County in England
West Midlands
A county with more canals than Venice, a Black Country forge-fire reputation and the birthplace of heavy metal, all packed into the heart of England.
Key information
- County
- West Midlands
- Nation
- England
- Population
- about 2.9 million, 2021 Census
- Known for
- Birmingham, the Black Country, canals, car making, heavy metal, the Balti Triangle
- What locals are called
- Brummies (Birmingham), Black Country folk, Coventrians, Wulfrunians (Wolverhampton)
- Famous people
- Ozzy Osbourne, Joseph Chamberlain, Frank Whittle, Lady Godiva
- Football clubs
- Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Walsall
About West Midlands
The county that built the modern world
Few places can claim to have changed daily life like the West Midlands. In the 18th century, Birmingham's Lunar Society brought together thinkers and makers such as Matthew Boulton, James Watt and Joseph Priestley. Boulton's Soho Manufactory and his partnership with Watt helped turn the steam engine into the power behind the Industrial Revolution. The region had no great river and no coastline, so it made its own transport. Canals threaded through Birmingham and the Black Country, carrying coal, iron and finished goods. Birmingham is often said to have more miles of canal than Venice, and the old towpaths remain a favourite way to see the area. The nickname 'city of a thousand trades' came from the sheer range of what was made here: buttons, guns, pens, jewellery, nuts and bolts, and eventually cars.
Why the Black Country is called black
Head west of Birmingham and you enter the Black Country, covering towns such as Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich and Sandwell. The name is generally linked to the soot and smoke from its ironworks and coal mines, and the thick coal seam close to the surface fuelled a huge number of small forges and foundries. The area is proud of its industry and its dialect, which keeps old English forms alive. 'Yow' for 'you' and 'bostin'' for excellent are classics. Dudley's Black Country Living Museum rebuilds the old world of chain makers, canal boats and fish-and-chip shops, while Dudley Castle and its zoo sit on a hill above the town. The Black Country even has its own flag, flown on 14 July, Black Country Day.
Brummies, Balti and a very big bull
Birmingham's people are Brummies, and their accent is among the most recognisable in Britain. The word comes from 'Brummagem', an old form of the city's name. The food scene is just as distinctive. The balti, a dish served in the pan it is cooked in, is closely tied to Birmingham's Pakistani and Kashmiri communities, and the Balti Triangle around Ladypool Road and Stratford Road made it famous. The city also has a string of Michelin-starred restaurants, and Cadbury's chocolate began here: Bournville village was built for workers in the 1890s. Then there is the Bull Ring, the market and shopping district where a bronze bull stands as a meeting point. The Selfridges building, covered in thousands of shiny discs, is one of England's most photographed pieces of modern architecture.
Godiva, spires and a city rebuilt
Coventry's best-known legend is Lady Godiva, who by tradition rode naked through the streets to persuade her husband, Leofric, to lower the town's taxes. The tale of 'Peeping Tom' who looked on and was struck blind is part of it too. In November 1940 German bombing destroyed most of Coventry's medieval cathedral. Rather than clear the ruins, the city kept them and built a new cathedral beside them, which opened in 1962. It became a symbol of reconciliation, and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem was written for its consecration. Coventry is also a car and cycle town. Its factories produced Triumph, Jaguar and Rover vehicles, and Sir Frank Whittle, who developed the jet engine, was born here. The 2-Tone ska sound of The Specials also came from the city in the late 1970s.
Home of heavy metal and football royalty
Black Sabbath formed in Aston, Birmingham, in 1968, and their sound is widely credited with launching heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward all grew up in the area, and the industrial noise of the factories is often said to have shaped the music. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and John Bonham also come from the Black Country and surrounding area, and Duran Duran and UB40 add to the city's musical list. Football is a serious matter. Aston Villa were founding members of the Football League in 1888 and won the European Cup in 1982. Wolverhampton Wanderers, also founders, were one of the leading sides of the 1950s and turned floodlit friendlies against foreign sides into early European glamour. West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Coventry City and Walsall all have loyal followings, and Birmingham derbies between Villa and Blues are fiercely contested. Sport goes beyond football: Edgbaston is a major Test cricket ground, and Birmingham hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022.