Quinton, Birmingham
Encyclopedia
Quinton is a suburb on the western edge of Birmingham
, England
. It is a Birmingham City Council ward within the Edgbaston
formal district, and forms a part of the Birmingham Edgbaston parliamentary constituency.
The area is served by Quinton Library.
and Bartley Green
and the Black Country
area of Warley
, and is separated by the M5 motorway
from the Black Country
town of Halesowen
. It covers an area of 4.8 square kilometres (2 sq mi); its population was recorded in the 2001 UK census
as 19,798, though its boundaries have since expanded slightly. The eastern parts of it were formerly known as "Ridgacre", with Quinton or "The Quinton" being the area now around the church.
The Old Quinton area, in the west of Quinton, contains the highest point in Birmingham, and the top of the spire
of the (Church of England
) Christ Church is the highest point of any building in Birmingham. The escarpment a little to the west also forms part of the national watershed.
The largest open space is Woodgate Valley Country Park
, through which the Bourne Brook flows, dividing Quinton from Woodgate, South Woodgate and Bartley Green.
and was largely owned in medieval times by the wealthy abbey at Lapal near Halesowen. The parish was generally known as Ridgacre until 1901, and formed, with the most of rest of Halesowen parish, a detached part of Shropshire
until 1844
. The area had developed along the Kidderminster
and Birmingham Road, which had been turnpiked
.
In the 1840s, it was mentioned, then called The Quinton, that there were two small coal mines in the area and that the inhabitants were employed in nail manufacturing. Christ Church was constructed in 1840 at a cost of £2,500.
Though this area (including the Christ Church and its associated primary school) dates back to the Victorian era
, and Quinton was formally removed from Worcestershire
and incorporated into the county borough
of Birmingham, in Warwickshire
, on November 9, 1909, it remained in character a village rather than a suburb until the large-scale private housing development of the 1930s.
Factory developments were not planned for the area as a result of objections by residents of Edgbaston
to the possibility of fumes being blown over to their area by the wind.
The expanded Quinton of that time was fictionalised as "Tilton" by Francis Brett Young
in his novel Mr & Mrs Pennington.
Quinton became, with the rest of Birmingham, part of the metropolitan county of the West Midlands
on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
.
Much of Quinton's housing on the Ridgacre estate consists of medium-sized semi-detached houses from the 1930s and 1940s. Construction of the housing estate was halted during World War II
. In the 1950s, council houses typical of the period were built in the remaining spaces. There is a concentration of low-rise council housing on the Woodgate Valley estate, and higher-rise blocks on the Welsh House Farm estate, though this was designated until 2004 as part of Harborne
. The older part of Quinton around the church is built largely of Victorian terraced houses. The area is almost entirely residential, though there are typical small local service businesses and an office park has recently been developed on the Quinton Meadows site adjacent to the motorway
.
councillors and two Labour
councillor on Birmingham City Council
; Peter Smallbone, John Clancey and Matthew Gregson.
The ward has a Ward Support Officer.
and five primary schools; Quinton C of E, Worlds End Primary School, Woodhouse Primary School, Welsh House Farm Community School and Four Dwellings Primary School.
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...
. It is a Birmingham City Council ward within the 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....
formal district, and forms a part of the Birmingham Edgbaston parliamentary constituency.
The area is served by Quinton Library.
Geography
Quinton borders the Birmingham suburbs of HarborneHarborne
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 :...
and Bartley Green
Bartley Green
Bartley Green is a residential suburban area and electoral ward to the south west of Birmingham city centre, England. The ward is part of the Edgbaston constituency which has been under Labour rule for almost ten years. It is located in the metropolitan county of the West Midlands and was in the...
and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
area of Warley
Warley, West Midlands
Warley is a place in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom.A civil parish of Warley was created in 1884 by the merger of the Warley Salop parish with parts of the parishes of Warley Wigorn, Ridgacre and Oldbury.In 1908 the parish was abolished, becoming...
