Little Aston

Infobox UK place |
country = England
official_name= Little Aston
shire_county=Staffordshire
shire_district=Lichfield
latitude = 52.5997
longitude = -1.8564
population=
region = West Midlands
post_town=
postcode_district=
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference=

Little Aston is an affluent area of the district of Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England. At the last UK census there were 935 homes in the village, well over 10% of which are multi-million pound properties. [HM Government UK Census - 1991 Public Data] The area is locally known as an enclave of footballers and successful businessmen. ["Birmingham Post" Property Section, 30 September 2006]

Location and boundaries

Little Aston is located in the very south of Staffordshire, a considerable distance from the industrial areas for which the West Midlands were once most famous. It has close links with nearby Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham, as it is part of the West Midlands Conurbation.

Little Aston is contained within four corners, formed by local landmarks: Blake Street Station rail bridge in the south-east, the end of lands owned by Aston Wood golf club to the north-east, a naturally flowing stream to the north-west and an Anglican church, in the south-west.

Famous residents

Current residents

* Graham Taylor OBE, premier league and England football manager.
*Liam Ridgewell, winner of the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup, lives in the village and plays for local premier league team, Birmingham City.
*Trevor Eve, double Laurence Olivier Award winning actor, and star of "Waking The Dead".

Former residents

*Peter Schmeichel, voted the greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century. [ [http://www.showstars.dk/query:invoke/method:display/folderid:3216/lang:da/ Showstars ] ]
*Double league cup winning international goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, owned one of Little Aston's numerous mansions during his time at Aston Villa football club.
*Premier league and international footballer, Ugo Ehiogu, lived in Little Aston during his English career.
*Captain of the Irish football team and former Irish Footballer of the Year, Mark Kinsella, owned one of the village's mansions while playing for West Bromwich Albion.

Others

Double FA Cup winning football manager Ron Atkinson, and platinum album selling singer Tony Christie, frequent the village's golf clubs.Fact|date=February 2008

Residences

Little Aston's small community is divided between four main areas: Little Aston Park, Little Aston Lane, Forge Lane and the Little Aston Hall Estate.

Little Aston Park

Located in the south of the village is "Little Aston Park". Often referred to as "Millionaire's Row", ["Birmingham Mail Newspaper" - 27 July 2006] it contains around 100 uniquely designed houses. It also contains one of the village's golf clubs, [http://www.littleastongolf.co.uk Little Aston Golf Club] , and St.Peter's Church. The park is built around the historic, rhododendron-lined Roman Road.

Its private roads and gated entrances are maintained by LAPRA (Little Aston Park Residents Association), to which home-owners contribute.

Little Aston Lane

At the heart of the village is Little Aston Lane. Running opposite expanses of fields and the grounds of Aston Wood golf course, the lane consists of around 50 large, detached houses, of individual architect design. A newly constructed, landscaped recreation area also runs parallel to the lane.

In addition to the lane's own housing, it also contains the entrance to "The Grove". A cul-de-sac within Little Aston Lane, The Grove contains around 30 large, detached homes, similar to those on the lane itself.

Little Aston's village hall, the Little Aston Centre, is also on the lane, providing services and facilities to the small community. The centre includes a crown green bowling club and a tennis club.

Forge Lane

Running out of the Little Aston Park and into the surrounding countryside is Forge Lane. It is lined by around 40 detached and semi-detached houses, situated on both sides of the road. The village's Little Aston Primary School is located on the lane.

Forge lane also contains the entrance to Little Aston's recreation site, a large area of landscaped grassland, popular for dog walking and sports activities. In addition to this, the entrance to Little Aston's vicarage is also in the lane, which has been the home of many of the village's vicars.

Little Aston Hall Estate

This small area of residence is situated within what used to be the grounds of Little Aston Hall. Seven blocks of superior apartments were constructed on the site during the mid-1980s, each containing six luxury living spaces. The size of the construction was increased soon after with more apartments, known as Lady Aston Park.

The complex is set back from the road on a private drive and situated in many acres of grassland and landscaped gardens.

Administration

Electoral ward

Little Aston is one of Lichfield's electoral wards, although it is separated from the city by open country. Little Aston's current Member of Parliament is Michael Fabricant.

Parish

Little Aston was for a long time a part of the parish of Shenstone, until St PetersChurch was built at the expense of, and on land donated by, Edward SwynfenParker Jervis. The new church designed by architect G E Street, was consecrated in 1874.

Commerce and education

It has two golf clubs: the championship [http://www.littleastongolf.co.uk Little Aston Golf Club] and the new [http://www.astonwoodgolfclub.co.uk Aston Wood Golf Club] . There is also an official [http://www.stratstoneferrari.co.uk/ Stratstone] Ferrari and Maserati dealership which took over from the old Evans Halshaw Porsche dealership. A private [http://www.bupahospitals.co.uk/littleaston/hospital_littleaston.asp BUPA hospital] is located on the former Little Aston Hall's estate and Little Aston also features the Midlands' foremost residential estate, Little Aston Park. Little Aston also has its own primary school, Little Aston Primary School.

References

External links

* [http://www.bupahospitals.co.uk/littleaston/hospital_littleaston.asp BUPA Hospital Little Aston]
* [http://www.bupacarehomes.co.uk/carehomes/html/Astoncourtnursingandresidentialhome.html BUPA Residential Care and Nursing Home Aston Court]
* [http://www.littleaston.staffs.sch.uk/ Little Aston Primary School]
* [http://www.rduckett.clara.net/little-aston/ Village History and Memories]
* [http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/ Little Aston Home Guard]
* [http://www.littleastonbowlingclub.co.uk/2/ Little Aston Bowling Club]