Yardley, Birmingham
Encyclopedia
Yardley is an area in east Birmingham
, England
. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee.
Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its Member of Parliament
is John Hemming
.
Yardley's main shopping area is known as Yew Tree, named after the yew
that stood, originally to the south of the roundabout, outside what was then Boots, then on the roundabout
at the junction in the centre of Yardley. It was damaged during work to the roundabout, and as a result was removed. It was later replaced by another tree located in the centre of the island.
Yardley once had a local pub owned by the brewery company Bass
, called The Yew Tree. It was run by the Williams family who had lived there for over 20 years. It was shut down in June 2000 after being stripped of its liquor license and told by police
that it was a magnet for crime. It was subsequently subject to two arson attacks. One of the fires caused an adjacent road, Stoney Lane, to be closed to traffic for one day. The pub was later demolished and replaced by a Co-op
supermarket
and new restaurant
s. A new Yew Tree pub has now opened within the premises.
At a Council Licensing meeting on the 5th September 2011 Wetherspoons was granted a licence to convert the former Woolworths premises at 140 Church Road to a pub.. This will help to replace the many local pubs closed over the years The Swan on the Coventry road, The Ring O'Bells on Church Road, and others. It was expected that the premises will open in the next six months or so. The licence was granted despite local concerns over noise, nuisance, anti-social behavior and delivery vehicles blocking alleyways. A resident Rob Clark Clark had told the committee that neighbours in the Grove were anxious about disturbances. He said: “There have been problems with anti-social behaviour before, it needs CCTV cameras and some lighting.“I am sure we can work with Wetherspoons to get this done.”
The committee was also concerned by nuisance from smokers under a canopy on the front pavement. But the company argued that its staff are all trained in dealing with problems and that there would be regular checks. Wetherspoons also promised CCTV and lighting to the rear of the site to prevent problems.
See also the Swan Shopping Centre
.
and was referred to as early as 972 in King Edgar's Charter where it is named Gyrdleah. It was mentioned as being under the possession of Pershore Abbey
.
The parish of Yardley, historically considered part of Worcestershire
, became the only parish in the Yardley Rural District under the Local Government Act 1894
, and was added to Birmingham
and Warwickshire
in 1911. The ancient parish of Yardley included the areas known as Stechford and Hall Green
. The area of Gilbertstone
straddles the border of Yardley and South Yardley
.
Yardley has a Tudor
hall called Blakesley Hall
and an old church, St Edburgha's
, that dates back to the 13th century, with the church tower and spire dating to the 15th century. It was not established by the abbey, but by Aston Church in the Diocese of Lichfield
. A Tudor addition to the church is a doorway surrounded by Tudor
rose
s and a pomegranate
, commemorating the marriage of Prince Arthur, Prince of Wales
, to Catherine of Aragon
.
Yardley had a manor that was owned by various lords. It remained unoccupied from 1700 onwards. It was owned by the Royal Family until 1626, when it was bought by Richard Grevis of Moseley Hall. His descendants sold it in 1759 to pay off debts. John Taylor, one of the founders of Lloyds Bank
, bought the lordship in 1766. Most of the land, had by then, been purchased by other people so Taylor owned only a small portion of the original grounds.
A small amount of Yardley, called Old Yardley, was granted conservation area status in 1969, becoming Birmingham's first conservation area.
In 1981, an Arcon V prefab home
on Moat Lane was dismantled and transported to Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
.
Yardley also contains a moated medieval site called "Kent's Moat". Now dry, it has retained its depth and shape remarkably well considering its age, as excavations have shown evidence of inhabitation from as early as the 12th Century.
Yardley has three main primary schools. These are Yardley, Hobmoor and Lyndon Green. It also has two main secondary school
s, which are Cockshut Hill
and Sheldon Heath.
Hobmoor Primary School moved to new premises in Summer 2007. The former building is to be demolished and the site redeveloped.
is Stechford railway station
. It is served by National Express West Midlands
buses, most connecting to Birmingham city centre, outer circle, Chelmsley Wood
and Solihull
.
