Shirley
Shirley Office
Dave Cook
Branch Manager
t: 07900 082885
Click here to email me
183 Stratford Road
Shirley, Solihull
West Midlands
B90 3AU
Tel: 0121 733 3553
Fax: 0845 0582530
Click here to email the office
Shirley is the one of the largest areas within the Solihull Borough and consists of areas from the wards of Shirley South, Shirley East, Shirley West and Cheswick Green and Monkspath from the Blythe ward. It lies along the Stratford Road just 3 miles from Solihull town centre and just off Junction 4 of the M42, which links Birmingham and Stratford. It also borders the counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
Since the 19th century Shirley has truly developed from predominantly a farming area to a prominent residential suburb of Solihull. The population of Shirley grew rapidly between the late 19th century and early 20th century, as people moved out of Birmingham into the area. Another major development for Shirley was the advent of the railway in 1908. From the mid-nineteenth century until 1953, Shirley also had its own racecourse, where Shirley Golf Club is situated today.
Shirley developed rapidly throughout the 1920s and 30s, with more houses, schools and shops accommodating a growing population. After the Second World War much of the residential area in Shirley that we know now began to grow. Commercial properties also increased, large companies came to the area, in particular, Lucas, who opened a large site in Dog Kennel Lane in 1965.
During the post war years the population rose drastically from around 7,000 in the early Thirties to approximately 35,000 by the start of the Seventies. The 1980s was a decade of real change for Shirley and the face of 'Shirley Street' changed to accommodate large stores.
There are many shops and businesses in the area, most along the Stratford Road. Shirley has a high proportion of independent retailers and Pedestrianisation of the high street encouraged the local eateries to have outside dining.
Currently, the 'New Heart for Shirley' plan to develop 1.43 acres (4%) of Shirley Park, to build a new shopping complex, with twenty new shops including an Asda supermarket as its flagship store, residential apartments, cafes, restaurants and new public areas. It has now been given the go ahead by the local authority.
Shirley is a place people want to live and work. There are many attractions in the area and it has easy links to all major towns and cities.
