We visit the village just outside of Birmingham named one of Britain's poshest suburbs
This West Midlands village was named one of Britain’s poshest places
Dorridge was recently named one of Britain’s poshest areas.
The Telegraph published its list of the poshest suburbs across Britain, based on new research by Savills, with the Solihull neighbourhood coming in at number 6.
The picturesque village Dorridge was also recently named among the UK’s most desirable locations by The Times in the summer.
The village was recognised in The Times for their superior living standards, independent shops and top schools - Arden Academy, the region’s top comprehensive, is located in the area.
I paid a trip to the village recently to find out what makes it so popular.
Just a short journey from Solihull and Birmingham, Dorridge offers locals the chance to retreat home to the West Midlands countryside while still being able to enjoy the work opportunities that Birmingham offers.
Unless you fancy a half hour walk, you’ll need a car, or bus, to get to Knowle from Dorridge. But Dorridge has excellent transport links, with trains direct to London. There are a handful of independent shops, including the Boho Bakehouse, which was packed, as was the Forest hotel beer garden.
I had a chat with the manager of the Skogen bar on Station Road - an independent Scandinavian style venue serving pizzas - to get some insight into what it’s like working in the area.
“This venue’s been here for around seven years,” the manager said. “There’s only two bars in Dorridge so it’s quite a unique place for the town.
“Custom is great here. Not so much in Knowle as there’s quite a few bars and not as many people, and a few pubs out into the countryside but if you want to walk rather than drive, these are the two options in Dorridge basically.”
He added: “I don’t live here, I live in Coleshill, but I love it here. In terms of running a bar somewhere this is as good as it gets. There’s never any trouble, everyone’s friendly.”
Nearby Knowle is the smaller, yet more lively of the two villages, with a greater range of shops and bars filling its pleasant high street. It’s also home to gorgeous cottages as well as the renowned Cheals restaurant, which is listed in the Michelin guide.
It’s certainly not a cheap area of Solihull to live in - according to RightMove, house prices in Dorridge have an overall average of £703,950 over the last year - but it’s definitely one worth visiting if you’re looking for a relaxing day out in a quaint village in the region.