The Solihull Story

The Solihull Story follows the development of the region, including some of the villages that make up the modern borough, from earliest times up to the present day.

The first known settlement in the area was an Iron Age Fort, whose earthen ramparts lie remarkably well preserved overlooking the River Cole near Solihull Lodge, and Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans have all written chapters in this fascinating tale.

Intriguing contributions have also come from the Knights Templar of Temple Balsall, and the medieval guild of Knowle.

Communications have always been a key factor in the regions’s evolution. Medieval bridges over the Blythe helped its market to prosper, the era of the stagecoach brought about the heyday of coaching inns like the Barley Mow, the Greswolde Arms in Knowle and the Red Lion in Shirley, the canal age left an indelible mark on the Soiihull landscape, and the arrival of the railways eventually transformed it beyond recognition.

The old village of Solihull quickly grew into a thriving town and former agricultural communities like Shirley, Cheswick Green and more recently Monkspath, disappeared beneath bricks and mortar. We explore their hidden past and take a look at what the future has in store for Solihull.

(Solihull in The West Midlands, UK)