Walmley
Ideally situated around eight miles north east of Birmingham city centre but on the edge of the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, Walmley is an attractive option for house-hunters.
It is surrounded by lovely villages including Minworth and Wylde Green, and the sizeable town of Erdington.
The area saw a large amount of house building in the latter part of the 20th century as people moved away from the central parts of the city and settled in the suburbs.
Direct access to the countryside and good road links to Birmingham and the large town of Sutton Coldfield have kept Walmley in demand as a residential location.
The traditional village centre is attractive and has a pleasant range of shops as well as a health centre, library, community hall and St John's Church, built in 1845.
And the village also boasts New Hall Manor, dating from 1435, which lays claim to be the oldest inhabited moated house in Great Britain. The manor is a Grade One Listed Building and was converted into a hotel in 1988.
Schools in the village include Walmley Infants and Walmley Juniors, run by Birmingham City Council, and the Deanery Church of England School which has sections for infants and juniors.
The village also has a private primary school, and is served by three secondary schools located nearby.
There are two major employment sites within the Walmley area at Minworth and Castle Vale which provide around 1,700 jobs, and the nearby Hams Hall site is home to a large freight rail terminal and an ultra modern BMW engine plant.
Walmley lies within the Sutton Coldfield area which has around 105,000 residents in total. The town has two major shopping centres, The Mall and the Red Rose Centre, and an indoor market.
The town of Erdington also has a busy high street with no less than two markets, and there's an Asda superstore at Minworth.
Property In Walmley
Walmley has a good range of properties which will suit most tastes.
There are many attractive old cottages in the village centre, but the growth in Walmley's population led to the building of large, modern housing estates during the '80s and '90s in areas such as Berryfields, Thimble End and Walmley Ash.
The majority of modern developments contain family sized detached and semi-detached homes, and property in Walmley tends to be more expensive than most areas of Birmingham.
Housing in Erdington is characterised by handsome Victorian and Edwardian properties, many built close to the town centre and around the railway station.
Living in Walmley
Transport:
Train: Walmley does not have its own train station, but there are several close by including Water Orton, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield and Erdington.
Trains to Birmingham New Street are available via the Cross City Line which runs from Redditch, Worcestershire to Lichfield Trent Valley, Staffordshire.
Road: Walmley Road linking Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield is a busy ‘B’ road. The M6, M6 toll road and M42 are all easily accessible from Walmley.
The A45 Chester Road runs close to the village as does the A38 Kingsbury Road and the Sutton Coldfield by-pass.
Bus: Buses run from Walmley to both Birmingham city centre and Sutton Coldfield along with areas including Minworth, Erdington, Solihull, Coleshill and Birmingham Airport.
Air: Birmingham International Airport is close by, and the excellent road network means that East Midlands Airport can also be easily reached.
Eating and Drinking:
Historic New Hall in Walmley has been reinvented as a hotel and spa and is owned by the Hand Picked Hotels group. It is a popular venue for weddings and functions.
The surrounding areas have a variety of pubs, and many serve food.
The Royal Hotel in the centre of Sutton Coldfield offers popular bars and restaurants and the Assembly Hall is a function suite catering for all kinds of conferences, events and weddings.
Both Sutton Coldfield and Erdington have a range of restaurants, and central Birmingham is less than eight miles away and offers a great choice of food and drink options.
Sports:
There are two major sporting clubs based in Walmley. Sutton Coldfield Rugby Union Club play at Walmley Road and field several senior men’s teams, a women’s team and junior teams.
Walmley Cricket Club play at the John Findlay Memorial Ground and put out four Saturday teams with the first and second teams playing in the Birmingham and District Premier League. The club also has thriving ladies' and junior sections.
Walmley Golf Club in Brooks Road, Wylde Green, is a picturesque park land course which dates back to 1902. Pype Hayes Golf Club is based in Eachlehurst Road, while Sutton Coldfield Golf Club is scheduled to stage the prestigious English Amateur Championship in 2010.
The surrounding area has several golf clubs including the Brabazon Course at the Belfry, the scene of famous European Ryder Cup victories over the USA. It is one of three courses at the four star hotel complex which also houses the headquarters of the Professional Golfers’ Association.
Sutton Coldfield Town FC has a proud record going as far back as 1879. Wyndley Leisure Centre, Sutton Coldfield, has a swimming pool and a 400 metres athletics track.
The Birmingham area is home to several major professional football clubs including Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.
Tamworth’s Snow Dome, offering indoor skiing on real snow, is a short drive away.
Leisure and Entertainment:
Sutton Coldfield has a thriving amateur dramatics scene which is based around the Arts Theatre. The Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company has recently celebrated its 75th anniversary and is known for its high class productions.
The town staged its first Festival of Arts in July 2007 and also hosts a popular folk festival.
The Empire Cinema, at Maney Corner, Birmingham Road, has four screens. Erdington also has a multi-screen cinema complex in Kingsbury Road.
Nearby Birmingham has major entertainment facilities including the Alexander Theatre, Symphony Hall and National Indoor Arena.
Family attractions in the area include Cadbury World, the West Midlands Safari Park and Drayton Manor Park and Zoo.
Parks and Open Spaces:
New Hall Valley Country Park is an important nature conservation area. The 160 acre site links up with Sutton Park, the largest urban park outside of London.
New Hall Valley contains two children's play areas and a network of cycle routes and footpaths.
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.
Nearby Kingsbury Water Park, set in 620 acres of countryside, is popular with ramblers, sailors and fishermen. The park is also home to a children’s farm, a play area and a miniature railway.