Halesowen
Encyclopedia
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...

, in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

, was 55,273. Halesowen is included in the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency which is held by the Conservative James Morris
James Morris (British politician)
James George Morris is a Conservative Party politician in England. He is the Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, having won the Labour-held seat at the 2010 general election with a majority of 2,023 over the Labour Party candidate...

.

Geography and administration

Halesowen was traditionally an isolated and separate part of the County of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

 but was incorporated into Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

 in 1844 by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

. Since the local government reorganisation of 1974 it has formed a part of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...

 Metropolitan County
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...

 and Conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....

, in the Dudley Metropolitan Borough. Halesowen is located approximately ten miles south-west of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 at the edge of the industrial Midlands.

Although predominantly urban or suburban in character, Halesowen borders on green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...

 land with excellent access to the countryside, for example the Clent Hills
Clent Hills
The Clent Hills lie 9⅓ miles southwest of Birmingham city centre in Clent, Worcestershire, England. The closest towns are Stourbridge and Halesowen, both in the West Midlands conurbation. The Clent Hills range consists of, in order from north-west to south-east: Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill , and...

. It has extensive road links including Junction 3 of the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...

, which allow easy commuting to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, other areas of the Black County or nationwide. The centre of Birmingham is approximately 30 minutes away by car and reachable with the number 9 bus.

The centre of Halesowen is home to a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...

 church, a football ground (where non-league Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...

 play) and College of Further Education which was founded in 1939.

Most of the housing stock in Halesowen is privately owned and was built in the 30 years which followed the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, although some parts of the town are still made up of Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 and Edwardian
Edwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....

 terraced house
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...

s. The town centre was almost completely rebuilt during the 1930s.

Suburbs

In 1974, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council identified six historical suburbs, within Halesowen, which they signed accordingly with a series of gateway signs. In addition to the Town Centre, these are listed below. A separate sign for Illey was added many years later.
  • Cradley
  • Hasbury
    Hasbury
    Hasbury is a suburb of Halesowen in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in West Midlands, England. Its main focal point is the small shopping centre at the Wassell Road/Hagley Road junction, surrounded to the north by municipal housing development and with owner-occupier housing estates located to...

  • Hawne
    Hawne
    Hawne is a residential area approximately one mile from Halesowen town centre in the West Midlands of England. It includes Newfield Park Primary School, Earls High School and Halesowen College. There is a mix of private and council housing in the area, much built between 1950 and 1980, but with...

  • Hayley Green
    Hayley Green, West Midlands
    Hayley Green is a suburb of Halesowen in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, located to the south-west of Halesowen town centre. Its focal point is the 'Harvester' public house and restaurant and a row of small shops on the A456/B4183 roundabout...

  • Hill & Cakemore
  • Lapal
    Lapal
    Lapal is a residential area of Halesowen in the West Midlands of England . It is situated in the east of the town on the border with Birmingham and is served by Lapal Primary School and Leasowes Community College. Most of the houses were built between 1930 and 1980...


Neighbourhoods

Each of the suburbs above contain various neighbourhoods within them. Here are some:
  • Abbeyfields
  • Haden Hill
    Haden Hill
    Haden Hill is a residential area in the West Midlands of England, straddling the border of Halesowen and Cradley Heath townships.Its most famous landmarks are Haden Hill Park and the historic Haden Hill House, both of which were constructed during the 19th century.The River Stour flows through...

  • Hurst Green
    Hurst Green, West Midlands
    Hurst Green is a suburb of Halesowen in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, located on its north-eastern side. Its principal thoroughfares are Narrow Lane/Fairfield Road, Summerfield Avenue and Hurst Green Road, with a small shopping centre at the eastern end of the latter bordering the M5 motorway...

  • Illey
  • Manor Abbey
  • Olive Hill
  • Shenstone Valley
  • Squirrels Estate
    Squirrels Estate
    Squirrels Estate is a residential area of Halesowen in the West Midlands conurbation of England. It is situated approximately two miles south-west of the town centre, bordering onto countryside in the direction of Kidderminster...

