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Selly Oak Area
Selly Oak is in the Selly Oak council ward in south-west Birmingham, three miles from the city centre. The surrounding areas are Bournbrook, Bournville, Harborne, Metchley, Stirchley, Weoley and Selly Park.
Selly is a corruption of "escelie" which means a clearing on high flat ground. The high ground in question is the hill at the junction of Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane where an ancient oak once stood.
Selly Oak is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as a comparatively prosperous village. It remained rural until the construction of the Birmingham and Worcester Canal and the defunct Dudley no.2 canal which met at Selly Oak Junction.
The completion of these canals in the early 19th century provided an alternative route, that avoided Birmingham, between the Black Country and the south of England. The junction attracted industrial development, a process that accelerated after Selly Oak Railway Station opened in 1876.
The area was then rapidly urbanised as long rows of small terraced houses were built and a commercial centred evolved at the junction of Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane. Selly Oak officially became part of Birmingham in 1911.
St Mary's on the Bristol Road is a mid-Victorian church designed by Edward Holmes in the Decorated Gothic Style; it was built in sandstone in 1861 and comprises a chancel, nave, transepts and a 45-metre north-west tower and spire.
The church was endowed by George Elkington who owned the silver electro-plating factory on Newhall Street in the Jewellery Quarter. The land was donated by local squire, Joseph Ledsham. A plaque commemorates both men and several stained-glass windows are dedicated to members of the Elkington family.
Other treasures include Bath stone reredos on the High Altar; an oak lectern in the shape of an eagle at the Crossing; a stone pulpit with oak panelling and marble pillars; and an octagonal stone font (1861) by W Butterfield.
Address: 923 Bristol Road B29 6ND
St Mary's WebsiteQuaker Meeting Houses in Selly Oak
Selly Oak Friends Meeting House
This Friends Meeting House is on Bristol Road.
936 Bristol Road B29 6NB - 0121 472 2667 - Map
Demographics, Politics and Housing in the Selly Oak Area
This website contains information about demographics, politics and housing in the Selly Oak council ward which includes the area of Selly Oak.
Traffic Accidents in Selly Oak
11.10.11: Four Vehicle Collision on Bristol Road, Selly Oak
Three cars and a minibus collided outside the Tesco service station on Bristol Road at around 1am on Sunday 9th October 2011; three people were hospitalised with serious injuries (News Headlines 11/10/11).
Crime/Sudden Death in Selly Oak
Man Jailed for Stabbing Girlfriend's Father on Warwards Lane
A 28-year-old man has been jailed for 6 years at Birmingham Crown Court for stabbing his girlfriend's father at his home on Warwards Lane, Selly Oak, on the morning of Saturday 16th October 2010 (News Headlines 17/09/11).
Murder
Investigation After Fire on Gristhorpe Road
The police have
launched a murder investigation after a 41-year-old man died in hospital
on Wednesday 27th July 2011 having sustained serious burns in a
suspected arson attack at a garage on Gristhorpe Road on Saturday 23rd
July 2011
(News Headlines 30/07/11).
Security Van Driver Jailed for Battery Retail Park Robbery
A 47-year-old
security guard has been jailed for 7 years at Birmingham Crown Court for
participating in the theft of £562,310 from a cash delivery van at the
Battery Retail Park in June 2010
(News Headlines 15/06/11)
Man
Dies After Being Hit by Train at Selly Oak Station
A man was
pronounced dead shortly after he was hit by a train at Selly Oak Railway
Station at approximately 10am on Friday 20th May 2011
(News Headlines 21/05/11).
Crime/Sudden Death 2011
Suspected Burglar Battered on Lottie Road
A 26-year-old suspected burglar died after having sustained head injuries following an assault on Lottie Road in June 2009.
A 28 year-old man was acquitted of his manslaughter at Birmingham Crown Court in June 2010 (News Archive 19/06/10).
Crime/Sudden Death in Selly Oak
Body Found at House on Widney Avenue
The body of an elderly man was discovered as firefighters investigated a suspected gas leak at a house on Widney Avenue; his death does not appear suspicious (News Archive 29/05/10).
Crime/Sudden Death in Birmingham
Fire and Firefighting in Selly Oak
Explosion at Garage on
Gristhorpe Road
Arson is suspected (News Headlines 25/0711).
