Yew Tree, West Bromwich

The Yew Tree Estate is located at Sandwell's border with Walsall and is accessible from the A4031 West Bromwich Road and from the Walstead Road. Developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by West Bromwich County Borough Council for municipal housing. Yew Tree was also home to some of the borough's first multi storey flats, most of which have been demolished and replaced by housing. A more recent development was the construction of the neighbouring Tamebridge Estate which is only accessible by road via Yew Tree. The appropriate Sandwell Ward is called Great Barr with Yew Tree with whose population taken at the 2011 census was 12,597.[1]

Roman Catholic church of St Joseph in Yew Tree Estate, West Bromwich

Recently a 20 mph speed limit has come into force on the Yew Tree and Tamebridge Estate area, which also included the construction of two speed humps on Greenside Way and a zebra crossing.

Residents of Yew Tree have Walsall addresses and phone numbers but are actually under Sandwell Council.

Local Facilities

Yew Tree has a large amount of common land, as well as a community centre, health centre and play area by the local row of shops on Redwood Road. Currently on this row of shops are two convenience stores, a computer repair shop, a chip shop, fruit and veg store, a takeout cafe, hairdressers, a barbers and a chemist. There is also a pub on Thorncroft Way which has altered from its original name of 'The Archers to The Orchard and now is currently using its original name of 'The Archers'. It is a community local with three pool teams, three darts teams,a domino team, a quiz on Monday nights and live entertainment at the weekends. The Yew Tree Estate has a Church on Redwood Road dedicated to the Feast of the Annunciation and is licensed for Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals. The Parish Priest is also the Vicar of St Gabriel's Fullbrook.

Schools

The estate was previously home to two primary schools, Fir Tree and Yew Tree. In 2006 both schools were merged under the Yew Tree name however they continued to operate at both sites, one on Birchfield Way (the original Yew Tree) and the other on Greenside Way (Fir Tree). The Birchfield Way site has been partially developed with a new building being built not only with extra classrooms for also rooms for the local community. In 2011 the Greenside Way site shut and all children are now taught from the Birchfield Way site. In 2012 the Greenside Way site was demolished and the land is now likely to be redeveloped. Refurbished in 2019, Joseph Lekkie Academy provides secondary school education in the area located on Walstead Road.

Beliefs

The 2011 Census indicated that more than 20% of the population of Great Barr with Yew Tree stated that they either did not have a religion or did not express a preference which compared to under 54% who recorded themselves as Christian. The British Social Attitudes survey in 2018 shows this compares with the national picture 7 years later with 52% of the public saying they do not regard themselves as belonging to any religion. This demonstrates a steady decline in people claiming to be Christian since 1983.

Public Transport

The nearest buses to serve the Yew Tree Estate indirectly are National Express West Midlands routes 4, 4H, and 4M, and Diamond West Midlands Routes 4 and 4H, along with Diamond's 401E which serves the estate directly, along with National Express West Midlands route 45 which stops outside Fir Tree School on Greenside Way, and serves Walstead Rd.

Rail

Tame Bridge Parkway railway station is only a 5-minute bus or car journey away from Yew Tree, providing frequent trains to Walsall, Rugeley Trent Valley or Birmingham New Street. Between 2008 and 2011 Wrexham & Shropshire trains also operated to London Marylebone direct from Tame Bridge Parkway.

Famous people

References
  1. "Sandwell Ward population 2011". Retrieved 18 December 2015.

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