Fordbridge

Fordbridge is a civil parish between Kingshurst and Chelmsley Wood in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, which is in the West Midlands county, and also part of the West Midlands conurbation. It is 8 miles (13 km) east of Birmingham City Centre. It has a town council. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 8,749.[1]

Fordbridge
Fordbridge
Location within the West Midlands
Population8,479 (2011)
Civil parish
  • Fordbridge
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOLIHULL
Postcode districtB37
Dialling code0121
PoliceWest Midlands
FireWest Midlands
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

The area falls within the borders of North Solihull, parts of which are currently undergoing a £1.8 billion regeneration project. Many people in Fordbridge don't recognise it as a distinct area, instead classing it as part of the larger Chelmsley Wood Estate. The area around the eastern end of Cooks Lane is also often referred to as "Bacon's End".

Etymology

Fordbridge gets its name from the crossing over the River Cole on Cooks Lane, which was referenced to as "Ford Bridge" on 19th century OS maps.[2] This name suggests this site was previously a ford, but eventually a bridge was built on the site of that ford, thus giving the bridge and ultimately the civil parish its name.

Education

Fordbridge lies in-between a number of schools in the surrounding areas. Schools in and around the local area include:

Nearby Secondary Schools

Also close by in Smith's Wood is the Solihull College Woodlands Campus.

Primary schools
  • Fordbridge Community Primary School
  • St Anne's Catholic Primary School
  • Bishop Wilson Church of England Nursery, Infant, and Junior School
  • Kingshurst Primary School
  • Saint Anthony's Catholic Primary School
  • St John The Baptist R C Primary School
  • Kingfisher Primary School

Transport

National Express West Midlands operate a number of buses in and around the Fordbridge area. The Cooks Lane area is served by the 94, 55 and 71 bus services while Bosworth Drive is served by the 97 and 14 routes. Close by is Chelmsley Wood shopping centre which hosts a wide range of transport options. Buses are available to and from Solihull Town Centre, Coleshill, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham City Centre, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Airport.

The closest railway station is Marston Green. From there, there are trains to Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, and stations in Coventry as well as services to London Euston station.

Leisure

Fordbridge is also served by a local sports centre called the 'North Solihull Sports Centre'.

Politics

In the British House of Commons, Fordbridge is in the Meriden constituency. The Conservative Party have held the seat since 1979, with the current MP being Saqib Bhatti, although Fordbridge itself is a traditionally Labour area.

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References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  2. "Warwickshire XV.NW (includes: Coleshill.)". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
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