, and is separated by 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...
from the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
town of Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
. It covers an area of 4.8 square kilometres (2 sq mi); its population was recorded in the 2001 UK census
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....
as 19,798, though its boundaries have since expanded slightly. The eastern parts of it were formerly known as "Ridgacre", with Quinton or "The Quinton" being the area now around the church.
The Old Quinton area, in the west of Quinton, contains the highest point in Birmingham, and the top of the spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
of the (Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) Christ Church is the highest point of any building in Birmingham. The escarpment a little to the west also forms part of the national watershed.
The largest open space is Woodgate Valley Country Park
Woodgate Valley Country Park
Woodgate Valley Country Park is a Country Park within the Bartley Green and Quinton districts of Birmingham. Other Birmingham Country Parks are, Sutton Park and Lickey Hills Country Park. The park is maintained as a Wildlife habitat but also has farm animals....
, through which the Bourne Brook flows, dividing Quinton from Woodgate, South Woodgate and Bartley Green.
History
Before the Church was built, it was part of the ancient parish of HalesowenHalesowen (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...
and was largely owned in medieval times by the wealthy abbey at Lapal near Halesowen. The parish was generally known as Ridgacre until 1901, and formed, with the most of rest of Halesowen parish, a detached part 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...
until 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....
. The area had developed along the Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
and Birmingham Road, which had been turnpiked
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
.
In the 1840s, it was mentioned, then called The Quinton, that there were two small coal mines in the area and that the inhabitants were employed in nail manufacturing. Christ Church was constructed in 1840 at a cost of £2,500.
Though this area (including the Christ Church and its associated primary school) dates back to the Victorian era
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 Quinton was formally removed from 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...
and incorporated into the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Birmingham, in 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...
, on November 9, 1909, it remained in character a village rather than a suburb until the large-scale private housing development of the 1930s.
Factory developments were not planned for the area as a result of objections by residents of 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....
to the possibility of fumes being blown over to their area by the wind.
The expanded Quinton of that time was fictionalised as "Tilton" by 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...
in his novel Mr & Mrs Pennington.
Quinton became, with the rest of Birmingham, part of 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...
on April 1, 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....
.
Population and housing
The 2001 Population Census recorded that 23,084 people were living in Quinton. 14.5% (3,301) of the ward's population consisted of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham.Much of Quinton's housing on the Ridgacre estate consists of medium-sized semi-detached houses from the 1930s and 1940s. Construction of the housing estate was halted during 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...
. In the 1950s, council houses typical of the period were built in the remaining spaces. There is a concentration of low-rise council housing on the Woodgate Valley estate, and higher-rise blocks on the Welsh House Farm estate, though this was designated until 2004 as part of 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 :...
. The older part of Quinton around the church is built largely of Victorian terraced houses. The area is almost entirely residential, though there are typical small local service businesses and an office park has recently been developed on the Quinton Meadows site adjacent to the 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...
.
Politics
Quinton ward is currently represented by one ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillors and two Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor on 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...
; Peter Smallbone, John Clancey and Matthew Gregson.
The ward has a Ward Support Officer.
Education
Quinton has one secondary school, Four Dwellings High SchoolFour 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...
and five primary schools; Quinton C of E, Worlds End Primary School, Woodhouse Primary School, Welsh House Farm Community School and Four Dwellings Primary School.
Notable people
- Keith Law, Songwriter for Velvett FoggVelvett FoggVelvett Fogg are a cult British psychedelic rock band. Tony Iommi was a member in mid-1968, but soon left to form Black Sabbath. Their lone eponymous album was released in January 1969, and re-released on CD by Sanctuary Records in 2002.-Development:...
lived in High Street. - Jihoon Kang
- Arpan SharmaArpan SharmaArpan Sharma is a British polyglot who at the age of 13 can speak 11 languages. He speaks English, Hindi, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Swahili, Polish, Thai, and Ganda languagen. He currently goes to King Edwards school, Edgbaston, of Birmingham, English...
- Adrian ChilesAdrian ChilesAdrian Chiles is a British television and radio presenter, currently working for ITV Sport presenting football coverage....