Nechells
Encyclopedia
Nechells is an area in inner-city Birmingham
, England
, with a population of 27,969 (as of 2001). It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood
. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centre, which are not part of the historic district of Nechells as such. It is adjacent to Saltley
period, following the process of language change known as metanalysis
,only the "n" in "atten" remained in oral usage and became assimilated to "Eccheles". So, n+Eccheles became the "Nechells" (pronunciation [niːt͡ʃl̩z]) of modern usage. However, the pronunciation [net͡ʃl̩z] was also to be heard in the 20th century amongst some older inhabitants of the area.
Nechells became a densely populated area during the 19th century, with mass development of houses and factories taking place. Mass immigration occurred from Ireland
. In 1868 it was described thus:
Developments in the Victorian era include the opening of the aforementioned St Clement's Church, designed by J.A. Chatwin, in 1859; St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in 1872 (incorporating the former chapel of the Roman Catholic cemetery, designed by A.W Pugin
and opened in 1850). The later church was designed by Pugin's son, E.W. Pugin; a board school situated in Hutton (later Eliot) Street in 1879; the building of almshouses adjacent to St. Clement's church to accommodate "31 inmates, widows, single women, and married couples - whose age is above 60" and Bloomsbury Library of 1892 on Nechells Parkway, described as "a typical vigorous example of the red brick and terracotta school for municipal building at the end of the nineteenth century."
The London and North Western Railway
's line from Stechford to Aston cut across Nechells Park Road and neighbouring streets when it opened in 1880, as had the Grand Junction Railway
from Liverpool and Manchester to Birmingham in order to reach its temporary terminus at Vauxhall in 1837.
The Twentieth Century and Later
After World War II
, further immigration occurred from parts of the Commonwealth
, mostly the Caribbean
and the India
n Sub Continent.
By the 1950s, however, many of the homes in Nechells had been reduced to "slums" and were unfit for human habitation. People were living in homes without electricity, running water, bathrooms or indoor toilets. The Gas Works caused a continuous unpleasant smell. The bulk of the area had been designated as a redevelpment area in 1937, but its regeneration was put off by some 20 years due to World War II
.
The face of Nechells changed dramatically during the 1960s, with the decaying Victorian terraces being cleared and the area redeveloped with new houses and tower blocks. Some families remained in the new homes that had been built around Nechells, but there were insufficient new homes to rehouse all of the area's original residents, and as a result some families moved to new housing estates like Castle Vale
and Chelmsley Wood
. The new homes were certainly a big improvement on their predecessors, but the area still suffered from rising unemployment and crime.
The development of high rise flats in Nechells had actually started in the 1950s, and it was the home of Birmingham's very first tower block - Queens Tower, on Great Francis Street. - which was completed in 1954 and is still standing today. However, many of the tower blocks in the Nechells area were demolished in the 1990s
to make way for new low rise private and rented housing.http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bo/?id=103592
Chinese food and restaurant business which occupies a site at Nechells Green bounded by Rocky Lane, Nechells Park Road and Railway Terrace.This site opened in 1992, was expanded considerably in 1996 and now includes a business centre serving the Chinese community and a food superstore.
On Thimble Mill Lane, the Aston Manor Brewery
started production in 1993 and produces beer, cider and perry. It is capable of producing 24,000 bottles per hour.
found that 27,969 people lived in the ward with a population density of 3,015 people per km² compared with 3,649 people per km² for Birmingham. 62.6% (17,142) of the ward's population consists of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham.
Whilst it is notable in Birmingham for being the area with the highest rate of unemployment, crime and poverty, it has been the focus of a great deal of urban regeneration by Birmingham City Council
and the former Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation
.
However, a report published in 2010 by the Birmingham Public Health Information Team concluded that:
Ethnicity
and Aston railway station
. From 1856-1869, a station named "Bloomsbury and Nechells " was situated slightly to the north of the present Duddeston station.
The main bus services serving Nechells are the West Midlands bus routes 66 and 66A from Birmingham city centre to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington.These routes are the successors of trolleybus route 7, which ran from the city centre to Nechells from 1922–1940 and the motorbus route 43 which replaced it in 1940. The West Midlands bus route 8, the "Inner Circle", also serves the western part of the area..
- a vast entertainment complex that houses shops, restaurants, a 22-lane bowling centre (Tenpin, formerly Megabowl), a casino and Vue
Cinema which, with thirty screens, is one of the largest multiplexes in Europe.
As well as Bloomsbury library, other community facilities include Nechells Play Centre and the Nechells Green Community Centre. Sports facilities are provided at the Heartlands High Community Leisure Centre and the Nechells Community Sports Centre.
Nechells Baths on Nechells Park Road is a Grade II listed building. Plans for baths to be constructed in the Nechells ward came about in 1900 when representatives from the ward pressured the council into providing public baths for the ward. However, the Birmingham Baths Committee
were already committed to other projects in the city and were unable to immediately attend the matter.
In 1903, a site at the corner of Nechells Park Road and Aston Church Road was acquired and in 1908, approval was given for the construction of baths on the site. Construction commenced that year and the baths were opened June 22, 1910. Facilities provided included a large swimming bath with a spectators' gallery and suites of private baths for men and women. The baths were immediately popular among the locals.
