Handsworth Wood is a suburb of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

in the West Midlands County, England. Located within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands since 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was previously a part of the county of Staffordshire. It is also a

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 ...

within the formal district of Perry Barr as well as other areas such as

Great Barr Great Barr is now a large and loosely defined area to the north-west of Birmingham, England. The area was historically in Staffordshire, and the parts now in Birmingham were once known as Perry Barr, which is still the name of an adjacent Bir ...

, Sandwell and Hamstead/Hamstead Village. Handsworth Wood is regarded as one of the premier residential areas in Birmingham, due to the significant number of imposing Victorian detached and semi-detached houses. Also the area is highly sought after due to the access to parks such as Handsworth Park, golf clubs and the open spaces of

Sandwell Valley Country Park Sandwell Valley Country Park is a country park, run by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, in Sandwell Valley, on the River Tame in the middle of the urban conurbation between Birmingham and West Bromwich in West Midlands, England. Locatio ...

. Handsworth Wood is regarded by estate agents as upmarket in comparison to the neighbouring district of Handsworth. HandsworthWood6.jpg, Typical Victorian Houses in Handsworth Wood HandsworthWood1.jpg, Typical Street in Handsworth Wood HandsworthWood5.jpg, Semi-Detached Homes in Handsworth Wood

History

Handsworth Wood was the woodland belonging to the manor of Handsworth and lay in the north of the manor. It is the 'woodland half a league long & the same wide' which is cited in the Domesday Book in 1086. By the end of the 19th century there was only scattered building development in this rural area, some of it very large houses for the wealthy. Beyond Friary Road/ Handsworth Wood Road was still farmland. It was between the two World Wars and up to the 1950s that Handsworth Wood was developed largely with private housing. It is an area that has maintained its middle-class status to the present. The area had its own Railway station until 1941 known as Handsworth Wood railway station. The station site lies in a cutting through Handsworth Park, adjacent to St. Mary's Church. Birmingham historian Dr.

Carl Chinn Carl Steven Alfred Chinn, MBE (born 6 September 1956) is an English historian, writer and broadcaster whose working life has been devoted to the study and popularisation of the city of Birmingham. He broadcast a programme on the BBC from the mi ...

noted that during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the boundary between Handsworth and Handsworth Wood marked the line between being safe and unsafe from bombing, with Handsworth Wood being an official evacuation zone due to its very country like, undeveloped landscape. Due to the affluent residents of the area properties are larger than usual sizes meaning Handsworth Wood was ideal for evacuees etc. Mr Hudson, the singer/songwriter, was born in Handsworth Wood. James Watt, the engineer/inventor, lived in Handsworth Wood. Matthew Boulton also worked alongside James Watt, was born and raised in the area.

Education

The primary schools in the area include Cherry Orchard Primary School, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School and Grestone Primary School. The secondary schools in the area include Hamstead Hall Academy and King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy. It is home to 'Hamstead Campus' a privately owned student accommodation. Nearby to Handsworth Wood are the Grammar Schools of King Edward VI Handsworth Girl's Grammar School and Handsworth Grammar School, Soho Road,

Sporting facilities

Handsworth Wood is home to numerous sports facilities. Handsworth Wood Bowling Club is located on Devonshire Road. The Bridge Trust Cricket Club is on Romilly Avenue. Hamstead Diamonds Tennis Club is located on Craythorne Road. The highly regarded Handsworth Golf Club is also located here with the entrance on Sunningdale Close (off Craythorne Road).

Places of interest

Local amenities include: St. Mary's Church, Handsworth and Handsworth Park. The Anchorage is a grade II* listed building,

Transport

The area is well served by Bus routes 16, 11C and the 101. The nearest railway station is

Hamstead railway station Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of Birmingham, England. It is located at the junction of Rocky Lane and Old Walsall Road, Hamstead, at Birmingham's border with the borough of Sandwell. It is s ...

Local politics

There is a Birmingham City electoral

called Handsworth Wood comprising part of Handsworth and nearly all of Handsworth Wood made up of distinct cultures and built environments – the salubrious Victorian suburb, consisting of some of the finest Victorian houses in the city, increasingly being refurbished to complement the £9 million restoration of Handsworth Park, and Handsworth Wood dominated by characteristically suburban pre-war semi-detached and detached properties. The ward was formerly known as Sandwell Ward. The ward is represented by three Labour councillors in the

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 ...

; Gurdial Singh Atwal, Paulette Hamilton and Narinder Kooner.Handsworth Wood Ward
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Population

The 2001 Population Census recorded that 25,276 people were living in the ward. It has a high percentage of ethnic minorities in the area with the figure being 67.1% (16,975) of the population being of an ethnic minority, mainly of British Indian heritage, as opposed to 29.6% for Birmingham in general. ;Ethnic Groups *White British – 7,427 *South Asian – 12,052 *Black British – 4,100 *Mixed Race – 877 A large majority of the Handsworth Wood area consists of ethnic minorities with over 50% of residents being British Indian.

References

External links

Birmingham City Council: Handsworth Wood Ward
{{Wards of Birmingham Areas of Birmingham, West Midlands Wards of Birmingham, West Midlands