Selly Oak
Encyclopedia
Selly Oak is a residential
suburb
an district in south-west Birmingham
, England
. The suburb is bordered by Bournbrook
and Selly Park
to the north-east, Edgbaston
and Harborne
to the north, Weoley Castle
and Weoley Hill to the west, and Bournville
to the south. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal
and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the northern boundary of the area.
Selly Oak was formerly known as Escelie. The name Selly is derived from variants of "scelf-lei" or shelf-meadow, that is pasture land on a shelf or terrace of land, probably the glacial deposits formed after the creation and later dispersal of Lake Harrison during the Quaternary period.
The Oak element of the name Selly Oak comes from a prominent Oak
tree that formerly stood at the crossroads of the Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane/Harborne Lane. The original spot is still commemorated by an old Victorian street sign above one of the shops on the north-side of Oak Tree Lane, which declares it to be "Oak Tree Place" and has the date of 1880.
The earliest attestations for the name 'Selly Oak' date from 1746, and come from the manorial court rolls for the Manor of Northfield and Weoley, of which the district of Selly was a part. The stump of the old oak in Selly Oak Park was examined using dendrochronology
, and the results gave a date of 1710-1720 for when the tree began growing. It is therefore thought that the tree became a landmark following the turnpiking of the road from Bromsgrove to Birmingham (now the Bristol Road), which began in 1727.
An older name for the same crossroads, where the road from King's Norton to Harborne (now represented by Oak Tree/Harborne Lanes) met the Bromsgrove to Birmingham road (now the Bristol Road), appears to have been Selly Cross; at least this is what it was called during the 16th century when it was recorded as Selley Crosse in 1549 and Selley Cross in 1506.
The supposed tradition that the original oak was associated with a witch named Sarah or Sally is without foundation, and is likely to have arisen as a means of explaining what may have been a variant and local pronunciation of the name as 'Sally' Oak. Indeed the name is actually recorded as Sally Oak on a canal map produced by John Snape in 1789.
In March 1985, a 'new' Selly Oak was planted by local councillors on the north side of Bristol Road on the small triangle of land between Harborne Lane and the Sainsbury's site, following road improvements to the junction. A second 'new' Selly Oak was planted in October 2000 at Bentella's Corner on the south side of Bristol Road, on the opposite side of Oak Tree Lane to the original site. In addition, there may also have been a third planting of yet another 'new' Selly Oak, next to the extension to Sainsbury's car park, after the demolition of The Great Oak pub in 1993. All of these Oaks are still growing.
local authority electoral ward
, along with the districts of Bournbrook
, Selly Park
, Ten Acres and a small part of Stirchley
. It also comes under the Selly Oak local council constituency, which is managed by its own district committee, and comprises both the Selly Oak ward as well as the wards of Billesley, Bournville and Brandwood.
where the student population is much higher.
and St Mary's CofE Primary School.
A number of colleges, mainly theological, collectively called the Selly Oak Colleges
are now part of the University of Birmingham
.
production and fitment centre in the West Midlands.
The redevelopment of the area also involves the local hospitals Selly Oak Hospital
and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
which together form the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
. Construction work has started on Birmingham Super Hospital on the current Queen Elizabeth Hospital site, and is due to be partially completed in 2010 and fully open by June 2012. On completion, it is anticipated that Selly Oak Hospital will close as an NHS hospital
.
on the Cross-City Line, providing services to the Birmingham New Street
, Lichfield Trent Valley
and Redditch
stations. It was originally built as part of the Birmingham West Suburban Railway
, who agreed a land rental deal with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
to allow construction. It opened in 1876 as a single track line, running from Birmingham New Street to Stirchley Street
. Bought out by the Midland Railway
to allow their trains to pass through Birmingham without turning having used the Camp Hill Line, they extended the tracks south to a junction south with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
at Kings Norton
, and double-tracked the entire line length. The line was slightly realigned in the early 1930s, and the stub of the old alignment is still visible next to the current bridge over the Bristol Road.
