The ancient parish of Aston
The ancient parish of Aston (now known as simply Aston) was rather large. It was separated from Birmingham’s parish by A.B. Row, which is now just 50 yards long in the Eastside of the city.
Aston Manor, which was known initially as Aston, was governed by a Local Board from 1869 and became an Urban District Council in 1903 before being absorbed into the growth of Birmingham County Borough in 1911. Another portion, Saltley, was added to the municipality in 1911.
Both the Aston Hippodrome and the Bartons Arms public house are examples of old structures that became fashionable in the area. In 1892, Gospel Hall on Park Lane was constructed and then demolished back in the 1970s to be then reconstructed at the top of Park Lane in 1979. The original hall seated 73 people.
Another popular meeting spot was the Ellen Knox Memorial Hall, which was adjacent to the Midland Vinegar Brewery. The Midland Brewery Company purchased the business that owned the brewery in 1877 and built it around that year on Upper Thomas Street.
The plant was a three-story brick structure with curved corners, semi-circular windows, and a slatted roof. The Premier Motor Works, which created vehicles in the early twentieth century, was one of Aston’s other businesses.
The jobs were at the junction of Aston Road and Dartmouth Street. On Miller Street was a tramcar depot with space for 104 trams. It began operations in 1904, and it was later taken over by Birmingham Corporation Tramways Ltd on the behalf of the Urban District Council before becoming formally property of Birmingham Corporation Tramways on January 1, 1912.
Following the Second World War, Aston underwent major modification. South Aston was chosen as a renewal area, and the traditional area known as “Aston New Town” was completely rebuilt.
The area was formerly known as “Newtown” and is a large housing estate made up of sixteen tower blocks, five of which have now since been demolished. The development received the go-ahead in 1968. On the site, three 20-story tower blocks housed 354 flats alone.
Today, Aston is linked to Aston Villa F.C. and Aston University (even though the campus is not in Aston but is instead 1.3 to the south, located in Birmingham city centre). The Aston University is one of four universities in Birmingham.
Aston Villa have played at Villa Park since 1897, and it has been one of England’s biggest football grounds in recent years. The park has also hosted events such as international rugby league and rugby union. This is perhaps the most well-known attraction in the area. click here or check out saltley
