Saltley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saltley |
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 Saltley
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| Metropolitan borough | |
| Shire county | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B8 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Saltley is a busy area located inside the city of Birmingham, England. It's found just east of the city centre. This area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, which is like a local district. Saltley is also part of the Ladywood area, which is represented in the UK Parliament.
Contents
A Look Back: Saltley's History
Saltley has a long and interesting past, starting with a powerful family and growing into an important industrial area.
The Adderley Family and Early Days
Long ago, Saltley was part of a large estate owned by the Adderley family. They built their first home, Saltley Hall, where Adderley Park is today. As they needed more water, the family moved to a new home called Hams Hall, which was closer to the River Tame.
During the English Civil War, the Adderley family, like many wealthy landowners, supported the King. When the King's side lost, they had to pay large fines.
Saltley's Industrial Growth
In 1845, a company that made railway carriages, Joseph Wright and Sons, moved its factory to Saltley. This company later became known as Metro-Cammell. They continued to make railway carriages in Saltley until 1962.
As Birmingham grew into a major industrial city, Saltley became a place where many workers lived. Even though the Adderley family still owned the land, they helped develop the area. In 1855, Charles Bowyer Adderley, who later became Lord Norton, gave land for Adderley Park and for churches. He also helped plan the streets and houses that were built in the late 1800s.
St Peter's College
St Peter's College started in 1852. It was a place where people trained to become teachers, and it also had a school. The school was damaged by a bomb in 1941 during World War II and closed. The college continued until 1978, when it became part of Aston University. Today, the old college building is used for homes, meeting rooms, and local council services.
Saltley Today: A Busy Community
Saltley is a lively area with many businesses and shops. It's a densely populated place, meaning lots of people live there.
What Saltley Looks Like
Saltley starts at the Saltley Viaduct, which has a local landmark called the Saltley Gate. This gate marks the entrance to Alum Rock Road and Washwood Heath Road. You can still see many older houses from the early 1900s in Saltley.
During the 1950s and 1960s, many people from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh moved to Saltley. They bought many of these older houses and have created a strong community over the last 50 years.
The area mainly has terraced houses, which are houses joined together in a row. There are also some newer housing projects. Saltley has many shops, as well as Christian and Muslim places of worship. You'll find several primary schools here.
Fun and Recreation
For recreation, Saltley has the Wheel's Adventure Park and some smaller local parks. The area used to host an annual event called the Saltley Festival.
The future of Wheel's Adventure Park has been discussed for a while. There was a plan to build a large sports village and a new stadium called the City of Birmingham Stadium, but that plan did not go ahead.
Important Places and Events
Saltley has been the site of some interesting discoveries and historical events.
The Saltley Handaxe
In 1890, an important discovery was made on Adderley Street: the Saltley Handaxe. This was the first ancient human tool from the Stone Age found in the English Midlands. It showed that people lived in this area a very long time ago!
The Battle of Saltley Gate
Saltley Gate Coke Depot was the location of a very important event in 1972 called the Battle of Saltley Gate. This was one of the largest mass pickets (protests) during the 1970s. On February 10, 1972, 30,000 engineers from Birmingham went on strike to support striking miners. About 15,000 of them marched to join 2,000 miners who were protesting at the Saltley Coke Depot.
The large number of protesters forced the police to close the depot gates. This victory at Saltley was a turning point for the miners' strike. The widespread protests by tens of thousands of miners had shut down power stations and other important sites. This caused power cuts and forced the government to declare a state of emergency. After seven weeks, the government had to give in to the miners' demands.
Getting Around Saltley
Saltley has good transport links, making it easy to get around.
Train Stations
Saltley is served by Adderley Park railway station, which is on the train line that goes from Birmingham New Street to Coventry. Just half a mile away in Duddeston, you can find Duddeston Station, which is on the Cross City Line.
Saltley also had its own train station, Saltley railway station, which operated from 1854 until 1968.
Bus Routes
Several bus routes serve the Saltley area, including the 8A/8C, 14, 55, and 94.
