Halesowen
Coordinates: 52 ° 27 ′ N , 2 ° 3 ′ W
Halesowen is a city in England in the West Midlands , the metropolitan area around Birmingham . It is located in the south of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley , i.e. on the southern edge of the agglomeration between Stourbridge and Rubery, directly on the M5 motorway . The population is 57,918 (as of 2001).
history
Halesowen was mentioned in the Domesday Book and was larger than Birmingham at the time. The old church in the city center dates from Norman times. Until the 13th century the place was called Halas , then King Henry II gave Halas to the Welsh prince David ap Owen and the place has been called Halas-owen or Halesowen since then. The place was an exclave belonging to the county of Shropshire further west , which was surrounded by Worcestershire ; with the Counties Act of 1844 Halesowen was then added to Worcestershire. Industrialization in the area around Birmingham also took place during this period, as evidenced by numerous Victorian buildings in the city, which soon formed an impoverished working class, which was administratively subordinate to the so-called Poor Law Union of Halesowen. In 1925 Halesowen received the status of its own urban district and in 1936 it received full city rights as a Municipal Borough. In the 1960s, the city center was extensively modernized and was given a new center that some found faceless. As part of the administrative reform in the early 1970s, Halesowen was spun off from Worcestershire and incorporated into the new metropolitan county of West Midlands.
Attractions
The most striking building in the city is the old Norman city church. To the east of the city is Leasowes Park, a 57 hectare landscaped garden that was created in the 18th century and was then owned by William Shenstone. A municipal theater and pub are named after Shenstone. The Halesowen Monastery, built by French monks in 1215, also belongs to the community, of which only ruins remain today.
economy
Halesowen is traditionally known as the town of nail smiths, a craft that was practiced in backyards by numerous small businesses. Located in the south of the Black Country , Halesowen also mined coal. Today Somers Forge is the city's largest employer.
Sports
The city is home to Halesowen Town FC, as well as several cricket and golf clubs.
education
Halesowen has one college, the Halesowen College of Further Education, as well as four high schools and twelve elementary schools.
Personalities
- Alexander von Hales (around 1185–1245), Franciscan and important scholastic
- William Shenstone (1714–1763), poet and landscaper
- Thomas Attwood (1783-1859), politician and reformer
- Francis Brett Young (1884–1954), novelist
- Rex Williams (* 1933), snooker player and world champion in English billiards
- Lee Sharpe (born 1971), football player
- Helen Scott (* 1990), track cyclist
