Acocks Green is an area and
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of southeast
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is named after the Acock family, who built a large house there in 1370. Acocks Green is one of four wards making up
Yardley formal district. It is occasionally spelled "Acock's Green". It has frequently been noted on lists of
unusual place names.
Stockfield was once a separate village located in the north of the ward. It merged with Acocks after housing developments during the 20th century. The ward now covers an area , including the Edenbridge Road Estate, Gospel Estate, Pemberley Road Flats, Stockfield Estate, part of the Tyseley Estate and the Yarnfield Estate. The ward covers parts of the B27 and B11 postcode areas.
History
Acocks Green developed north of the current centre at the roundabout where the Warwick Road meets Shirley and Westley Roads. This area was known as ''Tenchlee'' or ''Tenelea'', meaning 'ten clearings'. The settlement that developed here has completely disappeared. Hyron Hall and Broom Hall were moated manor houses in the area. The
Fox Hollies
Fox Hollies is an area of Birmingham, England, situated on the edge of Acocks Green district. It is named after the Fox Hollies Hall estate.
It roughly includes the area around Fox Hollies Road (part of the A4040 Outer Ring Road), stretching fr ...
name derives from the time the Fox family bought the farm belonging to the atte Holies in the 15th century. The earliest known reference to Acocks Green is in the Yardley Parish Register of 1604. In 1626, Acocks Green House and other estates were given by Richard Acock to his son as a wedding gift. In 1725, the Warwick Road was
turnpiked. At the end of the 18th century, the
Warwick and Birmingham Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter st ...
was cut through the northern edge of Acocks Green, with wharves being constructed at Stockfield Road and Yardley Road. The increased prosperity brought by the canal led to the construction of farms and large residences.
Acocks Green began to expand following the opening of the Birmingham to Oxford Railway in 1852. At this time there were three hamlets along the Warwick Road; Flint Green, Acocks Green, and Westley Brook. As the hamlet of Acocks Green was closer to the railway station it developed faster than the others. Westley Brook became the centre of modern Acocks Green.
In 1911, the parish of
Yardley, of which Acocks Green was a part, was absorbed into Birmingham. Birmingham was in need of housing and in the mid-1920s, municipal housing was built on the fields surrounding Acocks Green, resulting in a large increase in the population. Many new residents were unwelcome and existing residents moved away leading to the nickname ''Snobs Green''. Acocks Green benefited from an increase in commerce brought about by the newcomers. It developed into a major shopping area and churches and meeting halls were extended to accommodate more people.
Trams arrived in Acocks Green in 1916, first terminating at Broad Road before reaching The Green in 1922. The centre of Acocks Green was remodelled in 1932, and a large island incorporating the tram terminus was created. After the tram service ended, the island was grassed over.
Acocks Green was the location for a custom-built factory which made parts for the
Bristol Hercules
The Bristol Hercules is a 14-cylinder two-row radial aircraft engine designed by Sir Roy Fedden and produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1939. It was the most numerous of their single sleeve valve ( Burt-McCollum, or Argyll, typ ...
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...
s. Construction of the factory commenced in late 1936 on the site of Westwood's market gardening business near the canal. The factory was the
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
shadow factory and it was operational by July 1937. The factory was visited by King
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
in March 1938. Towards the end of World War II, the factory began to produce
Meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
tank engines and the
Meteorite
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...
engine, and thus became a target for German bombers.
There are a number of statutorily
listed buildings
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
; cottages at 89–93 Arden Road (Grade II), the Baptist Church on Yardley Road (Grade II), the Baptist church hall on Alexander Road (Grade II). As well as this, there are locally listed buildings; the fire station (Grade B) and caretaker's house (Grade A) on Alexander Road, police station on Yardley Road (Grade B), a house on the corner of Elmdon Road, and the library on Shirley Road (Grade A). In Fox Hollies Park, there is a Bronze Age burnt mound with
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
status.
