Solihull Past

''Many of you will already be familiar with Sue’s excellent books ... Solihull Past is no exception.'' - Solihull News

Solihull was founded as a new town in the 12th century, in the Forest of Arden. It flourished in the early Middle Ages, but eventually declined into a quiet village in north-west Warwickshire. Turnpike roads brought some custom to its coaching inns in the 18th century, but it was not until the railway came in 1850 that its suburbanisation began…

Easy commuter transport from Birmingham induced wealthy professionals and businessmen to move their families to Solihull’s ‘salubrious’ surroundings. Growth was slow but steady as more houses were built to attract new residents, and by 1894 Solihull was created a Rural District Council, at a time when schools and churches were extending their premises to accommodate continued growth in population. The second half of the 20th century saw the village disappear under the developing town as offices, hotels and shops were built, including Mell Square, and by 1974 Solihull had progressed to Metropolitan Borough status, the highest tier of local government at the time.

This well-researched and quite fascinating account records the town’s growth from medieval market town to modern commercial centre, with its roots proudly remembered in its motto, Urbs in Rure (‘The Town in the Country’). The text is illuminated by a splendid selection of photographs, providing a welcome companion volume to the author’s earlier and very popular book, Solihull: A Pictorial History.