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Newtown, Birmingham facts for kids

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Newtown, also referred to as Aston New Town, is an inner city area to the north of Birmingham city centre, England and an electoral ward of Birmingham City Council.

Newtown is centred on New Town Row, a section of the A34 road, which runs from Birmingham city centre through north-west Birmingham into Walsall; and part of the ring-road around the centre of the city, the A4540. Newtown ward is bordered by the Jewellery Quarter, the Gun Quarter and the University of Aston to the south; to the west is Hockley and the Hockley Flyover, to the north west, Lozells, to the north lies Birchfield and to the north east is Aston.

Points of interest include The Bartons Arms, an historic pub; Aston Hippodrome, a defunct theatre; The Elbow Room, a nightclub; and The Drum Arts Centre.

As of May 2018, Newtown ward is served by one Labour councillor; Ziaul Islam.

Notable links

  • Larry Wright (priest), former Rector of St George's Newtown.
  • Pelé Reid, British heavyweight born in Newtown
  • Saido Berahino, from Burundi to Newtown, aged 10

Tower blocks

Hodgson Tower in Newtown, Birmingham (geograph 4685585)
Hodgson Tower

Aston underwent large scale redevelopment following the Second World War. South Aston was designated a renewal area involving comprehensive redevelopment of the traditional area known as "Aston New Town". The area, was more commonly called simply "Newtown" and is a large estate consisting of sixteen tower blocks, five of which have since been demolished. The project was approved in 1968. Three 20-storey tower blocks on the complex contained 354 flats alone.

Existing

  • Hodgson Tower
  • Baldwin House
  • Inkerman House — block of flats, completed in 1968 and set on a two-storey podium above Newtown shopping centre.
  • Sadler House
  • Fallows House
  • James House
  • Lloyd House
  • Reynolds House
  • Thornton House
  • Weston House
  • Manton House

Demolished

  • Wiggin Tower
  • Brooks Tower
  • Bower House
  • Sayer House
  • White House
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