Over by Christmas?
The next meeting of the Society takes place on Thursday 13th November at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew's Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley. The speaker is Quintin Watt a retired history teacher, First World War researcher and secretary of the Black Country Society.
Quintin's illustrated presentation examines the reaction of Black Country folk to the outbreak of the Great War in July 1914.
The belief of a short war soon took hold. Memories had faded that only 12 years earlier the Boer War ended after a bitter conflict lasting nearly 3 years.
This is a chance to hear about the changes in daily life from food restrictions to pubs closing at 9 pm, and churches' bells silenced. There was a slow realisation all was not well.
Admission is £2 – exact amount appreciated. Visitors always welcome.
2025 – Summer Teaser Answer
This was a Black Country landmark for fifty years. We asked you to name the location and discover the surprising story.
Two raised water tanks were installed on Sedgley Beacon next to the stone tower in 1922 and removed in March 1974. They were needed to solve a long standing distribution and pressure problem now exacerbated by demands from the Beacon Estate. Each tank could hold 50,000 gallons.
The tanks, manufactured in Birmingham by Thomas Piggott & Co., Ltd, were originally installed at Brocton Army Camp on Cannock Chase.
The second-hand tanks were raised above the roof of an 1893 reservoir. This covered reservoir held 250,000 gallons and was only decommissioned in 1971 when a larger one was built in the centre of Beacon Hill. Today the empty Victorian reservoir is grassed over, but the position of the raised tanks can be traced.
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.
Please note that genealogy isn't a prime interest of SLHS - it's a huge specialist area in its own right. We provide a list of useful sites on our genealogy links page that will help you to begin your research, however if you have a specific query drop us a line!
2025 – Autumn Teaser
If Sedgley Manor ever needed a mascot the pig would be in the running. Why? The tale has become a Black Country legend.
Send an email if you can name the villages telling the porkies.
The SLHS 2025 / 2026 Programme
The 2025/2026 Programme promises a season of informative and stimulating talks from local experts.
Take your pick from presentations covering urban housing projects, Home Front reactions to the Great War, short films, the history of Dudley Castle, Birmingham's criminals and gangsters and, in May, Smethwick's famous Soho works. As usual there's something for everyone.
Meetings take place at St. Andrew's Church on Bilston Street in Sedgley, and are scheduled for Oct / Nov 2025 and Jan / Feb / Mar / May 2026. The Society is very friendly and, as always, visitors will be most welcome.
Sedgley Heritage Trails
During 2019 two trails were researched covering nearly forty places of interest within easy walking distance of Sedgley Bull Ring.
A leaflet was then prepared by Sedgley Evening Townswomen's Guild with support from Sedgley People's Archive and Sedgley Local History Society. There was specialist help and advice from Dudley MBC who printed the final version.
The trails can be followed using the street map alongside notes and pictures.
Follow this link to download a copy of the leaflet and enjoy the trails.