West Midlands

I

Introduction

West Midlands, non-administrative metropolitan county, central England, bounded on the north and west by Staffordshire, on the east and south-east by Warwickshire, and on the south by Worcestershire. West Midlands was formed under the local government reforms of 1974, taking Dudley and Stourbridge, and their surrounding areas, from Worcestershire; Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, and Walsall, and their surrounding areas, from Staffordshire; and Birmingham, Solihull, and Coventry, and their surrounding areas, from Warwickshire. In the local government reorganization of 1986, the metropolitan county councils of England, including West Midlands, were abolished, and the district councils became self-governing.

II

Land and Resources

Much of the West Midlands can be described as lowland, with undersoils of clays and sandstones, and some coal, but the area around Birmingham forms a plateau of higher land, rising to 180 m (600 ft). The Clent Hills and the Lickey Hills, to the south-west of Birmingham, are the highest parts of the former county, reaching 305 m (1,000 ft).

The major river of the West Midlands is the Avon, which crosses the south-eastern corner of the county on its way to Stratford-upon-Avon. The Rea, the Cole, and the Blythe rivers flow from south-west of Birmingham northwards to join the River Trent. West Midlands is highly urbanized and industrialized. A network of canals covers the county, including the Grand Union Canal.

West Midlands has a moderate temperate climate, tending to be mild and damp in the west, and cooler and drier on the eastern side. The average annual rainfall over the county is in the region of 760 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in).

III

Population

The population of the West Midlands was estimated in 2001 to be 2,555,596. The most important population centre is Birmingham (2001 estimate, 976,400), Britain's largest city after London. Coventry (2001 estimate, 300,700) and Wolverhampton (2001 estimate, 236,400) also have city status. Birmingham is part of the large conurbation that occupies most of the West Midlands, together with the towns of Dudley (2001 estimate, 305,100), Solihull (2001, 199,521), and Walsall (2001 estimate, 253,300). Other towns of note include West Bromwich (1991, 146,386) and Tipton, also part of the conurbation, and Stourbridge (1991, 55,624).

For a decade after 1974 West Midlands had a two-tier local government system: a metropolitan county council based in Birmingham, and a number of district councils. Under the Local Government Act 1985, most of the county council functions transferred to the seven metropolitan district councils: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.

IV

Education and Culture

Aston University, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Central England (until 1992 Birmingham Polytechnic) are all situated in Birmingham. Coventry University (until 1992 Coventry Polytechnic) and the University of Warwick are both situated in Coventry. The University of Wolverhampton (until 1992 Wolverhampton Polytechnic) is based in Wolverhampton.

A statue in the centre of Coventry commemorates Lady Godiva, the heroine of one of the most beloved traditions of the region. She is said to have agreed to ride naked through the streets of Coventry if her husband, Leofric, would show compassion towards his oppressed tenants. Godiva, though cloaked in her long hair, asked the inhabitants to remain indoors and cover their windows during her ride. The only man to steal a look at her was a tailor, henceforth known as Peeping Tom; he was instantly struck blind as a punishment. Leofric kept his promise, and the lot of his tenants was much less harsh as a result. The Saxon lord, Leofric, earl of Mercia, and his wife Godgyfu (which name has been corrupted into “Godiva”) certainly lived in the 11th century, and were responsible for founding the priory which later developed into the old Coventry Cathedral, but the truth of the Lady Godiva legend cannot be proved. The Peeping Tom element, however, was a 17th-century addition.

“To send someone to Coventry” means the refusal to talk to a particular individual, or otherwise acknowledge their existence, usually taken by a group as a form of punishment. It has no connection with Lady Godiva. The phrase may have had its origins in a refusal of the women of Coventry to associate with any soldiers who were garrisoned in the town; thus, a soldier who was sent to Coventry knew that he would be ignored while stationed there.