  • Tanhouse
    Tanhouse
    Tanhouse is a residential area of Halesowen in the West Midlands of England. It is situated in the west of the town near the border with Stourbridge, and was developed in the 1960s by the local council for a development of houses and flats....

  • Colley Gate
    Colley Gate
    Colley Gate is a road in Cradley in Halesowen, England. Colley Gate is part of the A458 road connecting Halesowen with StourbridgeTo avoid confusion with nearby Cradley Heath, Cradley is often referred to as Colley Gate as it is the central road of Cradley....



Climate

As with the rest of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...

 and West Midlands, Halesowen experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. A Met Office weather station provide's local climate data for the period 1971-2000, although it ceased observation's in 2004. Temperature extremes at Halesowen have ranged from -14.5 C during December 1981 up to 34.7 °C (94.5 °F) during August 1990.

History

Halesowen was recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 of 1086 as being larger than Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

. The manor and town was known as Hala (from the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...

 word "halh", meaning nook or remote valley), until it was gifted by King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...

 to Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 Prince David Owen
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd was Prince of Gwynedd from 1170 to 1195. For a time he ruled jointly with his brothers Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd....

 and became known as Halas Owen. The parish of Halesowen
Halesowen (ancient parish)
Halesowen was a medieval parish in the West Midlands of England.The townships of Halesowen, Cakemore, Hasbury, Hawne, Hill, Hunnington, Illey, Lapal, Oldbury, Ridgacre, Romsley and Warley Salop formed a detached part of Shropshire; the rest of the parish, consisting of the chapelries of Cradley...

, which incorporated other townships
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...

 later to become independent parishes, was an exclave of the county of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

, but grew to become a town and was transferred to the jurisdiction of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

 by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
The Counties Act 1844 , which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of counties in England and Wales for civil purposes....

. Included in the boundaries was the ancient village of Brettle
Brettle
Brettle may refer to:* Audrey Brettle, author* Kyla Brettle, freelance audio producer and documentary film-maker* Bob Brettle, bare-knuckle boxer...

.

In the 1220s, Halesowen had a market and fair and, by 1270, it had been granted a charter of liberties by its lord, the Premonstratensian Abbey of Halesowen. By 1300, it is estimated that the population was around 600. The court rolls for Halesowen survive to 1272 and show that the majority of migrants to Halesowen in the 14th century were women at 75%. Little was done to remove them and many went on to become small retailers in the area.

The village is well known by medieval historians for the conflict that took place around this time. In 1279, as the Abbot attempted to increase labour services for his tenants (which had been fixed in 1244), the peasants attempted to plead their case in the King's Court, a privilege forbidden to unfree villeins. The Abbot thus fined them £10 which was a large sum at the time, and resistance, led by Roger Ketel, heightened. The conflict was snuffed out in 1282 as Ketel and Alice Edrich (the pregnant wife of another prominent rebel) were murdered by thugs hired by the abbey.

During the 18th century Halesowen developed rapidly as a result of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

. The manufacture of nails was the staple trade in the town and many mills were used for slitting and iron production. Coal mining had been done in the area from at least as early as the reign of Edward I. Dating to 1893, Coombes Wood was the largest colliery in the town; at its peak in 1919 Halesowen had 130 working mines.

Halesowen became the centre of a poor law union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...

 in the 19th century, which later became established as a rural sanitary district and later the Halesowen Rural District in 1894. Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...

 was included into the area of Halesowen under an Act of 1829. With increasing urbanisation of the area, in the early 20th century, it became the Halesowen Urban District in 1925, and obtained a grant of charter to become a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...

 in 1936. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

, Halesowen was incorporated into the new Dudley Metropolitan Borough, in the metropolitan county of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...

.

