Oldbury, West Midlands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oldbury |
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 Sandwell Council House in Oldbury |
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 Oldbury
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| Population | 25,488 (Built-up area subdivision) 13,606 (Ward) |
| OS grid reference | SO989897 |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | OLDBURY |
| Postcode district | B68, B69 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Oldbury is a busy market town in the West Midlands, England. It is part of the metropolitan borough of Sandwell. Oldbury is also the main administrative centre for the Sandwell area. In 2011, about 13,606 people lived in the town. The larger built-up area had around 25,488 people in 2017.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Oldbury comes from very old English words. It means "Ealdenbyrig," which tells us Oldbury was already an old place over 1,000 years ago! Eald means 'old' and Byrig means 'fortification' or 'fortified town'. So, Oldbury was an "old fortified town."
A Look Back in Time
Oldbury was once part of a larger area called Halesowen. This area was a bit unusual because it was part of Shropshire but surrounded by other counties like Worcestershire and Staffordshire.
After the king took control of many religious places, Henry VIII gave Halesowen, including Oldbury, to Sir John Dudley. Later, his son, Sir Robert Dudley, kept Oldbury and Langley, making them a separate area called a manor. This meant he was the first Lord of the Manor of Oldbury. Over time, the land was sold off, and the manor system changed.
In the early 1800s, Oldbury was known for its strong links to the iron trade. There were big furnaces that made pig iron, and also steel works. The area was rich in coal and iron-stone, which were very important for these industries.
The very first branch of Lloyds Bank opened in Oldbury in 1864. It was set up to help the local chemical factory run by Quakers Arthur Albright and John Wilson. The original bank building is still there, even though the branch closed around 2005.
Shops and Businesses
Oldbury has seen a lot of new shops open since the 1980s. In 1980, J Sainsbury opened a very large supermarket here. It was one of their first "SavaCentre" stores, which were like huge supermarkets. Later, it became a regular Sainsbury's.
A big Toys "R" Us store opened in 1988, but that company closed down in 2018. The Oldbury Green Retail Park, a shopping area with several stores, was built in the mid-1990s near the town's main road.
Local radio station Free Radio moved its studios to Oldbury in 2013.
Getting Around Oldbury
Trains
Oldbury used to have three train stations! Today, only one is still open, but it has a new name. This station, on the Stour Valley Line, has been around since the 1850s. It was first called Oldbury & Bromford Lane, then just Oldbury, and since 1984, it's known as Sandwell & Dudley.
The next closest station is Langley Green. It opened in 1867. There was once a short train line called the Oldbury Railway that connected to it. This line had its own station in Oldbury, but passenger services stopped in 1915.
Roads
The M5 motorway runs right through Oldbury on a raised section. You can get onto it from Junction 2.
The A4123 is a big road that runs just west of the town centre. It connects Birmingham to Wolverhampton. This road was opened in 1927.
Buses are a popular way to travel in Oldbury. You can catch a bus from the town centre to places like Birmingham city centre, Dudley, Halesowen, and West Bromwich.
Canals
The original Birmingham Canal was built south of Oldbury town centre in 1768. Canals were like old highways for boats, used to transport goods.
News and Entertainment
You can get local news and TV shows from BBC West Midlands and ITV Central.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio WM, Heart West Midlands, and Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire. There's also Black Country Radio, which is a community station.
The local newspaper for the town is the Express & Star.
Areas of Oldbury
Oldbury has many different neighbourhoods, each with its own feel:
- Bristnall Fields is a residential area with shops and a post office. Oldbury Academy and a Salvation Army Church are here.
- Brades Village has both homes and businesses, close to Tipton.
- Brandhall is a residential area in the south of Oldbury that started to be built in the 1930s.
- Causeway Green is a mix of homes and businesses. It has shops, a chemist, and even an Army Reserve Centre. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) opened a pet hospital here in 2015.
- Hill Top is a residential area near Langley (Hill Top) Reservoir. Bristnall Hall Academy is in this area.
- Langley Green is a residential area south of the town centre.
- Lion Farm is a large housing estate built in the 1960s. It used to have nine tall apartment blocks, but now only three remain.
- Londonderry is a residential area in the south-east. It's home to the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, a big swimming facility.
- Oldbury town centre is the historic heart of the town.
- Rood End is an older residential area with Edwardian and Victorian style homes.
- Titford is mostly a residential area about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Oldbury town centre. The Titford Canal ends at Titford Pool, which is part of a park.
- Warley is an area with mostly private homes.
- Whiteheath (also called Whiteheath Gate) is a residential area where coal mining and brickmaking used to happen.
Schools in Oldbury
Oldbury has several secondary schools for students:
- Bristnall Hall Academy
- Oldbury Academy
- Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy
- Perryfields Academy
- Q3 Academy Langley
Parks and Green Spaces
Oldbury has some lovely parks where you can relax and play:
- Barnford Hill Park opened in 1916. It's on a hill, so you get great views over the Black Country. It has a maze, a rose garden, and lots of facilities like a skateboarding ramp, sports court, and play areas. It's a "Green Flag Award" park, meaning it's a really good quality green space.
- Langley Park was given to the town in 1886.
- Tividale Park is in Tividale, close to Oldbury.
- Broadwell Park has outdoor exercise equipment and a small stream.
Famous People from Oldbury
Many interesting people were born or grew up in Oldbury:
- John Sadler (1820–1910) was a very important person in Oldbury during the 1800s.
- Joseph Willott, Jr. was born in Oldbury in 1855 and later became a politician in the United States.
- Cornelius Whitehouse (1795–1883) was an inventor who created a special way to make wrought iron tubes.
- Mick Aston (1946–2013), a famous archaeologist, known from the TV show Time Team, was born here and went to Oldbury Grammar School.
- Martin Elliott (1946–2010), the photographer behind the famous "Tennis Girl" poster, was also born in Oldbury and went to Oldbury Grammar School.
- Sir John Frederick Bridge was a well-known organist, composer, and writer. He was the organist at Westminster Abbey for many years and wrote music for royal events. His brother, Joseph Cox Bridge, was also a talented musician.
- Jack Judge (1872–1938) was a songwriter and entertainer. He is best remembered for writing the famous song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".
- The comedian Frank Skinner lived in Oldbury when he was young. He went to local schools here before becoming a TV star.
- Jodie Stimpson (born 1989) is a British triathlete. She was born in Oldbury and won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
