Editing Moseley

{{Short description|Area of Birmingham, England}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|52.44671|-1.88814|display=inline,title}}
| official_name = Moseley
| population = 21,568
| static_image_name = Moseley, suburb of Birmingham.jpg
| static_image_caption = Moseley Village, St Mary's Row
| metropolitan_borough = Birmingham
| shire_county = [[Worcestershire]]
| metropolitan_county = [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]
| region = West Midlands
| civil_parish = 
| constituency_westminster = [[Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley]]
| postcode_district = B13
| postcode_area = B
| post_town = BIRMINGHAM
| dial_code = 0121
| os_grid_reference = SP077832
| london_distance = 
| population_ref = (estimate)<ref>'Moseley', Ward-level population estimates (Mid-2022), [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]], 2023<sup>[https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/wardlevelmidyearpopulationestimatesexperimental]</sup></ref>
}}

'''Moseley''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|oʊ|z|l|iː|||audio=}} ''{{respell|MOZE|lee|}}'') is an affluent suburb in south Birmingham, England, {{convert|3|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} south of the city centre.

It is located within the eponymous Moseley ward of the constituency of [[Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (UK Parliament constituency)|Hall Green and Moseley]] in the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] of the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]. It [[Historic counties of England|historically]] lay within [[Worcestershire]], abutting the county border with [[Warwickshire]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wikishire.co.uk/map/#Moseley@52.448,-1.875/centre=52.448,-1.875/zoom=14|title = Great Britain and Ireland – interactive county map}}</ref>

==History==
Moseley was listed as a settlement within the manor of [[Bromsgrove]] in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Museleie'',<ref>{{Cite web |author-link=The National Archives (United Kingdom) |date=1086 |title=Place name: Moseley, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Worcestershire Folio: 172r Great Domesday Book |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7306004 |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=The National Archives |series=E 31/2/1/6722}}</ref> from the [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''mús'' ([[mouse]]) + ''leáh'' (lea, [[meadow]]),<ref>{{Citation |last=Bosworth |first=Joseph |title=mús |date=2014 |work=An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online |editor-last=Toller |editor-first=Thomas Northcote |url=https://bosworthtoller.com/23255 |access-date=2025-03-26 |place=Prague |publisher=Faculty of Arts, Charles University |language=en |editor2-last=Sean |editor2-first=Christ |editor3-last=Tichy |editor3-first=Ondřej}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Bosworth |first=Joseph |title=leáh |date=2014 |work=An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online |editor-last=Toller |editor-first=Thomas Northcote |url=https://bosworthtoller.com/21257 |access-date=2025-03-26 |place=Prague |publisher=Faculty of Arts, Charles University |language=en |editor2-last=Sean |editor2-first=Christ |editor3-last=Tichy |editor3-first=Ondřej}}</ref> which translates as either 'mouse clearing' or 'mouse-sized (i.e. small) clearing'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brief History of Moseley – Moseley Society |url=https://moseley-society.org.uk/local-history/brief-history-of-moseley/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[St. Mary's Church, Moseley|St Mary's Church, Moseley]] was licensed by the [[Bishop of Worcester]] (authorised by [[Pope Innocent VII]]) in February 1405. [[St Anne's Church, Moseley]] was opened in 1874 for the now extinct parish of Park Hill. The 600th anniversary of St Mary's was celebrated in 2005 with a series of special events. In 2012 the church bells, which had been named as the worst sounding in the country, were replaced.

Either before or as a result of the [[dissolution of the monasteries]], Moseley became a manor in its own right, though records of this are not evident. Certainly, [[Moseley Hall, Birmingham|Moseley Hall]] was 'rebuilt' in parkland in the early 1600s by the Grevis family, and rebuilt again by 1795 after being set on fire during [[Priestley Riots|rioting]] in 1791. It was donated in 1891 to the City of Birmingham by Richard Cadbury and now forms part of Moseley Hall Hospital.

Spring Hill College, a [[Gothic revival]] construction built in 1857 and now home to [[Moseley School]], is located in the south of the district. Former pupils include comedian [[Jasper Carrott]] and musician [[Bev Bevan]] of the [[Electric Light Orchestra]].

Moseley local centre is formed around the Victorian shopping precinct known as ''Moseley Village'', which forms part of a historical [[Conservation area (United Kingdom)|conservation area]]. Moseley and the surrounding areas were much developed after 1910, being built upon the once extensive farm land that was predominant in this area. The new properties being mostly of large houses, designed to cater for the Edwardian middle-class families that settled in the suburbs surrounding Birmingham's industrial centre. These large houses relied upon at least one servant or 'tweeny' as they were often termed, to help the lady of the house run the household. With the advent of the [[First World War]], staff were hard to find to maintain houses of this size. The heating bills and high maintenance made them unpopular after the war and many were split into flats to cater for the requirements of the expanding working population who moved from the city centre as extensive redevelopment took place in the 1960s.

