Olton
Encyclopedia
Olton is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
in the West Midlands
, England
. In the 13th century the Lords of the Manor moved their seat and formed a new settlement, in the junction of two major roads, that village has now grown into a big town called Solihull
. It was then that Ulverlei was being referred to as 'Oulton' (meaning 'old town') to distinguish it from the 'new town' of Solihull of which it is now a part. It is located on the A41
between Solihull town centre 4 miles (6.4 km), Acocks Green
, 2 miles (3.2 km) and Birmingham 5.7 miles (9.2 km), dating back over a 1,000 years, it is a now a residential suburb
, though historically part of Warwickshire
. Many of the large houses built in St. Bernard's Road and Kineton Green Road during the Victorian
and Edwardian period form part of one of Solihull's conservation areas.
's clearing or meadow. Wulfhere was the first Christian king of all of Mercia
, from the end of the 650s until 675. Wulfhere's father, Penda
, was killed in 655 fighting against Oswiu of Northumbria
. Penda's son Peada became king under Oswiu's overlordship, but was murdered a year later. Wulfhere came to the throne when Mercian nobles organized a revolt against Northumbrian rule in 658, and drove out Oswiu's governors. As he was a youth, Wulfhere had been kept in hiding until he came of age.
After the absorption of Mercia into the rest of England, Ulverlei became the property of the Earls of Mercia, who if not descendants of the royal house were their successors. The first of these was Leofric
, husband of Godiva
, heroine of the Coventry legend, and the earldom descended through his son Ælfgar
to Edwin
, his grandson, who was in possession at the time of the Norman conquest
. Perhaps, because of the royal connection, William I
granted the lands to Christina
, who was descended from King Edmund Ironside
.
The Domesday Book
records Ulverlei as part of the lands of Christina, sister of Edgar the Ætheling, the last male of the house of Cerdic of Wessex
, the original ruling dynasty of England. It states, "In Coleshill Hundred Christina holds 8 hides
in Ulverlei from the King. Land for 20 ploughs. In lordship 1; 3 slaves. 22 villagers with a priest and 4 smallholders have 7 ploughs. Meadow, 12 acres; woodland 4 leagues long and 1/2 league wide; when exploited, value 12s. The value was £10; now £4. Earl Edwin held it."
Shortly after the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, Christina "took the veil" entering the nunnery
of Romsey Abbey
in Hampshire
. Her lands were granted to Ralph de Limesi whose family held Ulverlei until his great grand daughter married Hugh de Odingsells, whose family were thought to be of Flemish origin. William De Odingsells succeeded his father in 1238 and it was in his time that the new village of Solihull began to develop.
That Ulverley stood where Olton now does is evident from the survival of the place names of Ulverley Green and the Ulleries. Ulverley Green close to the Birmingham-Warwick Road is the probable site of the original Saxon manor house. The site was described by Hutton
This site is now the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Hobs Moat, standing back from Lode Lane. The Hugford family occupied it after the Odingsells, Burman suggested that the name could as easily come from the Hugfords as the Odingsell's, as Hutton calls it Hoggs Moat in his 1782 description. However, Dugdale believed it derived from "Odingsells moat" and states he has seen Odingsells incorrectly written as "Hodingsells" and believes the corruption came from that. The Reverend Pemberton wrote that, "the moat, surmounted as it would have been by a stockade, would have been a formidable obstacle to assault" The Odingsells name is still to be found in the modern road name of Odensil Green built on the site of Odensil Farm.
Probably due to the relocation of the Lords of the Manor to the new settlement of Solihull, Olton declined in comparison and
remained largely agricultural until opening of the station in 1869 and the development of St Bernard's Road. Part of the road that later be came St Bernard's Road appears on the 1839 Tithe map and, in 1869, a new road was constructed to link this road with the Warwick Road. Originally named Windmill Road, it had become St Bernard's Road by 1872, named after the seminary that was being built. The first house to be constructed in the road is thought to be Elmhurst (no. 21), which was used for a gathering of 200 people in 1872.
) councillors. Honor Cox of the Liberal Democrats held the ward from 1991 until her death on 1 November 2010. However, for several years now all three seats have been held by the Liberal Democrats. Olton has a strong residents' association that liaises with Solihull Council and other bodies to improve the locality.
