Bearwood in Birmingham
A Comprehensive Area Guide
Birmingham is a great city with many neighborhoods to choose from, but if you’re looking for a neighborhood that has it all, Bearwood may be the perfect place for you.
Once a hamlet defined by cottages, farms and woodlands, Bearwood is today a popular residential suburb characterised by chic shops, unique Victorian properties, coffee shops and hip pubs. Find out why Bearwood is a brilliant place to call home in this comprehensive area guide.
Getting Around Bearwood; Transport Links in the Area
Bearwood is a suburb with an impressive public road network. It sits at the crossroads of Bearwood Road and Hagley Junction, with access to the M5, M6, and M42 motorway networks. As a result, it offers easy access to Birmingham’s city centre and other areas in the West Midlands.
Bearwood is served by major bus routes, including buses from Smethwick’s only bus station, the Bearwood Interchange, headquartered at Bearwood’s Hagley Junction.
Although it has no train station, Bearwood is only two miles from Smethwick Rolfe Street train station, which links to areas like Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, Cardiff Central and York.
The suburb is also minutes away from Langley Green, Five Ways, Rowley Regis, and Sandwell & Dudley train stations. Additionally, Bearwood is only three miles from Birmingham centre, offering ready access to an array of transit options available in the thriving centre. And if you travel internationally, Bearwood is only 9.6 miles from Birmingham Airport.
Schools in the Bearwood Area
Moving to a new neighbourhood is hard, but even harder when you have to search far and wide for good schools. Fortunately, moving to Bearwood eliminates this predicament as the area boasts many quality schools.
Bearwood Primary School is a good example. It is rated one of the best and largest primary schools in the West Midlands and is a community school with approximately 500 students.
The institution boasts excellent Ofsted report ratings and a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1, meaning every student gets sufficient professional learning assistance and attention.
Other schools within and adjacent to Bearwood include:
Amenities in Bearwood
Bearwood has a number of publicly available amenities. These include
Libraries
If you’re looking to enjoy a quiet, laidback afternoon of reading or writing, The Thimblemill Library in Bearwood makes an excellent venue.
Named after the nearby former watermill, Thimblemill Library is housed in Grade II red-brick building built-in 1937. It offers not just books but also a range of digital literary services and even features a community space where residents can relax and interact.
Health Centres in Bearwood
Access to quality healthcare and services in Bearwood is easy, thanks to the multiple public and private medical facilities that support NHS healthcare.
Bearwood residents also enjoy quality dental care at an affordable cost as there’s a wide range of dental practices that provide NHS and private dentistry. Here are a few:
Community Spaces in Bearwood
If you occasionally love to spend a day in the park with your loved ones, you’ll love living in Bearwood. As a former woodland, the area is endowed with multiple free-to-access parks that the public love. Lightwood House and Park is one such park. It sits at the edge of Bearwood close to Birmingham and features a skate park, a children’s play area, and an 18th-century Grade-II listed building turned into a tea room and venue for public and private events.
Warley Woods Park is another popular community space in the area. It spans about 100 acres and has a clubhouse with a shop, cafe, public toilets and even a meeting room. Warley Woods also has its own 9-hole golf course open daily except on Christmas and Boxing Days.
Foods and Drinks in Bearwood
Residents and visitors will find a variety of food, beverage, and shopping spots on Bearwood Road, also known as Bearwood High Street.
Some of the top spots to check out in Bearwood include:
The Bear Tavern
The Bear Tavern at the junction of Bearwood Road and Hagley is one of the best spots for live sports and beer. It often has a lively young crowd and features big screens to elevate every reveller’s experience. There’s a function room upstairs where comedy, music and other special night events are regularly held.
Address: 498 Bearwood Rd, Bearwood, Smethwick B66 4HB
Web: https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/west-midlands/bear-tavern/
Purnima
Bearwood is home to a string of curry houses, but for the best experience, head to Purnima on Bearwood Road. It has a surprisingly posh and cozy interior and serves some of the best Bangladesh cuisines throughout Bearwood.
Mount Nemrut Turkish Restaurant
This Turkish Restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious Charcoal Grill Kebabs. They have everything from Chicken Doner, Chicken Shish, and Adana Kebab to Vegetarian dishes like Fallafel, Sauted Mushrooms and Vegetable Kebab. There are also specials like the Family Special, Sultan Special, and Nemrut Special that will offer you great value for your money. The Kids Menu has something for everyone with items like Lamb Shish, Chicken Shish, and Chicken Doner among others. You can also get extras like onions, peppers, currants and salad with your meal.
Additional Bearwood Resource Guides
If you are planning to move to Bearwood in Birmingham, it pays to be prepared. That’s why we understand the value of finding fantastic services – from dentists and medical facilities, to the best removal companies. Whether you’re a long-time resident or just looking around, these guides can help point you in the right direction.