Why Live in Handsworth Wood?
Why live in Handsworth Wood? Handsworth Wood is a suburban area in North West Birmingham and is regarded as a premier residential area, due to the significantly large number of Victorian and imposing detached and semi-detached homes. There are many fascinating architectural styles of housing from the Art and Craft, Victorian and Edwardian era to Modern housing styles.
Handsworth Wood is one of the most upmarket and exclusives areas to live-in in Greater Birmingham. With exceptionally convenient access to a series of secluded golf clubs, private clubs and scenic parks. Handsworth Wood residents are able to relax in this suburb which is only 3 miles away from Birmingham City Centre.
Education
The primary schools in the area include Cherry Orchard Primary School, St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School and Grestone Academy.
The secondary schools in the area include Hamstead Hall Academy and Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy. It is also home to Hamstead Campus, a privately owned student accommodation.
Nearby to Handsworth Wood are the Grammar Schools of King Edward VI Handsworth School For Girls and King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School For Boys.
Parks and Recreation
Why live in Handsworth Wood? Well, Handsworth Wood is fortunate to have many parks and open spaces.
Handsworth Park was opened by the 6th Earl of Dartmouth on 30 March 1898. It comprises of 63 acres (25 hectares) of landscaped grass slopes, including a large boating lake and a smaller lake fed by the Farcroft and Grove Brooks. The park contains a cricket ground, pavilion, leisure centre and the boathouse cafe.
Sandwell Valley Park is a beautiful country park with up to 660 acres set aside for amenities such as a pitch & putt golf course, a Millennium Cycle Route, a Mountain Bike Trail, tennis courts and open spaces adjoing Handsworth Wood. There is a RSPB site which attracts over 150 different species of birds.
The country park receives over 500,000 visit per year. Swan Pool (also known as Wasson or Warstone) is used for sailing. There is a fully restored working Victorian farm that features a traditional farmyard, walled kitchen gardens, a small museum and award-winning tea rooms. Forge Mill Farm has a farm shop, a small animal area, a farm trail and a children’s playground.
Perry Hall Park is situated on the former site of the Elizabethan Mansion with ornamental gardens and parkland of Perry Hall. Its 158 acre site is divided by the river Tame. To the South West is the home of the Birmingham Cricket League with fifteen cricket pitches.
The park is predominantly grassland with a patchwork of trees and wooded areas, as well as stretches of hedgerow. There are two wildflower meadows planted by local people and the Friends group, supported by Glendale, where a variety of orchids can be seen early Summer.
Sporting facilities
Handsworth Wood is home to numerous sports facilities. Handsworth Wood Bowling Club is located on Devonshire Road, The Bridge Trust Cricket Club is on Romilly Avenue and Hamstead Diamonds Tennis Club is located on Craythorne Road. The highly regarded Handsworth Golf Club is also located here with the entrance on Sunningdale Close (off Craythorne Road).
Places of interest
St. Mary’s Church to the North has been in existence from 1558. It contains the graves of the fathers of the Industrial Revolution James Watt, Matthew Boulton and Edwin Murdoch, as well as the founders of Aston Villa Football Club.
Local amenities include: St. Mary’s Church and Handsworth Park. The Anchorage is a grade II listed building.
Local politics
There is a Birmingham City electoral ward called Handsworth Wood comprising part of Handsworth and nearly all of Handsworth Wood. It is made up of distinct cultures and built environments – the salubrious Victorian suburb (consisting of some of the finest Victorian houses in the city and increasingly being refurbished to complement the £9 million restoration of Handsworth Park) and Handsworth Wood dominated by characteristically suburban pre-war semi-detached and detached properties. The ward was formerly known as Sandwell Ward.
The ward is represented by three Labour councillors in the Birmingham City Council; Gurdial Singh Atwal, Paulette Hamilton and Narinder Kooner.
Population
The 2001 Population Census recorded that 25,276 people were living in the ward. It has a high percentage of the population being of an ethnic minority, mainly of British Indian heritage.
Transport
The area is well served by Bus routes 16, 11C and the 101. The area had its own Railway station until 1941 known as Handsworth Wood Railway Station. The old station site lies in a cutting through Handsworth Park, adjacent to St. Mary’s Church. These days, the nearest train station is Hamstead, which lies slight North of Handsworth Wood, but within walking distance.
