Smethwick Area Guide
Smethwick is an industrial town in Sandwell, one of the six towns making up the Sandwell Borough. This town is located four miles from Birmingham City Centre.
Smethwick played an enormous role in the Midlands’ industrial history, from pottery to steel, to steam engines, many of the products that have enabled the UK economy to thrive over the years have been made in Smethwick.
The world’s oldest working engine, made by Boulton & Watt, the Smethwick Engine, originally stood near Bridge Street, Smethwick. It is now at Thinktank, the new science museum in Birmingham.
Living in Smethwick is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in this cultural and diverse town, with incredible history as well as future development.
Smethwick Property Market
Sold property prices in Smethwick over the last year were down 6% on the previous year and up 8% on the 2017 peak. The majority of sales in Smethwick during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £153,486. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £188,369, with flats fetching £119,821.
According to the latest Zoopla report, property values have increased by 2.64% in the last 12 months. For more info, please contact our estate agents in Smethwick.
Smethwick is a great investment
Smethwick currently has an expected yield of 5.10% making it into the top ten rental league table for Birmingham in 2020. The town has also been selected to have a £25million investment to its town centre. The development is set to give the town centre new shops and a fresh look, as well as more jobs boosting their economy further.
Sandwell Council are also planning to use the money to create more green spaces, ideal for families and children.
Schools in this area
1. Shireland Collegiate Academy – Shireland Collegiate Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form in the English academy programme, aged 11 – 19. This school is Ofsted rated outstanding.
2. The Cape Primary School – The Cape Primary School is a co-educational school aged 3 – 11. This school currently requires improvement.
3. Galton Valley Primary School – Galton Valley Primary School is a co-educational school aged 3 – 11. This school is Ofsted rated good.
Transportation
The M5 runs along the western edge of Smethwick, passing over the two canals and a railway near Spon Lane.
Local bus service is provided primarily by National Express West Midlands, as well as other operators. Smethwick is on both the Hagley Road and Dudley Road bus corridors and the famous Number 11 Birmingham Outer Circle bus routes.
There are also direct regular bus services to West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Oldbury, Blackheath, Harborne, Birmingham University and Dudley.
Smethwick has two operational railway stations (Smethwick Galton Bridge and Smethwick Rolfe Street) providing regular local and some long-distance services.What to do in Smethwick
What to do in Smethwick
Smethwick is home to many restaurants with a lot of them famous amongst the locals and people in other cities. Smethwick High Street is also a popular choice as it offers a range of diverse supermarkets and grocers.
On the top of the High Street, you can find Smethwick Library, which can be accessed by anybody and the library also houses the Sandwell Community History and Archives Service (known as CHAS) where you can find out more about local and family history.
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara is one of the most iconic buildings on the High Street, and was one of the first Sikh places of worship in the UK. Any religion can visit the religious building, as long as your head is covered and shoes are removed.
For nature lovers, Lightwoods Park is perfect to take a stroll or you can even have a spot of afternoon tea at Jonathan’s in the Park.
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