Nationally, Olton is a ward of the Solihull constituency whose Member of Parliament is Lorely Burt
, the first Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull.http://www.solihull.gov.uk/democracy/localmpsandmep.htm Olton is included in the West Midlands
electoral region of the European Parliament and the six members are; Mike Nattrass
(UK Independence), Liz Lynne
(Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Harbour
(Conservative), Michael Cashman
(Labour), Philip Bradbourn
OBE (Conservative) and Nicole Sinclaire
(UK Independence).
To the south is the Roman Catholic Olton Friary. Built in 1873 as St Bernard's Catholic Seminary by Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne, the first Catholic bishop of Birmingham, it closed in 1889 when the bishop's successor moved the seminary to Oscott. The building was purchased by the Capuchin Friars and became the Franciscan Monastery of the Immaculate Conception. The friars left on 10 January 1981 and the Sacred Heart Fathers and Brothers of Bétharram took over the running of the parish.
There is also the United Reform church on Kineton Green Road and Olton Baptist Church meets at Langley School on Kineton Green Road.
On the Warwick road just by the rail bridge is the former Congregational Chapel which appears on early 20th century maps, the building is now a bridal shop.
Located on Monastery Road the Solihull and District Hebrew Congregation hold regular religious services at their Solihull Synagogue as well as running a wide range of social activities.
clubs lie in the wealthy southern part of Olton, namely Robin Hood Golf Club and Olton Golf Club, as does a hockey club Olton and West Warwickshire Hockey Club, whilst in Grange Road there is the Olton and West Warwickshire Cricket Club.
Olton Mere was created as a reservoir to act as a feeder for the Grand Union Canal, which was opened in 1799. The Mere was formed from marshland fed by Folly Brook (now Hatchford Brook) and was designed to hold 150 locks full of water, but this was not achieved until the Mere was extended in 1834. It is the largest of the few areas of open water in Solihull and supports a large number of waterfowl. The woodland surrounding the Mere has remained undisturbed for many years, providing an important habitat for plants and animals. There is no public access to the Mere, which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
for nature conservation. However, there is a good view of the Mere from the trains travelling between Solihull and Olton. The Olton Mere Sailing Club also has a membership category for those who wish to have walking access to the Mere.
Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, in west-central England. It is named after its largest town, Solihull, from which Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is based. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary...
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...
. In the 13th century the Lords of the Manor moved their seat and formed a new settlement, in the junction of two major roads, that village has now grown into a big town called Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. It was then that Ulverlei was being referred to as 'Oulton' (meaning 'old town') to distinguish it from the 'new town' of Solihull of which it is now a part. It is located on the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
between Solihull town centre 4 miles (6.4 km), Acocks Green
Acocks Green
Acocks Green is an area and ward of south Birmingham, England. It is named after the Acock family who built a large house in the area in 1370. Acocks Green is one of the four wards making up Yardley formal district...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) and Birmingham 5.7 miles (9.2 km), dating back over a 1,000 years, it is a now a residential suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
, though historically part of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. Many of the large houses built in St. Bernard's Road and Kineton Green Road during the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Edwardian period form part of one of Solihull's conservation areas.
History
Olton means 'old town' and is the site of the manor of Ulverlei from where Solihull was founded. Ulverlei has been translated to mean WulfhereWulfhere of Mercia
Wulfhere was King of Mercia from the end of the 650s until 675. He was the first Christian king of all of Mercia, though it is not known when or how he converted from Anglo-Saxon paganism. His accession marked the end of Oswiu of Northumbria's overlordship of southern England, and Wulfhere...
's clearing or meadow. Wulfhere was the first Christian king of all of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, from the end of the 650s until 675. Wulfhere's father, Penda
Penda of Mercia
Penda was a 7th-century King of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A pagan at a time when Christianity was taking hold in many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Penda took over the Severn Valley in 628 following the Battle of Cirencester before participating in the...
, was killed in 655 fighting against Oswiu of Northumbria
Oswiu of Northumbria
Oswiu , also known as Oswy or Oswig , was a King of Bernicia. His father, Æthelfrith of Bernicia, was killed in battle, fighting against Rædwald, King of the East Angles and Edwin of Deira at the River Idle in 616...