The area used to be well-served by horse-buses and then by steam bus
es. Electric trams were then introduced and they travelled across a new bridge at the River Cole
to the Swan
.
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...
, 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...
. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee.
Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its 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,...
is John Hemming
John Hemming (politician)
John Alexander Melvin Hemming is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley and Group Chair of the Liberal Democrats on the city council of Birmingham, England....
.
Features
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
that stood, originally to the south of the roundabout, outside what was then Boots, then on the roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at the junction in the centre of Yardley. It was damaged during work to the roundabout, and as a result was removed. It was later replaced by another tree located in the centre of the island.
Yardley once had a local pub owned by the brewery company Bass
Bass (beer)
The Bass Brewery was founded as a brewery in 1777 by William Bass in Burton upon Trent, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, which was once the highest selling beer in the UK...
, called The Yew Tree. It was run by the Williams family who had lived there for over 20 years. It was shut down in June 2000 after being stripped of its liquor license and told by police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
that it was a magnet for crime. It was subsequently subject to two arson attacks. One of the fires caused an adjacent road, Stoney Lane, to be closed to traffic for one day. The pub was later demolished and replaced by a Co-op
Co-op UK
The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 3 million individual members. Modern co-operation started with the Rochdale Pioneers' shop in the northern English town of Rochdale in 1844....
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
and new restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s. A new Yew Tree pub has now opened within the premises.
At a Council Licensing meeting on the 5th September 2011 Wetherspoons was granted a licence to convert the former Woolworths premises at 140 Church Road to a pub.. This will help to replace the many local pubs closed over the years The Swan on the Coventry road, The Ring O'Bells on Church Road, and others. It was expected that the premises will open in the next six months or so. The licence was granted despite local concerns over noise, nuisance, anti-social behavior and delivery vehicles blocking alleyways. A resident Rob Clark Clark had told the committee that neighbours in the Grove were anxious about disturbances. He said: “There have been problems with anti-social behaviour before, it needs CCTV cameras and some lighting.“I am sure we can work with Wetherspoons to get this done.”
The committee was also concerned by nuisance from smokers under a canopy on the front pavement. But the company argued that its staff are all trained in dealing with problems and that there would be regular checks. Wetherspoons also promised CCTV and lighting to the rear of the site to prevent problems.
See also the Swan Shopping Centre
Swan Shopping Centre
The Swan Shopping Centre is an under-construction shopping centre in Yardley, Birmingham, scheduled to open in Spring 2012.With its landmark high rise building, it stands on the A45 Coventry Road at its intersection with the A4040 Outer Ring Road , known as Swan Island.-History:It consists of a...
.
History
Yardley is not a town. Yardley is named in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
and was referred to as early as 972 in King Edgar's Charter where it is named Gyrdleah. It was mentioned as being under the possession of Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey, at Pershore in Worcestershire, was an Anglo-Saxon abbey and is now an Anglican parish church.-Foundation:The foundation of the minster at Pershore is alluded to in a spurious charter of King Æthelred of Mercia...
.
The parish of Yardley, historically considered part of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, became the only parish in the Yardley Rural District under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, and was added to 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...
and 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...
in 1911. The ancient parish of Yardley included the areas known as Stechford and Hall Green
Hall Green
Not to be confused with Hall Green, Wolverhampton or Hall Green, SandwellHall Green is an area and ward in south Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
. The area of Gilbertstone
Gilbertstone
Gilbertstone is a residential suburban area straddling the border of Yardley and South Yardley in Birmingham, West Midlands.-Etymology:It is unknown where the name actually came from but a local legend states that a man named Gilbert lifted an enormous stone to move the boundaries between his and...
straddles the border of Yardley and South Yardley
South Yardley
South Yardley is one of the 40 electoral wards in Birmingham, England. The name of the ward was changed from Acocks Green Ward and with the name change, the boundary changed with Acocks Green village and Acocks Green railway station being lost and the boundary being extended north to Bordesley...
