[2] Coleshill began life in the Iron Age, before the Roman conquest of 43 AD at the Grimstock Hill Romano-British settlement, north of the River Cole.
The area was at the junction of two powerful Celtic Tribes – the Coritanii to the east from Leicester, and to the west the Cornovii from Viroconium Cornoviorum.
In the post Roman or Arthurian period (The Dark Ages), the nucleus of Coleshill moved about a kilometre to the south, to the top of the hill.
[4] In 1284/5 John de Clinton, elder, was granted Coleshill Manor by King Henry II, and claimed by prescription within the lordship of Coleshill, Assize of bread and ale, gallows, pillory, tumbrell and court leet, infangthef and utfangthef, a market, fair, and free warren.
Coleshill village was granted a market charter by King John in 1207, alongside Liverpool, Leek and Great Yarmouth.
During the era of stagecoach and the turnpike trusts, Coleshill became important as a major staging post on the coaching roads from London to Chester, Liverpool and Holyhead.
[5] A bronze sculpture by Peter Walker in the High Street shows three themes of the town's origins: a stagecoach wheel, a visiting circus elephant and the creation of the Typhoo Tea brand by John Sumner.
The X13 (previously called X70) passes through Coleshill between Birmingham and Chelmsley Wood operated by National Express West Midlands.
As a result until 2007, the town's nearest railway station was at Water Orton, some 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north-west.
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central.