Halesowen was once served by a railway line - in reality two lines which met at an end-on junction at the station. The first was a branch of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

 from Old Hill
Old Hill
Old Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...

 to Halesowen, opened in 1878, followed in 1883 by a section jointly owned by the Great Western and the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

 (though worked mostly by the latter), linking the town with Northfield on the Midland Railway's Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

 main line, with intermediate stations at Rubery
Rubery
Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. The village is from Birmingham city centre....

, Hunnington
Hunnington
Hunnington is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, close to the border with West Midlands, and just south of Halesowen. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 552...

, and a workmen's halt at Longbridge
Longbridge
Longbridge is an area of Birmingham, England. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of Northfield.Since 1905, the area has been dominated by the Longbridge plant, which produced Austin, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland, and most recently MG Rover cars...

 serving the car factories (not to be confused with the present Longbridge station). Being largely rural in character, the line failed to attract much traffic and regular passenger services ended between Halesowen and Northfield as far back as 1919, and between Old Hill and Halesowen in 1927, though the workmen's trains continued to serve Longbridge until 1960. The line is now lifted, but the track-bed can be seen close to the town, although there is no sign of the station. The goods shed remained until recently, serving as an industrial unit though it has now been demolished.

In the 1960s, the town centre underwent vast redevelopment which saw most of the older buildings demolished. The high street was pedestrianised and a shopping precinct (called "The Precinct") was developed, housing many new retail units as well as a new public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...

. The centre was refurbished in the late 1980s and placed undercover, being renamed The Cornbow Centre at this time.

Trade in the town centre declined between 1985 and 1990 as the Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...

 some five miles away at Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...

 was developed, although not as severely as it declined in Stourbridge and in particular Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...

. The only high profile casualty was the J Sainsbury supermarket, which closed in 1992 due to the popularity of the store which had opened at Merry Hill three years earlier to succeed the Dudley store - combined with the onset of the recession at the start of the 1990s.

A further upgrading of the town centre took place in 2007 and 2008, with part of the Cornbow Centre (including a petrol station and several smaller retail units) being demolished to make way for a new Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...

 superstore which opened on 24 November 2008. The bus station was also rebuilt. This 18 month £30 million project was completed in December 2008 and the town received a commendation for the work by the Retail Property Organisation.

Landmarks

In the eastern part of Halesowen is Leasowes Park
The Leasowes
The Leasowes is a 57 hectare estate in Halesowen, historically in the county of Shropshire, England, comprising house and gardens....

, which is considered to be one of the first natural landscape gardens in England. The 18th century poet William Shenstone
William Shenstone
William Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes.-Life:...

 designed the garden, beginning works in 1743 and continuing until his death in 1763, transforming existing farmland he had inherited after his parents' death. Today, the parkland is Grade One Listed, as it is of national importance. The local theatre and a Wetherspoon's public house are both named after William Shenstone as are at least two roads in the locality.

The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist was founded by Roger de Montgomery and stands on the site of an even earlier Anglo-Saxon church. Several extensions have been made including the outer south aisle which was added in 1883 by John Oldrid Scott
John Oldrid Scott
John Oldrid Scott was an English architect.He was the son of Sir George Gilbert Scott and Caroline née Oldrid. His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, were also prominent architects. He married Mary Ann Stevens in 1868, eldest daughter of the Reverend Thomas...

 although there is still much evidence of the original Norman work. A Medieval cross stands in the churchyard, having previously stood in Great Cornbow until it was blown down by a gale in 1908. http://www.dudley.gov.uk/community-and-living/town-centre-management/halesowen-town-centre/places-of-interest-in-halesowen

Nearby are the ruins of Halesowen Abbey
Halesowen Abbey
Halesowen Abbey was an abbey in Halesowen, England of which only ruins remain. It was located in an exclave of the historic county of Shropshire until 1844...

, founded in 1215 by Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of King John of England and his son Henry III. Roches was not an Englishman, but a Poitevin.-Life:...