Refurbishment work to the baths was completed in May 2007 by Welconstruct. It cost £5.5 million, with funding from Advantage West Midlands
, the Heritage Lottery Fund
and ERDF.
Nechells has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Maz Dad.
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...
, with a population of 27,969 (as of 2001). It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood
Ladywood
Ladywood is an inner-city area in Birmingham, England. It is a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Ladywood ward and the wards of Aston, Nechells and Soho. In June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a city-wide "Ward Boundary...
. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centre, which are not part of the historic district of Nechells as such. It is adjacent to Saltley
Origins of the name
The first recorded use of the name "Nechells" is in a land transfer deed of 1339. Earlier sources mention the name "atten Eccheles", "the land belonging to Eccheles". In the Middle EnglishMiddle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
period, following the process of language change known as metanalysis
Metanalysis
In linguistics, metanalysis is the act of breaking down a word or phrase into segments or meanings not original to it. The term was coined by the linguist Otto Jespersen, from Greek elements meaning "a change of breakdown"....
,only the "n" in "atten" remained in oral usage and became assimilated to "Eccheles". So, n+Eccheles became the "Nechells" (pronunciation [niːt͡ʃl̩z]) of modern usage. However, the pronunciation [net͡ʃl̩z] was also to be heard in the 20th century amongst some older inhabitants of the area.
History
The Nineteenth CenturyNechells became a densely populated area during the 19th century, with mass development of houses and factories taking place. Mass immigration occurred from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In 1868 it was described thus:
- ...a hamlet in the parish of Aston and borough of Birmingham, county Warwick. It is united with Duddeston, and forms a populous suburb of Birmingham. Here are extensive workshops for building railway carriages, also a lunatic asylum. The living (i.e. the position of vicar of the parish) is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Worcester, value £59. The church is dedicated to St. Clement.
Developments in the Victorian era include the opening of the aforementioned St Clement's Church, designed by J.A. Chatwin, in 1859; St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in 1872 (incorporating the former chapel of the Roman Catholic cemetery, designed by A.W Pugin
Pugin
Pugin most commonly refers to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin , English architect and designer.Other members of his family include:...
and opened in 1850). The later church was designed by Pugin's son, E.W. Pugin; a board school situated in Hutton (later Eliot) Street in 1879; the building of almshouses adjacent to St. Clement's church to accommodate "31 inmates, widows, single women, and married couples - whose age is above 60" and Bloomsbury Library of 1892 on Nechells Parkway, described as "a typical vigorous example of the red brick and terracotta school for municipal building at the end of the nineteenth century."
The London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
's line from Stechford to Aston cut across Nechells Park Road and neighbouring streets when it opened in 1880, as had the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
from Liverpool and Manchester to Birmingham in order to reach its temporary terminus at Vauxhall in 1837.
The Twentieth Century and Later
After 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...
, further immigration occurred from parts of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
, mostly the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Sub Continent.
By the 1950s, however, many of the homes in Nechells had been reduced to "slums" and were unfit for human habitation. People were living in homes without electricity, running water, bathrooms or indoor toilets. The Gas Works caused a continuous unpleasant smell. The bulk of the area had been designated as a redevelpment area in 1937, but its regeneration was put off by some 20 years due to 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...
.
The face of Nechells changed dramatically during the 1960s, with the decaying Victorian terraces being cleared and the area redeveloped with new houses and tower blocks. Some families remained in the new homes that had been built around Nechells, but there were insufficient new homes to rehouse all of the area's original residents, and as a result some families moved to new housing estates like Castle Vale
Castle Vale
Castle Vale is a housing estate located near Erdington currently Castle Vale votes with Tyburn Ward which is part of Erdington constituency, northeast of Birmingham city centre in England...
and Chelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England, with a population of 13,010. It is located near Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It lies adjacent to Birmingham...
. The new homes were certainly a big improvement on their predecessors, but the area still suffered from rising unemployment and crime.
The development of high rise flats in Nechells had actually started in the 1950s, and it was the home of Birmingham's very first tower block - Queens Tower, on Great Francis Street. - which was completed in 1954 and is still standing today. However, many of the tower blocks in the Nechells area were demolished in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
to make way for new low rise private and rented housing.http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bo/?id=103592
Industrial and Commercial Development
Two notable features of the commercial life of present-day Nechells are the headquarters of the Wing YipWing Yip
Wing Yip is a Chinese supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, founded in 1969.The current Birmingham store now also serves as its headquarters office, international trading division, property and investments, , warehouse, and national distribution centre...
Chinese food and restaurant business which occupies a site at Nechells Green bounded by Rocky Lane, Nechells Park Road and Railway Terrace.This site opened in 1992, was expanded considerably in 1996 and now includes a business centre serving the Chinese community and a food superstore.
On Thimble Mill Lane, the Aston Manor Brewery
Aston Manor Brewery
Aston Manor Brewery is a brewery and beer bottling company in Aston, Birmingham, England. The company produces beer, cider and perry. It is the third largest cider company in the UK by market share, and the fourth largest in the world. Its products include Frosty Jack's Cider, the UK's leading...
started production in 1993 and produces beer, cider and perry. It is capable of producing 24,000 bottles per hour.
