I visited two quaint villages near Birmingham named among the best places to live in the Midlands

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This affluent area of Solihull has been ranked as one of the best places to live in 2024

When the Sunday Times revealed its list of the best places to live in the Midlands this year, it was a pleasant surprise to see Stirchley ranked at number one.

The south Birmingham neighbourhood is small, but has some brilliant independent eateries and bars that have become extremely popular across the city.

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The picturesque villages of Knowle and Dorridge in Solihull were also named among the UK’s most desirable locations. I decided to take a trip to the villages to find out what makes them so popular.

The villages were 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.

Just a short train journey from Solihull and Birmingham, Knowle and Dorridge offer 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.

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I arrived in Dorridge at about 11am on what was a very hot July day. There are a handful of independent shops, including the Boho Bakehouse, which was packed, as was the Forest hotel beer garden, with locals making the most of the warm weather.

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.”

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The manager of Skogen barThe manager of Skogen bar
The manager of Skogen bar | Birmingham World

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.”

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.

Walking up the high street, one resident, James, who works in Solihull town centre, told me that his favourite thing about Knowle is its relaxed atmosphere.

KnowleKnowle
Knowle | Flickr

“There’s some nice independents here, and it’s also quite peaceful,” he said. “But you don’t have to travel too far if you need to go into the city either. I really enjoy it here.”

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There a noticeable amount of empty retail units in Knowle, but the high street is filled with niche shops such as Carly’s clothes store and Knowle’s Traditional Sweet Shop, with some good bars including the Dry Spy and Oktogon, too.

Both villages are also surrounded by beautiful lakes with a number of idyllic nature walks nearby. The villages are also affluent areas. Both are among the richest places to live in the West Midlands with average prices of £650,303 in Knowle in 2023, according to RightMove.

It’s certainly not a cheap area of Solihull to live in, but it’s definitely one worth visiting if you’re looking for a relaxing day out in a quaint village in the region.

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