Supporting OpenStreetMap in the West Midlands.
Yardley Old Village is a haven of rural peace set in the middle of the suburban expanse of East Birmingham. There is a cluster of listed buildings around the mediaeval church of St Edburgha, which includes an old farm and … Continued
I drove though here one night and got very confused with the new northbound carriageway going right through the middle of what used to be a roundabout, so I decided to do a survey. The results are shown below. Is … Continued
I’m gradually surveying the Jewellery Quarter by default , as I work through the City Council’s database of listed buildings. It’s a fascinating journey of urban renewal. Its a very mixed area, with lots of apartment conversions – some architecturally … Continued
Many thanks to Christoph (OSM username Xoff) on his departure to Germany after completing his PhD. Christoph performed sterling surveying work over much of SW Birmingham and also contributed a huge technical resource in developing our website mappa-mercia.org and creating … Continued
New Street station is not one of the loveliest travel destinations on the the planet. There is currently a massive refurbishment programme underway scheduled to finish in 2015. So just to get ahead of the game in mapping the new … Continued
Mopping up and correcting road names in the rural wilds of Solihull saw me in Meriden where I came across an ancient memorial cross reputed to mark the centre of England. I know it’s a complex mathematical problem but has anyone ever located the precise point that is the … Continued
Andy has been busy in B72, the heart of Sutton Coldfield, so exactly what does this mean for our map? Short answer:Nearly 3500 residential properties,Almost 300 named retail units,Nearly 100 commercial buildings,All drawn in and with full address details including … Continued
Today Brian appeared on the Ed Doolan Show on Radio WM to be interviewed about our Gritting Map. Good to get some publicity. There is a recording of the interview courtesy of Russ Philips but the blog technology won’t allow … Continued
Sometimes I feel the urge to break out from my urban conurbation surroundings and map somewhere all together more rural. I don’t get much time these days to map so it was a real pleasure to head out in the … Continued
The three white cylinders of the new hospital have already become familiar sight in Selly Oak but it was only today that the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital finally opened. At the same time the barriers which were blocking of major … Continued