The Stockfield Estate
The Stockfield Estate was one of Birmingham's many interwar housing estates built by the city council during the 1920s and 1930s to rehouse people from inner-city slums. The houses proved popular thanks to the inclusion of electricity, running water, indoor toilets, bathrooms and gardens. The houses, constructed from
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
and designed in the 'Parkinson' style, were declared defective by law in 1985 and structural tests concluded that damage was so severe that repair would not be possible. This meant that the 477 houses had to be demolished, however, Birmingham City Council did not have the financial services available to carry out the work. Residents of the estate set up an Estate Development Group and architects
Webb Seeger Moorhouse were invited to prepare a masterplan for the estate. The masterplan and the proposal to establish a community association were publicly announced in October 1989 at a public meeting. Residents unanimously approved the plans. Stockfield Community Association was formed in 1991 and a redevelopment partnership was then formed between the Community Association, Birmingham City Council, Halifax Building Society and Bromford Carinthia Housing Association, with Anthony Collins Solicitors and Webb Seeger Moorhouse Community Architects giving support.
Wimpey Homes
George Wimpey was a British construction firm. Formed in 1880 and based in Hammersmith, it initially operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919, and he developed it into a constructi ...
were appointed as the developers and work on the first phase of the estate commenced in July 1991. This was met with opposition from some residents refusing to move and the crime on the estate was so bad that the washing machine in the show home provided by Wimpey was stolen.
The first phase, saw 17 Bromford family homes for rent, opened in the summer of 1991 by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. By 1998, all four phases of the estate were completed by Wimpey Homes.
Demography
The
2001 Population Census recorded that there were 26,635 people living in Acocks Green with a population density of 5,580 people/km
2. The 1991 Population Census recorded 26,087 residents living in the ward, a decline of 6.7% from 1981. 51.5% of the population is female and 48.5 is male. 19.6% (5,188) of the ward's population consists of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham in general. 80.4% of the population are White making it the largest ethnic group in the ward. Chinese was the smallest ethnic group in the ward at 0.7%, compared with the Birmingham average of 1.1%. 13% of the ward's population was born outside the United Kingdom, compared with the Birmingham average of 16.5% and the national average of 9.3%.
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
was the most prominent religion in the ward at 64.3%, above the city average of 59.1%.
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
was the second most selected religion at 7.7%, although "No Religion" had a higher percentage at 13.7%.
98.8% of the population live in households, which is above the Birmingham average of 98.3% and the national average of 98.2%. 1.2% live in communal establishments. There were 11,008 occupied households in the ward at the time of the census with an average of 2.4 people per household, equal to the national average. 305 households were vacant. 57.2% of the total households were owner-occupied, below the city average of 60.4% and the national average of 68.7%. The majority of the houses in Acocks Green were terraced (39%): semi-detached houses were also common in the area (36.4%).
17.5% of people are of a pensionable age and 58.2% are of a working age. 9.1% of the ward population was unemployed, above the city average of 6.8% and the national average of 4.1%. 36.6% of the unemployed had been in such a situation for the long term, and 13.5% had never worked. The majority of those that were employed worked in the manufacturing sector (18.6%). Wholesale & Retail Trade and Vehicle Repairs Finance and Real Estate & Business Activities were both major employment sectors in the area at 16.4%. The largest employer based in Acocks Green was Eaton Electric Ltd, employing approximately 750 people until its closure in 2018.
Politics
As of 6 May 2022 the
Acocks Green Ward
Acocks Green ward is an electoral ward in south-east Birmingham, England, and following the boundary reorganisation of 1 December 2017 includes the areas of Acocks Green, Stockfield and Fox Hollies
Fox Hollies is an area of Birmingham, England, ...
is represented on
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom (e ...
by two
Liberal Democrat
Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology.
Active parties
Former parties
See also
*Liberal democracy
*Lib ...
councillors.
Nationally, Acocks Green is part of
Birmingham, Yardley constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
represented in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
of the
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...
since 2015 by
Jess Phillips
Jessica Rose Phillips (; born 9 October 1981) is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguard ...
of the
Labour Party.
Education
Within its borders are EYFS providers seven primary schools and two secondary schools.
