History of the West Midlands facts for kids

The West Midlands is a region in England. It sits across old county lines like Warwickshire (where Birmingham and Coventry are), Staffordshire in the north, and Worcestershire in the south. This area has a rich history, especially in industry and sports.

A Look at the Region's Past Industries

The West Midlands has a long history of making things. In the Middle Ages, Coventry was a very important city. It became rich from making wool and cloth. Later, from the 1500s, cities like Birmingham and Wolverhampton grew with small metal-working businesses. Birmingham was known for making small weapons. Wolverhampton became famous for making locks and brass items.

Cars and Factories: A Driving Force

In the early 1900s, Birmingham and Coventry became big centers for making cars. The Austin car factory opened in 1905 in Longbridge, near Birmingham. It grew for many years. Famous cars like the Austin Seven (1922) and the Mini (1959) were made there. The factory closed in 2005. However, parts of it are now used by Nanjing Automobile to make MG Cars.

Coventry was once the heart of the British car industry. Big factories like Jaguar and Triumph were there. The Rootes Group also had a large plant. Sadly, many of these factories closed over time. By 2007, very few cars were still made in Coventry.

From Planes to Cars: Castle Bromwich and Solihull

The Castle Bromwich Assembly factory was built in the late 1930s. It made Spitfire planes during World War II. After the war, it kept making aircraft until 1977. Then, Jaguar bought it to make cars. This factory is still making cars today.

Around the same time, a "shadow factory" was built in Solihull. It also made aircraft for the war. After the war, Rover cars took over the factory. In 1948, they started making the Land Rover there. This was Britain's first four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle. The Solihull factory has grown a lot. It now makes Rover, Land Rover, and Jaguar cars.

The Black Country's Industrial Story

The Black Country area had lots of coal and iron. This made it a great place for industry. It grew very fast during the Industrial Revolution. By the 1900s, it was one big connected area. However, coal mining started to decline. The last coal mine closed in 1968.

Heavy industries also began to close in the 1970s and 1980s. Towns like Bilston, Darlaston, Wednesbury, Tipton, and Brierley Hill were hit hard. But new, lighter industries started to appear. Wednesbury got a large shopping park. Brierley Hill became home to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. Many old factory sites in Tipton are now used for new homes. Oldbury still has many factories. It has also seen a lot of growth in shops since 1980.

Building Homes and Connecting the Region

As the region grew, many new houses were built. Villages became towns. But this also led to crowded areas. Many people lived in poor housing in the early 1900s. So, lots of council housing was built. New housing estates appeared in places like Weoley Castle in Birmingham and Low Hill in Wolverhampton.

During World War II, the region was badly bombed. Luftwaffe air raids damaged thousands of buildings in Birmingham and Coventry. After the war, rebuilding began. The first multi-storey flats were built in the 1950s. Some people moved to new towns like Telford in Shropshire. The biggest housing project was the Castle Vale estate in Birmingham. It had 34 blocks of multi-storey flats.

The region also got new motorways in the 1960s. The M5 motorway connected it to the south of England. The M6 motorway linked it to London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Later, the M42 motorway and M54 motorway were built. In 1991, the M40 motorway gave the area another link to London and the south coast. In 2003, Britain's first toll motorway, the M6 Toll, opened.

Sports in the West Midlands

The West Midlands is also famous for its professional sports teams.

Warwickshire CC, a very successful cricket team, plays at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Football: A Rich History

Many famous football clubs started in the West Midlands. Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers were all founding members of the Football League in 1888. Later, Birmingham City and Walsall joined them.

Aston Villa was very successful in the early years of the league. They won many titles and FA Cups. They also won the Football League Cup in 1961 and the European Cup in 1982. West Bromwich Albion won the league in 1920 and the FA Cup five times. Wolverhampton Wanderers had their best time in the 1950s, winning the league three times. Birmingham City has won the League Cup twice. Walsall has not yet reached the top division.

Changes in Local Government

Over the years, there have been many changes to how the West Midlands region is governed. These changes aimed to make local government work better.

How the Region's Map Changed

In 1966, big changes happened. Many smaller areas were combined into larger "county boroughs." For example, the old Royal Borough of Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham. Wolverhampton grew to include places like Bilston and Wednesfield. Dudley expanded to take in most of Sedgley and Brierley Hill. A new area called the County Borough of Warley was created, combining Oldbury, Smethwick, and Rowley Regis.

In 1974, the West Midlands County Council was created. This council looked after the whole area. A new police force, West Midlands Police, was also formed. This brought all the police services in the area together.

However, in 1986, the government decided to get rid of these large county councils. This meant the seven main areas in the West Midlands became more independent. They now manage their own local services.