The former Bristol Road tram route and its depots were replaced by buses in 1952. The original tram sheds were demolished in about 2005 for flats, whilst Selly Oak bus garage was closed in 1986 and converted into a self-storage depot in about 1990.
One of the perpetrators of the Carl Bridgwater murder was arrested in the now demolished Dog and Partridge public house. At one time there were several more public houses than at present, such as the Dog and Partridge, and the Oak. There was a cinema, the Oak, which every Saturday morning was home to the ABC minors children's cinema club. The cinema stood on the current site that is Sainsbury's.
There is one main cemetery in Selly Oak, Lodge Hill Cemetery, opened 1895, and run by Birmingham council since 1911. Its main entrance is on Weoley Park Road, at its junction with Gibbins Road and Shenley Fields Road.
George Richards Elkington put up most of the money to built St Mary's Church on Bristol Road in 1861, built by the Birmingham architect Edward Holmes. There are several Elkington Burials in the Churchyard, including George Richards Elkington and his wife Mary Austen Elkington., and Brass Plates to Commemorate them within the name of the church. These rather amusingly show the couple with Victorian fairstyles and a mixture of Victorian and medieval clothing.
.
The first transatlantic cable
was made in Selly Oak.
Edward Monks boat building yard was in Selly Oak at the junction of the Dudley Canal
and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. One of the Birmingham Small Arms factories and later Westley Richards both had gun factories in the Grange road area, as did Ariel, the motorcycle company.
is situated in Selly Oak, together with the Mill Health Centre where the BBC
's daytime soap Doctors is filmed.
). In the latter half of that century, many historic buildings were demolished around the Bristol Road at the heart of old Selly Oak. However, plans for significant regeneration of the area were confirmed in 2005. A new 1.5 km stretch of road was opened in August 2011 to alleviate the heavily congested Bristol Road
through both Selly Oak and nearby Bournbrook
, with improvements to public transport and other facilities in the district. The scheme includes a new canal aqueduct to carry the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
and a new railway bridge on the Cross-City Line, and allowance has been made for the reopening of a small part of the Selly Oak to Lapal and Halesowen canal (Dudley No. 2 Canal
) to enhance the area and provide a focal point. This scheme is paving the way for the University of Birmingham
accommodation scheme, with the second phase (demolition) starting in March 2012. Compulsory evictions are set to start in January 2012.
Residential area
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single family housing, multi-family residential, or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit...
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...
an district in south-west 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...
, 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 suburb is bordered by Bournbrook
Bournbrook
Bournbrook is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Bournbrook is bordered by Selly Oak to the west and south, Selly Park to the east, and Edgbaston to the north. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the...
and Selly Park
Selly Park
Selly Park is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Selly Park is located between the Bristol Road and the Pershore Road .-Toponymy:...
to the north-east, Edgbaston
Edgbaston
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....
and Harborne
Harborne
Harborne is an area three miles southwest from Birmingham city centre, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston.- Geography :...
to the north, Weoley Castle
Weoley Castle
-External links:****** - Educational teaching sessions and resources at Weoley Castle* - fun and games for children based on Weoley Castle...
and Weoley Hill to the west, and Bournville
Bournville
Bournville is a model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate – including a dark chocolate bar branded "Bournville". It is also a ward within the council constituency of Selly Oak and home to the Bournville Centre...
to the south. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Worcester and Birmingham Canal
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is long....
and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the northern boundary of the area.
Toponymy
The Oak element of the name Selly Oak comes from a prominent Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
tree that formerly stood at the crossroads of the Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane/Harborne Lane. The original spot is still commemorated by an old Victorian street sign above one of the shops on the north-side of Oak Tree Lane, which declares it to be "Oak Tree Place" and has the date of 1880.
