Erdington is situated between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield; the A5127 runs through it and the main A452 Chester Road skirts it, so it's a great location for commuters.
While the area towards Birmingham is very urban in nature, Erdington has the advantage of being very close to the beautiful Warwickshire countryside.
The rural villages of Minworth and Curdworth lie to its north east as does the large and affluent town of Sutton Coldfield.
Erdington developed as a village as early as the ninth century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
The town has thrived ever since and now boasts a bustling High Street with an attractive mix of chain store and locally owned shops.
The pedestrianised town centre has traditionally been one of the largest local shopping centres in Birmingham.
The City Council is working with the local community to make environmental improvements and provide better car parking, as well as identifying potential development sites for shops, offices and new homes.
The picturesque St Barnabas Church on the High Street, a Listed Building, was severely damaged by fire in autumn 2007, although the Bishop of Birmingham immediately promised it would be rebuilt.
The town is also home to a second grand church, known as Erdington Abbey. It was built in 1848 and holds the title of ‘Abbey’ due to the presence of a group of German Benedictine Monks during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Erdington has two markets, Wilton Market on Sutton New Road, and a second at a site in Barnabas Road.
Local Landmarks
Fort Dunlop and Spaghetti Junction - landmarks familiar to millions of motorway drivers – are in the Erdington area.
Fort Dunlop was formerly a large tyre factory but has now been redeveloped by Advantage West Midlands and Urban Splash at a cost of £50 million. The site is home to offices, a 100 bedroom hotel, shops and leisure facilities.
Spaghetti Junction is situated close by at Gravelly Hill. The junction is at the spot where the M6, Birmingham’s Aston Express Way and several local roads meet, and was given its name because of the way the complicated road network looks from the air.
Gravelly Hill itself is a short distance south west of Erdington; the industrial estate of the same name is among the largest in the area.
Erdington also includes the Castle Vale area, well known as the home of the Castle Bromwich Spitfire factory during World War Two.
An impressive steel sculpture depicting three Spitfires can be seen on the Chester Road roundabout close to the factory which later became a Jaguar car manufacturing plant.
The £150,000 art work was designed by Tim Tolkien, a grand nephew of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.
Nearby Area: Upper Witton
Upper Witton is conveniently located between central Birmingham and Erdington.
It is neighboured by two contrasting landscapes. In the direction towards Birmingham, it is very urban in nature and includes areas such as Aston, home of Aston Villa Football Club and Aston University.
To the east, however, it's surprisingly rural – there's the popular parkland area of Witton Lakes, the large expanse of Sutton Park, and the spectacular Warwickshire countryside is only a short drive away.
Upper Witton is officially part of Birmingham's Erdington district.
Property in Upper Witton
Upper Witton is characterised by large numbers of Victorian terraces and traditional semi-detached houses.
However, there has been a recent boom in new homes building, with well known builder, Barratt, completing an estate of two, three and four-bedroom houses at Bexley Park, off the main A453 College Road.
Modern, well designed apartments have been built at Queens Court and there is a Barratt-built apartment block at Somerton Court.
Property in Erdington
Around 22,600 people live in Erdington and just over 63 per cent of homes are owner-occupied.
Housing in Erdington is characterised by attractive Victorian and Edwardian properties, many built close to the town centre and around the railway station.
Regeneration is taking place on the Lyndhurst Estate, an area off Sutton Road which consisted of '50s-built tower blocks and maisonettes; new houses are planned for the site although some high rise accommodation will be retained and refurbished.
The Pype Hayes area features a modern development which replaced terraced homes built between the wars.
Living in Erdington
Transport:
Train: Erdington has its own station on the Cross-City Line. Other stations in the district include Chester Road and Gravelly Hill.
The Cross-City Line runs from Redditch in Worcestershire to Lichfield Trent Valley in Staffordshire.
Regular trains from Birmingham New Street give connections to all Inter City routes and the Midlands Metro tram network.
Road: The M6 motorway runs through the south west of the Erdington ward and other major roads include the A5127 Birmingham Road, the A452 Chester Road and the A38.
The M42 motorway is also easily accessible near Curdworth.
Bus: Erdington is well served by bus routes including services 25, 28, 68c, 102, 104 and 110. In total 14 services provide 32 buses an hour.
Air: Birmingham International Airport is close by and can be reached by car or train. The excellent road network means that East Midlands Airport can also be easily reached.
Eating and Drinking:
Erdington’s busy town centre has some top-notch pubs and many serve food. New restaurants have recently been developed on the Fort Dunlop site and at the Showcase Cinema complex on Kingsbury Road.
With central Birmingham around five miles away, Erdington residents are spoiled for choice and are able to sample food from around the world including the famous 'Balti Belt'.
Nearby Sutton Coldfield offers a good alternative to the city centre.
Sports:
Kingsbury Community Leisure Centre in Kingsbury Road, Erdington, offers a range of facilities for sports including football, netball, judo, karate and yoga, while Erdington Leisure Centre in Mason Road has a swimming pool.
There are two cricket clubs in the Erdington council ward known as Highcroft CC and Great Barr Unity CC.
Nearby Sutton Coldfield has several sports clubs including a popular rugby club fielding four men’s teams, a ladies' team and teams for youngsters.
Wyndley Leisure Centre in Sutton Coldfield has a swimming pool and a 400 metres athletics track.
Tamworth’s Snow Dome, offering indoor skiing on real snow, is a short drive away. The surrounding area has several golf clubs including the Brabazon Course at the four-star Belfry, the scene of famous European Ryder Cup victories over the USA.
The Birmingham area is home to several major professional football clubs including Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.
Leisure and Entertainment:
Erdington has a multi screen cinema complex in Kingsbury Road and there's a library on Orphanage Road.
Nearby Birmingham city centre boasts excellent theatres and concert venues.
Family attractions in the area include Cadbury World, the West Midlands Safari Park and Drayton Manor Park and Zoo.
Parks and Open Spaces:
Pype Hayes Park in Erdington, is over 100 acres in size. Facilities include a fishing pool, bowling greens, tennis courts, a children’s play area and ornamental gardens. It hosts a large bonfire every year.
Other parks in Erdington include Short Heath and Rookery parks.
Not far away, Kingsbury Water Park, set in 620 acres of countryside, is popular with ramblers, sailors and anglers. The park is also home to a children’s farm, a play area and a miniature railway.
Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield is the largest urban park in the UK, outside of London.