The "Black Country" covers parts of the city of Wolverhampton, and the towns of:
Bilston, Blackheath, Brierley Hill, Coseley, Cradley, Darlaston, Dudley, Gornal, Great Bridge, Halesowen, Lye, Netherton, Oldbury, Old Hill, Quarry bank, Rowley Regis, Sedgley, Stourbridge, Tipton, Walsall, Warley, Wednesbury, Wednesfield, West Bromwich, Willenhall, Wordsley.
BILSTON
History.....
About Bilston -Click here
About Daisy Bank, Bilston Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Bilston landmarks
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BLACKHEATH
History.....
Blackheath lies on a low hill. Wonder where it got its name from?
Could it be that from Darby End the hill where Blackheath sits, with its backdrop of silloutted bushes, looks quite dark and Bleak!
Known as Bleak Heath or Blake Heath pre 1841 it consisted of a handful of farm houses and inns on the turnpike road from Oldbury to Halesowen, within Rowley Regis.
About Blackheath -Click here
People.....
This link concerns a Joseph Wheldon who in the 1930's was living at 42 Macmillan Road Blackheath.
He kept a diary in 1933 in which he "wrote down a list of interesting events and dates, both local and national......sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in Black Country history".
Joseph Wheldons diary article -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some blackheath land marks
Gallery photo of a Blackheath Pub "The County Inn known as the Clock "
Gallery photo of St Pauls Blackheath
Gallery photo 2 of St Pauls Blackheath
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BRIERLEY HILL
History.....
About Brierley Hill -Click here
People.....
Photo in the gallery of some Brierley Hill land marks
Gallery photo of Brierley Hill - St Michaels
Gallery photo of Brierley Hill - High Street C1905
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CLENT
History.....
About Clent -Click here
People.....
Photo in the gallery of some Clent land marks
Gallery photo of Clent, - St Leonards,
Gallery photo of Clent - 'Vine Inn' C1900
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COSELEY
History.....
About Coseley -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Coseley landmarks
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CRADLEY HEATH
History
Cradley Heath was at one time just that -a heath. With the small hamlet of New Town at the edge of the heath. Cradley Heath is a much newer village than its neighbours Cradley and Halesowen.But the Industrial Revolution placed Cradley Heath firmly on the map.
It was at the centre of Britain’s chainmaking industry, for making the chain which was attached to the anchor of The Titanic.
Read more.........
About Cradley Heath -Click here
and Here
People.....
This link is about a John Martin who lived in Cradley Heath and kept a.....
"log of interesting snippets of information, mainly from the environs of Cradley Heath where he lived, with a few notable exceptions from further afield. His interest in local history had encouraged him to single out specific events, and write them down in chronological order, starting in 1844 and ending in 1951".
John Martin's notations article - Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Cradley Heath land marks
Gallery photo of Cradley Heath Graingers Lane Methodist Church
Gallery photo of Cradley Heath Eliza Tinsley
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CRADLEY
History
Cradley once known as Cradlei an ancient town in Worcestershire and mentioned in the Domesday book.It was associated with the barony of Dudley.
"William Fitz-Ansculf holds Cradlei and Pagan under him. Wigar held it; there is one hide, no part in demesne. Here are four villeins and eleven boardars, with seven ploughs, it was worth yearly ( in King Edwards time) fourty shillings, at the survey , twenty four."
The barons of Dudley appear to have kept Cradley manor and Rowley too ,so a close connection between the ancient places.
The river stour appears to have been ancient boundary between them.....read more about Cradley on the following links....
About Cradley -Click here
Cradley Links website
Photo in the gallery of some Cradley land marks
Gallery photo of Cradley Park Lane Unitarian,
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DARLASTON
History.....
About Darlaston -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Darlaston landmarks
Gallery photo of Darlaston - Bull Stake
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DUDLEY
History.....
The name Dudley that we have today, came from two Anglo-Saxon words Dudda and Leah.