Acocks Green Primary School was created in 2004 upon the amalgamation of Acocks Green Junior School and Acocks Green Infant School. It is located in buildings dating to 1908. It was opened in 1909 by
Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council is the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Worcestershire in England. The most recent elections to it were in 2021. Worcestershire County Council has its headquarters at County Hall in Worcester, wh ...
and was transferred to Birmingham City Council in 1911. The school consisted of Boys, Girls and Infants departments, but in 1932 it was reorganised into Senior Mixed and Junior Mixed departments. The Senior Mixed department became a separate school in 1945 and the Junior Mixed department became a primary school at the same time. It currently has approximately 480 pupils.
The Cottesbrooke Infant and Junior schools opened on 6 September 1968 as a combined school. As the school was so oversubscribed, which resulted in the use of the local church hall for lessons, it was decided to split the school into an infant school and a junior school. The infant school remained in the original school buildings whilst the junior school was moved over the road with the original headteacher taking charge. Cottesbrooke Infant School has 329 pupils whilst Cottesbrooke Junior School has 220.
Holy Souls Primary School is a
voluntary aided
A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In m ...
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
primary school. It is run by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham in partnership with Birmingham Local Education Authority. The school was established in 1907 and moved into its current premises in 1968. There are 401 pupils on roll.
Oaklands Primary School, which was a primary school on Dolphin Lane, was constructed in 1928 and opened in 1929 as Oaklands County Primary School. It was expanded in 1932. In 1950, one of the timber buildings which formed the infants block was dismantled and reassembled in the newly constructed
Gilbertstone estate to form Gilbertstone Primary School. It currently has 335 pupils on roll.
Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School
Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form located in Acocks Green, Birmingham, England. The school is named after Edward Ilsley, former Archbishop of Birmingham.
Construction of the s ...
is a specialist secondary school with a
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
centre. Construction commenced in 1955 and the school was opened in 1957. The school is named in memory of Archbishop
Edward Ilsley
Archbishop Edward Ilsley was born in May 1838. He was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Birmingham from 1888 to 1911, and then the first Archbishop of Birmingham from 1911 to 1921 when his resignation was accepted by the Pope. He died in 1926.
Career ...
, who built the first church in Acocks Green.
Ninestiles Academy has over 1,300
laptop computer
A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...
s. It is attached to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre, which complements Acocks Green's other sports, gym and recreational facilities.
Fox Hollies School and Performing Arts College is a
special school
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
and used to be in the western end of the ward, but relocated to Moseley.
Kimichi School is an independent music school sited on Yardley Road, which opened in 2014 on the site of the former Eastbourne House School. Adult education takes place at Stone Hall, Archbishop Ilsley Technology College, Ninestiles Technology College, and Fox Hollies Leisure Centre. City College run an IT training facility from the Green. There is a yoga institute on Westley Road.
Places of interest
Acocks Green also has numerous parks and green spots, including Fox Hollies Park in the south which is home to a man-made lake called Round Pool.
The
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
where Warwick Road meets Shirley Road and Westley Road, despite being a tram and bus terminus until the 1950s, is called ''The Green'' by most locals. This is the main shopping area in Acocks Green. Most of the general retail shops are located here and further along Warwick Road. There is also a
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
and a bowling alley. Outside The Green you will not find many shops except
convenience store
A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...
s and
off-licence
A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...
s, although there is a large modern
bingo
Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Gaming
* Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers
** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland
** Bi ...
hall located on Stockfield Road.
Acocks Green has seven
churches including
St Mary the Virgin, Acocks Green
St Mary the Virgin, Acocks Green is a Grade II listed Church of England parish church in Acocks Green, Birmingham, England.
History
For centuries, Acocks Green was part of the Parish of Yardley, Birmingham, Yardley, however the population had e ...
, Holy Souls, a Methodist church on Shirley Road, a Baptist church on Yardley Road and the
Ghamkol Sharif Mosque. There is a large cultural diversity in Acocks Green with a mix of people from all religions and races. In recent years, Acocks Green has begun to see an increase in Polish residents.
Gospel Lane Skatepark was opened to the public on 12 August 2006. It was created using Neighbourhood Renewal Fund grants and through the advice of youngsters who would use the park. The British Legion have a local office and club in the ward. Hall Green Little Theatre is also located in Acocks Green.
The area is served by Acocks Green library which has been in use since 14 June 1932. Outside the library is the Acocks Green
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
.
