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Witton

Overview Witton

 Witton is in the Perry Barr ward and the Stockland Green ward in north Birmingham, three miles from the city centre. The surrounding areas are Aston, Salford, Kingstanding, Gravelly Hill, Perry Barr, Stockland Green and Wyrley Birch.

Witton is a corruption of "wic tun" which means dairy farm in old English. Until the mid-19th century it was a rural settlement on the banks of the River Tame. Part of the manor was set aside as a cemetery in 1860.

The Grand Junction Railway was cut through Witton in the 1830's and George Kynoch opened an ammunition factory alongside the tracks in 1860.

Other factories followed, most notably the GEC engineering works on Electric Avenue in 1901, and ICI, which took over the Kynoch Works in 1927, and subsequently demerged to become IMI.

GEC built rows of small terraced houses alongside its factory in the early 1900's. These were followed by an interwar municipal housing estate of mainly low-density terraced and semi-detached homes on the eastern side of Witton Cemetery. Brookvale Urban Village was privately built alongside the M6 in the 1980's.

Many factories in Witton have now closed, leaving acres of derelict industrial space. In particular, the GEC plant has been demolished and IMI has transferred the bulk of its operations to the Birmingham Business Park in Solihull.

Demographics, Politics and Housing in Witton

 The part of Witton on the western side of the M6 is in the Perry Barr ward and the part on the eastern side is in the Stockland Green ward.

This website contains information about demographics, politics and housing in the Perry Barr ward and demographics, politics and housing in the Stockland Green ward.

Accident Hotspots in Witton

A 27 year-old man died in a car crash on the Ridgeway at roughly 9pm on Tuesday 01/02/11. The vehicle in which he was travelling hit a wall, street light and traffic sign before colliding with another car; a second man was seriously injured (News Archive 03/02/11)

Wryley Road

An 18-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle on Wryley Road at approximately 2pm on Friday 24/12/10 (News Archive 29/12/10)

Crime in Witton

Armed Police Arrest Suspected Gunman at Tesco Superstore on Aston Lane

Armed police arrested a suspected gunman at the Tesco superstore on Aston Lane at approximately 8.30am on Monday 16 May 2011; the store was evacuated and sealed as officers searched for a handgun which was not found (News Headlines 17/05/11).

Gun Crime Brum 2011

Gang Raids Witton Allotments

Sheds were burgled at the allotments off Brookvale Road on two separate occasions in February 2011; these raids appear to have been well-planned; fence panels were removed so that the allotments could be reached from the Tame Valley Canal (News Archive 27/02/11).

Thieves Ram Post Office Depot

Robbers used a stolen JCB to ram a post office cash handling depot in Witton at roughly 7pm on Thursday 21 October 2010; they fled empty-handed after an alarm was activated (News Report 03/11/10).

Robberies in Brum

Girl Assaulted on Canal Towpath

A man dragged a 15 year-old girl, who was walking on Brookvale Road, onto the towpath of the Tame Valley Canal where he sexually assaulted her at roughly 5pm on 9/12/09 (News Archive 28/12/09).

Crime in Birmingham

Canals in Witton

The Tame Valley Canal runs through Witton, alongside the M6, passing under Deykin Avenue and Brookvale Road.

There are two locks in Witton. These are the bottom lock (13) and lock 12 of the Perry Barr Flight which are on either side of the bridge that carries Deykin Avenue above the canal.

A 15 year-old girl was dragged from Brookvale Road and sexually assaulted on the towpath of the Tame Valley Canal at around 5pm on 9th December 2009 (News Archive 28/12/09).

Churches in Witton

Witton Methodist Church

Witton Methodist Church stands at the junction of Wryley Road and Birch Road.

Guide Landmark Churches

The church celebrates the Feat Day of Saint Luke on 18 October; it also holds an annual Orthodox Youth Conference. The Inner Sanctuary features impressive Byzantine-inspired frescoes.

Landmark Churches  -  Holy Trinity & Saint Luke Website

Industry in Witton

Witton contains industrial belts centred on the Tame Valley Canal, the Birmingham and Walsall Railway and the Cross City Line.

These older industrial sites are near to Spaghetti Junction and the M6 but contain large vacant areas once occupied by the vast GEC and IMI Works.

Factories in Witton

Dana Spicer

Dana Spicer Axles, which employs an estimated workforce of 400, makes driveshafts and steering systems on Birch Road. This factory is owned by a US multinational based at Toledo Ohio.

Birch Road B6 7JR    0121 249 2500   Map

Factories in Brum   Dana Website

IMI Components

IMI still manufactures high precision components on Nobel Way. This factory, which has an estimated workforce of 200, is owned by IMI plc which has otherwise relocated to Solihull.

Nobel Way B6 7ES   0121 344 5800   Map

Factories in Brum    IMI Components Website

Truflo Marine on Westwood Road makes marine valves, actuators and pressure reducing stations. This factory has an estimated workforce of 120; it is owned by IMI who are based in Solihull.

Westwood Road B6 7JF   0121 327 4789   Map

Factories in Brum    Truflo Marine Website

Mosques in Witton

Mosque Raza Islamic Education & Cultural Centre

The Mosque Raza Islamic Education & Cultural Centre on Serpentine Road can hold 500 male and 50 female worshippers. It has a function hall and offers educational classes, after-school tuition, advice, counselling, sporting and social activities.

0121 327 4204    9-11 Serpentine Road B6 6SB

Guide Witton

Open Spaces in Witton

Witton Cemetery

Witton Cemetery off Moor Lane stands on a slope overlooking the M6. At 103 acres, it is the largest cemetery in Birmingham and was the first to be opened by the council in 1863.

 The cemetery, which is encircled by a two mile brick wall, contains a variety of memorials and has been landscaped in the style of an open park planted with indigenous shrubs and trees.

There were originally three chapels, one each for Anglicans, Catholics and non-Conformists with two acres set aside for Jewish burials. Only the Anglican Chapel, which was designed in the Gothic Revival Style, has survived.

The cemetery still accepts new burials and currently handles around four daily.

In August 2010, the grave of a recently deceased young woman was robbed of a heart-shaped memorial (News Archive 06/08/10).

Moor Lane B6 7AE   0121 356 5852

Open Spaces in Birmingham   Map

Pubs in Witton

The Cap n' Gown on Witton Road is a short walk from Villa Park and Witton Railway Station.

458 Witton Road B6 6SN   Map

Pubs in Birmingham

Bus Routes through Witton

The following bus routes run through Witton: 7, 11A/C, 40X, 123

Railways in Witton

Birmingham-Walsall Line

The Birmingham-Walsall Line runs through Witton; there is one station in the area.

Trains for Walsall and Wolverhampton via New Street generally depart at 30 minute intervals. Services are less frequent in the evening and at weekends. The average journey time is 9 minutes to New Street, 19 minutes to Walsall and 47 minutes to Wolverhampton.

190 Aston Lane B20 3HE - 0845 675 0562 - Map

They include a bar, banqueting suite, coach & car park, twelve grass pitches, two rugby pitches, two cricket nets, one floodlit all-weather pitch and twenty-two changing rooms.

Birmingham City University   Pavilion Website

Tesco Extra is at @ 278-299 Aston Lane B6 6QR, T 0121 460 6407