In some respects Moseley and the surrounding area suffered a serious decline in the last part of the 20th century. Much property fell into neglect, and problems with crime, drugs and prostitution became commonplace in the areas bordering [[Balsall Heath]]. 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. In 1970s, the small triangular shaped green in the heart of Moseley village, which was then home to the underground public toilets, was a convenient meeting place for local youth, and was known as "Bog Island".

Local band [[Ocean Colour Scene]] were active in the mid-1990s British [[Britpop]]–[[Indie rock|indie]] scene with songs such as "[[The Riverboat Song]]", inspired by locations within the suburb of Moseley. Their most successful album (in terms of weeks on chart) was ''[[Moseley Shoals]]''.<ref>[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25479/ocean-colour-scene/ Ocean Colour Scene full Official Chart History], Official Charts Company, retrieved 8 July 2016</ref> Moseley is also the birthplace of [[Nick Rhodes]] of [[Duran Duran]].

The politician [[Joseph Chamberlain]] had his Birmingham residence at [[Highbury, Birmingham|Highbury]], near the edge of Moseley. The property was entrusted to the city after Chamberlain's death and is currently used for multiple occasions under the purview of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Chamberlain's Highbury – Restoring The Chamberlain Highbury Estate for the People of Birmingham |url=https://chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Literature==
[[J. R. R. Tolkien]] spent his early years in Moseley, living close to [[Sarehole Mill]] in [[Hall Green]] before moving to the site now occupied by Shades Music off the Alcester Road. [[Sarehole Mill]] is believed to have been his inspiration for the tranquil [[Shire (Middle-earth)|Shire]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.  He also drew inspiration from [[Moseley Bog]] for the landscape of [[Middle-earth]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Birmingham Lord of the Rings Tour|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/centralengland/739039/Sites-that-shaped-Tolkiens-Lord-of-the-Rings.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Christopher |last=Middleton |date=15 December 2007}}</ref>

==Sport==
Moseley has a rich history of success in [[Rugby Union]]. Its most famous team is [[Moseley Rugby Football Club]], who were one of Europe's best teams in the late 1960s to the 1980s. Notable players include [[Sam Doble]], [[J. F. Byrne]], [[Peter Cranmer]], [[Alain Rolland]], [[Mike Teague]] and [[Victor Ubogu]].

The [[Moseley Wanderers]] team of 1900 won the [[Silver Medal]] in the Rugby Union competition at the 1900 [[Olympics]].

==Present==
A monthly Farmers' Market in Moseley – set up by the [[Moseley Neighbourhood Forum]] – has won various awards including best FARMA Certified Urban Farmers' Market 2009 and in 2009 local farmer Dominic Butler won the Most Unique Produce award with his micro blue beetroots. Similarly, Moseley has a well defined and established community spirit and ethos, exemplified by [[Moseley Neighbourhood Forum]] – a neighbourhood forum – that works to develop the area for the betterment of everyone. The Moseley Society exists to protect the heritage of the area; meetings of the Society discuss and debate a wide range of local issues and the interests of its residents.

The Moseley Community Development Trust (CDT) invests in the social and physical capital of the area. Established with funding from [[charitable organisation|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moseleyCDT.com/|title=Moseley Community Development Trust|publisher=moseleyCDT.com}}</ref>

It has its own monthly magazine, Moseley B13 (formerly Birmingham 13), reporting on local events and personalities. It has been printing {{as of|May 1973|lc=true}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moseleyb13.com/|title=Moseley B13 Magazine|publisher=moseleyb13.com}}</ref>

A group of volunteers have formed Moseley in Bloom (MiB). Much like the Moseley Community Development Trust, the group undertake many projects which look at the greener issues around Moseley. Many projects take place throughout the year to enhance the landscape of Moseley as well as renovate dilapidated areas.

Every summer Moseley hosts Moseley Festival,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moseleyfestival.org.uk/|title=Moseley Festival|publisher=moseleyfestival.org.uk}}</ref> a festival of arts and culture that sees people in the community come together and hold a series of music, art, food, cultural and sporting events.

Moseley Folk & Arts Festival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moseleyfolk.co.uk/|title=Moseley Folk}}</ref> happens later in the year, and attracts big names from the world of folk. Moseley Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mostlyjazz.co.uk/|title=Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival -8th - 10th July 2016 -Birmingham, UK|work=Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival}}</ref> takes place in Moseley Park during the summer as well. Moseley also has its own literary festival, Pow-Wow LitFest,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pow-wow.org.uk/pow-wow-litfest-2013/|title=Pow-Wow Litfest 2013|publisher=pow-wow.org.uk}}</ref> which has taken place annually at the Prince of Wales pub {{as of|2011|lc=true}}.