.
Yardley has a Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
hall called Blakesley Hall
Blakesley Hall
Blakesley Hall is a Tudor hall on Blakesley Road in Yardley, Birmingham, England. It is one of the oldest buildings in Birmingham and is a typical example of Tudor architecture with the use of darkened timber and wattle-and-daub infill, with an external lime render which is painted white...
and an old church, St Edburgha's
St Edburgha's Church, Yardley
St Edburgha's Church is a parish church in the Yardley area of Birmingham, England. It is a Grade I listed building and a part of the Old Yardley conservation area.-History:...
, that dates back to the 13th century, with the church tower and spire dating to the 15th century. It was not established by the abbey, but by Aston Church in the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
. A Tudor addition to the church is a doorway surrounded by Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and a pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
, commemorating the marriage of Prince Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
, to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
.
Yardley had a manor that was owned by various lords. It remained unoccupied from 1700 onwards. It was owned by the Royal Family until 1626, when it was bought by Richard Grevis of Moseley Hall. His descendants sold it in 1759 to pay off debts. John Taylor, one of the founders of Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
, bought the lordship in 1766. Most of the land, had by then, been purchased by other people so Taylor owned only a small portion of the original grounds.
A small amount of Yardley, called Old Yardley, was granted conservation area status in 1969, becoming Birmingham's first conservation area.
In 1981, an Arcon V prefab home
Prefabricated buildings
Prefabricated building is a type of building that consists of several factory-built components or units that are assembled on-site to complete the unit.- Prefabricated Housing :"Prefabricated" may refer to buildings built in components Prefabricated building is a type of building that consists of...
on Moat Lane was dismantled and transported to Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings is an open-air museum of rescued buildings which have been relocated to its site in Stoke Heath, a district of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. Founded in 1963 and opened in 1967, the museum was conceived following the dismantling of a 15th-century...
.
Yardley also contains a moated medieval site called "Kent's Moat". Now dry, it has retained its depth and shape remarkably well considering its age, as excavations have shown evidence of inhabitation from as early as the 12th Century.
Education
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, which are Cockshut Hill
Cockshut Hill Technology College
Cockshut Hill Technology College is a secondary school in the Yardley area of Birmingham, England. The Principal of the school is Mrs Mary Kirkland, who took over from Mr Richard Sloan in 2007....
and Sheldon Heath.
Hobmoor Primary School moved to new premises in Summer 2007. The former building is to be demolished and the site redeveloped.
Transport
Yardley's nearest train stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
is Stechford railway station
Stechford railway station
Stechford railway station serves the Stechford area of Birmingham, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland. It lies at the junction between the Birmingham to Coventry line, and the predominantly freight-only Stechford-Aston spur...
. It is served by 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...
buses, most connecting to Birmingham city centre, outer circle, Chelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England, with a population of 13,010. It is located near Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It lies adjacent to Birmingham...
and Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
.
The area used to be well-served by horse-buses and then by steam bus
Steam bus
A steam bus is a bus powered by a steam engine. Early steam-powered vehicles designed for carrying passengers were more usually known as steam carriages, although this term was sometimes used to describe other early experimental vehicles too.-History:...
es. Electric trams were then introduced and they travelled across a new bridge at the River Cole
River Cole, West Midlands
The River Cole is a river in the English Midlands. It rises in Redhill, near Kings Norton, South of Birmingham. After flowing through Birmingham, it passes Coleshill, to which it gave its name. It joins the River Blythe, of which it is a tributary, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets...
to the Swan
Swan Shopping Centre
The Swan Shopping Centre is an under-construction shopping centre in Yardley, Birmingham, scheduled to open in Spring 2012.With its landmark high rise building, it stands on the A45 Coventry Road at its intersection with the A4040 Outer Ring Road , known as Swan Island.-History:It consists of a...
.