Knowle was a small, sleepy village, nestled in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside until the advent of the car and commuter towns. Situated a mere 12 miles south of Birmingham in the West Midlands and with great transport links to Birmingham International Airport, Solihull and the National Rail network, Knowle has quickly become one of the fastest growing villages in the local area. It can be found at Junction 5 of the M42, and may well have a service station plonked on its prime green belt land within the next 3 years to match the housing estates that are popping up like sprawling fungi all around its fringes.

If you can ignore the rampant onslaught of modern development, there are a few historical gems lurking in the village centre. Most impressive is Knowle's library, a timber framed building dating from the early medieval period with a reconstruction knot garden. There is also the local parish church, a short walk away which dates from the Norman period and contains a paricularly fine rood screen. There are plenty of tea shops, a couple of cash points, and bizarrely, an ever-growing number of Indian restaurants if you fancy a night out.

It's not really a swinging hotspot, but there are a couple of really good pubs. The Red Lion (thankfully re-named after having spent the last 5 years as part of the Firkin Brewery chain) dominates the main High Street, but the Wilson's Arms at the other end of the village is also worth a visit.

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