Bordesley Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bordesley Green |
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 South & City College Birmingham – Bordesley Green Campus |
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 Bordesley Green
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| Population | 33,937 (Ward population in 2011) |
| • Density | 81.25 per ha |
| OS grid reference | SP105865 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Shire county | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B9/B10 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Bordesley Green is a lively area in Birmingham, England. It's about two miles east of the city centre. The area is named after a road, also called Bordesley Green.
This part of Birmingham is home to Heartlands Hospital. You can also find the Kingfisher Country Park here. This park follows the River Cole and offers great outdoor spaces.
Bordesley Green has a mix of cultures. Many people from Eastern Europe, like Romanians, Poles, and Russians, live here. However, most residents are from South Asia.
Contents
- Exploring Bordesley Green's Past
- Where is Bordesley Green?
- Amazing Wildlife in Bordesley Green
- The Land Beneath Bordesley Green
- Who Lives in Bordesley Green?
- Bordesley Village: A Special Place
- Public Art in Bordesley Green
- Skate Park Fun
- Bordesley Green Allotments
- Learning in Bordesley Green
- Birmingham Wheels Park
Exploring Bordesley Green's Past
The name Bordesley Green comes from an old word, demesne. This meant a special area of land used for grazing animals. Records show it was called La Grene de Bordeslei way back in 1285.
People started building homes here in 1834. At first, there were only a few buildings scattered along Bordesley Green Road. By 1906, the area had grown a lot. It even had a fire station and a police station. These buildings are still there today, but they are used for different things. The old fire station is no longer putting out fires. The police station now helps homeless people.
Many roads in Bordesley Green were built after the Second Boer War. This war happened at the end of the 1800s. The roads were named to remember the soldiers from Birmingham who died. For example, Pretoria Road is named after a city in South Africa. Churchill Road is named after Winston Churchill, who fought in the war. Botha Road remembers a Boer general, Louis Botha. Colonial Road also links to this time.
Many houses from the late Victorian and Edwardian eras are still standing. This means much of Bordesley Green looks similar to how it did over 100 years ago.
Bordesley Green: A Hub for Industry
Around the year 1900, Bordesley Green became known for its factories. From 1901 to 1920, the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company made cars and tools here.
The National Telephone Company also had a big factory in Fordrough Lane. This factory was one of the main places in Birmingham where the General Post Office (GPO) made things. They focused on old-style telephones and switchboards. This factory even helped create the Colossus computer. This computer was super important for reading secret German messages during World War II.
In the 1960s, special equipment was made in Bordesley Green. This included the HANDEL Nuclear Attack Warning equipment. This was part of Britain's plan to warn people about a nuclear attack, often called the four-minute warning.
Bordesley Green During the Blitz
During World War II, Bordesley Green was bombed five times. This was part of the Blitzkrieg, when German planes attacked British cities. The very last German bomb to hit Birmingham landed in Bordesley Green on April 24, 1943. The GPO factory was also hit by bombs in 1940.
Where is Bordesley Green?
Amazing Wildlife in Bordesley Green
Tumbling Pigeons: A Local Legend
In the 1920s, a bus driver from Bordesley Green named William Penson loved pigeons. He saw one of his birds do a backflip in the air! He then bred pigeons to make this happen more often. This led to the Roller and Tumbler breed of pigeon.
These pigeons are famous for their amazing flips and tumbles while flying. People even have contests called 'parlour rolling' to see which birds perform the best tricks. Today, there are hundreds of Birmingham Roller clubs all over the world. People compete fiercely to find the most dramatic tumbling birds.
The Land Beneath Bordesley Green
The ground in Bordesley Green is mostly made of a rock called Sidmouth Mudstone. This rock formed about 228 to 250 million years ago. Back then, the area was a hot desert!
Over millions of years, the land changed. During the Ice Age, about 2 million years ago, glaciers left behind sand and gravel.