, Bishop of Winchester. The Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

 saw the Abbey pass into private hands in 1538. The Abbey was the subject of an archaeological evaluation by Birmingham Archaeology and is now owned and managed by English Heritage.

Most of the town centre was rebuilt in the 1960s to create a modern shopping area that incorporated a new library as well as many supermarkets and shops centred around the Cornbow Centre. This was refurbished in the late 1980s to create a covered shopping area.

Halesowen has recently undergone a £30 million regeneration of its town centre, which has included the construction of a new Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...

 supermarket located in the Cornbow Centre, together with a new multi-storey car park, a new state-of-the-art bus station and improvements to the road layout.

Economy

The principal industry of Halesowen was traditionally nail
Nail (engineering)
In woodworking and construction, a nail is a pin-shaped, sharp object of hard metal or alloy used as a fastener. Formerly wrought iron, today's nails are typically made of steel, often dipped or coated to prevent corrosion in harsh conditions or improve adhesion...

 making, an industry that was performed on a small scale individually in the backyards of a large number of nail makers. Halesowen also had, along with most other areas of the Black Country, a large number of above and underground coal mines. In more recent years, the arrival of a junction of the motorway network allowed Halesowen to attract a number of large organisations to the town.

Sandvik
Sandvik
Sandvik is a Swedish company founded in 1862 by Göran Fredrik Göransson in Sandviken. It is a high-technology engineering group and a world-leader in tooling, stainless steel alloys and materials technology, mining and construction...

's UK headquarters are based here as well as Somers Forge, SomersTotalKare and the Mucklow Group.

JCDecaux
JCDecaux
JCDecaux Group is a multinational corporation based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, that is active primarily in advertising....

 UK has its Birmingham area office in Halesowen.

Transport

Halesowen, as mentioned above, is no longer served by a railway station. It is however served by a fairly comprehensive bus network, and is on the Hagley Road Bus Corridor from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 to Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...

 (route 9) and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...

 (route 222). Halesowen Bus Station
Halesowen bus station
Halesowen bus station is a bus station in the town of Halesowen in the West Midlands conurbation of the United Kingdom. The station is located on Queensway in front of the Cornbow Centre, which houses the new Asda superstore plus many other shops, and opposite Halesowen’s Jobcentre Plus and Norman...

 is located on Queensway, next to the new ASDA supermarket and the Job Centre Plus.

Education

There are currently 14 primary schools, 3 secondary schools and a further education college situated within the district of Halesowen.

Newfield Park Primary School primary school located in Halesowen, was built during the 1960s to serve the expanding local area of Hawne
Hawne
Hawne is a residential area approximately one mile from Halesowen town centre in the West Midlands of England. It includes Newfield Park Primary School, Earls High School and Halesowen College. There is a mix of private and council housing in the area, much built between 1950 and 1980, but with...

.

In 1972, when still a borough in its own right, Halesowen Council abolished the traditional infant and junior schools and replaced them with first schools for ages 5 to 9 and middle schools for the 9 to 13 age group, but this system was abolished in 1982 and reverted to the previous infant schools for 5 to 7 year olds and junior schools for ages 7 to 11. It was one of the first instances of three-tier education
Three-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....

 being abolished in favour of a return to traditional age ranges, though most areas which adopted the system have since reverted to the traditional age ranges.

The rest of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough consisted of 5-8 first and 8-12 middle schools (barring Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...

 and Kingswinford
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...

, which had both retained the traditional 5-7 infant and 7-11 junior schools) until following the suit of Halesowen and reverting to the traditional ranges in 1990.