Suspected Arson on Fladbury Crescent
The police suspect that a fire at a two-storey maisonette on Fladbury Crescent was started by arsonists. The property was empty at the time of the blaze (News Archive 22/11/10)
Fires and Firefighting in Brum
Selly Oak Hospital
Selly Oak Hospital on Raddlebarn Road will close in November 2011; its accident and emergency departments, burns units and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine etc. have already been transferred to the new QE super hospital in Edgbaston.
The hospital campus will probably be redeveloped as a housing estate.
E Block @ Selly Oak Hospital
The E Block at Selly Oak Hospital contains a mental health unit.
Raddlebarn Road B29 6JD -
Map - Psychiatric Healthcare in BrumAcorns Hospice
The Acorns Hospice on Oak Tree Lane treats children with life-limiting illnesses; it contains 10 bedrooms, a multi-sensory room, hydrotherapy pool, jacuzzi and outside fun, play and nature areas.
103 Oak Tree Lane B29 6HZ - 0121 248 4850 - Map
Clinics and Hospitals in Brum - Acorns Website
Selly Oak Health Centre
15 Katie Road B29 6JG - 0121 472 0016 - Map
Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum
The Birmingham and Worcester Canal follows the route of the cross-city railway through Selly Oak. It passes beneath Raddlebarn Lane, next to Selly Oak Hospital, and under a viaduct as it switches from the eastern to the western side of the tracks before reaching the Bristol Road.
Bristol Road Bridge
The canal passes under the Bristol Road Bridge near Selly Oak Railway Station. It is screened from surrounding urbanisation by a green corridor with a linear copse on both banks.
A man, who fell into this section of the canal, sustained suspected spinal injuries on the evening of Thursday 24th June 2010 (News Archive 25/06/10).
Selly Oak Junction
Selly Oak Junction was formerly located next to the Battery Works.
It linked the Lapal Canal (aka the Dudley no.2 canal) to the Birmingham and Worcester Canal so that freight from the Black Country could reach the south without travelling through Birmingham.
Nothing remains of the junction which is now part of the Battery Retail Park.
Links: Canals
Birmingham and Worcester CanalSelly Oak University Campus
The Selly Oak campus of the University of Birmingham straddles the Bristol Road.
The university acquired the 80-acre campus when it took over nine independent theological and teacher training colleges in 1999. Two were subsequently closed and later became a BBC Drama Village.
The other seven were absorbed by university departments.
The campus now contains the (1) School of Education (2) Rendezvous Cafe and (3) BBC Village on the west side of the Bristol Road and the (3) Graduate Institute of Theology & Religion and (4) Selly Oak Visual Arts Centre including (5) George Cadbury Hall and (6) Gillett Centre on the east side.
986 Bristol Road B29 6LG Map
Guide University of Birmingham
Birmingham Christian College
Hamilton Drive B29 6AJ - 0121 472 0726 -
Map - WebsiteJalalabad Mosque & Islamic Centre
The Jalalabad Mosque & Islamic Centre on Dartmouth Road can hold 150 male but no female worshippers. The mosque offers educational classes, including after-school tuition.
0121 471 1556 24-26 Dartmouth Road B29 6DR
Muntz Park
Muntz Park is a 5 acre green space that was carved out of open countryside donated by the Muntz family of Lithuanian origin who lived at Selly Hall.
The park contains copses, meadows, landscaped pathways, formal gardens and playgrounds.
Selly Oak Park
Selly Oak Park is a 25 acre green space consisting of meadows, wetlands, tree clusters and play areas; it also contains the remains of the drained Lapal Canal, and a stump that is supposedly a remnant of the original oak tree after which the area is named.
Westhill Playing Fields
The 7 acre playing fields on Weoley Park Road that formerly belonged to Westhill College are now a registered village green under the Commons Act 2006.
The college, which merged with the University of Birmingham in 2001, had considered developing the land as a housing estate, but local residents proved that they had continually used the fields for sport and leisure as of right for at least 20 years and so were able to register them as a village green for community use (News Archive 19/03/11)
Lodge Hill Cemetery
Lodge Hill Cemetery on Weoley Park Road stands on high ground above the Bourn Brook.
