Moseley ( ') is an affluent suburb in south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. It is located within the eponymous Moseley ward of the constituency of Hall Green and Moseley in the

ceremonial county Ceremonial counties, formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'', are areas of England to which lord-lieutenant, lord-lieutenants are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarch's repres ...

of the West Midlands. It historically lay within

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

, abutting the county border with

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

History

Moseley was listed as a settlement within the manor of

Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about north-east of Worcester and south-west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 34,755 in at the 2021 census. It gives its name to the wider Bromsgrove District, of which it is ...

in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 as ''Museleie'', from the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

''mús'' (

mouse A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus'' ...

) + ''leáh'' (lea,

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

), which translates as either 'mouse clearing' or 'mouse-sized (i.e. small) clearing'. St Mary's Church, Moseley was licensed by the

Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary (officer), head of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the ...

(authorised by Pope Innocent VII) in February 1405. St Anne's Church, Moseley was opened in 1874 for the now extinct parish of Park Hill. The 600th anniversary of St Mary's was celebrated in 2005 with a series of special events. In 2012 the church bells, which had been named as the worst sounding in the country, were replaced. Either before or as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries, Moseley became a manor in its own right, though records of this are not evident. Certainly, Moseley Hall was 'rebuilt' in parkland in the early 1600s by the Grevis family, and rebuilt again by 1795 after being set on fire during

rioting A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

in 1791. It was donated in 1891 to the City of Birmingham by Richard Cadbury and now forms part of Moseley Hall Hospital. Spring Hill College, a

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

construction built in 1857 and now home to

Moseley School Moseley School and Sixth Form is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the Moseley area of Birmingham, England. The school's main entrance is situated on Wake Green Road, with other entrances on College Road and Springfield ...

, is located in the south of the district. Former pupils include comedian

Jasper Carrott Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, writer, actor, singer and television presenter. His credits include '' An Audience With Jasper Carrott'' (1978), '' The Secret Policeman ...

and musician Bev Bevan of the

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...

. Moseley local centre is formed around the Victorian shopping precinct known as ''Moseley Village'', which forms part of a historical

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

. Moseley and the surrounding areas were much developed after 1910, being built upon the once extensive farm land that was predominant in this area. The new properties being mostly of large houses, designed to cater for the Edwardian middle-class families that settled in the suburbs surrounding Birmingham's industrial centre. These large houses relied upon at least one servant or 'tweeny' as they were often termed, to help the lady of the house run the household. With the advent of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, staff were hard to find to maintain houses of this size. The heating bills and high maintenance made them unpopular after the war and many were split into flats to cater for the requirements of the expanding working population who moved from the city centre as extensive redevelopment took place in the 1960s. In some respects Moseley and the surrounding area suffered a serious decline in the last part of the 20th century. Much property fell into neglect, and problems with crime, drugs and prostitution became commonplace in the areas bordering Balsall Heath. During this same period, however, with a great deal of cheap accommodation on offer, it is arguable that Moseley also enjoyed its most creative and cosmopolitan phase as the focus of artistic and student communities. In 1970s, the small triangular shaped green in the heart of Moseley village, which was then home to the underground public toilets, was a convenient meeting place for local youth, and was known as "Bog Island". Local band Ocean Colour Scene were active in the mid-1990s British

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...

– indie scene with songs such as " The Riverboat Song", inspired by locations within the suburb of Moseley. Their most successful album (in terms of weeks on chart) was '' Moseley Shoals''. Moseley is also the birthplace of

Nick Rhodes Nick Rhodes (born Nicholas James Bates; 8 June 1962) is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member and the keyboardist of the band Duran Duran. He has also been the only constant member of the group since their 1978 ...

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

. The politician

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually was a leading New Imperialism, imperial ...

had his Birmingham residence at

Highbury Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington. Highbury Manor Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor hou ...

, near the edge of Moseley. The property was entrusted to the city after Chamberlain's death and is currently used for multiple occasions under the purview of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust.

Literature

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

spent his early years in Moseley, living close to

Sarehole Mill Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed Watermill, water mill, in an area once called Sarehole, on the River Cole, West Midlands, River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. It is now run as a museum by the Birmingham Museums Trust. It is known fo ...

Hall Green Hall Green is an area in southeast Birmingham, England, synonymous with the B28 postcode. It is also a council constituency of Birmingham City Council, managed by its own district committee. Historic counties of England, Historically it lay wit ...

before moving to the site now occupied by Shades Music off the Alcester Road.

is believed to have been his inspiration for the tranquil

Shire Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

in ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

''. He also drew inspiration from

Moseley Bog Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood Local Nature Reserve, formerly The Dell, is a Local Nature Reserve in the Moseley area of Birmingham, England, with an area of about 12 ha (29 acres). Along with the nearby Sarehole Mill, and a number of other sites, ...

for the landscape of

Middle-earth Middle-earth is the Setting (narrative), setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Midgard, Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf'' ...

Sport

Moseley has a rich history of success in

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

. Its most famous team is

Moseley Rugby Football Club Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club is an English rugby union club, based in Birmingham, that compete in the third tier of English rugby. They were historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three ti ...

