Properties to Rent in: Selly Oak

Selly Oak: a local guide

The lively suburb of Selly Oak, which houses a mixture of families, pensioners and a large student population, is bursting with history and has a great community spirit.

Name

The name ‘Selly’ derives from ‘scelf-lei’ or shelf-meadow, meaning a pasture of land on a shelf or terrace. The ‘oak’ part of the name comes from a remarkable oak tree that stood at the crossroads of the Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane/ Harborne Lane. There is a plaque above one of the nearby shops with a date of 1880, announcing it to be “Oak Tree Place.” The tree was felled in 1909 due to safety concerns; its remains were removed to Selly Oak Park, where it still exists today.

Education

Selly Oak has a number of schools, including Selly Oak School, Selly Park Girls Technology College, St Edwards RC Primary School, Raddlebarn Road, Tiverton Road and St Mary’s C of E Primary School.

Nightlife

There are lots of intriguing and historical pubs that remain in the area, including the British Oak, the Goose at the OVT and the Bristol Pear. The area is often bustling with students, due to the university being just around the corner, and there are a number of student bars, such as Soak Bar, dotted a long the high street.

Religion

Selly Oak has an abundance of churches and religious institutions, including Bournbrook Chapel, Bournbrook Gospel Hall, Christ Church, Raddlebarn Lane Mission Hall, Selly Park Chapel, St John’s Church and St Mary’s Church.

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