The cemetery, which opened in 1895, was closed for new burials in 1998; however 220 new plots were created in August 2010 after a new drainage system had been installed (News Archive 25/08/10).
The cemetery contains sections dedicated to Anglicans, Roman Catholics and non-Conformists.
There are a large number of Quakers buried on Lodge Hill including members of the Cadbury and Lloyd families. Many were originally interred at the Friends Meeting House on Bull Street in Birmingham city centre but were re-interred on Lodge Hill in 1966.
The cemetery also contains the graves of around 500 service personnel, including 14 German POW's, who died locally of wounds sustained on active service during the First and Second World Wars.
The crematorium was designed in the Arts and Crafts Style by Holland W Hobbiss in 1937; it was the first in Birmingham.
Weoley Park Road B29 5AA 0121 414 1726
Bear & Staff
The Bear & Staff on the Bristol Road is a Marstons Tavern with a suntrap patio, quiz & karaoke nights; it serves draught ales and a traditional menu.
861 Bristol Road B29 6ND 0121 471 4207 Map
Pubs in Birmingham Bear and Staff Website
Country Girl
The Country Girl on Raddlebarn Road is an Ember Inn overlooking the Birmingham and Worcester Canal.
It holds grill, curry and quiz nights and serves cask ales, affordable wine and traditional pub and restaurant menus.
1 Raddlebarn Road B29 6HJ 0121 472 7639 Map
Pubs in Birmingham Ember Inns Website
Selly Oak is served by the following bus routes: 11A/C, 38, 61, 63, 84, 143, 144, 448, 647, X62, X64
Selly Oak Railway Station
Selly Oak Railway Station on the cross city line stands on a raised embankment that commands splendid views of the University of Birmingham.
The station, which opened in 1876, was rebuilt in 1878; it has an annual passenger footfall of 1.3 million. The facilities include toilets, shops, payphones, cycle storage, CCTV, a seated area and a car park with 376 free spaces for railway users.
The entrance is on Heeley Road, off the Bristol Road. There is no taxi rank but the station is served by numerous bus routes since it is near the intersection of the Bristol Road and Outer Circle.
Trains for New Street generally stop every 10 minutes in the daytime, every 20 minutes on weekday and Saturday evenings, and every 30 minutes on Sundays.
Main Destinations: Stations to New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City, Lichfield Trent Valley, Longbridge and Redditch.
Tel: 08457484950 Address: Bristol Road B29 6DW
Links: Cross City Railway National Rail Enquiries
Bristol Road Viaduct
The Cross City Railway is carried above the Bristol Road by a viaduct on the north side of Selly Oak Station.
It then travels above the Selly Oak Relief Road on a second viaduct that was lowered into position on Boxing Day 2010 (News Archive 28/12/10).
The A38 Bristol Road through Selly Oak was a notorious bottleneck that prevented the creation of an attractive town centre that people could visit rather than drive through.
For this reason, a relief road (Selly Oak New Road) was built to bypass the Bristol Road which has been downgraded through Selly Oak and Bournbrook.
Traffic has been diverted from the Bristol Road (A38) to a new junction on Harborne Lane (A4040). The relief road runs from this junction, bypassing the town centre, before rejoining the A38 in Bournbrook.
This relief road will enable further development of the 44-acre former Battery Works site for which a new Sainsbury superstore, a 98-bed hotel & 380 apartments are planned.
It could also free space for an ambitious wharfside development involving the drainage of the Lapal Canal and the excavation of a new basin connecting it to the Birmingham & Worcester Canal.
Transport Minister Norman
Baker (Lib Dem) officially opened Selly Oak New Road in October 2011
(News Headlines 16/10/11).
Planning and Regeneration in Selly Oak
9.10.11: Sainsbury Unveils Plans for Selly Oak Superstore
Sainsbury has unveiled plans for a new 35-acre development on the former site of the Battery Works. It will include a superstore, 20 retail units, bars, cafes, restaurants, office space, student housing, two hotels, and a pedestrian plaza overlooking the Birmingham and Worcester Canal (News Headlines 09/10/11).
