Wednesbury
Wednesbury shown within the West Midlands
Population	24337 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	SO986950
- London	125.9m
Metropolitan borough	Sandwell
Metropolitan county	West Midlands
Region	West Midlands
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WEDNESBURY
Postcode district	WS10
Dialling code	0121
Police	West Midlands
Fire	West Midlands
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	West Bromwich West
European Parliament	West Midlands
List of places: UK • England • West Midlands

Coordinates: 52°33′10″N 2°01′10″W / 52.5529, -2.0195 Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of around 2,600,000 people. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of around 2,600,000 people. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping; thus the OECD has used the phrase in reference to the former Yugoslavia[1], the Soviet Union and European institutions such as the Council of... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The WS postcode area, also known as the Walsall postcode area[2], is a group of postal districts around Burntwood, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, Walsall and Wednesbury in England. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... The West Midlands county The West Midlands Police is the police force covering the West Midlands county in England. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... The West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the West Midlands county in England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing NHS ambulance services in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... West Bromwich West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... . ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Wednesbury is a town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Wednesbury unreasonableness is a term that is used to refer to the principle enunciated in the British case of Associated Provincial Picture Houses v. ... Wednesbury was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Black Country is a loosely-defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton, around the South Staffordshire coalfield. ... Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of around 2,600,000 people. ... The River Tame flows from the Black Country, through north Birmingham, past Tamworth (which takes its name from the river), and into the River Trent near Alrewas. ...

History

It is believed that Wednesbury was originally founded as an Iron Age hill fort. The first authenticated spelling of the name was Wodensbyri, written in an endorsement on the back of the copy of the will of Wulfric Scot, dated 1004. Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ...

Wednesbury is one of the oldest parts of the Black Country. The "bury" part of the name indicates there may have been an Iron Age fort or "beorg" on Church Hill as long ago as 200BC, and the town was certainly a key defensive feature of the kingdom of Mercia. However, the ending "beorg" meaning a fort, usually leads to modern place-names ending in "-borough." The ending "-bury" comes from the old English word "burgh" meaning a hill or barrow^[1]. So "Wednesbury" may mean "Woden's Hill" or "Woden's barrow". The Black Country is a loosely-defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton, around the South Staffordshire coalfield. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... A tumulus (plural tumuli, from the Latin word for mound or small hill, from the root to bulge, swell also found in ) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. ... This is the article about the belief in Odin among West Germanic peoples, for other uses see Woden (disambiguation), Wotan (disambiguation). ...

In 1086, the Domesday Book describes Wednesbury (Wadnesberie) as being a thriving rural community encompassing Bloxwich and Shelfield (now part of Walsall). During the Middle Ages the town was a rural village, with each family farming a strip of land with nearby heath being used for grazing. The town was held by the King until the reign of Henry II, when it passed to the Heronville family. A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Map sources for Bloxwich at grid reference SJ9902 Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people. ... , Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Henry II of England 5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ...

Mediaeval Wednesbury was very small, and its inhabitants would appear to have been farmers and farm workers. In 1315, coal pits were first found and recorded in Wednesbury - which led to an increase in the number of jobs that Wednesbury offered. Nail making was also in progress during these times. William Paget was born in Wednesbury in 1505, the son of a nail maker. He is noted as having risen to the position of Secretary of State, a Knight of the Garter and an Ambassador. He was one of executors of the will of Henry VIII. William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert (1506 - June 9, 1563), English statesman, son of William Paget, one of the serjeants-at-mace of the city of London, was born in London in 1506, and was educated at St Pauls School, and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, proceeding afterwards to... A garter is one of the Orders most recognisable insignia. ... “Henry VIII” redirects here. ...

In 1769, Wednesbury's canal banks were soon full of factories as in this year, the first Birmingham Canal was cut to link Wednesbury's coalfields to the Birmingham industries. In the 17th century Wednesbury pottery - "Wedgbury ware" - was being sold as far away as Worcester, while white clay from Monway Field was used to make tobacco pipes. The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England. ...

By the 18th century the town's main occupations were coal mining^[2] and nail making. With the introduction of the first turnpike road in 1727 and the development of canals and later the railways came a big increase in population^[2]. The Hyde Park Toll Gate, London. ...

Wednesbury became notorious in the 1740s for its persecution of the new Methodist movement lead by John Wesley. Francis Asbury, Richard Whatcoat and the Earl of Dartmouth are among those who attended Methodist meetings in the town, and all of whom were in different ways to have a profound effect on the United States^[3]. The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... John Wesley (June 28 [O.S. June 17] 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Richard Whatcoat (February 23, 1736 - July 4, 1806), was the third American Methodist Bishop. ... The title of Earl of Dartmouth was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth, who was then Secretary of State for the Southern Department. ...

In 1887, Brunswick Park was opened to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee^{[4] [5]}. The previous year, Wednesbury had became a Municipal Borough^[6].