Primary schools

  • Caslon Primary School
  • Colley Lane Primary School
  • Halesowen Church of England Primary School
  • Hasbury Church of England Primary School
  • Howley Grange Primary School
  • Huntingtree Primary School
  • Hurst Green Primary School
  • Lapal Primary School
  • Lutley Primary School
  • Manor Way Primary School
  • Newfield Park Primary School
  • Olive Hill Primary School
  • Our Lady and St. Kenelm Roman Catholic Primary School
  • Tenterfields Primary School

Secondary schools

  • Windsor High School
  • Leasowes High School & Community College
  • Earls High School
    Earls High School
    The Earls High School is a secondary school on near the A458 in Halesowen, West Midlands.-Information:The School's history dates back to 1652 when a Free Grammar School was founded. There is, however, evidence that a school existed in 1632 as local men are recorded as being benefactors of a Free...


Media

Halesowen is served by local editions of two regional evening papers, the Birmingham based Evening Mail
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...

and the Wolverhampton based Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...

. There are two local weekly newspapers, delivered free to every household in Halesowen, The Halesowen News
Halesowen News
The Halesowen News is a local free newspaper which serves the Halesowen area of the West Midlands in England. It has been in circulation since February 1985 and as well as residents of Halesowen, it is also posted to the homes of readers living in surrounding communities including Quinton, Rowley...

and The Halesowen Chronicle
Halesowen Chronicle
The Halesowen Chronicle is a free local newspaper which serves the Halesowen area of the West Midlands in England.It is published by Midland News Association....

.

The Halesowen area is served by commercial and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 radio stations broadcasting from Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...

 and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 as well as from within Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

 and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

. Radio stations serving the area are 102.5 The Bridge, Kerrang! 105.2
Kerrang! 105.2
Kerrang! Radio is a specialist rock music radio station broadcasting to the West Midlands, England. The station's format mixes modern & classic rock with speech programmes targeted at young people and an adult rock audience. Broadcasting on FM in the West Midlands and DAB & Freeview and online,...

, Galaxy
Galaxy 102.2
Capital Birmingham is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the nine-station Capital radio network of contemporary music stations. The station broadcasts from studios on Broad Street in Birmingham City Centre shared with Heart West Midlands and The Arrow - Rock....

, 96.4 BRMB, Beacon Radio and Heart FM
Heart Network
Heart is a radio network of 17 adult contemporary independent local radio stations in central & southern England and north Wales. Each station broadcasts local breakfast and drive time shows and simulcasts network programming at all other times...

.

Halesowen's only own licensed radio station is HCR International (Halesowen College Radio) 1386AM and 106.0 - 106.8 FM within the Whittingham Campus which also streams live online from its website.

Leisure

Halesowen has a football team, non-league Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...

, as well as cricket (including Halesowen Cricket Club
Halesowen Cricket Club
Halesowen Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club in Halesowen, West Midlands that has 4 senior Saturday cricket sides. Their 1st and 2nd XI's currently play in the Birmingham and District Premier League. The 3rd and 4th XI's play in the Worcestershire County Cricket League. The Club also has a...

), hockey (Old Halesonians Hockey Club) and golf clubs. Halesowen is home to two Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...

 (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide
Good Beer Guide
The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale listing what they consider to be the best cask ale outlets in the United Kingdom.-Details:...

listed pubs, the 'Hawne Tavern' and the 'Waggon and Horses,' both of which have won the local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year accolade in 2005 and 2006 respectively. The 'Waggon and Horses' has also won the West Midlands County Pub of the Year Award for 2006, beating pubs from the Black Country, Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry. The Somers Sports and Social Club has won CAMRA's national Club of the Year award three times, in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and Coombes Wood Sports and Social Club has won branch and regional awards. Both clubs are also listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.

Sports

Hockey

Halesowen is also the base for Old Halesonians Hockey Club; who run 5 Men's League teams, a Ladies team and a Badgers team. They also have a Summer League team and Veterans team. Old Halesonians Hockey Club (OHHC) which was established in 1963, also have a thriving Junior Section, which benefits from close links with local schools and Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...