. Penda's son Peada became king under Oswiu's overlordship, but was murdered a year later. Wulfhere came to the throne when Mercian nobles organized a revolt against Northumbrian rule in 658, and drove out Oswiu's governors. As he was a youth, Wulfhere had been kept in hiding until he came of age.
After the absorption of Mercia into the rest of England, Ulverlei became the property of the Earls of Mercia, who if not descendants of the royal house were their successors. The first of these was Leofric
Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
, husband of Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
, heroine of the Coventry legend, and the earldom descended through his son Ælfgar
Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
to Edwin
Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's death in 1062...
, his grandson, who was in possession at the time of the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. Perhaps, because of the royal connection, William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
granted the lands to Christina
Cristina, daughter of Edward the Exile
Cristina, daughter of Edward the Exile and Agatha, was the sister of Edgar Ætheling and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born in the 1040s.She came to the Kingdom of England with her family in 1057, from Hungary...
, who was descended from King Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside or Edmund II was king of England from 23 April to 30 November 1016. His cognomen "Ironside" is not recorded until 1057, but may have been contemporary. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it was given to him "because of his valour" in resisting the Danish invasion led by Cnut...
.
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...
records Ulverlei as part of the lands of Christina, sister of Edgar the Ætheling, the last male of the house of Cerdic of Wessex
Cerdic of Wessex
Cerdic was probably the first King of Anglo-Saxon Wessex from 519 to 534, cited by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the founder of the kingdom of Wessex and ancestor of all its subsequent kings...
, the original ruling dynasty of England. It states, "In Coleshill Hundred Christina holds 8 hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
in Ulverlei from the King. Land for 20 ploughs. In lordship 1; 3 slaves. 22 villagers with a priest and 4 smallholders have 7 ploughs. Meadow, 12 acres; woodland 4 leagues long and 1/2 league wide; when exploited, value 12s. The value was £10; now £4. Earl Edwin held it."
Shortly after the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, Christina "took the veil" entering the nunnery
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey is a parish church of the Church of England in Romsey, a market town in Hampshire, England. Until the dissolution it was the church of a Benedictine nunnery.-Background:...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Her lands were granted to Ralph de Limesi whose family held Ulverlei until his great grand daughter married Hugh de Odingsells, whose family were thought to be of Flemish origin. William De Odingsells succeeded his father in 1238 and it was in his time that the new village of Solihull began to develop.
That Ulverley stood where Olton now does is evident from the survival of the place names of Ulverley Green and the Ulleries. Ulverley Green close to the Birmingham-Warwick Road is the probable site of the original Saxon manor house. The site was described by Hutton
"Four miles from Birmingham on upon the Warwick Road, entering the parish of Solihull in Castle Lane, is Ulverley, in doomsday Ulverlei. Trifling as this place now seems it must have been the manor house of Solihull, under the Saxon heptarchyHeptarchyThe Heptarchy is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of south, east, and central Great Britain during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, conventionally identified as seven: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex...
, but went to decay so long ago as the conquest. The manor was the property of the Earls of Mercia, but whether their residence is uncertain. The traces of a moat remain, which are triangular, and enclose a wretched farmhouse of no note; (named Manor House Farm) one of the angles of the moat is filled up and becomes part of Castle Lane, which proves that Ulverley went into disuse when Hogg's moat was erected; it also proves that the lane terminated here, which is about 200 yards from the turnpike road. The great width of the lane, from the road to Ulverley, and its singular narrowness from thence to Hogg's moat, is another proof of its antiquity. If we pursue our journey half a mile further along this lane which, by the way, is scarcely passable, it will bring us to Hogg's moat."
This site is now the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Hobs Moat, standing back from Lode Lane. The Hugford family occupied it after the Odingsells, Burman suggested that the name could as easily come from the Hugfords as the Odingsell's, as Hutton calls it Hoggs Moat in his 1782 description. However, Dugdale believed it derived from "Odingsells moat" and states he has seen Odingsells incorrectly written as "Hodingsells" and believes the corruption came from that. The Reverend Pemberton wrote that, "the moat, surmounted as it would have been by a stockade, would have been a formidable obstacle to assault" The Odingsells name is still to be found in the modern road name of Odensil Green built on the site of Odensil Farm.
