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West Midlands Black Country, Dudley, Warwick, Birmingham, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon


The West Midlands conurbation developed around Birmingham and the coal fields of the Black Country. This area straddles the historic border between the counties of Warwickshire (Birmingham, also Coventry), Staffordshire (the north), Worcestershire (the south).

1966 saw a substantial reform in the local government of the area as the patchwork of county boroughs with municipal boroughs and urban districts in between was replaced by a core of county boroughs covering a contiguous area - specifically Birmingham, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall, Warley, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton. A single West Midlands Constabulary was formed for the Black Country county boroughs, whilst Birmingham retained its Birmingham City Police and Solihull continued being policed by Warwickshire Constabulary. The West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority was established in 1968.

In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 came into effect, creating the county of West Midlands. This area was based on the seven county boroughs and the other non-county boroughs and urban districts around the fringe of the conurbation. The new area consisted of seven new metropolitan boroughs, with Aldridge-Brownhills added to Walsall; Halesowen and Stourbridge to Dudley and Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham. A new borough of Sandwell was formed by the merger of West Bromwich and Warley, Solihull took in much of the suburban fringe to the east of Birmingham and the gap between Solihull and Coventry, whilst Wolverhampton and Coventry themselves were taken in more-or-less unaltered.

This led to (apart from in the east, with Coventry and the Meriden Gap) quite a tightly defined metropolitan border, excluding such places as Burntwood, Bromsgrove, Cannock, Kidderminster Lichfield and Wombourne which had been considered for inclusion in the West Midlands metropolitan area by the Redcliffe-Maud Report.

The 1974 reform created a West Midlands County Council that covered the entire area and dealt with strategic issues. A new West Midlands Police force was formed covering the entire area, with the West Midlands Constabulary and Birmingham City Police abolished, and also taking over responsiblity from the county forces.

Places of interest
Aston Hall, Birmingham Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Birmingham Railway Museum Black Country Living Museum Blakesley Hall Coventry Cathedral Coventry Transport Museum Dudley Castle Himley Hall Netherton tunnel Perrott's Folly Sarehole Mill Walsall Art Gallery



Acock's Green Alcester Lane End Aldermans Green Aldridge Allesley Alum Rock Amblecote Aston Audnam Bacon's End Balsall Common Balsall Heath Balsall Street Barston Bartley Green Bearwood Bell Green Bentley Heath Berkswell Bickenhill Bilston Binley Binley Woods Birchfields Bird End Birmingham Birmingham International Airport Blackheath Blakenall Heath Blakenhall Bloxwich Boldmere Bordesley Green Bournebrook Bournville Bradley Brierley Hill Brinsford Brockmoor Bromley Brown's Green Brownhills Buckland End Bushbury Canley Carol Green Castle Bromwich Castlecroft Catchem's Corner Catherine de Barnes Chadwick End Chelmsley Wood Cheswick Green Churchfield Cinder Hill Clayhanger Coal Pool Coombeswood Copt Heath Coseley Cotteridge Coventry Cradley Heath Darlaston Darlaston Green Daw End Deritend Dickens Heath Digbeth Doe Bank Dorridge Druids Heath Dudley Dudley Port Earlsdon Eastcote Eastern Green Eaves Green Edgbaston Elmdon Elmdon Heath Erdington Ettingshall Ettingshall Park Fallings Park Fen End Flint's Green Foleshill Fordbridge Fordhouses Four Ashes Four Oaks - Birmingham Four Oaks - Solihull Golds Green Golds Hill Goldthorn Park Gornal Wood Gravelly Hill Great Barr Great Bridge Grove Vale Halesowen Hall End Hall Green Hampton in Arden Hamstead - Birmingham Hamstead - Sandwell Handsworth Handsworth Wood Harborne Harden Hardwick Hasbury Hawkes End Hawkesbury Hayley Green Heath Town Henley Green Highter's Heath Hill Top Hockley Hockley Heath Holly Hall Hurst Hill Illey Iverley Keresley King's Norton Kings Heath Kings Hill Kingshurst Kingshurst Kingstanding Kingswinford Kirby Corner Kitts Green Knowle Ladywood Lane Head Lanesfield Leamore Lifford Little Bloxwich Little Heath Lode Heath Lodge Green Longbridge Longford Lower Gornal Lozells Lutley Lye Lyndon Green Maney Marston Green Maw Green Mere Green Meriden Merry Hill - Dudley Merry Hill - Wolverhampton Mill Green Minworth Monkspath Monmore Green Moor Street Moseley - Birmingham Moseley - Wolverhampton Moseley Village Moxley Nechells Netherton - Dudley New Oscott Newton Northfield Ocker Hill Old Hill Old Swinford Oldbury Olton Oxley Palfrey Park Village Parkfields Pedmore Pelsall Pendeford Penn Penn Fields Pensnett Perry Perry Barr Pickford Pickford Green Pinkett's Booth Pinley Portobello Portway Potters Green Primrose Hill Princes End Quarry Bank Queslett Quinton Rednal Reeves Green Roughley Rounds Green Rowley Green Rowley Regis Rushall Saltley Sandhills Sedgley Selly Oak Shard End Sharman's Cross Sheldon Shelfield Shire Oak Shirley Short Heath - Birmingham Short Heath - Walsall Shut End Small Heath Smethwick Solihull Sowe Common Sparkbrook Sparkhill Stechford Stirchley Stivichall Stockwell End Stoke Stoke Heath Stourbridge Stow Heath Streetly - Birmingham Sutton Coldfield Swan Village Temple Balsall Tettenhall Tettenhall Wood Tidbury Green Tile Cross Tile Hill Tilehouse Green Tipton Tipton Green Tividale Tollbar End Tyburn Tyseley Ulverley Green Upper Gornal Wake Green Walker's Heath Wall Heath Wallbrook Wallington Heath Walmley Walmley Ash Walsall Walsall Wood Walsgrave on Sowe Ward End Washwood Heath Wednesbury Wednesfield Weoley Castle Wergs West Bromwich West Heath Westcroft Westwood Heath Whitehouse Common Whitlock's End Willenhall - Coventry Willenhall - Walsall Winson Green Witton Wollescote Wolverhampton Wood End Wood Hayes Woodgate Wordsley Wyken Wylde Green

An online guide of where to stay, where to go and what to do...
From caravan sites, static parks and Campsites. From restaurants, take aways and cafes. From hotels, b & b's and hostels. From car boots, antique fairs and farmers markets. From pubs, bars and nightclubs. To family days out and other things to do.