 Council, and provides coaching for Boys and Girls from age seven upwards. Old Halesonians Hockey Club play their home games at Great Park in nearby Rubery, Windsor High School (Halesowen)
Windsor High School (Halesowen)
Windsor High School is a Secondary School located on Richmond Street, Halesowen, in England.- The School :Windsor High School is a comprehensive school in Halesowen, West Midlands. It is a large school, catering for 1,369 pupils aged 11 to 16 and is heavily over-subscribed...

, or at Four Dwellings High School
Four Dwellings High School
Four Dwellings High School is a secondary school in the Quinton area of Birmingham, England. It opened in 1940 on Quinton Road West. This part of the school is now used by other council departments including the Quinton Neighbourhood Office...

 in Quinton. The Old Halesonians Clubhouse is at Wassell Grove in Hagley.

Cycling

The Cycling Section at Halesowen Athletic and Cycling club ranks in British Cycling's top 30. It has a very strong Youth programme with several current National Champions. They also have a tennis club adjacent to the cycling track. These encompass part of the trackbed of the disused railway line.
Hobbies/Skills

Halesowen is the base for two Amateur Dramatic Societies - Startime Variety (pantomimes in January and Summer Variety shows around July, both at the Cornbow Hall Theatre) and Mayhem Theatre Company (comedies and dramas, normally two shows per year at the Leasowes Theatre).

Halesowen Jazz Club holds fortnightly concerts on Sundays (except in Summer) at Halesowen Cricket Club
Halesowen Cricket Club
Halesowen Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club in Halesowen, West Midlands that has 4 senior Saturday cricket sides. Their 1st and 2nd XI's currently play in the Birmingham and District Premier League. The 3rd and 4th XI's play in the Worcestershire County Cricket League. The Club also has a...

 (licensed premises), usually featuring Trad and New Orleans Jazz.

Halesowen Boardgamers' Club play adult-orientated board and card games (German and American games such as Settlers of Catan, Acquire and Carcassonne) each Wednesday evening at Halesowen Townsend Social Club (a licensed premises, formerly known as Halesowen Conservative & Unionist Club).

The Halesowen Scout Band is based in the town and rehearses and performs there regularly.

Public houses

  • The Forge Inn (Halesowen Road)
  • Black Horse Inn (Illey Lane)
  • The Black Horse (Manor Way)
  • The Hunting Tree (Alexandra Road)
  • Chainmaker (130 Colley Gate)
  • Clock Inn (Nimmings Road)
  • The Cobham Arms (Howley Grange Road)
  • Fairfield (Fairfield Road)
  • Foxhunt (Hagley Road)
  • The Full Moon (Hurst Green Road)
  • The Gate Inn (110 Colley Gate)
  • Hare & Hounds (252 Hagley Road)
  • The Hasbury Inn (Hagley Road)
  • The Hawne Tavern (76 Attwood Street)
  • King Edward VII (88 Stourbridge Road)
  • The Lighthouse (153 Coombs Road)
  • The Little Chop House (Windmill Hill)
  • The Loyal Lodge (15 Furnace Hill)
  • Lutley Oak (327 Stourbridge Road)
  • The Maypole Inn (93 Bassnage Road)
  • The Old Crown Inn (Carters Lane)
  • Olde Queens Head (Birmingham Street)
  • Park Lane Tavern (Park Lane)
  • Picks (91 High Street)
  • The Rose & Crown (Hagley Road)
  • The Rose and Crown (95 Colley Lane)
  • The Round Of Beef (33 Windmill Hill)
  • The Royal Oak (Manor Lane)
  • Stag & Three Horseshoes (Halesowen Road)
  • The Swan Inn (Long Lane)
  • The Victoria Inn (Malt Mill Lane)
  • The Vine Inn (51 Lyde Green)
  • Waggon & Horses (Stourbridge Road)
  • Wagon & Horses (166 Long Lane)
  • The Whitley (Stourbridge Road)
  • The Why Not Inn (Whynot Street)
  • The Widders (Barrack Lane)
  • William Shenstone (JD Wetherspoon), The (1-5 Queensway)
  • The Woodman (Bromsgrove Road)

Notable residents

  • Alexander of Hales
    Alexander of Hales
    Alexander Hales also called Doctor Irrefragabilis and Theologorum Monarcha was a notable thinker important in the history of scholasticism and the Franciscan School.-Life:Alexander was born at Hales ,...

