Rubery

Rubery
Worcestershire
Location
Grid reference:	SO985768
Location:	52°23’20"N, 2°1’19"W
Data
Post town:	Birmingham
Postcode:	B45
Dialling code:	0121
Local Government
Council:	Bromsgrove, Birmingham
Parliamentary constituency:	Bromsgrove Birmingham Northfield

Rubery is a village in Worcestershire that forms a southern suburb of Birmingham. The village is nine miles south-west of Birmingham city centre.

The area has around 16,000 people living in it, including the nearby Great Park estates within the municipal limits of Birmingham.

Etymology

The word 'Rubery' comes from the old English word 'rowbery' meaning 'a rough hill', which there is in the village of Rubery.

Geography

Rubery is essentially divided into two areas, either side of the A38 road. North of the A38 is primarily residential consisting of a sub-area named Waseley. South of the A38 is the High Street (New Road) where Rubery's retail activity is concentrated, there are shops as well as an extensive residential area, there is also a number of food outlets including Subway, Greggs, Tesco Metro and various other takeaways. To the east lies the Great Park area of Rubery (within the Longbridge ward of Birmingham).

Rubery is located in the valley of the Waseley and Lickey Hills, and within the basin of the Callowbrook and thus the River Rea. Adjacent areas are Longbridge to the north-east; Frankley is to the north, and Lickey is to the south.

Literary Connections

The author Jonathan Coe (b. 1961) was brought up in Rubery, and his novel "The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim" names several local places and landmarks.

Steve Haywood artist and author created a series of children's books in Rubery. The Crowman of Stonesthrow Village (1996). Also the founder of the Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival held each year to raise money for local amenities. He now lives in Evesham.

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Rubery)