, with the park falling within Tyburn ward
Tyburn, West Midlands
Tyburn is a ward in Birmingham, England formerly known as Kingsbury.It is part of the Erdington formal district and comprises Castle Vale, and the south-eastern part of Erdington. The significant landmarks in the area include Jaguar Cars' Castle Bromwich Assembly factory and Fort Dunlop.The newly...
but the golf course in Sutton New Hall
Sutton New Hall
Sutton New Hall is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England and is named after New Hall, a medieval manor house.Sutton New Hall is one of the four wards that make up the Parliamentary Constituency and formal district of Sutton Coldfield. The ward lies to the south-east of Sutton...
.
Historic houses
Sutton Coldfield has been an affluent area in the past leading to the construction of manorManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s and other large houses. Several have been renovated into hotels such as the New Hall Hotel
New Hall Manor
New Hall Manor is a medieval manor house, now used as a hotel, located in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.It is claimed to be one of the oldest inhabited moated houses in Britain, dating from the 13th century when the Earl of Warwick built a hunting lodge on the site...
, Moor Hall Hotel
Moor Hall Hotel
The Moor Hall Hotel is a hotel in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, UK.-History:First records of Moor Hall date back to the 15th century when it was owned by a Roger Harwell....
, Moxhull Hall Hotel
Moxhull Hall
Moxhull Hall is a hotel, wedding and conference venue in Wishaw, near Sutton Coldfield, in Warwickshire, England.It is a Grade II listed building....
, and Ramada
Ramada
Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.- History :The lodging chain was founded in 1953 by longtime Chicago restaurateur Marion W...
Hotel and Resort Penns Hall
Penns Hall
Penns Hall is a hotel and country club operated by Ramada International on Penns Lane, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is a Grade B locally listed building.- History :...
. Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall
Peddimore Hall is a manor house in the Walmley area of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II listed building. It is now in use as a private residence....
, a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
near Walmley, is a double moated hall used as a private residence. Demolished manor houses include Langley Hall
Langley Hall, West Midlands
Langley Hall was a manor house just off Fox Hollies Road, one mile from the centre of Walmley in Sutton Coldfield in the historic county of Warwickshire....
, the former residence of William Wilson
William Wilson (architect)
Sir William Wilson was an English architect, builder and sculptor.Born in 1641 in Leicester, he was the son of a baker. In his early life, it is believed that he served an apprenticeship with a statuary mason. It is also claimed that he studied under Sir Christopher Wren at Oxford University where...
and Four Oaks Hall, designed by William Wilson. William Wilson is also known to have designed Moat House
Moat House, Sutton Coldfield
Moat House is a Grade II* listed building situated in Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It is part of the Anchorage Road conservation area....
and lived in it with his wife, Jane Pudsey. It is Grade II* listed.
Conservation areas
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
s in Sutton Coldfield. The High Street, King Edward's Square, Upper Clifton Road, Mill Street, and the northern end of Coleshill Street are protected by the High Street conservation area, which is part covered by an Article 4 Direction
Article Four Direction
An Article Four Direction is made by a Local Planning Authority in the United Kingdom and confirmed by the Government. It serves to restrict Permitted Development rights, which means that a lot of the things people do to their land or houses without planning permission and often take for granted,...
. At the centre of the conservation area is Holy Trinity Church, which is fronted by the Vesey Memorial Gardens, created in memory of Bishop John Vesey. The High Street conservation area was designated on November 28, 1973 and extended February 6, 1975, August 14, 1980 and again on July 16, 1992. It covers an area of 16.95 square kilometres (41.87 acres).
Beyond the railway bridge, which crosses the Sutton Park Line and separates the Lichfield Road and High Street, is the Anchorage Road conservation area which protects buildings such as Moat House
Moat House, Sutton Coldfield
Moat House is a Grade II* listed building situated in Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It is part of the Anchorage Road conservation area....
by William Wilson
William Wilson (architect)
Sir William Wilson was an English architect, builder and sculptor.Born in 1641 in Leicester, he was the son of a baker. In his early life, it is believed that he served an apprenticeship with a statuary mason. It is also claimed that he studied under Sir Christopher Wren at Oxford University where...
