Moseley

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For the British politician and other people with the same surname, see Moseley or Mosley.

Moseley village green

Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, located 2 miles to the south of the city centre. It has a reputation as a lively and cosmopolitan area and in recent years it has become favoured by young professionals because of its new bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and other independent retailers of the kind no longer common in the city centre.

1 Brief History
2 Recent past, the present and the future
3 Rugby
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Brief History

Listed in the Domesday Book as Museleie, Moseley has a long history.

St Mary's (Anglican) church, Moseley, was licensed by the Bishop of Worcester (authorised by Pope Innocent VII) in February 1405, and the 600th anniversary was celebrated in 2005 with a series of special events.

Moseley itself developed around a Victorian shopping area known as Moseley Village. J. R. R. Tolkien spent many of his early years in Moseley, living close to Sarehole Mill, which many people believe was the inspiration for The Shire in The Lord of the Rings.

Spring Hill College (Moseley School), a Gothic revival construction built in 1857, is located in the south of the district. Former pupils include the comedian Jasper Carrott and the musician Bev Bevan.

One of the success stories of Moseley is Ocean Colour Scene, a band which flourished in the mid nineties British Britpop/indie scene. Despite being critically derided, the band achieved cult status through songs, such as The Riverboat Song, inspired by locations within the suburb of Moseley. Their most successful album was Moseley Shoals. It is also the birthplace of Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

[edit] Recent past, the present and the future

In some respects Moseley and the surrounding area suffered a serious decline in the last part of the 20th century; a lot of property fell into neglect, and problems with crime, drugs and prostitution became commonplace. During this same period, however, with a great deal of cheap accommodation on offer, it is arguable that Moseley also enjoyed its most creative and cosmopolitan phase as the focus of artistic and student communities.

Today, however, many of the problems have been cleared up and in certain respects the area is much improved. For example, a monthly farmers' market is organised by the Moseley Neighbourhood Forum. Similarly, Moseley has a well-defined and established community spirit and ethos. The Moseley Society exists to protect the heritage of the area; meetings of the Society discuss and debate a wide range of issues relating to the area and the interests of its residents.

The Moseley Community Development Trust (CDT) is looking to invest in the social and physical capital of the area. Established with funding from charitable trust funds and with the support of the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Committee, the CDT is now managing a series of initiatives to improve the environment of Moseley.

Today Moseley is also rapidly becoming a leisure-focused suburb, home to many new pubs, restaurants and cafés. Examples include:

The Cross wine bar and pavement café.
La Plancha, a tapas bar opened in 2005.
Drift, a bar on the corner of the Salisbury and Alcester Road

[edit] Rugby

The suburb was home to the relatively successful Moseley Rugby Football Club until 2000, when the Reddings Road ground was sold for a housing development. The club initially moved to a site within the University of Birmingham campus, and since summer 2005 has a new location in nearby Billesley.