The Hidden Washbrook
Old maps of Bordesley Green show a small stream called Washbrook. It used to flow from Shaw Hill down to Bordesley Green Road. Today, most of this brook flows underground. You can still see a small part of it come out from a tunnel in Bordesley Green. It eventually flows into the River Tame.
Who Lives in Bordesley Green?
In 2011, about 33,937 people lived in the Bordesley Green area. This makes it a busy place. On average, there are about 3.3 people living in each home. Many families own their homes here.
Bordesley Green is known for its diverse community. About 71% of the people here are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Many residents were born outside the United Kingdom. A large number of people are of Asian origin, especially from Pakistan.
People in Bordesley Green speak many languages. These include Punjabi, Urdu, Mirpuri, Bengali, Pushto, and Arabic. English is also widely spoken. The main religion in the area is Islam. Christianity is the second largest religion.
Many families from Commonwealth countries moved here in the 1950s and 1960s. They often settled in the older terraced houses.
The largest age group in Bordesley Green is young adults, aged 25-44. The second largest group is children aged 5-15.
In the early 1990s, some older terraced houses were taken down. New homes were built in their place. This project helped families stay in the area where they had lived for generations.
Bordesley Village: A Special Place
Next to Bordesley Green is a special area called Bordesley Village. It has different types of houses. People often see it as a separate place.
Bordesley Village is also home to Birmingham City FC, the city's football team. Their stadium was built before the village, on an old gypsy camp. The village has grown, with new car dealerships and other businesses nearby.
The idea for Bordesley Village was very new for England. It was built between 1908 and 1914 by Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin. They wanted to create an "Ideal Village." The homes were built to a very high standard. These builders later designed Welwyn Garden City, another famous planned community.
Daniels Road in Bordesley Green is named after Francis Daniels. He was a schoolteacher who wanted to help working people get affordable social security. He helped create the Ideal Society. This society started building the Ideal Village. Finnemore Road is named after William Finnemore, an early leader of the society.
The first houses in the village were on Drummond Road. The village was designed for working families. It has shops, a park, and a school. It also has fewer houses packed together than other nearby areas.
St Paul's Mission was built in 1912. It became a church in 1929. A new church was built around 1970. The church is now a community hub, offering many services.
In 1998, children from Bordesley Green Primary School found out about a damaged stone fountain in Ideal Park. It tells the story of a brave local boy. On May 7, 1907, 16-year-old Harold Clayfield saved 4-year-old Florence Jones from drowning. He jumped into a deep clay pit to save her. Florence was saved, but Harold, who couldn't swim, drowned. People paid for his memorial. Sadly, Florence died four years later in a fire at her home.
Public Art in Bordesley Green
You can find interesting public art in the area. One piece is called Sleeping Iron Giant by Ondré Nowakowski. It's a large head lying on its side near the St Andrew's football ground.
Skate Park Fun
Bordesley Green has a skate park, known as the Pod. It's a popular spot for mini BMX Rocker riders.
Bordesley Green Allotments
The Bordesley Green Allotments are a large 25-acre site. It's home to the Bordesley Green Forest Garden. In 2012, this site hosted the Birmingham Annual Gardening Show. This show is usually held in Kings Heath Park.
Learning in Bordesley Green
Primary Schools
- Alston Junior and Infants Primary School
- Bordesley Green Junior and Infants Primary School
- Wyndcliffe Primary School
Secondary Schools
- Bordesley Green Girls' School
- Saltley Academy
Further Education
- South and City College Birmingham – Bordesley Green Campus
Birmingham Wheels Park
Bordesley Green was home to Birmingham Wheels Park. This was a community place for motor sports. It had an oval race track, a go-kart track, and a roller derby track. It also had a rally school and a drifting track.
Up to 5,000 people would come to watch stock car and banger racing. The speed skating team from the park won many British championships. Sadly, the park closed for good on October 31, 2021. This happened because the operators couldn't agree with the city council about future plans for the land.