    , English scholastic theologican and writer.
  • Thomas Attwood
    Thomas Attwood
    Thomas Attwood was a British economist, the leading figure of the underconsumptionist Birmingham School of economists, and, as the founder of the Birmingham Political Union, a leading figure in the public campaign for the Great Reform Act of 1832.He was born in Halesowen, and attended Halesowen...

    , British economist and campaigner for electoral reform, was born at Hawne House, Halesowen on 6 October 1783
  • Leslie Bridgewater, film score and light music composer
  • Chris Crudelli
    Chris Crudelli
    Chris Crudelli is a martial artist, television presenter and author. He is best known as the host of BBC television programmes about the martial arts of far eastern countries, Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves, Kick Ass Miracles, and Kick Ass in a Crisis all shown on BBC Three...

    , television presenter, lived here from the age of 9 and studied at Halesowen College.
  • James Grove, Horn button manufacturer.
  • Bill Oddie
    Bill Oddie
    William "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....

    , television actor and presenter, attended the former Halesowen Grammar School which is now Earls High School.
  • Robert Plant
    Robert Plant
    Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...

    , of Led Zeppelin
    Led Zeppelin
    Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

    , was born in West Bromwich
    West Bromwich
    West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...

     but brought up in Halesowen and attended both Halesowen Grammar School and King Edward VI Grammar School, Stourbridge (now Earls High and King Edward VI College respectively).
  • Lee Sharpe
    Lee Sharpe
    Lee Stuart Sharpe is an English former footballer. Predominantly a left winger, Sharpe joined Manchester United from Torquay United as a youngster in 1988, playing for the club up until 1996...

    , Manchester United and England footballer
  • William Shenstone
    William Shenstone
    William Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes.-Life:...

    , poet and landscape gardener.
  • Frank Skinner
    Frank Skinner
    Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...

    , comedian and television presenter, lived in nearby Oldbury and taught at Halesowen College.
  • Julian Smith
    Julian Smith (saxophonist)
    Julian Smith is a British saxophonist and music teacher from Halesowen. He is also known by his stage name Joolz Gianni...

    , Sax ophonist, who became known after appearing on the third series of 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2009.
  • Walter Somers
    Walter Somers
    Walter Somers was an English engineer and businessman who established a forge company, later known as Walter Somers Limited, producing a range of steel products including items for military use by the British Admiralty during World War I.In 1866 Somers was given a loan of £100 by his father and...

    , Ironmaster.
  • Glenn Tipton
    Glenn Tipton
    Glenn Tipton is one of the Grammy Award-winning guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest...

    , guitarist with Judas Priest
    Judas Priest
    Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

    , attended Olive Hill Primary school and worked at Coombs Wood for British Steel.
  • Jordanne Whiley, International Women's Wheelchair Tennis Champion.
  • Rex Williams
    Rex Williams
    Rex Williams , son of Minnie Roberts and William Williams, is a retired English professional snooker and billiards player.Williams was an excellent junior player in both snooker and billiards. His professional career began in 1951, during a period of decline in snooker...

    , former World Billiards Champion.
  • Francis Brett Young
    Francis Brett Young
    Francis Brett Young was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and composer.-Life:Brett Young was born in Halesowen, Worcestershire. He schooled first at a private school in Sutton Coldfield...

    , novelist and poet.
  • Paul William Self, former Manager of local Bearwood band The Twang
    The Twang
    The Twang are an indie rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in 2001. The band have released two studio albums - Love It When I Feel Like This and Jewellery Quarter...

    who had a debut Top 3 album and 2 Top 15 singles.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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