Probably due to the relocation of the Lords of the Manor to the new settlement of Solihull, Olton declined in comparison and
remained largely agricultural until opening of the station in 1869 and the development of St Bernard's Road. Part of the road that later be came St Bernard's Road appears on the 1839 Tithe map and, in 1869, a new road was constructed to link this road with the Warwick Road. Originally named Windmill Road, it had become St Bernard's Road by 1872, named after the seminary that was being built. The first house to be constructed in the road is thought to be Elmhurst (no. 21), which was used for a gathering of 200 people in 1872.
Landmarks
The Scheduled Monument of Hob's Moat, the derivation of its name is discussed above, is situated in Lode Lane, on the north-facing slope of a low hill and includes a moated site and the earthwork remains of a section of a hollow way. The moated site has external dimensions of approximately 137 metres north to south and 115 metres east to west. The steep sided moat ditches are dry and measure up to 7 metres wide and 2.5 metres deep. External banks are visible on all four sides of the moated site and although the northern and eastern banks have been lowered they can be traced on the ground surface. The banks are approximately 12 metres wide at their base and have an average height of 1.8 metres. The moated island is 0.65 hectares in area and slopes gradually from south to north. There is an internal enclosure bank on the west, north and east sides of the island, running parallel to the moat ditches. An excavation across a section of the inner bank in 1985 provided evidence for the bank's construction; deposits of stony clay mounded up over a sandy gravel core. A second bank was located beneath the inner one which consists of a sandy bank revetted on either side by bands of cobbles set in clay. This feature is earlier in date than the inner bank and employs a different construction technique. An excavation in the southern half of the moated island has indicated that the structures which originally occupied the island will survive as buried features. The remains of a small structure, bounded by walls set within shallow foundation slots, were located. Excavations within the moat have recovered evidence for a collapsed sandstone wall, and suggested a late 13th century date for its construction. The remains of the wall had been overlain by the base of a later structure. Immediately alongside the north side of Hob's Moat are the earthwork remains of a hollow way which is medieval in origin. Excavation, geophysical and field survey carried out between 1985-86 reveled pottery found in a trench excavated across the inner rampart and interior indicating a 13th century construction date, with later modifications to the enclosing earthworks. The remains of a number of medieval buildings were found, and in addition a late medieval/early post medieval shed-like structure. The activity on the site during the 17th century and later appears to be agricultural. A survey carried out in October 1997 by RCHME concluded that he site was probably a homestead or hunting lodge.Governance
Politically, the Olton ward has recently leaned towards liberalism. Since 1973, the three seats on Solihull Council have been shared by Conservative and Liberal (later, Liberal DemocratLiberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
) councillors. Honor Cox of the Liberal Democrats held the ward from 1991 until her death on 1 November 2010. However, for several years now all three seats have been held by the Liberal Democrats. Olton has a strong residents' association that liaises with Solihull Council and other bodies to improve the locality.
Nationally, Olton is a ward of the Solihull constituency whose Member of Parliament is Lorely Burt
Lorely Burt
Lorely Jane Burt is a British politician and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Solihull.-Early life:She went to University College, Swansea, achieving a BSc in Economics...
, the first Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull.http://www.solihull.gov.uk/democracy/localmpsandmep.htm Olton is included in the West Midlands
West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect...
electoral region of the European Parliament and the six members are; Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency for the UK Independence Party , elected for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009....
(UK Independence), Liz Lynne
Liz Lynne
Elizabeth Lynne, known as Liz Lynne, is a British politician, and has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands for the Liberal Democrats since her election at the 1999 European election...
(Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Harbour
Malcolm Harbour
Malcolm Harbour is a British politician. He is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands. He is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and the Chairman of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.-Motor industry:Malcolm Harbour was...
(Conservative), Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
(Labour), Philip Bradbourn
Philip Bradbourn
Philip Bradbourn OBE MEP is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands, for the Conservative Party...
OBE (Conservative) and Nicole Sinclaire
Nikki Sinclaire
Nicole Sinclaire is a European politician from the United Kingdom and is a current MEP.Educated at the University of Canterbury graduating with a Bachelor of Laws qualification. Sinclaire has worked for Lloyds as a 'problem troubleshooter' was employed as a Gateway store manager and worked in...
(UK Independence).