. The conservation area was designated on October 15, 1992 and covers an area of 17.57 square kilometres (43.41 acres).
Religious buildings
Holy Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in the town, having been established around 1300. The church has been expanded over time, notably by John Vesey, Bishop of Exeter who built two aisles and added an organ. His tomb is located within the church. Outside of Sutton town centre, there are numerous other churches, many of which are listed buildings.In Four Oaks is the Church of All Saints which is a Grade B locally listed building. It was built in 1908 and designed by Charles Bateman
Charles Bateman
Charles Edward Bateman FRIBA was an English architect, known for his Arts and Crafts and Queen Anne-style houses and commercial buildings in the Birmingham area and for his sensitive vernacular restoration and extension work in the Cotswolds.- Life and career :Bateman was born in Castle Bromwich,...
, whose Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
are seen in the building. Another church in Four Oaks which is of a mixed Arts and Crafts-Gothic style is Four Oaks Methodist Church, built between 1907 and 1908 to a design by Crouch and Butler. It is Grade II listed. The Methodist Hall attached to it is also Grade II listed.
In Mere Green is the Church of St Peter, also by Charles Bateman, which was built between 1906 and 1908. The building is Grade II listed. Also designed by Charles Bateman is the Church of St Chad near Walmley. This was built between 1925 and 1927. The side chapel was built in 1977 to a design by Erie Marriner. It is Grade II listed. St Johns Church, built in 1845 to a design by D. R. Hill, is located on the Walmley Road in Walmley. It is the parish church for Walmley and is of a Norman architectural style. It is Grade C locally listed.
In Maney, near Walmley, is St Peter's Church which began construction in 1905, although the tower, which was designed by Cossins, Peacock and Bewley, was constructed in 1935 and the building is Grade II listed. Located on the border of Sutton town centre is Church Hall, a former Roman Catholic Chapel, built around 1834. The building is now used for offices and is Grade II listed.
Public facilities
The Town HallSutton Coldfield Town Hall
Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is a former hotel and council building in Sutton Coldfield, England. The building is a Grade A locally listed building....
, a relic of Sutton Coldfield's former status as a municipal borough, now serves as a theatre, conference, and function venue.
In the town centre is Sutton Parade which is a pedestrianized shopping area. Sutton Coldfield Library, opened in 1974, is located near Sutton Parade above the Red Rose Centre. It also contains the Sutton Coldfield Reference Library, which holds a large collection of newspapers and magazines with all Sutton Coldfield based publications such as Sutton Coldfield News
Sutton Coldfield News
The Sutton Coldfield News is a free weekly newspaper serving the area of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is owned by the Trinity Mirror group....
and Sutton Coldfield Observer
Sutton Coldfield Observer
The Sutton Coldfield Observer is a free local newspaper serving the residents of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England. Launched in 1985, it took over from the Sutton Coldfield Times newspaper...
being held permanently. The Library is currently closed and there is no clear indication when it will reopen, there are many branch libraries in Sutton Coldfield and there is also a good bus service from Sutton Parade to Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham city centre is the business, retail and leisure hub of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. Birmingham city centre is undergoing massive redevelopment with the Big City Plan...
and Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library is the main public library in Birmingham, England, and the largest non-national library in Europe. It is managed by Birmingham City Council...
, The Central Library and the terminus of busses from Sutton Coldfield are both within the City Centre Core
City Centre Core
The City Centre Core in Birmingham, England, is the historic heart of the city roughly comprising the area within the former Birmingham Inner Ring Road....
and in walking distance of each other.
Also in the Town centre is Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street....
which is part of the Birmingham Cross-City Line, nearby is the Town Gate entrance to Sutton Park
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
fairly close to the Sutton Park Visitor’s Centre.
