Newtown, Birmingham facts for kids

Newtown, also known as Aston New Town, is a lively area just north of Birmingham city centre in England. It's also an electoral ward, which means it's a specific area that elects a representative to the Birmingham City Council.

Newtown is mainly found along New Town Row, which is part of the A34 road. This road goes from central Birmingham all the way to Walsall. Another important road here is the A4540, which forms part of the ring road around the city centre.

Newtown is surrounded by other interesting areas. To the south, you'll find the Jewellery Quarter, the Gun Quarter, and the University of Aston. To the west is Hockley, and further north-west is Lozells. To the north, you'll find Birchfield, and to the north-east, Aston.

Some well-known places in Newtown include The Bartons Arms, which is a historic pub, and The Drum Arts Centre, a place for arts and culture. The Aston Hippodrome, a theatre that is no longer open, was also once a famous spot here.

As of May 2018, Newtown ward is represented by one councillor from the Labour Party, Ziaul Islam. A councillor is a person elected by the people in their ward to help make decisions for the local area.

Famous Faces from Newtown

Newtown has been home to some notable people:

• Larry Wright (priest) – He was once the Rector (a type of priest) at St George's Newtown church.
• Pelé Reid – A British heavyweight boxer who was born right here in Newtown.
• Saido Berahino – A professional footballer who moved to Newtown from Burundi when he was 10 years old.

Tower Blocks: A Look at Newtown's Buildings

Hodgson Tower

After the Second World War, many parts of Aston, including Newtown, were rebuilt. The area known as "Aston New Town" was chosen for a big project to create new homes. This area became known simply as "Newtown" and featured many tall apartment buildings called tower blocks.

The plan for these buildings was approved in 1968. Originally, there were sixteen tower blocks built. For example, three of these blocks were 20 storeys high and had 354 flats! Over time, five of these tower blocks have been taken down.

Buildings You Can Still See

Here are some of the tower blocks that are still standing in Newtown today:

• Hodgson Tower
• Baldwin House
• Inkerman House – This block of flats was finished in 1968. It sits on a two-storey base above the Newtown shopping centre.
• Sadler House
• Fallows House
• James House
• Lloyd House
• Reynolds House
• Thornton House
• Weston House
• Manton House

Buildings That Are Gone

These are the tower blocks that were once part of Newtown but have since been demolished:

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