, who were one of Europe's best teams in the late 1960s to the 1980s. Notable players include

Sam Doble Samuel Arthur Doble (9 March 1944 – 17 September 1977) was an English rugby union full-back who played international rugby for England and club rugby for Moseley. He was a Birmingham PE teacher, teaching at Northfield Comprehensive School. ...

, J. F. Byrne, Peter Cranmer, Alain Rolland, Mike Teague and Victor Ubogu. The Moseley Wanderers team of 1900 won the

Silver Medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

in the Rugby Union competition at the 1900

Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...

Present

A monthly Farmers' Market in Moseley – set up by the Moseley Neighbourhood Forum – has won various awards including best FARMA Certified Urban Farmers' Market 2009 and in 2009 local farmer Dominic Butler won the Most Unique Produce award with his micro blue beetroots. Similarly, Moseley has a well defined and established community spirit and ethos, exemplified by Moseley Neighbourhood Forum – a neighbourhood forum – that works to develop the area for the betterment of everyone. The Moseley Society exists to protect the heritage of the area; meetings of the Society discuss and debate a wide range of local issues and the interests of its residents. The Moseley Community Development Trust (CDT) invests in the social and physical capital of the area. Established with funding from charitable trust funds and with the support of the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Committee, the CDT is now managing a series of initiatives to improve the environment of Moseley. It has its own monthly magazine, Moseley B13 (formerly Birmingham 13), reporting on local events and personalities. It has been printing . A group of volunteers have formed Moseley in Bloom (MiB). Much like the Moseley Community Development Trust, the group undertake many projects which look at the greener issues around Moseley. Many projects take place throughout the year to enhance the landscape of Moseley as well as renovate dilapidated areas. Every summer Moseley hosts Moseley Festival, a festival of arts and culture that sees people in the community come together and hold a series of music, art, food, cultural and sporting events. Moseley Folk & Arts Festival happens later in the year, and attracts big names from the world of folk. Moseley Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival takes place in Moseley Park during the summer as well. Moseley also has its own literary festival, Pow-Wow LitFest, which has taken place annually at the Prince of Wales pub . In 2015 Moseley was named as the "best urban place to live" by The Sunday Times, with the newspaper citing its 'Arts and Crafts', 'Bohemian culture' and 'Victorian Architecture' as reasons to live in the suburb. This award followed its being highlighted by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' in 2013 as a place to move, with similar reasons being cited.

Education

Moseley has two secondary schools,

, a language college, and Queensbridge School, an arts college. It also has several primary schools such as Moseley C of E Primary School a one form entry school that has connections with St. Mary's Church and Park Hill Primary School on Alcester Road and St Martin de Porres Catholic Primary School. Moseley is also home to Uffculme School, an all age

special school Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual d ...

for children on the

autism spectrum Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

. It is also home to James Brindley Academy's Willows Centre, which provides education to inpatients at Parkview Clinic. Moseley also has Fox Hollies School.

Notable residents

Many people who have been born, lived or worked in Moseley have made important contributions, a few of the more high-profile ones are: * Kabir Ali, Worcestershire & England cricketer *

Dave Haslam Dave Haslam is a British writer, broadcaster and DJ who DJed over 450 times at the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester and has since DJed worldwide. He has written for the ''New Musical Express'', ''The Guardian'', the ''London Review of Books' ...

, British writer, broadcaster and Haçienda nightclub DJ * Edward Bach, doctor, best known for developing a range of remedies called the Bach flower remedies * Dan Bull, rapper and songwriter * Jess Phillips, Politician affiliated with the Labour Party. *

Ali Campbell Alistair Ian Campbell (born 15 February 1959) is an English singer and songwriter who was lead singer and co-founder of the British reggae band UB40. UB40 sold more than 70 million records worldwide and toured for 30 years with the original l ...

, singer in

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

Austen Chamberlain Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of ...

MP, statesman, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, philanthropist and

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

winner *

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, MP and Lord Mayor of Birmingham (declared

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

) * Carl Chinn, historian, radio presenter, newspaper columnist, and media personality * Alan Cottrell, metallurgist and physicist *

Fyfe Dangerfield Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins (born 7 July 1980) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots (band), Guillemots. Early life Born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1980, he moved to Bro ...

, musician, solo artist and lead singer of the Guillemots * Roger Jon Ellory, author * Simon Fowler, musician and lead singer of Ocean Colour Scene * Claudia Jessie, actress * Trish Keenan, songwriter, musician and lead singer of

Broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

* Frederick W. Lanchester, pioneer of the motor car * Joanne Malin, TV presenter, co-presenter of '' Central Tonight'' *

Herbert Mason Samuel George Herbert Mason (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, theatre director, stage director, choreographer, Production manager (theatre), produ ...

MC, film director, producer, actor, stage manager, choreographer, production manager and army officer in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, keyboardist in

* Brian Travers, saxophonist in UB40 *

, author of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...

'' and ''

References

External links

Moseley Society

Moseley Forum – the neighbourhood forum for the village of Moseley

Moseley in Bloom – Moseley volunteers growing a cleaner, greener community
* {{Authority control Areas of Birmingham, West Midlands