Balsall Heath, Birmingham

Balsall Common is a large village in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England. It is situated 4.75 miles (7.5 km) northwest of Kenilworth, west of Coventry, east of Solihull and to the southeast of Birmingham, to which it serves as a commuter village. The name “Balsall” comes from the Anglo Saxon word “Baelle” meaning corner (or angle) of land, and “Heale” meaning a sheltered place

Overview

The village is split between the civil parishes of Balsall, which also includes Balsall Street, Temple Balsall, and Fen End, and had a population of 7,039 according to the 2011 census. It also lies on the Heart of England Way.

The village is of recent origin; most of the houses and shops were built in the 20th century. Previously, the village consisted of a couple of hamlets of about six to twelve houses each and a few scattered cottages - as shows. In the 1930s, there began the development which linked these isolated buildings, but it was not until after World War II that the village really began to grow.

With its close proximity to the village of Meriden away, which until recently was long-believed to be the geographic centre of England, Balsall Common is perceived to be one of the furthest places from the UK coastline. In fact, Coton-in-the-Elms in south Derbyshire holds this designation, situated 23.5 miles (37.8 km) to the north. Nevertheless, Balsall Common's secondary school is named the Heart of England School. The local primary school is name
Balsall Common Primary School

It is served by Berkswell railway station (actually in Balsall Common) on the Coventry-Birmingham line, and by bus to Solihull service 88/88A.

Other nearby towns and villages include Knowle, Kenilworth, Warwick, Hampton in Arden, Berkswell, Barston, Honiley and Hatton. Its districts include Needler's End, Yew Tree, Catchems Corner, Balsall Street and Hallmeadow (developed in the 1990s).

Since the late-1990s, plans for a bypass, a large national supermarket and larger swathes of new housing have so far been circumvented. This is mainly due to Balsall Common being situated at the heart of the West Midlands green belt area known as the Meriden Gap, between Solihull and Coventry, and is thus subject to strict planning regulations. Therefore, the village has so far not witnessed rapid growth given its location, as residents had long-feared that the village would act as a population overspill centre for Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham. A new Tesco Metro store opened in December 2014 on Station Road.

Notable residents

Several Premiership and Championship footballers live (and have lived) in Balsall Common, especially those playing with Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Coventry City. These include John Sillett, Trond Egil Soltvedt, Trevor Francis in the late 1970s, Lee Carsley and Robbie Keane. Other famous sporting residents include, former England cricket captain Bob Wyatt and Wimbledon ladies single champion Maud Watson. Former England international goalkeeper Peter Shilton briefly lived in the village from late-1995 to early 1996, before moving to nearby Burton Green..
Another notable resident is Paddy Doyle, who formerly held numerous fitness and endurance world records. Neil Back, Rugby Union, Leicester Tigers British and Irish Lions also Lived in Balsall Common during his career in the 1990s – early 2000s.

References

BalsallCom.Com
- community website with forums run by local people.
A brief history of Balsall Common
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Centre Stage
- amateur dramatic group
The Jubilee
- local community space for hire

The Balsall Common Festival Home
balsallcommonfestival.com - voluntary organisation

The Bugle
- community magazine published quarterly

External links

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Villages in the West Midlands (county)
Solihull