Bournville is located to the southwest of Birmingham. The garden village was created as a place to live for the employees of the Cadbury chocolate factory. The factory owners being Quakers, no pubs were allowed within its boundaries, and even the sale of alcohol was prohibited. Bournville is frequently listed among the best places to live in the UK. It covers an area of 1,000 acres, with a tenth of that reserved to open spaces and parks. In the 2011 census the population was 25,462.
The History of Bournville
Bournville’s story begins when George and Richard Cadbury took over their father’s chocolate factory and realised they needed to move from their central Bridge Street location to a larger one away from the city centre. In 1879 they chose Bournbrook Hall for a number of reasons. It was an undeveloped, rural area meaning they could easily expand and develop, but it was also close to both rail and canal links, something that was essential to get their raw materials in, and their end products out.
Their ground-breaking idea was to provide an environment and facilities that would promote and enhance the health and fitness of their workforce and families. A natural spring lido was built along with football and hockey pitches and a running track.
Transport Links
Bournville has its own railway station on the Cross City Line, with direct trains to Birmingham New Street. The A4040 runs north to south through the area, while the Heath/Mary Vale Road connects to the A441 just to the east. It is served by the 11A, 11C, 20, 27, 38, 46, 48, 61, 63 and 144 bus routes.
Schools
Bournville has several schools and places of education, including:
Bournville Junior School
Bournville Infant School
St Francis Primary School.
Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School
Bournville Secondary School
Bournville College of Further Education
Bournville Centre for Visual Arts (part of the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) at Birmingham City University)
Amenities
The area is characterised not just by the lack of pubs and restaurants, but also by the absence of well-known chain shops and supermarkets. The Clean Kilo Bournville is a small, popular grocers serving the local community and there are tea shops, but very little else to ruin the special ambience and character of the area. When a garage recently put in proposals to instal a Tesco Metro, there was a large backlash from residents, though it did get through.
Things to do in and around Bournville
Bournville was designed to have green spaces and parks within its boundaries, and you are never far from one, including Bournville Park, Rowheath Playing Fields, Valley Parkway and Cotteridge Park. There is also of course Cadbury World, as well as the Selly manor Museum.