The 'Oak'
The Oak that stood here was finally felled in May 1909 amid fears about its safety, due to damage to its roots caused by the building of the nearby houses. The tree was cut-up and the stump removed to Selly Oak Park, where it remains to this day, bearing a brass plaque that reads "Butt of Old Oak Tree from which the name of Selly Oak was derived. Removed from Oak Tree Lane, Selly Oak 1909". By 2011 the stump had become quite rotten and the brass plaque was no longer secure. It was removed by the Friends of Selly Oak Park and replaced with a replica plaque. The original was retained by the Friends for conservation. The remains of the stump were left in the park.The earliest attestations for the name 'Selly Oak' date from 1746, and come from the manorial court rolls for the Manor of Northfield and Weoley, of which the district of Selly was a part. The stump of the old oak in Selly Oak Park was examined using dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
, and the results gave a date of 1710-1720 for when the tree began growing. It is therefore thought that the tree became a landmark following the turnpiking of the road from Bromsgrove to Birmingham (now the Bristol Road), which began in 1727.
An older name for the same crossroads, where the road from King's Norton to Harborne (now represented by Oak Tree/Harborne Lanes) met the Bromsgrove to Birmingham road (now the Bristol Road), appears to have been Selly Cross; at least this is what it was called during the 16th century when it was recorded as Selley Crosse in 1549 and Selley Cross in 1506.
The supposed tradition that the original oak was associated with a witch named Sarah or Sally is without foundation, and is likely to have arisen as a means of explaining what may have been a variant and local pronunciation of the name as 'Sally' Oak. Indeed the name is actually recorded as Sally Oak on a canal map produced by John Snape in 1789.
In March 1985, a 'new' Selly Oak was planted by local councillors on the north side of Bristol Road on the small triangle of land between Harborne Lane and the Sainsbury's site, following road improvements to the junction. A second 'new' Selly Oak was planted in October 2000 at Bentella's Corner on the south side of Bristol Road, on the opposite side of Oak Tree Lane to the original site. In addition, there may also have been a third planting of yet another 'new' Selly Oak, next to the extension to Sainsbury's car park, after the demolition of The Great Oak pub in 1993. All of these Oaks are still growing.
Governance
The suburb is in the Selly OakSelly Oak (ward)
The Selly Oak local council ward is one of the 40 electoral wards for the City of Birmingham, England. It is also one of the four wards that make up the local council constituency of Selly Oak, the other three being the wards of Billesley, Bournville and Brandwood....
local authority electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, along with the districts of Bournbrook
Bournbrook
Bournbrook is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Bournbrook is bordered by Selly Oak to the west and south, Selly Park to the east, and Edgbaston to the north. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the...
, Selly Park
Selly Park
Selly Park is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Selly Park is located between the Bristol Road and the Pershore Road .-Toponymy:...
, Ten Acres and a small part of Stirchley
Stirchley, West Midlands
Stirchley is a southern area of Birmingham, England. Close to the districts of Kings Heath, Bournville, Selly Park, Cotteridge and King's Norton...
. It also comes under the Selly Oak local council constituency, which is managed by its own district committee, and comprises both the Selly Oak ward as well as the wards of Billesley, Bournville and Brandwood.
Geography
Population and services
The 2001 Population Census recorded that 25,792 people were living in Selly Oak with a population density of 4,236 people per km² compared with 3,649 people per km² for Birmingham. It had a below-average percentage of ethnic minorities with only 15.9% of the population consisting of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham in general. Due to the proximity of the University of Birmingham there are a large number of students in the area, though this is not as great as in the neighbouring area of BournbrookBournbrook
Bournbrook is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Bournbrook is bordered by Selly Oak to the west and south, Selly Park to the east, and Edgbaston to the north. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the...
where the student population is much higher.
Education
Schools include Bournville SchoolBournville School
Bournville School and sixth form centre is a coeducational, state comprehensive school, with Specialist Business and Enterprise College and Music College status, for students aged 11–19 years, located on Griffins Brook Lane, Bournville, Birmingham in the United Kingdom.Since 2002 Bournville has...
and St Mary's CofE Primary School.
A number of colleges, mainly theological, collectively called the Selly Oak Colleges
Selly Oak Colleges
Selly Oak Colleges was a Federation of educational facilities, primarily concerned with theology and social work, in Birmingham, England. The Federation was for many years associated with the University of Birmingham...
are now part of the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
.