During the later half of the 20th century Wednesbury's industry declined, but new developments such as an automotive park, a retail park and the newly pedestrian-only Union Street have given a new look to the town. The traditional market is still a feature of the bustling centre; while the streets around Market Place are now a protected conservation area^[7]. A conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features or biota are safeguarded. ...

Wednesbury became a municipal borough in 1866, and continued in existence until 1966 when it became part of the County Borough of West Bromwich^[8], which then itself merged with the County Borough of Warley in 1974 to form Sandwell^[9]. It now holds the postcode WS10, shared with the town of Darlaston as part of the Walsall borough. The postal address for Darlaston is now Darlaston, Wednesbury. A borough is a political division originally used in England. ... Map sources for West Bromwich at grid reference SO9992 West Bromwich is a town in the English county of West Midlands, five miles north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London to Holyhead trunk road. ... Warley was a county borough formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the towns of Oldbury and Rowley Regis. ... Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... Darlaston is a town in Walsall in the West Midlands of England. ...

Wednesbury's bus station is located in the centre of the town near the swimming baths and links are available to Wolverhampton, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Walsall and the shopping complex of Merry Hill. Merry Hill may refer to: Merry Hill, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands Merry Hill Shopping Centre, near Brierley Hill, West Midlands Merry Hill, North Carolina, a town of Bertie County This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

It is served by the Midland Metro light rail (tram) system, with stops at Great Western Street and Wednesbury Parkway. The system's only maintenance depot is also located here. The current line runs from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, and a proposed extension to Brierley Hill is set to open in 2011^[10]. Midland Metro tram 05 approaching West Bromwich tram stop The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram system in the West Midlands of England. ... Wednesbury Great Western Street tram stop is a tram stop in Wednesbury in the Black Country, England. ... Wednesbury Parkway tram stop is a tram stop in Wednesbury in the Black Country, England. ...

Between 1850 and 1993, the South Staffordshire railway line served Wednesbury. Passenger services were withdrawn after Wednesbury Station closed in 1964 under the Beeching Axe^[11], but a steel terminal soon opened on the site and did not close until December 1992 - three months before the line through Wednesbury closed completely. Until 1972, the town was served by the Great Western Railway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton at Wednesbury Central railway station. Passenger trains were withdrawn at this time, with the Bilston-Wolverhampton and Wednesbury-Birmingham sections of the line closing completely at this time. The section of railway between Wednesbury and Bilston, which served a scrapyard at Bilston, remained open until 30 August 1992 but was re-opened within seven years as part of the Midland Metro. Many railway lines were closed as a result of the Beeching Axe The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Governments attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running the British railway system. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... Birmingham (pron. ... // Wolverhampton is a City in the historical county of Staffordshire and metropolian county of the West Midlands. ... Wednesbury Central railway station was a major intermediate station on the Great Western Railways Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton Low Level Line. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Neighbourhoods

• Church Hill
• Brunswick
• Friar Park
• Myvod Estate
• Wood Green
• New Town
• Golf Links
• Woods Estate

Schools

• Stuart Bathurst RC High School
• Wodensborough Community College
• Wood Green High School

Stuart Bathurst RC High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in Wednesbury, a town in the West Midlands of England. ... Wodensborough Community College (previously Wodensborough High School) is a secondary school located in Wednesbury, in the West Midlands of England. ... Wood Green High School is a secondary school located in Wednesbury, a town in the West Midlands of England. ...

Negativity

Wednesbury was branded "the worst place in the world" by Jeremy Clarkson on the TV show Have I Got News For You. Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring. ... Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show; produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been running since 1990. ...

Notable natives/residents

• Sir Kevin Satchwell, educationalist
• Dr Karl Shuker, zoologist, cryptozoologist, and author
• Marty Hogan, baseball player and manager^[12]
• The Garman Sisters lived at Oakeswell Hall in the early 20th century.
• Alex Lester, BBC Radio 2 broadcaster
• Matt Hanson aka MC Fusion - lead vocalist from Credit To The Nation

Sir Keven Joseph Satchwell, KB is the headmaster of Thomas Telford School in Shropshire. ... Dr. Karl P. N. Shuker (born 1959) is a British zoologist, specialising in cryptozoology. ... Martin Francis Hogan (October 25, 1869 - August 15, 1923) was an Anglo-American right fielder in major league baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1894) and St. ... This article is about the sport. ... The Garman Sisters The seven daughters (and two sons) of Walter and Margaret Garman, an eccentric Victorian doctor, lead notoriously high profile lives within mid 20th century artistic circles. ... Alex Lester (born Walsall, West Midlands, 11th May 1956) is a British broadcaster who presents the weekday overnight/early-morning programme on BBC Radio 2. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is the most popular station in the UK. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in Western House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. ...

References