Founded as a new town in the 12th century, Solihull, in the Forest of Arden, flourished in the early Middle Ages but then declined into a quiet village in north-west Warwickshire. The turnpikes brought some custom to its coaching inns in the 18th century but it was not until the railway came, in 1850, that its suburbanisation began. “Many of you will already be familiar with Sue’s excellent books ... Solihull Past is no exception.” Solihull News