Tyseley

For the narrowboat, see Tyseley (narrowboat).

Tyseley is a district in the southern half of the city of Birmingham, England, near the Coventry Road and the districts of Small Heath and Yardley. It is located near the Grand Union Canal.

Etymology

Tyseley means "Tyssa's clearing" with "-ley" meaning woodland clearing.

Education

The local comprehensive secondary school (on Reddings Lane) is Yardleys School, which was newly constructed on the site of a former brick works. The school moved from its previous split site location in 2001.

Industry

The Birmingham energy recovery facility.

Tyseley was once a thriving industrial area with thousands of people working in the area for major companies such as TI Reynolds (formally Reynolds Tubes) and Corona, attracting a large number of bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers to the area, and component suppliers. Other companies based in the area in the past include Abingdon Motorcycles (later becoming King Dick Tools), Dawes Cycles, Girling Brakes, MEM Electrical, Harmo Exhausts, Wilmot Breedon and also the factory where Co-Operative Society (CWS) toys, motorcycles, prams and bicycles were made. They marketed their toys as 'Tyesley Toys'.

Headbadge design of Tyseley-made CWS bicycle from the 1960s

The area contains many Victorian buildings that housed many manual workers reflecting the heritage of the area and the city. There is now a large incineration plant, the Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant, which burns rubbish and in the process produces electricity for the National Grid.

Much of Tyseley remains industrial, with many companies, including Klaxon, SCC, Western Pegasus Limited and Bakelite Limited, basing themselves there. One of the local attractions is the Tyseley Locomotive Works, located inside a large railway depot.

The area is now a popular furniture retail destination with over a dozen furniture retail outlets such The Modern Home and the well known Cousins store in close proximity.

Transport

The 36 and 37 bus services, operated by National Express West Midlands, serve the Tyseley area.

Tyseley railway station was a predominant junction for the ex-GWR Mainline between Birmingham and London, with the Shakespeare line (for Stratford-Upon-Avon) diverging here (via Shirley). Tyseley is on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham.

External links

• Tyseley Locomotive Works
• Western Pegasus
• Yardleys School
• Made in Birmingham - Birmingham's Industrial History Web Site