Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in West Midlands, England.

The population, as measured by the 2001 Census, was 57,918. Halesowen is included in the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency and is currently held by the Labour party through Sylvia Heal

Geography

Halesowen is a part of the West Midlands metropolitan county and conurbation, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. Halesowen is located to the south-west of Birmingham at the edge of the industrial midlands. Although predominantly urban or suburban in character, Halesowen borders on green belt land, with excellent access to the countryside, for example the Clent Hills. It has extensive road links including junction 3 of the M5 motorway, which allow easy commuting to Birmingham, other areas of the Black County or nationwide.

The centre of Halesowen is home to a Norman church, a football ground (where non-league Halesowen Town F.C. play) and a College of Further Education which was founded in 1939.

In the eastern part of Halesowen is Leasowes Park which was originally a garden owned by the eighteenth century poet William Shenstone. Although he has been dead for some 200 years, Shenstone is still one of the most famous names associated with Halesowen: the local theatre and a Wetherspoon's watering hole are both named after him. Nearby are the ruins of Halesowen Abbey. Somers Forge industries is the premier industry in Halesowen.

Most of the housing stock in Halesowen is privately owned and was built in the 30 years which followed the end of the Second World War, although some parts of the town are still made up of Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses. The town centre was almost completely rebuilt during the 1960s, to its detriment in the eyes of many residents.

History

Halesowen was recorded in the Domesday Book as larger than Birmingham. Until the thirteenth century it was known as Halas, until it was gifted by Henry II to Welsh prince David ap Owen and became known as Halas-Owen; in modern times it has always been called Halesowen. The parish of Halesowen, which incorporated other townships later to become independent parishes, was an exclave of the county of Shropshire, but grew to become a town and was transferred to the jurisdiction of Worcestershire by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.

Halesowen became the centre of a poor law union in the 19th century, which later became established as a rural sanitary district and later the Halesowen Rural District in 1894. With increasing urbanisation of the area, in the early 20th century, it became the Halesowen Urban District in 1925, and obtained a grant of charter to become a municipal borough in 1936.

In 1973, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was incorporated into the new Dudley Metropolitan Borough, in the metropolitan county of West Midlands.

Industry

The principal industry of Halesowen was traditionally nailmaking, an industry that was performed on a small scale individually in the backyards of a large number of nailmakers. Halesowen also had, along with most other areas of the Black Country, a large number of above and under ground coal mines. In more recent years the arrival of a junction of the motorway network allowed Halesowen to attract a number of large organisations to the town.

Neighbourhoods

• Lapal
• Hawne
• Cradley
• Tanhouse
• Hasbury
• Squirrels Estate
• Hayley Green
• Olive Hill
• Hurst Green

Education

Secondary Schools

• Windsor High School
• Earls High School
• Leasowes High School
• Cradley High School

Primary Schools

• Halesowen Church of England Primary School
• Olive Hill Primary School
• Howley Grange Primary School
• Lapal Primary School
• Lutley Primary School
• Newfield Park Primary School
• Colley Lane Primary School
• Caslon Primary School
• Hurst Green Primary School
• Huntingtree Primary School
• Manor Way Primary School

Higher Education

• Halesowen College of Further Education

Former Schools

• Holt Farm Primary School
• Walton Girls School

Newspapers

Halesowen is covered by the Halesowen News, the Express & Star and to a lesser extent the Halesowen Chronicle.

Radio

The Halesowen area is served by commercial and BBC radio stations broadcasting from Wolverhampton, Birmingham as well as from within Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Leisure

Halesowen has a football team, non-league Halesowen Town F.C., as well as cricket and golf clubs. Halesowen is home to two CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed pubs, the Hawne Tavern and the Waggon and Horses, both of which have won the local CAMRA pub of the year accolade in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Somer's Sports and Social Club is likewise Good Beer Guide listed and has regularly won the title of CAMRA Club of the Year.

Famous people

• Thomas Attwood, British economist and campaigner for electoral reform, was born at Hawne House, Halesowen on 6th October 1783
• Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant came from Halesowen and was brought up in West Bromwich.
• Novelist and poet Francis Brett Young.
• Poet and landscape gardener William Shenstone.
• Manchester United and England footballer Lee Sharpe.
• Comedian and television presenter Frank Skinner taught at Halesowen College.

External links

• Halesowen Abbey
• Halesowen College of Further Education
• Halesowen News