Knowle Area Guide

Knowle is a prosperous village in the Solihull area close to the Warwickshire border. It attracts many commuters who are looking for a village lifestyle whilst having some great connections. 

The high street of Knowle is full of independent shops and services with florists, jewellers and bakeries. Several unique cafes can also be found around the village including the Catwalk Cafe for some traditional afternoon tea done properly with vintage china, Cafe Viola for some organic coffee or Smoode shakes to taste one of 50 flavours of milkshake available.

Knowle has a great community spirit with a number of societies and active groups that are shared with the neighbouring village of Dorridge. The Knowle Society and Knowle Local History Society help to preserve the history of Knowle and maintain the current character of the village. The Knowle and Dorridge round table and Ladies’ Circle host regular social events for their members and also organise events for both villages.

Tennis, squash and racquetball players can join the Knowle and Dorridge racquets club and partake in their friendly tournaments on their various courts. Knowle Football Club also welcome in active players with both junior, mini, ladies and senior teams making a collective 22 teams in total. Jobs Close Park also has large grass areas for sports facilities

Education

Knowle has five primary schools in the area which are shared with surrounding villages like Dorridge and Temple Balsall. Knowle CofE Primary School and Bentley Heath CofE Primary School have a curriculum based on the teachings of the Church of England with St George and St Teresa Catholic School following the Catholic faith.

Arden school is the main secondary school in the Knowle area. It is a very successful school which is rated in the top 20% of UK schools for GCSE results in English, Mathematics and Science. 89% of students gained five A*- C grade GCSEs in 2015 with two thirds of A-level students getting A*- B grades.

The Birmingham city region has five leading universities including Aston University, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham and Newman University. These universities not only provide excellent education and career options for those moving their families to the area, but also a vast pool of graduate talent for local employers to select from. 

Transport Links

Knowle is close to the M42 motorway with connections to the M40 and M6 providing  easy access to Birmingham, London and other major cities nationwide. A drive from Knowle to Birmingham City Centre is typically 25 minutes using the M42 and M6, with the additional convenient  route along the A41 also taking commuters straight into the centre.

Dorridge station is located in the next village over to the west of Knowle only a six minute drive or 30 minute walk. There are direct trains to Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street Stations which depart every 10-15 minutes.

Cycling is also a popular choice of transport for the area as it is a relatively flat ride to local train stations and surrounding towns and villages. Solihull is only 3.5 miles away taking approximately 25 minutes by bike

Solihull Area Guide

Located just nine miles east of Birmingham, Solihull has established itself as an attractive metropolitan borough with its own unique character. 

It is one of the most prosperous towns in the Midlands despite almost 70 per cent of the borough being designated as Green Belt.

Baroness Karen Brady, of The Apprentice fame, lived in the village of Knowle, as well as local funny man Jasper Carrott and Black Sabbath star Tony Iommi.  

Meanwhile, it’s easy to understand why the town’s motto is "Urbs in Rure" meaning “Town in the Country". Great leisure facilities are on the doorstep, from outdoor skating to sailing on the Olton Reservoir, not to mention 1,500 acres of parks, open space and Green Belt.

Solihull is also home to National Exhibition Centre, the UK’s No.1 venue which welcomes millions of visitors to concerts and exhibitions each year.  At the same site, Resorts World Birmingham, the UKs first integrated leisure and entertainment complex is new for 2015.

Property 

The average selling price for a mid-market house is £203,725 with the average price for a detached property at £630,623. The average price for an apartment in Solihull is £198,249.

Rented properties range from £550 p/m for a one bedroom flat to £720 p/m for a three-bedroom terraced house.

Property in Solihull consists of a variety of different types of housing, but there are many semis and detached town houses, with few terraces. Many of the area's larger developments were built in the 1950s and 1960s. 
And while house prices in Solihull are higher than elsewhere in the region, it's a great area in which to live, work and play, so property here will always hold its value.

Education

In August 2015, Solihull School and St Martin’s School came fifth and sixth respectively in the list of top independent schools in the region after they recorded their best A-level results. 

Meanwhile, Tudor Grange Academy and Arden School regularly feature at the top of Solihull’s state school league tables.  

The Birmingham city region has five leading universities including Aston University, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham and Newman University. These universities not only provide excellent education and career options for those moving their families to the area, but also a vast pool of graduate talent for local employers to select from.

Transport

Solihull is one of the best-connected towns in the region with a range of services including commuter train services from Solihull Station to both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations (15-18 minutes away) and direct to London Marylebone (90 minutes to 105 minutes’ travel time).  

In addition, the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International Railway Station are all within an approximate 10-15-minute drive while the M42 provides fast links to the M1, M5, M6 and M40 motorways.

Solihull will be home to UK Central Interchange, the first stop outside London for the new High Speed Two rail line from London to the Midlands.  

Historically part of Warwickshire, Solihull is a short drive to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Town of Leamington Spa.