The City of Birmingham
| I live in Castle Bromwich which is a suburb of Birmingham roughly 7
miles from the city centre. Below is a brief introduction to the City
The area now occupied by the city of Birmingham was in ancient times remote and thickly wooded upland. The region attracted few settlers in the Roman period, and the village of Birmingham appears to have been founded by Anglian settlers in the A.D. 600's. Visitors may easily tour the central part of Birmingham on foot. The main public buildings are grouped near Victoria Square, where the colonnaded Town Hall (built 1834-1849) provides the most distinguished architecture. The Council House (dating from 1879) is crowned by one of Birmingham's older landmarks, the Big Brum clocktower, with its distinctive chime. Nearby is the Civic Centre, which includes the Central Library and Repertory Theatre. Beyond are the well-preserved canal installations of Gas Street Basin and Farmer's Bridge. St. Philip's Cathedral (built in 1715) and St. Chad's Roman Catholic Cathedral (built in 1841) have a quiet distinction about them. The giant Bull Ring shopping centre (opened in 1963) is the heart of Birmingham. It is linked to New Street station by a shopping arcade. In the vicinity of the Bull Ring is St. Martin's Church. Many of the canals around Gas Street basin have recently been extensivly renovated and a large new area of Birmingham has sprung up around them including the National Indoor Arena, The International Convention Centre, The National Sea Life Centre and a large new shopping and leisure centre. The finest mansion still standing in Birmingham is Aston Hall (dating from 1618). It is located 3 kilometres northeast of the city centre and overlooks Villa Park, the home of the Aston Villa football club. Aston Hall is now a museum. The suburb of Bournville, which was begun in 1895 and developed as a model factory town by the Cadbury family, is an early example of town planning, which became famous for its chocolate industry. It is enhanced by two reconstructed manor houses, Selly Manor and Minworth Greaves. Other rescued buildings are in Cannon Hill, the finest of the city's pleasure grounds with a large nature centre, in Edgbaston, which itself is one of Birmingham's prettiest suburbs. Another historic building in the suburbs is Blakesley Hall, in Yardley, a farmhouse of the 1500's. Natural scenery within the city boundaries is offered by Sutton Park, in the northeast, and the Lickey Hills in the southwest. For more information see the City Of Birmingham Home Page |