Shirley, West Midlands

Shirley is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the county of West Midlands, England. Historically part of Warwickshire, it is a residential and shopping neighbourhood, and a suburb of Solihull. HistoryThe earliest known settlement in the area was at Berry Mound in Solihull Lodge, part of West Shirley, which was the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort, a fortified village protected by earth banks, dating back to the 1st century BC and which covered approximately 11acre. The earth works can still be seen from the North Worcestershire Path which commences in Aqueduct Road, Majors Green. Shirley was part of the Manor of Ulverlei (now Olton) until the establishment of Solihull in the 12th or 13th centuries after which it became part of the parish of Solihull. Shirley developed slowly as a small village on Stratford Road, called Shirley Street through the settlement. Between 1725 and 1872 Stratford Road was a turnpike road, and the ease of travel along this from Birmingham, and Shirley's remoteness attracted sporting activity in the form of bull baiting cockfighting (reputedly at the Plume of Feathers pub) and pugilism. These activities encouraged the church authorities to start building St James Church in 1831, subsequently enlarged in 1882. Finally, in 1893, Shirley became its own ecclesiastical parish. Shirley School which was in School Road until the 1970s was built in 1833.

Shirley is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the county of West Midlands, England. Historically part of Warwickshire, it is a residential and shopping neighbourhood, and a suburb of Solihull. HistoryThe earliest known settlement in the area was at Berry Mound in Solihull Lodge, part of West Shirley, which was the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort, a fortified village protected by earth banks, dating back to the 1st century BC and which covered approximately 11acre. The earth works can still be seen from the North Worcestershire Path which commences in Aqueduct Road, Majors Green. Shirley was part of the Manor of Ulverlei (now Olton) until the establishment of Solihull in the 12th or 13th centuries after which it became part of the parish of Solihull. Shirley developed slowly as a small village on Stratford Road, called Shirley Street through the settlement. Between 1725 and 1872 Stratford Road was a turnpike road, and the ease of travel along this from Birmingham, and Shirley's remoteness attracted sporting activity in the form of bull baiting cockfighting (reputedly at the Plume of Feathers pub) and pugilism. These activities encouraged the church authorities to start building St James Church in 1831, subsequently enlarged in 1882. Finally, in 1893, Shirley became its own ecclesiastical parish. Shirley School which was in School Road until the 1970s was built in 1833.