Meriden (Meriden)
Meriden is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England. Historically, it is part of Warwickshire and lies between the cities of Birmingham and Coventry. It is located close to the Warwickshire border within a green belt of the countryside known as the Meriden Gap and is in the ecclesiastical parish of the Diocese of Coventry. The village is 6.75 mi east-northeast of Solihull, 6.5 mi west-northwest of Coventry and 4.5 mi east-southeast of Birmingham Airport. Birmingham city centre is 12.5 mi east-northeast of the village. Known as "Alspath" in the Domesday Book, it was historically thought to be the geographical centre of England until the early 2000s, though after an analysis by the Ordnance Survey this was proved to be incorrect.
The village gives its name to the Meriden parliamentary constituency, which was created in 1955 and covers the Meriden Gap. In the 2011 Census, the population of the Meriden parish was 2,719. The population is estimated to have risen to 3,096 by 2017.
Meriden is served by National Express West Midlands service X1 between Birmingham and Coventry and by Stagecoach's service 82 between Solihull and Coventry. The latter also serves the nearest mainline station at Hampton-in-Arden.
Meriden was identified as the centre of England as early as 1829. That designation was shown to be inaccurate in 1920, when the first systematic attempt was made to validate the claim.
A grade II listed sandstone monument on the village green carries a plaque commemorating Meriden's status as 'Centre of England'. Traditionally known as the 'sandstone cross', a photograph from 1879 shows a garland that would have originally enclosed a cross on top of the monument, like the one at Hockwold cum Wilton. The garland was lost between 1879 and 1885. The cross was originally located in the old centre of the village, where the road initially came in from Berkswell before the junction was straightened in 1785. The monument was moved to the village green in 1822. It was moved yet again to its current position on the green in 1952–1953.
Also on the village green is a memorial bench to Walter MacGregor 'Robbie' Robinson (died 17 September 1956). He was also known as 'Wayfarer' and had a major role in promoting cycle touring for the general public in the UK from the 1920s onwards through writing, giving lectures and as a cycling role model. The bench was installed by the Cyclists' Touring Club.
The village gives its name to the Meriden parliamentary constituency, which was created in 1955 and covers the Meriden Gap. In the 2011 Census, the population of the Meriden parish was 2,719. The population is estimated to have risen to 3,096 by 2017.
Meriden is served by National Express West Midlands service X1 between Birmingham and Coventry and by Stagecoach's service 82 between Solihull and Coventry. The latter also serves the nearest mainline station at Hampton-in-Arden.
Meriden was identified as the centre of England as early as 1829. That designation was shown to be inaccurate in 1920, when the first systematic attempt was made to validate the claim.
A grade II listed sandstone monument on the village green carries a plaque commemorating Meriden's status as 'Centre of England'. Traditionally known as the 'sandstone cross', a photograph from 1879 shows a garland that would have originally enclosed a cross on top of the monument, like the one at Hockwold cum Wilton. The garland was lost between 1879 and 1885. The cross was originally located in the old centre of the village, where the road initially came in from Berkswell before the junction was straightened in 1785. The monument was moved to the village green in 1822. It was moved yet again to its current position on the green in 1952–1953.
Also on the village green is a memorial bench to Walter MacGregor 'Robbie' Robinson (died 17 September 1956). He was also known as 'Wayfarer' and had a major role in promoting cycle touring for the general public in the UK from the 1920s onwards through writing, giving lectures and as a cycling role model. The bench was installed by the Cyclists' Touring Club.
Map - Meriden (Meriden)
Map
Country - United_Kingdom
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| Flag of the United Kingdom | |
The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted that name in 1927. The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 14 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | Pound sterling | £ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| GD | Gaelic language |
| CY | Welsh language |