Selly Oak Hospital
University Hospitals NHS Trust intends to redevelop Selly Oak Hospital as a 40-acre housing estate with 900 residential units, several shops and a health centre. The scheme is controversial and will probably be opposed but the trust claims that it needs the profits from this development in order to convert the old QE Hospital in Edgbaston into a world-class research centre (News Headlines 10/10/07)
Planning Committee Reject Conversion of Dance Hall into Mosque
The Planning Committee rejected an application to convert a former dance
hall at 331-337 Reservoir Road into a mosque in April 2011 on the
grounds that the proposed change of use would cause traffic and parking
problems
(News Headline 27/04/11).
St Mary's CE School
St Mary's School on Lodge Road is a Church of England voluntary-controlled co-educational primary school attended by roughly 200 pupils aged between four and eleven.
Lodge Hill Road B29 6NU 0121 472 1729 Map
Cherry Oak School
Cherry Oak School on Frederick Road is a community co-educational school for children with special needs attended by around 40 pupils aged 3-11.
60 Frederick Road B29 6PB 0121 464 2037 Map
Raddlebarn Primary School
Raddlebarn School on Gristhorpe Road is a community co-educational primary school attended by approximately 360 children aged between three and eleven.
Gristhorpe Road B29 7TD 0121 472 0062 Map
Secular State Primary Schools Raddlebarn Primary Website
Water Mill Primary School
Water Mill School is a community co-educational primary school attended by approximately 170 children aged between four and eleven.
Water Mill Close B29 6TS 0121 464 7769 Map
Secular State Primary Schools Water Mill Primary Website
Secondary Schools in Selly Oak
Selly Oak Trust School
Selly Oak Trust School is a co-educational community special school on Oak Tree Lane attended by around 380 special needs pupils aged 11-19.
Oak Tree Lane B29 6HZ 0121 472 0876 Map
Selly Oak Trust School Website
Battery Retail Park
The Battery Retail Park contains 13,000 sq. metres of retail space at the junction of the Bristol Road (A38) and Outer Circle (A4040).
The park, which occupies the former site of the Battery Metal Works, features major retailers such as
Currys, Next, Homebase, Halfords, PC World and B&Q.Bohemia
Bohemia serves a modern British food menu on Oak Tree Lane.
23 Oak Tree Lane B29 6JE 0121 471 2713 Map
Restaurants Outside Inner Circle
Frankie & Bennys
Frankie & Bennys is a New York Italian bar and restaurant at Battery Park.
Battery Park B29 6ST 0121 414 0049
MapGiancarlo
Giancarlo serves traditional Italian on the Bristol Road.
856 Bristol Road B29 6HW 0121 247 2010
MapRestaurants Outside Inner Circle
Subway
Subway is at
576 Bristol Road B29 6BE, T 0121 472 1212Cafes & Fast Food Subway Website
Key National Retailers in Selly Oak
Aldi
Aldi is at Bristol Road B29 6AE
B & Q
B & Q is on
Harborne Lane B29 6TL, T 0121 414 1710Comet
Battery Retail Park B29 6SJ - 0844 800 9595 -
MapCurrys
Currys is at Battery Retail Park B29 6SJ
Halfords
Halfords is at
Unit 4 Chapel Lane B29 6SJ, T 0121 414 1434Homebase
Homebase is at
Chapel Lane B29 6SJ, T 08456 407144Next
Next is at
Unit 5 Battery Retail Pk B29 6JA, T 0844 844 5232PC World
PC World is at the Battery Retail Park B29 6SJ, T 0870 242 0444.
Sainsbury
Sainsbury is at
1 Chapel Lane B29 6SJ, T 0121 472 5232.Thorntons and Hallmark
850 Bristol Road B29 6HW - 0121 414 0717 -
MapTesco Express
Tesco Express is at
479 Bristol Road B29 6AU, T 0845 677 9608BBC Drama Village
The BBC Drama Village on the Selly Oak campus of the University of Birmingham consists of Archibald House and Melville House: two grade-two-listed Edwardian mansions in the Arts & Crafts Style that were formerly theological colleges.
After the colleges closed in 2004, they were taken over the BBC who needed additional production space for its drama department following the closure of its Pebble Mill studios in Edgbaston.
Archibald House contains studios whilst Melville House is a closed set for daytime filming. The BBC also keeps three industrial units on the Stirchley Trading Estate for stage sets and radio resources.
The BBC Drama Village produces Doctors, Dalziel & Pascoe and the Afternoon Play.
Links: Media BBC Birmingham Website
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