Hospitals
Selly Oak Hospital, now part of the University Hospital Trust and due to close shortly to move into new premises, occupies the premises of the former Kings Norton Union Workhouse although the infirmary buildings have not been used as wards for many years, but as offices and consulting rooms. Currently, part of the hospital is used as the main treatment centre for military casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as hosting the main prosthetic limbProsthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
production and fitment centre in the West Midlands.
The redevelopment of the area also involves the local hospitals Selly Oak Hospital
Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
Selly Oak Hospital, in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England, is one of two hospitals which form the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the other being the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston.-History:...
and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is an NHS hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which cost £545 million to construct, opened in June 2010 replacing the previous Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital...
which together form the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust provides adult district general hospital services for South Birmingham as well as specialist treatments for the West Midlands.The trust comprises three hospitals on two sites, which are 1.5 miles apart...
. Construction work has started on Birmingham Super Hospital on the current Queen Elizabeth Hospital site, and is due to be partially completed in 2010 and fully open by June 2012. On completion, it is anticipated that Selly Oak Hospital will close as an NHS hospital
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
.
Public transport
Both Selly Oak and Bournbrook are served by Selly Oak railway stationSelly Oak railway station
Selly Oak railway station is a railway station in Selly Oak in Birmingham, England on the Cross-City Line between Redditch, Birmingham and Lichfield....
on the Cross-City Line, providing services to the Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street Station
Birmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
, Lichfield Trent Valley
Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Lichfield, the other being in the city-centre.-History:...
and Redditch
Redditch railway station
Redditch railway station serves the town of Redditch, Worcestershire, England. It is the southern terminus of the Cross-City Line 23 km south of Birmingham New Street...
stations. It was originally built as part of the Birmingham West Suburban Railway
Birmingham West Suburban Railway
The Birmingham West Suburban Railway was a suburban railway built by the Midland Railway company. Opened in 1876, it allowed both the opening of development of central southwest suburban Birmingham south into Worcestershire, and the by-passing of railway traffic via the Birmingham and Gloucester...
, who agreed a land rental deal with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Worcester and Birmingham Canal
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is long....
to allow construction. It opened in 1876 as a single track line, running from Birmingham New Street to Stirchley Street
Bournville railway station
Bournville railway station serves the Bournville area of Birmingham, England. It is on the Cross-City Line which runs from Redditch to Lichfield via Birmingham New Street.-History:...
. Bought out by 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....
to allow their trains to pass through Birmingham without turning having used the Camp Hill Line, they extended the tracks south to a junction south with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
at Kings Norton
Kings Norton railway station
Kings Norton railway station serves the Kings Norton and Cotteridge areas of Birmingham, England. It lies on Cross-City Line from Redditch through Birmingham New Street to Lichfield. The station's main entrance is located on Pershore Road South, the A441....
, and double-tracked the entire line length. The line was slightly realigned in the early 1930s, and the stub of the old alignment is still visible next to the current bridge over the Bristol Road.
The former Bristol Road tram route and its depots were replaced by buses in 1952. The original tram sheds were demolished in about 2005 for flats, whilst Selly Oak bus garage was closed in 1986 and converted into a self-storage depot in about 1990.
Public facilities
The area is well served by all kinds of public facilities. These include:-Selly Oak Library which hosts the Selly Oak Library Local History Group.One of the perpetrators of the Carl Bridgwater murder was arrested in the now demolished Dog and Partridge public house. At one time there were several more public houses than at present, such as the Dog and Partridge, and the Oak. There was a cinema, the Oak, which every Saturday morning was home to the ABC minors children's cinema club. The cinema stood on the current site that is Sainsbury's.
There is one main cemetery in Selly Oak, Lodge Hill Cemetery, opened 1895, and run by Birmingham council since 1911. Its main entrance is on Weoley Park Road, at its junction with Gibbins Road and Shenley Fields Road.
Religion
Industry
There were a few local factories such as Elliotts and the Birmingham Battery and Metal CompanyBirmingham Battery and Metal Company
The Birmingham Battery and Metal Company was founded in 1836 with a factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.The company did not make batteries, but the use of the word battery in the name refers to a method of metal production and forming .-History:In 1850 the company was described as "manufacturers of...