Sutton Coldfield has 3 Community Centres and a number of smaller Community Halls all offering classes and events in a wide verity of subjects and interests - see Mere Green Community Centre, Falcon Lodge Community Centre and Brampton Hall Community Centre.
Good Hope Hospital
Good Hope Hospital
Good Hope Hospital is a hospital in the Sutton Coldfield area of Birmingham, England. Covering north Birmingham and south east Staffordshire it has Accident and Emergency facilities....
provides main hospital services to the town, including accident and emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
facilities. Another hospital in Sutton Coldfield is Sutton Cottage Hospital, which is operated by the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust. It opened in 1908 and the buildings were designed by Herbert Tudor Buckland
Herbert Tudor Buckland
Herbert Tudor Buckland was a British architect, best known for his seminal Arts and Crafts houses , the Elan Valley model village, educational buildings such as the campus of the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk and St Hugh's College in Oxford.-Biography:Buckland was born in...
and Edward Haywood-Farmer.
On Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield is served by a police station, magistrates court (both opened in 1960) and fire station (opened 1963). On the opposite side of the road is Sutton Coldfield College, which is the main college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
of further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
for the area. Also located on the north-eastern outskirts of the area is Sutton Coldfield transmitting station, the first television transmitter to broadcast outside the London area.
Transport
Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street....
on the Cross-City Line to the centre of Birmingham, Sutton is mostly a commuter dormitory town for people who work in Birmingham. The 1955 Sutton Coldfield rail crash
Sutton Coldfield rail crash
The Sutton Coldfield train crash took place at about 16:13 on 23 January 1955 in Sutton Coldfield, a town now within the City of Birmingham, when an express passenger train traveling from York to Bristol, England, derailed due to excessive speed on a sharp curve.- Accident circumstances :Headed by...
occurred here, when an express train entered the very tight curve through the station much faster than the speed limit of 30 mi/h. The Sutton Park Line also crosses the town roughly perpendicular to the cross-city line (crossing at a point out of easy sight near the former Midland Road station), but lost its passenger services and stations in the 1964 "Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
". It retained a loading bay at the adjacent Clifton Road Royal Mail sorting office for a time, but now remains as a freight only line.
The Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
Icknield Street
Icknield Street
Icknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in Britain that runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire to Templeborough in South Yorkshire...
cuts through Sutton Park
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is larger than Richmond Park in London....
to the west of the town. The town is bypassed to the north by the M6 Toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
, the first toll motorway in the UK, accessible from Sutton by junction T2 at Minworth (co-located with the M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
junction), T3 and T4 (interchanging with the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
at the south and north ends of their 5 miles (8 km) parallel run), and T5 at Shenstone. It also has easy access to the M6
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...
to the South, via junctions 5 (Castle Bromwich), J6 (Gravelly Hill, or "Spaghetti Junction"
Gravelly Hill Interchange
Gravelly Hill Interchange, better known by its nickname Spaghetti Junction, is junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38 Aston Expressway in Birmingham, England.- Overview :...
) and J7 at Great Barr; and also the M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
in the east, via junction 9 near Minworth.
The A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
itself used to run through the centre of the town (literally, using the since-pedestrianised line of the Parade), but now uses the dual carriageway bypass to the east. The former route of the A38 is now the A5127 Lichfield Road, branching from the southern end of the Aston Expressway on the Birmingham Middleway ring road, and continues to provide a major connective route running between and on slightly altered paths through the centres of Erdington, Sutton and Lichfield.
The Parade in the town centre is the main destination and terminus for numerous National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
bus services in and through Sutton Coldfield. Such routes as 'Sutton Lines' (902, 904, 905, 914, 915) to Birmingham, 77 to Walsall' and 451 to West Bromwich; to name just a few arterial routes. The resultant congestion and perceived danger, from heavy (and almost exclusively) bus traffic on the repurposed and poorly sighted Lower Parade and Lower Queen Street coming into conflict with pedestrians (including children from several local schools) crossing between the Red Rose Centre and the other shopping areas, has led to calls for a dedicated bus centre to be built external to the town centre.
