Retirement Properties Spotlight in Bournville

Bournville came into existence with the Cadbury family who developed their chocolate business a few miles to the west of Birmingham in an area that was to be named Bournville.  The model village was built at the turn of the 19th century with large gardens and the Bournville Trust was set up in 1900 to administer the estate promoting schools, hospitals, museums, public baths and reading rooms.

Birmingham was mentioned in Domesday as Bermingeham and its name seems to derive from 'Beorma's people's homestead'. It lies about eight miles to the north of the M42 which connects with the M25 to the south-west and M40 to the south-east. It was not until the 19th century that the town saw major expansion through the ready availability of cheap labour and natural resources such as coal and iron. Good communications assisted the town on its way to prosperity with miles of canals in the 18th, railways in the 19th and roads in the 20th century.