Alum Rock is situated approximately two miles east of Birmingham city centre Alum Rock is an inner-city suburb officially part of Saltley. In the 2011 census, the population was 25,487 making it the most populous of all of Birmingham’s 69 wards.
The History of Alum Rock
The first mention of Alum Rock, or Alom Rock as it was written as perhaps incorrectly, was in 1718. It is not known where it gets its name from. One school of thought says it refers to the mineral alum, but as this does not occur naturally in the UK, is manufactured in the Northeast and used in industries not at home in Birmingham that hypothesis seems unlikely.
By the turn of the last century Alum Rock was still only a tiny hamlet surrounded by fields. The area did not see any building work of note until after the First World War when housing developments sprung up, and then after World War Two extensive municipal building projects transformed the area.
Transport Links
Though the London to Birmingham railway runs along its southern border there is no train station in Alum Rock. Adderley Park Station is located a short distance to the southwest however. Alum Rock Road runs through the area and leads to the A47.
Alum Rock is served by the 14, 28, 36, 73, 93, 97 and 891 bus services.
Schools
Schools in Alum Rock include:
St Saviour’s primary School
Shaw Hill Primary School
Parkfield Community School
Rockwood Academy
Amenities
There are 8 chemists in Alum Rock as well as the Saltley Health Centre. Alum Rock Road is famous for its Pakistani clothing shops as well as its Pakistani restaurants.
Things to do in and around Alum Rock
Alum Rock Road has some of the best authentic Pakistani cuisine and retail stores in the UK. Just to the south of Alum Rock there is the Birmingham Wheels Park, with its various karting, banger racing and racetracks. Nearby is the Saltley Wellbeing Centre, while Birmingham city centre is only a short drive or bus ride away.