This would be built as part of the controversial Brassington Avenue development, with an elevated walkway across the ring road providing access to the main shopping areas. However, there are several sets of pedestrian crossings near to the bus stops, in order to provide a safe area for people to cross. Nevertheless, it remains a dangerous area with the large amount of traffic present, especially in the school holidays.
Education
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for GirlsSutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls is a state-funded selective grammar school and sixth form college for girls in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, England...
is on Jockey Road (A453
A453 road
The A453 road was formerly the main trunk road connecting the English cities of Nottingham and Birmingham. However, the middle section of this mainly single-carriageway road has largely been downgraded to B roads or unclassified roads following the construction of the parallel M42-A42 link around...
). Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century...
, its male equivalent, is on Lichfield Road (A5127
A5127 road
The A5127 is a major road in England which runs between Birmingham and Lichfield, Staffordshire. For much of the route the road follows the old route of the A38 which has since been moved in order to by-pass places such as Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and form a relief road from Birmingham city...
/A453) in the centre of the town adjacent to Birmingham Metropolitan College
Birmingham 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...
. The Arthur Terry School
The Arthur Terry School
The Arthur Terry School is a secondary school and Sixth form centre in the Four Oaks area of Sutton Coldfield, England. Its current headmaster is Mr. C. Stone.-Admissions:...
is on Kittoe Road in Four Oaks in the north of the town near Butlers Lane station
Butlers Lane railway station
Butlers Lane railway station serves the northern part of the Four Oaks district of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line. The station, and all trains calling there are operated by London Midland.-History:...
. The John Willmott School
John Willmott School
John Willmott School is an 11–18 community comprehensive school located in Sutton Coldfield, England and is part of the Birmingham Local Education Authority. and has been a specialist technology college since September 2001. There are 1,186 students on roll, of whom 230 are in the sixth form....
is on Reddicap Heath Road in the east of the town. Opposite the school is Fairfax School. The Plantsbrook School
Plantsbrook School
Plantsbrook School, formerly Riland Bedford, is a secondary school and Sixth Form College in Sutton Coldfield, on Upper Holland Road, North Birmingham, England....
is on Upper Holland Road near the centre of the town in Maney
Maney
Maney is an area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is situated close to the town centre of Sutton Coldfield and is also near Wylde Green and Walmley. The main thoroughfare is Birmingham Road, which runs through Maney.-Facilities:...
. The Bishop Walsh Catholic School
Bishop Walsh Catholic School
Bishop Walsh Catholic School is a secondary school located in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham in the West Midlands of England.-Introduction:Bishop Walsh Catholic School is a Performing Arts College, Mathematics and Computing College and Sixth Form centre...
is next to the Sutton Park Line and New Hall Valley Country Park
New Hall Valley Country Park
New Hall Valley Country Park is a country park located in New Hall Valley between Walmley and Wylde Green in the Sutton Coldfield area of north Birmingham. It is the first new country park in the UK for over a decade...
; the school is 10 minutes from Wylde Green
Wylde Green
Wylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
. All these schools are for ages 11–18. However, from September 1972 until July 1992, the Sutton Coldfield area consisted of 5-8 first schools, 8-12 middle schools and 12-16/18 secondary schools, which was unique to the West Midlands with the exception of the north of the Dudley borough. However, Dudley reverted to the traditional school age ranges two years before Sutton Coldfield did.
There are also a number of primary schools located in the town. Whitehouse Common Primary School in the Whitehouse Common
Whitehouse Common
Whitehouse Common is an area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It lies north of Falcon Lodge which is separated from it by a main road.The area is served by ....
area, The Deanery Primary School, Holy Cross Infant and Junior Catholic Primary School, and Walmley Primary School serving the Walmley
Walmley
Walmley is an area of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is in south Sutton Coldfield, near to Minworth, Wylde Green, Erdington and south of Thimble End. It is approximately northeast of Birmingham city centre...
area. The Shrubbery School, established in 1930, is a private primary school located on the fringes of Walmley and Hollyfield primary located on hollyfield rd founded in 1907.