In 2015 Moseley was named as the "best urban place to live" by The Sunday Times, with the newspaper citing its 'Arts and Crafts', 'Bohemian culture' and 'Victorian Architecture' as reasons to live in the suburb.<ref name=suntimes>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/best_places/article1527439.ece#prev|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102254/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/best_places/article1527439.ece#prev|archive-date=2 April 2015|title=The winner: Birmingham, Moseley |work=The Sunday Times|access-date=1 February 2016}}</ref> This award followed its being highlighted by ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2013 as a place to move, with similar reasons being cited.<ref name=guardi>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/29/lets-move-moseley-birmingham-property|title=Let's move to: Moseley, Birmingham |work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2013 |access-date=1 February 2016}}</ref>

==Education==
Moseley has two secondary schools, [[Moseley School]], a language college, and [[Queensbridge School]], an [[arts college]]. It also has several primary schools such as Moseley C of E Primary School a one form entry school that has connections with St. Mary's Church and Park Hill Primary School on Alcester Road and St Martin de Porres Catholic Primary School.

Moseley is also home to Uffculme School, an all age [[Special education in England|special school]] for children on the [[autism spectrum]]. It is also home to James Brindley Academy's Willows Centre, which provides education to inpatients at Parkview Clinic.

Moseley also has Fox Hollies School.

==Notable residents==
<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
Many people who have been born, lived or worked in Moseley have made important contributions, a few of the more high-profile ones are:
*[[Kabir Ali]], Worcestershire & England cricketer
*[[Dave Haslam]], British writer, broadcaster and Haçienda nightclub DJ 
*[[Edward Bach]], doctor, best known for developing a range of remedies called the [[Bach flower remedies]]
*[[Dan Bull]], rapper and songwriter<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/qYDIxtt-Gqc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150117145204/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDIxtt-Gqc Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title= Let's walk and talk.| via=YouTube | date=8 November 2014 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDIxtt-Gqc}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
*[[Jess Phillips]], Politician affiliated with the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].
*[[Ali Campbell]], singer in [[UB40]]<ref>{{cite web|title=UB40 Homepage|url=http://www.ub40.co.uk/introduction.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214181344/http://www.ub40.co.uk/introduction.html|archive-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>
*[[Austen Chamberlain]] MP, statesman, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, philanthropist<ref>{{cite web |title=Joseph Chamberlain, Moseley CDT|url= http://www.moseleycdt.com/node/235}}</ref> and [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner
*[[Neville Chamberlain]], [[Prime Minister]], MP and Lord Mayor of Birmingham (declared [[World War II]])<ref name="Number10.gov.uk">{{cite web|title=Number10.gov.uk |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/prime-ministers-in-history/neville-chamberlain |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402040124/http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/prime-ministers-in-history/neville-chamberlain |archive-date=2 April 2012 }}</ref>
*[[Carl Chinn]], historian, radio presenter, newspaper columnist, and media personality
*[[Alan Cottrell]], metallurgist and physicist
*[[Fyfe Dangerfield]], musician, solo artist and lead singer of the [[Guillemots (band)|Guillemots]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Fyfe Dangerfield, Moseley Folk Festival |url=http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/moseley-folk-festival-%E2%80%93-day-one-friday-3rd-september-2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724132252/http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/moseley-folk-festival-%E2%80%93-day-one-friday-3rd-september-2010/ |archive-date=24 July 2012 }}</ref>
*[[R. J. Ellory|Roger Jon Ellory]], author<ref>{{cite web |title=RJ Ellory Profile|url= http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=200000513}}</ref>
*[[Simon Fowler]], musician and lead singer of [[Ocean Colour Scene]]
*[[Claudia Jessie]], actress
*[[Trish Keenan]], songwriter, musician and lead singer of [[Broadcast (band)|Broadcast]]
*[[Frederick W. Lanchester]], pioneer of the motor car
*[[Joanne Malin]], TV presenter, co-presenter of ''[[Central Tonight]]''
*[[Herbert Mason]] [[Military Cross|MC]], film director, producer, actor, stage manager, choreographer, production manager and army officer in [[World War I]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Herbert Mason|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f2b5ab2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716083340/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f2b5ab2|archive-date=16 July 2012|website=explore.bfi.org.uk|access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29824 |date=14 November 1916 |page=11060 |supp=y}}</ref>
*[[Nick Rhodes]], keyboardist in [[Duran Duran]]
*[[Brian Travers]], saxophonist in UB40<ref>{{cite web |title=UB40 Homepage |url=http://www.ub40.co.uk/introduction.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214181344/http://www.ub40.co.uk/introduction.html |archive-date=14 December 2014 }}</ref>
*[[J. R. R. Tolkien]], author of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''

==See also==
*[[Moseley Conservation Area]]
*[[St Agnes Moseley Conservation Area]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category|Moseley, Birmingham|Moseley}}

* [http://www.moseley-society.org.uk/ Moseley Society]
* [http://www.moseleyforum.org.uk/ Moseley Forum – the neighbourhood forum for the village of Moseley]
* [http://www.moseleyinbloom.org.uk/ Moseley in Bloom – Moseley volunteers growing a cleaner, greener community]
* {{OpenDomesday|SP0783|moseley}}

{{Areas of Birmingham}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Moseley| ]]
[[Category:Areas of Birmingham, West Midlands]]