Moseley

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For the British politician and other people with the same surname, see Moseley or Mosley.

Moseley village green

Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles south of the city centre. In recent years it has seen the creation of a number of new bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and other independent retailers.

It is located within the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward of the city which is in the constituency of Hall Green and serves as one of the main areas of the ward, along with Kings Heath.

1 History
- 1.1 Tolkien
2 Present
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

Moseley was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Museleie. St Mary's (Anglican) church was licensed by the Bishop of Worcester (authorised by Pope Innocent VII) in February 1405, and the 600th anniversary was celebrated in 2005 with a series of special events. Moseley itself developed around a Victorian shopping area known as Moseley Village.

Spring Hill College (Moseley School), a Gothic revival construction built in 1857, is located in the south of the district. Former pupils include the comedian Jasper Carrott and the musician Bev Bevan.

Moseley was served by Moseley railway station from 1867 to 1941. It was opened by the Midland Railway on the Camp Hill line. A previously named Moseley Station on the same line changed its name to Kings Heath Station upon the opening of the station.^[1]

In certain 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. 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.

Local band Ocean Colour Scene flourished in the mid-1990s British Britpop/indie scene with songs such as The Riverboat Song, inspired by locations within the suburb of Moseley. Their most successful^{[citation needed]} album was Moseley Shoals. Moseley is also the birthplace of Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. Also, the Indie band Editors originated from Moseley.^{[citation needed]}

The suburb is the former home of the Moseley Rugby Football Club, now based at Billesley.

[edit] Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien spent many of his early years in Moseley, living close to Sarehole Mill in Hall Green and Moseley Bog, which many people believe were the inspiration for the Shire in The Lord of the Rings. Planning permission has recently been acquired for the erection on Moseley Green of a 20-foot high statue of Treebeard, an Ent from The Lord of the Rings, made by Tolkien's great-nephew, Tim Tolkien.

[edit] Present

Today, a monthly farmers' market is organised by the Moseley Neighbourhood Forum. Similarly, Moseley has a well defined and established community spirit and ethos. 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) is looking to invest in the social and physical capital of the area. Established with funding from 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.

Moseley is also home to many pubs, restaurants and cafés. Examples include:

The Fighting Cocks public house with a partially heated (and partially undercover) beer garden.
The Cross wine bar and pavement cafe.
La Plancha, a tapas bar opened in 2005.