Highclare School, founded in 1932, is a primary and secondary school located on three sites in the Birmingham area. Two of the sites are located in Sutton Coldfield, with the other being located in nearby Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
. The Sutton Coldfield facilities are on the Lichfield Road in the Four Oaks area and in the Wylde Green
Wylde Green
Wylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
area to the south, which houses the nursery.
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School (Birmingham)
St. Nicholas Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided Catholic primary school located in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. There are currently about 210 students. The school is oversubscribed and has exceptional academic standards....
in Jockey Road is a voluntary aided
Voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
catholic
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
primary school. Established in 1967, there are currently about 210 student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s. The school is oversubscribed.
Notable residents
A number of famous people were born or have lived in Sutton Coldfield including:- Scott AdkinsScott AdkinsScott Adkins is an English actor and martial artist who is perhaps best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption and Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High...
- actor - Barry BannanBarry BannanBarry Bannan is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for English Premier League club Aston Villa. He plays as a midfielder and is a Scotland full international, and also represented under-21 and B levels...
- footballer for Aston Villa - Stacey CadmanStacey CadmanStacey Cadman is a British actress and television presenter. She was born and educated in the West Midlands, England. After leaving John Willmott School in Sutton Coldfield, Stacey studied performing arts and Dance in Birmingham...
- actress - Ciaran ClarkCiaran ClarkCiaran Clark is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national football team...
- Footballer for Aston Villa - George BodingtonGeorge BodingtonGeorge Bodington was a British general practitioner and pulmonary specialist.Born in Buckinghamshire and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, he served a surgical apprenticeship then studied at St Bartholomew's Hospital...
- GP and pulmonary specialist - Colin CharvisColin CharvisColin Charvis is a former captain of the Welsh national rugby union team and also played for the British and Irish lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no...
- Welsh internationalWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player - Derek DaunceyDerek DaunceyDerek Stephen Dauncey was the team manager for the Mitsubishi World Rally Team, a title he received in 2001. The team took one Construtors FIA World Rally Championship and four Drivers titles with the teams number one driver Tommi Makinen.Dauncey was born in Sutton Coldfield and attended Holland...
- World Rally Team Manager, Mitsubishi Ralliart Japan - 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...
- television presenter - Rory DelapRory DelapRory John Delap is an English born Irish footballer who plays for Stoke City. He has played eleven times for the Republic of Ireland national football team....
- footballer - James FleetwoodJames FleetwoodJames Fleetwood was an English clergyman and Bishop of Worcester.-Life:...
- later Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
. - Apache Indian - Reggae Singer
- Kate Gerbeau (née Sanderson) - television presenter
- Emma Griffiths - MTV presenter, former model and wife of Matt WillisMatt WillisMatthew James Willis is an English singer-songwriter. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.- Early years :...
from Busted - Mark KinsellaMark KinsellaMark Anthony Kinsella is an Irish former professional footballer and current football coach. He played as a central midfielder for most of his career....
- Aston Villa and Charlton Athletic Footballer, Irish National Team Captain. - Anna Kumble - British pop star, better known as Lolly
- Rasmus HardikerRasmus HardikerRasmus Kip Hardiker is an English actor from Sutton Coldfield. He is best known for his roles as Raymond in Steve Coogan's sitcom Saxondale and Ben in the Jack Dee comedy Lead Balloon. Hardiker was also in the BBC3 sketch series The Wrong Door.-Personal life:Hardiker was born in Sutton Coldfield,...
- actor - Alan JerrardAlan JerrardFlight Lieutenant Alan Jerrard VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
- Holder of the Victoria Cross - Trevor EveTrevor EveTrevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,...
- Actor - Mike JordanMike JordanMichael Jordan is a British racing driver who competed in various classes of saloon and sportscar racing. He will compete for his own JordanSport.co.uk team in the 2009 Britcar Production Championship...
