The 2025 all‑new “posh list” reveals the most coveted villages along the Shakespeare Line — destinations commanding attention from commuters seeking rural charm with strong rail links to Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Each station along the Shakespeare Line, between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon has volunteers who help to maintain the stations and when travelling this route you can see their hard work on full display at each station.
Many of the stations along the route are old Great Western Railway stations, full of historic charm. Some, like Henley-in-Arden, have been lovingly restored by community volunteers and now include unique features like cafes, microbreweries, and local heritage displays.
The line passes through leafy, affluent villages in Warwickshire and the West Midlands — places like Dorridge, Lapworth, and Earlswood. These are areas known for their quaint high streets, countryside views, and strong communities.
Read more: Best 10 market towns with a railway station for Birmingham and West Midlands commuters in 2025
These villages offer the perfect package for 2025’s commuter: chocolate‑box settings, top‑tier local amenities, heritage flair — and the Shakespeare Line just a platform away.
We take a look at the lovely places to live for commuters along the line:
1. Henley in Arden
Henley-in-Arden is a picturesque town known for its historic charm, attractive High Street, and variety of attractions. Serves Henley and Beaudesert residential commuter villages in a rural setting. Henley Ice Cream won a premier award, voted the best ice cream in the United Kingdom in 1937. Henley-in-Arden Ice Cream remains available today at the same parlour on the High Street. | Anita Maric / SWNS
2. Earlswood
The village is surrounded by farmland and forests. It gives its name to Earlswood Lakes (entirely within Warwickshire), and the railway station is on the border between Warwickshire and Solihull. Adjacent to Earlswood station is the old Station Masters house and a row of homes built by the Great Western Railway when the railway line between Birmingham and Cheltenham was constructed in 1908. Earlswood is known for its beautiful lakes, green spaces, and wildlife. Photo: Submitted
3. Shirley
Serving a residential area of Solihull on the edge of the Warwickshire countryside. Shirley Station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 1st June 1908. Shirley, a suburban area in Solihull, is known for its strong sense of community and local identity, with regular events and a variety of community groups | Google Reviews
4. Whitlocks End
Serving rural Majors Green, Trueman's Heath, Tidbury Green and Dickens Heath. Whitlocks End is a railway station on the Shakespeare Line located next to both the hamlets of Whitlocks End and Tidbury Green, the latter a small village in Worcestershire. It is also located a short distance from the village of Hollywood and the new village of Dickens Heath. Photo: Submitted