Hackwood’s Wednesbury

The next meeting of the Society takes place on Thursday 9th February 2012 at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley. The speaker is Ian Bott, well-known Wednesbury local historian, writer and collector of Black Country stories.

His illustrated talk celebrates the life and hometown of an influential Black Country and Staffordshire historian, Frederick William Hackwood. He is of particular interest to the Society as author of Sedgley Researches [1898]. The book is still highly regarded by today’s researchers.

The evening will appeal to all who cherish Hackwood’s legacy of nearly thirty books on local history and wish to see images of the village in which he was born and began his career as a schoolteacher.

As usual visitors are invited to come along – cost £1

2011 Autumn Teaser Answer

The Victorian railway companies criss-crossed the country with over 20,000 route miles. Today one of these lines still runs through the old Sedgley Manor. We asked you to name the station.

Trains have rattled through Coseley since the 1850s – originally the Stour Valley line of the London & North Western, then from January 1923 the London, Midland & Scottish, followed in January 1948 by British Railways and then in franchises to London Midland in November 2007.

Along the way the station name changed from Deepfields & Coseley on opening in 1902 to Coseley [Deepfields] in the 1950s & 60s and finally Coseley in May 1968. In December 1966 the first electric train passed through the station.

A quarter of a mile to the north the pre-1900 station was used for goods traffic until closure in the 1950s. Today the old goods yard is used by a scrap metal merchant.

Read all about it - the 2011/2012 Programme

The 2011/2012 Programme is now available as a PDF.

Note this document is a PDF download: to read PDFs you will need Adobe Reader - reliable, safe, and available free from Adobe at this site.

2012 Winter Teaser

This is an easily named building in Sedgley. The problem is sorting out its early history. Visit Vicar Street and give the exterior a second look – the brickwork, windows and foundations might tell an intriguing tale. Local historians need help!

Send an email with your ideas.

Winter Walks – Himley Park

The land surrounding the hall has undergone many changes in the last 250 years. In 1764 St. Michael & All Angels was built to replace an older church and complete the repositioned Himley village. The next decade Lancelot “Capability” Brown was commissioned to landscape the parkland.

He designed the lake and supervised the tree planting to create his trademark ‘natural’ look to set off the mansion in the best possible way. The hall was now approached from the west through a grand tree lined carriageway.

The Viscounts and Brown had allowed nothing to get in the way of their master plans. It is this 180 acres of attractive ‘countryside’ that now draws thousands of visitors.

The winter months promise frosty mornings, snow under foot and Christmas card scenes guaranteed to get those cameras clicking away. You can take a woodland walk to see the ponds and waterfalls that feed the lake and visit the dog cemetery and ice house.

Take time to discover the ha ha and Edward VII’s tree as you treat yourself to a relaxing stroll taking in views of the Grade II listed hall.

Enjoy the festive season and early weeks of 2012 whatever the weather.

Sedgley Local History Society [SLHS]

Sedgley Local History Society [SLHS] is a Black Country group based in the village of Sedgley, which is situated at the northern tip of Dudley Metropolitan Borough and just 3 miles south of the centre of Wolverhampton.

Here, the heritage of the Manor of Sedgley, in south Staffordshire, is focused through its nine villages - Sedgley, Gospel End, Cotwall End, Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal, Woodsetton, Coseley, Ettingshall and Brierley. A history of people, places and events.

Please contact us if you have any comments, suggestions, contributions or questions.