- racing driver - Gwilym Lee - Actor
- Arthur LoweArthur LoweArthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
(1915–1982) - Comic actor. Ashes scattered at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium - Sir Michael LyonsSir Michael LyonsSir Michael Lyons , is the non-executive chairman of the English Cities Fund and Participle Ltd; he is a former Chairman of the BBC Trust....
- Chairman of the BBC Trust - Steve Marshall - Rugby Player. Born in Sutton Coldfield, now resides in GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
- Sir Roger MooreRoger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
- actor - Paul MersonPaul MersonPaul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...
- former footballer and ex WalsallWalsall F.C.Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
manager - Jonathan MilesJonathan Miles (cricketer)Jonathan Samuel Miles is an English cricketer. Miles is a right-handed batsman who bowls left-arm medium pace. He was born at Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire....
(b. 1986) - Cricketer - Ken MilesKen MilesKen Miles was a sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his career in the USA and with American teams on the international scene.-Background:Miles raced motorcycles before he served as a tank sergeant in the British Army in World War...
- racing and sports car driver - Martin O'NeillMartin O'NeillMartin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
- Irish footballer and former manager of Aston Villa - Mike NattrassMike NattrassMike Nattrass is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency for the UK Independence Party , elected for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009....
- Member of the European ParliamentMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the West Midlands regionWest Midlands (European Parliament constituency)West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect...
for the United Kingdom Independence PartyUnited Kingdom Independence PartyThe United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) - Alfred OwenAlfred OwenSir Alfred George Beech Owen was the son of Alfred Ernest Owen, who in 1910 became the sole-proprietor of the British engineering company Rubery Owen & Co....
- proprietor of Rubery Owen - Renato PagliariRenée and RenatoRenée and Renato was a female/male vocal duo, who had a UK Number one hit in December 1982 with "Save Your Love". The follow-up single "Just One More Kiss" peaked at #48...
- singer famous for "Save Your LoveSave Your Love"Save Your Love" is the first single from Tracie Spencer's second album, Make the Difference, written by Kenny Harris and released on August 30, 1990...
" - James and Oliver PhelpsJames and Oliver PhelpsJames Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps are identical twin English actors, best known for playing Fred and George Weasley, respectively, in the Harry Potter film series.-Early life:...
- actors, play the Weasley twins in the Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series of films - Natalie PowersNatalie PowersNatalie Powers is a British solo recording artist and lead vocalist of the pop group Scooch, which represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.-Early career:...
- singer, member of ScoochScoochScooch are a British bubblegum dance group, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer.Scooch represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag ", finishing 23rd out of 24 entries after...
who represent Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007Eurovision Song Contest 2007The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
with Flying the Flag (for You)Flying the Flag (for You)"Flying the Flag " is a song performed by British pop/bubblegum dance group Scooch.The song was entered and won the British national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up in 2007, and subsequently represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song... - Tom Ross - Capital Gold Radio Presenter
- John ShelleyJohn Shelley (illustrator)John Shelley John Shelley John Shelley (ジョン・シェリー）Born 28 June 1959 in Birmingham, is an award winning British-born illustrator, particularly noted for his work in Japan.-Career:...
- Illustrator - Jane SixsmithJane SixsmithJanet Theresa "Jane" Sixsmith MBE is a former field hockey player, who was a member of the British squad that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She retired from the international scene after scoring over hundred goals and winning 165 caps for England and 158 for Great...
- international hockey player - John Benjamin StoneJohn Benjamin StoneSir John Benjamin Stone , known as Benjamin, was a British Conservative politician, and noted photographer.Stone was born in Aston, Birmingham the son of a local glass manufacturer...
- four times Mayor - James SuttonJames Sutton (actor)James Sutton is an English television actor, best known for playing the parts of John Paul McQueen in the British Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and Ryan Lamb in the ITV soap Emmerdale.-Personal life:...
- HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
actor - Chandeep UppalChandeep UppalChandeep Uppal is a British actress best known for her critically acclaimed starring role as Meena Kumar in the film Anita and Me.-Career:...