Notable residents
*
Jasper Carrott
Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), best known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, actor and television presenter.
Early life
Born in Shaftmoor Lane, Acocks Green, in Birmingham, Carrott was educated at Acocks Gr ...
, entertainer
*
Dave Willetts
Dave Willetts (born 24 June 1952) is an English singer and actor known for having leading roles in West End musicals.
Early life
Born in Marston Green, Birmingham, in 1952 and then brought up in Acocks Green. He first went to Cottesbrooke ...
, singer in musicals, was born in
Marston Green
Marston Green is a large suburban village of around 5,000 residents in the civil parish of Bickenhill and Marston Green, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands. It lies within the historic counties o ...
in 1952 and was brought up in Acocks Green. While working for British Leyland, he got involved in amateur drama and his ability was spotted. He sang in the lead role of Valjean in ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' in 1986, and took over the lead role from
Michael Crawford
Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian.
Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' an ...
in ''
The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
'', and is famous as a top class musicals singer.
*
Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg (born 2 November 1947) is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, primarily a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of folk ...
, musician and record producer, perhaps most well known as the bass guitarist and longest serving member of
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...
Transport
![AcocksGreenRailwayStation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/AcocksGreenRailwayStation.jpg)
Acocks Green has very good transport links to Birmingham city centre and
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...
. Birmingham's
Moor Street and Snow Hill, and
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...
stations can both be reached in under ten minutes by train from
Acocks Green railway station
Acocks Green railway station (previously known as Acocks Green & South Yardley) serves the Acocks Green area of Birmingham, in the West Midlands region of England. Pre-nationalisation a GWR station on their main line from London (Paddington) to ...
while
Spring Road railway station
Spring Road is a small railway station in the Acocks Green area of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the North Warwickshire Line, between Tyseley and Hall Green stations. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by West Midlan ...
is on the Stratford-Upon-Avon line, and also goes to Moor Street and Snow Hill.
![Acocks Green Bus Garage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Acocks_Green_Bus_Garage.jpg)
Many bus routes are operated by
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands (NXWM) is a bus operator in the West Midlands that operates services in Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, and Solihull, as well as limited routes outside of the general area of Birmingham, su ...
' Acocks Green Bus Garage, located on Fox Hollies Road, including the
Outer Circle (11A/11C), which is the longest urban bus route in any European city at 27 miles long. Routes that serve Acocks Green are:
* Service 1 (Five Ways – Acocks Green via Edgbaston & Moseley)
* Service 4 (Birmingham – Solihull Station via Acocks Green)
* Service 4A (Birmingham – Gospel Oak/Solihull via Acocks Green)
* Service 11A/C (
Birmingham Outer Circle
West Midlands bus route 11, also known as the Birmingham Outer Circle, is a route that circumnavigates Birmingham via the A4040 apart from a small deviation via the B4182 and A4030 in Bearwood. It is mainly operated by National Express West Mi ...
)
* Service 32 (Shirley – Lyndon via Acocks Green)
* Service 36 (Heartlands Hospital – Small Heath Station via Tyseley & Acocks Green)
* Service 41 (Q.E Hospital – Acocks Green via Moseley & Sparkhill)
*Service A12 (Acocks Green – Solihull via Olton)
The area can become congested and there have been calls for a bypass to ease pressure on the roads. Businesses in the shopping area have opposed the idea as they have concerns about loss of passing trade, and residents do not want increases in traffic past their houses. Another idea which has been proposed in recent years to resolve some of the problems of congestion in the centre, whilst also making the area more pedestrian friendly, is to introduce a type of high street design known as
Shared Space
Shared space is an urban design approach that minimises the segregation between modes of road user. This is done by removing features such as kerbs, road surface markings, traffic signs, and traffic lights. Hans Monderman and others have s ...
.
Notes and references
Notes
References
Birmingham City Council: Acocks Green Ward2001 Population Census information: Ward profilesHistory of Acocks Green
External links
1888 Ordnance Survey map of Acocks Green*
Acocks Green Focus GroupAcocks Green Neighbourhood Forum
{{Authority control
Areas of Birmingham, West Midlands