Solihull is a market town to the south of Birmingham. It's name may be derived from "soily hill". Solihull was once covered with the ancient Forest of Arden though there has been settlement in the area since the Iron Age. Later on the Forest of Arden was part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Solihull first appears as a village founded by the de Limsey family between 1170 and 1180. The parish church of St Alphege dates from the late 13th century though was built on the site of an earlier collapsed church, the location of this church on a soily hill may have given Solihull it's name!
Solihull became well known for it's black smiths, the wood from the Forest of Arden providing ample fuel for the forges. Solihuill gained a market charter in 1242. However, the town remained small maybe overshadowed by the larger towns nearby such as Birmingham and Coventry which grew greatly during the Industrial Revolution. This has helped Solihull retain it's historic character and buildings that have been lost elsewhere. There is industry in Solihull of course, most notably these days a Jaguar Land Rover factory. Solihull is also home to Birmingham Airport (in Elmdon) and the National Exhibition Centre.
Solihull has many transport links including the M42 motorway and railway stations at Birmingham International and Solihull.
