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Edgbaston
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Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton.
Edgbaston traditionally had a reputation for being the most affluent part of Birmingham or "where the trees begin". In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family who refused to allow factories or warehouses to be built in Edgbaston, thus making it attractive for the middle class.
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Encyclopedia
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton.
Edgbaston traditionally had a reputation for being the most affluent part of Birmingham or "where the trees begin". In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family who refused to allow factories or warehouses to be built in Edgbaston, thus making it attractive for the middle class. However, while the central and southern parts of the suburb remain ostensibly affluent, there are some areas in the northern part that are less so, with a high proportion of multi-occupancy rented private housing, as well as council-owned accommodation. Edgbaston is also home to the University of Birmingham, established in 1825.
Etymology
Edgbaston means "village of a man called Ecgbald", from the Old English personal name + tun "farm". The personal name Ecgbald means "bold sword" (literally "bold edge"). The name was recorded as Celboldistane in 1139, wrongly suggesting that Old English stan "stone, rock" is the final element of the name.
Demography
In 1801, Edgbaston had a population of around 1,000 people. By 1841, this had increased to 16,500 as a result of wealthy manufacturers moving to the area. By 1850, 29 roads had been laid out and uninterrupted growth continued.
The United Kingdom Census 2001 found that 20,749 people were living in the Birmingham City Council ward of Edgbaston, living in 8,666 households. This produced an average of 2 people per household, below the city-wide average of 2.5. The ward, which has an area of 871.6ha, had a population density of 23.8 people per hectare. Like the city of Birmingham, Edgbaston had a slightly higher proportion of females, at 50.1%, to males. 27.1% of the population was in the 25-44 age bracket and 15.1% were aged between 45-59. At 14.8%, Edgbaston had a lower proportion of people of a pensionable age than the rest of Birmingham (16.7%). It also had a lower proportion of people of working age at 73.8%, although it was below the national percentage of 61.5%.
Edgbaston has an above average percentage for ethnic minorities with ethnic minorities representing 31.8% of the population as opposed to 29.6% for Birmingham. The largest ethnic group was the British Asian group at 16.1%. 25.6% of people were born outside of the United Kingdom, above the Birmingham figure of 16.5%. Christianity was the most predominant religion, with 52.5% of the population stating that they were Christians, compared with 59.1% for Birmingham. 8.0% stated that they were Muslims, below the Birmingham figure of 14.3%. Edgbaston was home to a significant Orthodox Jewish community. 19.1% of the Edgbaston population stated that they had no religion.
46.4% of households were owner-occupied, below the Birmingham figure of 60.4%. 19.3% were rented privately, 15.2% were rented from a housing association and 11.6% were rented from Birmingham City Council. There was a total number of 9,191 houses in Edgbaston, 525 of which were vacant. At 45.6%, the vast majority of houses in Edgbaston were purpose-built blocks of flats. This is much higher than the city average of 17.9%. Detached houses were the second most common housing type in the ward at 19.7%.
Edgbaston had an unemployment rate of 8.1%, below the city average of 9.5% although above the national average of 5%. 13.4% of the population stated themselves as students. Of the unemployed, 42% were in long term unemployment and 15.6% had never worked. At 24.6%, the majority of the population worked in finance, real estate, and business activities. The largest employer in the area was the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust, employing 10,000 people.
The Edgbaston Parliamentary Constituency has a much higher population.
Sport
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is based in Edgbaston (Edgbaston historically being part of Warwickshire), at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. As well as hosting regular county matches, the ground often plays host to the England cricket team during one day internationals and test matches. In 2006, there were rumours that the team would move to the proposed City of Birmingham Stadium which would be shared with Birmingham City F.C.. However, there are now plans for the expansion of the ground, and no share with the football club.
The area also boasts a world class tennis venue; The Edgbaston Priory Club. The DFS Classic for female players has been held there every year since 1982 and some of the world's top players make appearances. The tournament is part of the WTA Tour and wins count towards world rankings. There is also a members-only golf course which offers good views over the southern part of the suburb. Edgbaston Croquet Club has been located in the area since 1915.
Places of interest
The church of the Birmingham Oratory, on Hagley Road, was built in 1907 in the Baroque style as a memorial to John Henry Newman, who founded the English Oratory here. Its dome is a prominent landmark. The Church of England parish churches are St Augustine's Church, St Germain's Church, St. George's Church and St. Bartholomew's Church.
