Essential Hotels > England > West Midlands > Solihull

One of the more prosperous Midlands towns, Solihull is an attractive setting which is found nine miles to the south-east of Birmingham city centre. The industrial revolution, which changed so much of the Midlands and the so-called Black Country, largely passed Solihull by in the 18th and 19th centuries although it sought to catch up in the 20th century. Solihull now boasts a series of businesses and business parks while retaining some of its unique features such as the Tudor timbered houses and shops.

Solihull, in the West Midlands, is set in the centre of the country and boasts excellent transport links, what with Birmingham International Airport nearby and the M42 passing just a few miles from the town centre. Further, the River Blythe makes its way through certain parks in the town; there are several parks and open green spaces in this part of the county, such as Brueton Park and Tudor Grange Park as well as a series of golf courses.

Established something like 1,000 years ago, Solihull’s name comes from the Anglo-Saxon meaning soily or muddy hill. The Domesday Book records the region to be sparsely populated and the town received its first known reference almost 100 years later in 1180. In 1242 Solihull was granted market rights and plenty of traditional buildings from subsequent years can still be seen in the area. Examples include Solihull school, built in 1560, the Manor House which was constructed in 1495, and the Ramada Jarvis Hotel which lies in one of the town’s oldest structures. As already mentioned, the town didn’t experience the effects of the revolution until the 20th century, and so it grew and developed from the 1920s onwards in particular. Today, Solihull is known as the home of the Land Rover, and Birmingham Business Park and the NEC are also situated within easy reach.

People from Solihull are known as Silhillians and the town has its own motto – Town in the Country – which provides a glimpse as to its nature. Today, somewhere in the region of 100,000 people live in this part of the West Midlands. Other features in the Solihull area include the Mell Square shopping centre, Olton Reservoir, the Heart of England Way which passes through the town, and the St Alphege’s Church, a 16th century grade-I listed structure with a 51-metre spire.