.
The first transatlantic cable
Transatlantic cable
Transatlantic cable may refer to:* Transatlantic telegraph cable* Transatlantic telephone cable* Other transatlantic submarine communications cable...
was made in Selly Oak.
Edward Monks boat building yard was in Selly Oak at the junction of the Dudley Canal
Dudley Canal
The Dudley Canal is a canal passing though Dudley in the West Midlands of England. The canal is part of the English and Welsh connected network of navigable inland waterways, and in particular forms part of the popular Stourport Ring narrowboat cruising route....
and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. One of the Birmingham Small Arms factories and later Westley Richards both had gun factories in the Grange road area, as did Ariel, the motorcycle company.
Television
The BBC Drama VillageBBC Drama Village
The BBC Drama Village is a television production facility run by the BBC. It is operated by their BBC Birmingham branch and based largely at the Selly Oak campus of the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, England....
is situated in Selly Oak, together with the Mill Health Centre where the 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...
's daytime soap Doctors is filmed.
Redevelopment
Selly Oak itself was blighted for a large part of the 20th century by a road-widening scheme for the Bristol Road (A38A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
). In the latter half of that century, many historic buildings were demolished around the Bristol Road at the heart of old Selly Oak. However, plans for significant regeneration of the area were confirmed in 2005. A new 1.5 km stretch of road was opened in August 2011 to alleviate the heavily congested Bristol Road
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
through both Selly Oak and nearby Bournbrook
Bournbrook
Bournbrook is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Bournbrook is bordered by Selly Oak to the west and south, Selly Park to the east, and Edgbaston to the north. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the...
, with improvements to public transport and other facilities in the district. The scheme includes a new canal aqueduct to carry the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Worcester and Birmingham Canal
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is long....
and a new railway bridge on the Cross-City Line, and allowance has been made for the reopening of a small part of the Selly Oak to Lapal and Halesowen canal (Dudley No. 2 Canal
Dudley Canal
The Dudley Canal is a canal passing though Dudley in the West Midlands of England. The canal is part of the English and Welsh connected network of navigable inland waterways, and in particular forms part of the popular Stourport Ring narrowboat cruising route....
) to enhance the area and provide a focal point. This scheme is paving the way for the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
accommodation scheme, with the second phase (demolition) starting in March 2012. Compulsory evictions are set to start in January 2012.
Notable buildings
- St Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church, Selly OakSt. Mary's Church, Selly Oak is a parish church in the Church of England located in Selly Oak, Birmingham.-Background:The parish of St. Mary's was formed out of the parish of St. Laurence's Church, Northfield in 1862...
- Selly Oak Library
- Selly Oak Pumping StationSelly Oak Pumping StationSelly Oak Pumping Station was a water pumping station operating in Selly Oak, Birmingham, England from 1878 until the 1920s.-History:It was built by the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks department in 1878 to house a Boulton and Watt steam engine pumping water for domestic use from a borehole...
- Omco Pharmaceuticals
- Birmingham Battery and Metal CompanyBirmingham Battery and Metal CompanyThe Birmingham Battery and Metal Company was founded in 1836 with a factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.The company did not make batteries, but the use of the word battery in the name refers to a method of metal production and forming .-History:In 1850 the company was described as "manufacturers of...
External links
- Birmingham Post article about the demolition of the Birmingham battery
- 1884 Ordnance Survey 25" map of Selly Oak (404 ERROR)
- A Brief History of Selly Oak
- St Mary's Parish Church, Selly Oak (includes PDF version of Francis W. Leonard's The Story of Selly Oak)
- An old colour photograph from 1957 of Selly Oak Village
- More Photos of Selly Oak (includes one of the plaque on the stump of the original Selly Oak)
- Excavations of lime kilns at Selly Oak
- Restoration of Selly Oak to Lapal canal, Selly Oak section
- Selly Oak New Road (Birmingham City Council website)
- Birmingham, B29