J. R. R. Tolkien lived in Edgbaston during his teenage years, and the two towers of Edgbaston, Perrott's Folly and the Waterworks Tower, both close to the Oratory, are said to have provided inspiration for part of his The Lord of the Rings novel. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which is located on the University of Birmingham campus, is a purpose built gallery which contains a wide range of art from the masters to Picasso.
Edgbaston Reservoir, formerly known as Rotton Park Reservoir, provides a header supply for the Birmingham Canal Navigations and is an important inner city leisure amenity. There are two public gardens located within Edgbaston; the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the lesser known University of Birmingham Winterbourne Botanic Garden. Adjoining the university gardens is Edgbaston Pool (not to be confused with the reservoir) which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest). Edgbaston contains the only Grade I listed domestic building in Birmingham, notably one of the Arts & Crafts houses number 21 Yateley Road, designed by Herbert Tudor Buckland, and built for his own use. Edgbaston Hall, a Grade II listed country hall, is located within the ward. It is currently the clubhouse for Edgbaston Golf Club.
Politics
Birmingham Edgbaston is a constituency, and its Member of Parliament (MP) is Labour's Gisela Stuart.
The Edgbaston ward of Birmingham City Council elected three Conservative councillors in 2004 and re-elected one of the three, Fergus Robinson, in 2006. Another Edgbaston councillor, Deirdre Alden, unsuccessfully challenged Gisela Stuart, MP for the Edgbaston constituency, in the 2005 general election and has been re-selected as Conservative PPC in the seat for the next election. Of the other wards of the Edgbaston constituency, Harborne and Bartley Green are each represented by three Conservative councillors, while Quinton is represented by two Conservatives and one Labour councillor.
The ward has sent a female candidate to Parliament for the past 54 years. In the next election both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party candidates will be female, making it almost certain that this trend will continue. The most notable MP from the ward was Neville Chamberlain. The area has adopted a ward support officer with the holder of the status being Tony Bailey.
Education
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Edgbaston has been home to the main campus of the University of Birmingham and to Edgbaston High School for Girls, St Paul's School for Girls, St. Georges School, King Edward's School King Edward VI High School for Girls and Priory School. Because of this, there are numerous university halls of residence in the area. At the centre of the university can be found the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, one of Birmingham's tallest buildings.
Edgbaston is also the home of Queen's College, an ecumenical theological college. West House School, The Birmingham Blue Coat School and Hallfield School are also located in the area - and are renowned primary schools with excellent reputations. The Elmhurst School for Dance, the oldest vocational dance school in the United Kingdom, relocated to a new building in Edgbaston in 2004. St. Philip's School used to be located adjacent to the Oratory, however it merged with South Birmingham College in 1995.
Transport and amenities
Two railway stations serve the area. The first, University station, is found in south Edgbaston, west of Birmingham University. The second is Five Ways railway station in the north of the ward on the city's Middle Ring Road. Both stations are on the Cross-City Line. Between these two stations used to be another; Somerset Road station. However, this was closed and demolished some years ago.
The A38 road runs through the ward and is one of the main traffic arteries of the city reaching out to the southeast of the city and beyond from the city centre and New Street. Along this route buses frequently stop. There are several other bus routes throughout. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal passes through the area, connecting the city centre with the River Severn at Worcester. This was constructed and opened in the 1790s and is used mainly for leisure and recreational purposes as opposed to its originally intended industrial usage.
The A456 road runs through the north of Edgbaston and gives a relatively swift link with the city centre as well as faraway places including Halesowen, Kidderminster and Hereford.
The area is served by , which is operated by Birmingham City Council, and the University of Birmingham library which members of the public can join for a fee. There are a number medical facilities in the area, with two of the most well known being the University Medical Centre and the Calthorpe clinic. Two hospitals are nearby, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital.
Famous residents
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was born in Edgbaston. J.R.R. Tolkien also lived there for a period during his younger life, with Perrot's Folly and the waterworks supposedly providing him with the inspiration behind The Two Towers. Ali Murad lives here.
Former British Prime Minster, Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940) was born in house called Southborne, in Edgbaston. Dame Barbara Cartland was born in Edgbaston, at 31 Augustus Road.
Further reading
- Canon Doctor Terry Slater, 2002, Edgbaston Past, Phillimore, Chichester
External links
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