Transport
- The Grand Union CanalGrand Union CanalThe Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and the Leamington SpaLeamington SpaRoyal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
to BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham 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...
railway line pass through the village. Olton railway stationOlton railway stationOlton railway station serves the Olton area of Solihull, in the West Midlands of England. The station is operated by London Midland, and is also served by occasional Chiltern Railways services.-External links:**...
situated in approximately the geographical centre of the area is served by London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
to BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham 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...
, Dorridge and Leamington Spa and Chiltern RailwaysChiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
to WarwickWarwickWarwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, High WycombeHigh WycombeHigh Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
and London MaryleboneMarylebone stationMarylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
. - The West Midlands Warwick Road bus No 37 operated by Travel West Midlands runs along the A41 linking Olton with Solihull in the south and Birmingham to the north.
- Motorway access is via junction 5 of the M42M42 motorwayThe M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
at Knowle 4.3 miles (6.9 km) away with links to the M5M5 motorwayThe 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...
, M6M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and M40M40 motorwayThe M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
motorways. - The nearest airport is Birmingham International Airport situated 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to the North.
Education
- Chapel Fields Primary School
- Daylesford Infant School
- Kineton Green Primary School
- Langley Primary School
- Langley School
- Lyndon School Humanities College
- Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School
- Reynalds Cross Special School
- St Margaret's CofE Primary School
- Ulverley School
Religious sites
Situated at the junction of the Warwick Road with St Bernards Road and Kineton Green Road is the parish church of St. Margaret's, begun in 1880 as a chancel and completed by B. Corser in 1896. It has rock faced walls, no tower and round piers with well carved naturalistic flower capitals.To the south is the Roman Catholic Olton Friary. Built in 1873 as St Bernard's Catholic Seminary by Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne, the first Catholic bishop of Birmingham, it closed in 1889 when the bishop's successor moved the seminary to Oscott. The building was purchased by the Capuchin Friars and became the Franciscan Monastery of the Immaculate Conception. The friars left on 10 January 1981 and the Sacred Heart Fathers and Brothers of Bétharram took over the running of the parish.
There is also the United Reform church on Kineton Green Road and Olton Baptist Church meets at Langley School on Kineton Green Road.
On the Warwick road just by the rail bridge is the former Congregational Chapel which appears on early 20th century maps, the building is now a bridal shop.
Located on Monastery Road the Solihull and District Hebrew Congregation hold regular religious services at their Solihull Synagogue as well as running a wide range of social activities.
Sports and leisure
Two golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
clubs lie in the wealthy southern part of Olton, namely Robin Hood Golf Club and Olton Golf Club, as does a hockey club Olton and West Warwickshire Hockey Club, whilst in Grange Road there is the Olton and West Warwickshire Cricket Club.
Olton Mere was created as a reservoir to act as a feeder for the Grand Union Canal, which was opened in 1799. The Mere was formed from marshland fed by Folly Brook (now Hatchford Brook) and was designed to hold 150 locks full of water, but this was not achieved until the Mere was extended in 1834. It is the largest of the few areas of open water in Solihull and supports a large number of waterfowl. The woodland surrounding the Mere has remained undisturbed for many years, providing an important habitat for plants and animals. There is no public access to the Mere, which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
for nature conservation. However, there is a good view of the Mere from the trains travelling between Solihull and Olton. The Olton Mere Sailing Club also has a membership category for those who wish to have walking access to the Mere.
Notable people
- Alfred John Bostock HillAlfred Hill (cricketer)Alfred John Bostock Hill, also known as Alfred John Bostock-Hill was an English cricketer. A right-arm bowler, he played one first-class match for Warwickshire in 1920...
, cricketer. - Bernard William QuaifeBernard QuaifeBernard William Quaife was an English cricketer who played more than 300 first-class matches between the wars. He played first for Warwickshire, but later found much more success at Worcestershire, where he became the usual wicket-keeper...
, cricketer. - Edith Blackwell HoldenEdith HoldenEdith Blackwell Holden was a British artist and art teacher. She became famous following the posthumous publication of her Nature Notes for 1906, in facsimile form, as the book The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady in 1977, which was an enormous publishing success, frequently given as a gift...
authoress, artist and art teacher. - Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
, actress. - Frederick William Lanchester, polymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
and engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. - Johnnie WalkerJohnnie Walker (DJ)Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
, Disc Jockey.