Parking in town - Birmingham and Stratford

[john6767]

Dickens Heath is a modern commuter town and has very nice residents - but you'll never see one

 

Richard

You've seen me

[RLWP]

You've seen me

 

But never at Dicken's Heath

 

Richard

[Victor Vectis]

Dickens Heath is a modern commuter town and has very nice residents - but you'll never see one

 

Richard

Location for the UK version of the Truman Show?

 

ETA: Would recommend the Star City pontoon too. But if you want to buy a newspaper in the morning remember the WH Smith branch doesn't open until 11am.

 

Second ETA: Oops, got threads mixed up.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Victor Vectis

[Dave_P]

I hope I don't offend anyone but Dicken's Heath just makes me angry. How on earth did that get built on green-belt land? It's hopelessly out of place in it's environment. Nothing about it works architecturally or in terms of town planning. I really can't bear to look when I go past. Add to that, as Richard noted, you hardly ever see a soul, it gives me the creeps! It feels like it might be the setting for a low budget post apocalyptic horror film.

 

As a genuine question to John6767 (as I've never met anyone before who lives there), why did you choose Dicken's Heath? I honestly can't see a single redeeming feature about it. Bet it's not cheap either.

[Victor Vectis]

I honestly can't see a single redeeming feature about it.

Next to the canal ?

[john6767]

I hope I don't offend anyone but Dicken's Heath just makes me angry. How on earth did that get built on green-belt land? It's hopelessly out of place in it's environment. Nothing about it works architecturally or in terms of town planning. I really can't bear to look when I go past. Add to that, as Richard noted, you hardly ever see a soul, it gives me the creeps! It feels like it might be the setting for a low budget post apocalyptic horror film.

 

As a genuine question to John6767 (as I've never met anyone before who lives there), why did you choose Dicken's Heath? I honestly can't see a single redeeming feature about it. Bet it's not cheap either.

 

It was part of Solihull's long term plan to provide more housing; Cheswick Green perhaps 35 years ago, then Monkspath 25 years ago, and then Dickens Heath. Some of the design is a bit quirky, like the squares mimicking London squares which is all down to the use of "Prince Charles' architects". There is some history on the Solihull Councils web site.

 

Not really sure what there is to offend though, from the canal it is just modern houses in the main and you pass through many developments like that on the canals, and for two stretches you are in cuttings so you don't see much anyway. The only unusual thing from the canal is the apartments at the Earlswood end, and that was a result of the government of the day changing the housing density rules part way through development, so they has to ram in loads of apartments to get the density up (or so I am told). If you venture into the centre of Dickens Heath (5 mins walk from the canal), then it has a linear main street rather than shops grouped round a car park as you normally have in modern developments. It also has a village green as open space at the centre. So if you like modern to be just pure modern, then it is a bit of an anachronism.

 

Why live there, it's a good question. It was in the relatively early stages of construction when we were thinking about moving 12 years ago. We did not live far away (Monkspath) and for the kids school sake we wanted to stay in Solihull. You may think Dickens Heath is expensive, and it is, but the nearer you get to Solihull town centre the more expensive it gets, and we were not in the £1M+ bracket I am afraid, so it was a compromise on cost at the time for sure. It has good communications with good access to the M42 (north and south) and M40, and trains into Birmingham are 5 min walk to Whitlocks End station for us, although for London trains you have to go to Solihull station which is on a different line.

[Dave_P]

Maybe I'm seeing the worst of it from the canal. Although I did accidentally drive through there once about 5-6 years ago and everything seemed to come to a dead-end. It took me ages to find my way back out!

[comfortably numb]

We moored in Dickens Heath last night, a couple of hundred yards south of the footbridge and had no problems and this included leaving the boat for 3 hours to visit our friends. There is also a good dog walking park on the towpath side of the footbridge.

 

Further information for anyone passing through is that there is a Tesco Express within 5 minutes walk of the footbridge.

[john6767]

We moored in Dickens Heath last night, a couple of hundred yards south of the footbridge and had no problems and this included leaving the boat for 3 hours to visit our friends. There is also a good dog walking park on the towpath side of the footbridge.

 

Further information for anyone passing through is that there is a Tesco Express within 5 minutes walk of the footbridge.

That is the spot that I mentioned in post #24. As well as the nature reserve by the foot bridge, if you cross over the foot bridge and go past the front of the apartments to your left, that leads to a large country park (basically a couple of fields) also very good for dogs.

 

In the centre as well as the Tesco Express there is a chemist, a card shop, a charity shop, various hair cutting establishments (male and female), 2 bars/restaurants, Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants. I am not a fan of the Indian though, there are much better in the area. There is also a library and a doctors. Also an estate agents if you like it so much that you decide to buy a house!

[comfortably numb]

That is the spot that I mentioned in post #24. As well as the nature reserve by the foot bridge, if you cross over the foot bridge and go past the front of the apartments to your left, that leads to a large country park (basically a couple of fields) also very good for dogs.

 

In the centre as well as the Tesco Express there is a chemist, a card shop, a charity shop, various hair cutting establishments (male and female), 2 bars/restaurants, Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants. I am not a fan of the Indian though, there are much better in the area. There is also a library and a doctors. Also an estate agents if you like it so much that you decide to buy a house!

 

That is the spot that I mentioned in post #24. As well as the nature reserve by the foot bridge, if you cross over the foot bridge and go past the front of the apartments to your left, that leads to a large country park (basically a couple of fields) also very good for dogs.

 

In the centre as well as the Tesco Express there is a chemist, a card shop, a charity shop, various hair cutting establishments (male and female), 2 bars/restaurants, Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants. I am not a fan of the Indian though, there are much better in the area. There is also a library and a doctors. Also an estate agents if you like it so much that you decide to buy a house!

 

It was as a result of you advice in post #24 that we moored there. And we walked the dog in that park too. But we evening dined at Jimmy Spices in Solihull by virtue of a lift from the brother in law.

[john6767]

 

Glad it worked out for you.