Great Barr
Modern Great Barr covers a wide area comprising parts of Walsall, Birmingham and Sandwell.
In 1851 the area was described such - "Great Barr, three miles SE of Walsall, is a pleasant village, seated on the declivity of the lofty Barr Beacon, which stretches itself out to a considerable extent, and seems like a vast barrier to the country beyond it. The township and chapelry of Great Barr is now a separate ecclesiastical district, and contains 4960 acres and 1087 souls. It includes many scattered houses, and the hamlets of Hardwick, Margaret's Lane, Scott's Arms, Snail's Green, Little Aston and Questlett, extending eastward to the extensive heath of Sutton Coldfield. Lord Leigh is lord of the manor, but most of the soil belongs to other proprietors, the largest of whom is Sir Edward Dolman Scott, Bart, who resides at Barr Hall, formerly called Nether House. Red House, near Snail's Green, is a neat seat belonging to Robert Scott, Esq but occupied by Thomas Bagnall, Esq. On the north side of the chapelry is Aldridge Lodge, the seat of the Rev TB Adams, and near it is a small lake called Bourn Pool, an ancient moated house, and the Hayhead lime works, from which there is a branch to the Wyrley and Essington Canal "
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851 at Genuki]
For the initial focus of the site I have used the boundaries of the B43 postcode to determine the scope although this does exclude at this time most of the Birmingham "Great Barr" as it comprises Newton, Grove Vale, Hamstead, Scott Arms and Pheasey.
The modern area is dominated by the M5 and M6 motorways which join at Junction 8 in Great Barr. The the area is bounded on the south side by the River Tame, on the west by the M5 and the Rushall canal, to the west by the Old Walsall Road, Walsall Road and Queslett Road. To the north the boundary follows the edge of the Great Barr Golf course, Great Barr Park and the Pheasey housing estate.
Crossing the area is the A34 Birmingham Road which links Walsall and Birmingham while intersecting this is the A4041,which links West Bromwich, the Newton Road end, with Sutton Coldfield, the Queslett Road end. Where they meet is the Scott Arms.Apart from being one of the busiest road junctions in Europe this is close to the historical heart of Great Barr.
Three other key aspects of Great Barr have their own pages, Great Barr Hall, Red House Park, Hamstead Colliery.