Demographics and Health
The 2001 Population CensusUnited 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....
found that 27,969 people lived in the ward with a population density of 3,015 people per km² compared with 3,649 people per km² for Birmingham. 62.6% (17,142) of the ward's population consists of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham.
Whilst it is notable in Birmingham for being the area with the highest rate of unemployment, crime and poverty, it has been the focus of a great deal of urban regeneration by Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
and the former Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation
Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation
The Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation was established in 1992 to develop 9.5 square kilometres of land in the East of Birmingham.-Pre-designation:...
.
However, a report published in 2010 by the Birmingham Public Health Information Team concluded that:
- North Nechells, Bloomsbury and Duddeston has a young population compared with Birmingham overall
- The area is made up of multicultural, mixed communities with crime and health problems
- Life expectancy is much worse than the Birmingham average, along with self reported health status and long term limiting illnesses
- More people die young in North Nechells, Bloomsbury and Duddeston than Birmingham on average, mostly from: chronic liver disease including cirrhosisCirrhosisCirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
, suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, injury undetermined and strokeStrokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage... - Mortality rates and admission rates (to hospital) are higher than the Birmingham average.
Ethnicity
- White - 10,284 (37.42%)
- Black - 2,644 (9.65%)
- Asian - 12,700 (46.38%)
- Chinese or Other - 539 (1.97%)
- Mixed Race - 1,018 (4.60%)
Transport
Nechells is served by Duddeston railway stationDuddeston railway station
Duddeston railway station is a railway station serving the Duddeston area of Birmingham. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line, and also on the Walsall line. Services on both lines are usually operated by Class 323 electrical multiple units...
and Aston railway station
Aston railway station
Aston railway station serves the districts of Aston and Nechells in Birmingham, England. The passenger entrance is on Lichfield Road.The station is situated adjacent to and above the Lichfield Road , crossed by a bridge as the railway line, part of the original Grand Junction Railway, opened in...
. From 1856-1869, a station named "Bloomsbury and Nechells " was situated slightly to the north of the present Duddeston station.
The main bus services serving Nechells are the West Midlands bus routes 66 and 66A from Birmingham city centre to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington.These routes are the successors of trolleybus route 7, which ran from the city centre to Nechells from 1922–1940 and the motorbus route 43 which replaced it in 1940. The West Midlands bus route 8, the "Inner Circle", also serves the western part of the area..
Places of interest
Nechells is home to Star CityStar City, Birmingham
Star City is a family leisure and entertainment complex in Birmingham, England. It is located in the north east of the city very close to Junction 6 of the M6 motorway , and Aston Train Station.- Development :...
- a vast entertainment complex that houses shops, restaurants, a 22-lane bowling centre (Tenpin, formerly Megabowl), a casino and Vue
Vue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
Cinema which, with thirty screens, is one of the largest multiplexes in Europe.
As well as Bloomsbury library, other community facilities include Nechells Play Centre and the Nechells Green Community Centre. Sports facilities are provided at the Heartlands High Community Leisure Centre and the Nechells Community Sports Centre.
Nechells Baths on Nechells Park Road is a Grade II listed building. Plans for baths to be constructed in the Nechells ward came about in 1900 when representatives from the ward pressured the council into providing public baths for the ward. However, the Birmingham Baths Committee
Birmingham Baths Committee
The Birmingham Baths Committee was a Birmingham City Council-run organisation responsible for the provision and maintenance of public swimming and bathing facilities within the Birmingham boundaries in England...
were already committed to other projects in the city and were unable to immediately attend the matter.
In 1903, a site at the corner of Nechells Park Road and Aston Church Road was acquired and in 1908, approval was given for the construction of baths on the site. Construction commenced that year and the baths were opened June 22, 1910. Facilities provided included a large swimming bath with a spectators' gallery and suites of private baths for men and women. The baths were immediately popular among the locals.
Refurbishment work to the baths was completed in May 2007 by Welconstruct. It cost £5.5 million, with funding from Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands
-Advantage West Midlands – Regional Development Agency:Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a...
, the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and ERDF.
Politics
Nechells ward is served by three Labour councillors; Tahir Ali, Rashid Chauhdry and Yvonne Mosquito.Nechells has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Maz Dad.
Further reading
- Chinn, Carl The Streets of Brum, vols 1-4. Studley: Brewin Books 2003-2007.
- Frostick, E. and Harland, L. Take Heart: people, history and change in Birmingham's Heartlands. Beverley: Hutton Press, 1993.
- Moth, J. The City of Birmingham Baths Department 1851 - 1951. Birmingham: Birmingham Corporation, 1951.
- Pevsner, N. and Wedgwood, A. The Buildings of England - Warwickshire. London: Penguin 1966.
- Thomson, N. Where I live - Inner City: Neil Thomson meets Desrene Gentles. London: Watts Books, 1993.
- Twist, Maria Saltley, Duddeston and Nechells. Stroud: Tempus 2001