- Actress - Darius VassellDarius VassellDarius Vassell is an English footballer who plays for Championship side Leicester City, having previously played for Aston Villa, Manchester City and Ankaragücü, as well as the England national team....
- footballer - James VaughanJames Vaughan (striker)James Oliver Vaughan is an English footballer who plays for Norwich City. He plays as a striker and represented England at under 21 level...
- Everton footballer - Brigadier Rory Walker OBERoderick WalkerBrigadier Roderick 'Rory' Muir Bamford Walker OBE MC, was a British SAS Commander, best known for his heroism during the Oman Uprising and the Indonesian Confrontation...
- SAS Commander - Dennis WatermanDennis WatermanDennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
- actor, MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
used to live in Sutton - Arnold Horace Santo WatersArnold Horace Santo WatersSir Arnold Horace Santo Waters VC, CBE, DSO, MC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 32 years old, and an acting major in the 218th Field...
- Holder of the Victoria Cross - Peter WestonPeter WestonPeter Weston is a British science fiction fan. Now retired, he lives in Birmingham, UK.Weston's made many contributions in fan writing, fanzine editing, convention-running and in local science fiction clubs. His 1960s pseudonym "Malcolm Edwards" caused some confusion several years later, when a...
- Influential British science fiction fan and winner of multiple Hugo Awards - Baruch Harold WoodBaruch Harold WoodBaruch Harold Wood MSc OBE was an English chess player, editor and author. He was born in Sheffield, England.-Playing career:...
OBE, (B.H.) - chess master, writer and organiser - William F WoodingtonWilliam F WoodingtonWilliam Frederick Woodington was a notable English painter and sculptor of the 19th century.He was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire William Frederick Woodington (10 February 1806 - 24 December 1893) was a notable English painter and sculptor of the 19th century.He was born in Sutton...
ARA - painter and sculptor - John WyattJohn Wyatt (inventor)John Wyatt , an English inventor, was born near Lichfield and was related to Sarah Ford, Doctor Johnson's mother. A carpenter by trade he began work in Birmingham on the development of a spinning machine...
- inventor and engineer - Dorian YatesDorian YatesDorian Andrew Mientjez Yates , is an English professional bodybuilder, winning the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times beginning in 1992. He is fourth on the list of most Olympias won, and out of the seven in which he competed, he won six and placed second in his debut...
- six times Mr Olympia Bodybuilding World Champion - Michael MancienneMichael MancienneMichael Ian Mancienne is an English footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV as a defender.Schooled primarily as a centre back, Mancienne can also play as a defensive midfielder as well as both fullback positions as he showed during appearances for Chelsea, and multiple loan...
- Professional Footballer - Abi PhillipsAbi PhillipsAbi Phillips is an English actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for playing Liberty Savage in Channel 4 British soap-opera Hollyoaks.-Career:...
- Actress Hollyoaks (TV series)
Further reading
- The Gentleman's MagazineThe Gentleman's MagazineThe Gentleman's Magazine was founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term "magazine" for a periodical...
(Vol. XXII), page 270, Sylvanus Urban, 1790 - Sutton Coldfield, 1974-84: The Story of a Decade: a Look at Life and Events in the Royal Town, Douglas V. Jones, 1984, Westwood Press Publications (ISBN 0-948025-00-X)
- Sutton Coldfield: a history & celebration, Alison Reed; Francis Frith Collection, 2005 (ISBN 1-84589-218-6)
- Sutton Coldfield under the Earls of Warwick, Christine Smith, 2002, Acorn (ISBN 1-903263-71-9)
External links
- 1889 Ordnance Survey map of Sutton Coldfield town centre
- Birmingham City Council's Sutton Coldfield pages
- Complete street level mapping of Sutton Coldfield at OpenStreetMap.org
- History of Sutton Coldfield. Selective A to Z
- Sutton Coldfield Community Portal & Sutton Email Service