Edgbaston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edgbaston |
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 Edgbaston
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| Population | 20,749 (2001 Population Census) |
| OS grid reference | SP055845 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Shire county | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B15, B16, B5 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Edgbaston is a suburb in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It's located just south-west of the Birmingham city centre. Long ago, it was part of Warwickshire. In 2021, the areas of Edgbaston and North Edgbaston together had about 42,295 people living there.
Edgbaston is famous for several important places. These include the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the University of Birmingham, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and the Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society. This tennis club is actually the oldest lawn tennis club in the world!
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What Does Edgbaston Mean?
The name Edgbaston comes from old English words. It means "village of a man called Ecgbald." The name Ecgbald itself means "bold sword." So, it's like saying "Ecgbald's farm village." In old records from 1086, it was called Celboldistane.
A Quick Look at Edgbaston's History
In the 1800s, powerful families like the Gough-Calthorpe family owned much of Edgbaston. They made a rule that no factories or warehouses could be built there. This made Edgbaston a very attractive place for richer people from the city to live. Because of all the green spaces and trees, people started calling it "where the trees begin." One of these old private houses is now open for visitors to see.
In 1801, only about 1,000 people lived in Edgbaston. But by 1841, this number had grown to 16,500! This happened because many wealthy business owners moved to the area. By 1850, many new roads were built, and the area kept growing steadily.
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How Edgbaston is Governed
Edgbaston is divided into two areas, called wards: Edgbaston and North Edgbaston. Each ward chooses two councillors to represent them on the Birmingham City Council. Edgbaston is also part of a larger area that elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the UK Parliament. This bigger area is called the parliamentary constituency of Edgbaston.
Sports in Edgbaston
Edgbaston is a big place for sports!
Cricket at Edgbaston
The Warwickshire County Cricket Club plays at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. This ground is not just for county matches; the England cricket team also plays international matches there, including one-day games and test matches.
Tennis and Other Sports
Edgbaston also has a world-class tennis venue called The Edgbaston Priory Club. A big tournament for female tennis players, the DFS Classic, has been held there every year since 1982. Many of the world's best players come to compete, and their wins help their world rankings. The oldest lawn tennis club in the world, the Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society, was started nearby in 1860.
There's also a private golf course in Edgbaston that offers great views. The Edgbaston Croquet Club has been in the area since 1915.
Cool Places to Visit in Edgbaston
Edgbaston has many interesting places to explore!
Churches and Religious Sites
You can find several old churches here, like St Augustine's Church and St. George's Church. The Birmingham Central Synagogue is also in Edgbaston. The Roman Catholic church of the Birmingham Oratory is a famous building with a large dome that you can see from far away. It was built in 1907 to remember John Henry Newman, who started the English Oratory here.
Art and Nature
The famous writer J. R. R. Tolkien, who wrote The Lord of the Rings, lived in Edgbaston when he was a teenager. People say that two tall towers in Edgbaston, Perrott's Folly and the Waterworks Tower, might have inspired the "Two Towers" in his books!
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is on the University of Birmingham campus. It's a special art gallery with many different types of art, from old masterpieces to works by Picasso.
Edgbaston also has beautiful green spaces. The Edgbaston Reservoir is a large lake used for fun activities like boating. There are three public gardens: the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the University of Birmingham's Winterbourne Botanic Garden, and Martineau Gardens. Next to the university gardens is Edgbaston Pool, which is a special area for nature. Deer's Leap Wood is another important nature spot.
You can also find a very special house at 21 Yateley Road, Edgbaston. It's the only Grade I listed domestic building in Birmingham, meaning it's very important historically. It was designed by Herbert Tudor Buckland for himself. Edgbaston Hall is another old country house, now used as the clubhouse for the Edgbaston Golf Club.
The BBC used to have its Pebble Mill Studios here, where many TV shows were made for 33 years. That site is now the new Birmingham Dental Hospital.
Learning and Education
Edgbaston is home to many excellent schools. Since the early 1900s, schools like Edgbaston High School for Girls, King Edward's School, and King Edward VI High School for Girls have been here.
Two universities have campuses in Edgbaston: the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University. Many university student homes are also in the area. The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, one of Birmingham's tallest buildings, stands proudly at the University of Birmingham.
There are also several independent primary schools, such as West House School and Hallfield School. The Elmhurst School for Dance, the oldest professional dance school in the UK, moved to a new building in Edgbaston in 2004.
Getting Around Edgbaston
Edgbaston has good transport links.
Trains and Buses
Two train stations serve the area: University station near the University of Birmingham, and Five Ways railway station closer to the city centre. Both are on the Cross-City Line.
Major roads like the A38 Bristol Road and the A456 Hagley Road run through Edgbaston. Many buses use these roads, making it easy to travel around the city and to other towns.
Canals and Trams
The Worcester & Birmingham Canal also passes through Edgbaston. It was built in the 1790s to connect Birmingham with the River Severn. Today, it's mostly used for fun activities like boating, not for carrying goods.
A new tram stop, Edgbaston Village tram stop, opened in July 2022. It's the end of the West Midlands Metro tram line.
Other Facilities
While there aren't public libraries directly in Edgbaston, nearby areas like Harborne and Selly Oak have them. The University of Birmingham's main library is also in the area, and you can join it for a fee.
Edgbaston has several medical facilities, including the University Medical Centre and the large Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Famous People from Edgbaston
Many well-known people have lived in Edgbaston. Some have blue plaques on their former homes to remember them!
- Annette Badland, an actress.
- Sir Austen Chamberlain, a Foreign Secretary and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Neville Chamberlain, who became a British Prime Minister, was born in Edgbaston.
- Oscar Deutsch, who started the Odeon cinemas.
- Sir Rowland Hill, who helped create the modern postal system.
- Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was born here.
- Cardinal John Henry Newman, a very important religious leader.
- J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, lived here when he was younger.
- William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, a famous Field Marshal.
- John Wyndham, a science fiction author.
- Herbert Tudor Buckland, an architect whose special house at 21 Yateley Road is open to the public.
Images for kids
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The Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham.
See also
In Spanish: Edgbaston para niños