Duddah is the name of someone and Leah means a well wooded estate. So we have Dudda's Woodland Estate.
Read about the History of Dudley - Click here
About Dudley -Click here
Places of Interest .....
Photo in the gallery of some Dudley land marks
Gallery photo of Dudley - St James, The Parade
Gallery photo of Dudley - Delph 'Nine Locks'
Gallery photo of Dudley - Castle from the air
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GORNAL
History.....
Photo in the gallery of some Gornal landmarks
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GREAT BRIDGE
History.....
About Great Bridge -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Great Bridge landmarks
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HALESOWEN
History
Halesowen means 'Owen's Nooks' taken from the old English word 'halh' which means a 'nook' or a corner piece of land.
The Owen part of the name is from the Welsh Prince Owen who lived there around the 13th century. Owen was given the land by Henry II at the end of the 12th century.........."
read on about Halesowen Here
About Halesowen -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Halesowen land marks
Gallery photo of Halesowen - Station C1905
Gallery photo of HALESOWEN - WINDMILL
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KINVER
History.....
About Kinver -Click here
People.....
Photo in the gallery of some Kinver land marks
Gallery photo of Kinver - Light Railway C1910?
Gallery photo of Kinver - High Street C1900
Gallery photo of Kinver Church - 1900
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LYE
History.....
About Lye -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Lye landmarks
Gallery photo of Lye Parish Church
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NETHERTON
About Netherton -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Netherton land marks
Gallery photo of Netherton - High Street C1900
Gallery photo of Netherton - 'Ma Pardoes'
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OLDBURY
History
About Oldbury, Langley and Warley
About Oldbury
Other.....
Pubs of Oldbury - Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Oldbury land marks
Gallery photo of Oldbury - The Fountain C1900
Gallery photo of Oldbury - The Big House
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OLD HILL
History
About Old Hill - Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Oldhill land marks
Gallery photo of Old Hill - Halesowen Road and Holy Trinity Church C1900
Gallery photo of Old Hill - Primary School
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QUARRY BANK
History.....
About Quarry Bank -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Quarry Bank landmarks
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ROWLEY REGIS
History
The name comes from the Anglo Saxon term 'Ruh Leah' which in means a rough and rugged land.
Rowley Village perches on Rowley hill. Originally Rowley was the site of an extinct Volacano from which the residue gave the Rowley Rag stone. The Church of St Giles sits majestically on the hill and is the most recent of 4 churhces occupying that area over the past thousand years. The "Regis" part was added about 1140 and may have been added to denote that it was that part of Rowley that belonged to the king,as possibly a royal hunting land........The parish housed the manors of Rowley Regis and Rowley Somery, Somery being included in the barony of Dudley, but it is unclear the connection between them".
Places that were (at one time) part of the Parish of Rowley Regis were Blackheath, Corngreaves, Cradley Heath, Gosty Hill, Haden Cross, Haden Hill, Hayseech, Knoll, Lye Cross, Newtown, Oakum, Old Hill, Portway, Reddal Hill, Slack Hillock, Tipety Green, Tividale, Turner's Hill, Windmill End and Whiteheath Gate.
The municipal Borough of Rowley Regis was made up of 5 individual communities - Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Black heath, Rowley Regis and Tividale. Whitehall decided, despite a fight from local opposition, to combine Rowley Regis with Oldbury. and become Warley County Borough. Then a few years later Whitehall decided that big was beautiful and so Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was born and included towns like West Bromwich, Wednesbury and Smethwick and of course Rowley Regis et al.
About Rowley Regis -click here
And for more -click here
Rowley Regis some Burial Records and more info on area
Photo in the gallery of some Rowley Regis land marks
Gallery photo of Rowley Regis - Village
Gallery photo of Rowley Regis - St Giles
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SEDGLEY
History.....
About Sedgley -Click here
Local History Site -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Sedgley landmarks
Gallery photo of Sedgley - All Saints
Gallery photo of Sedgley - The Bullring 2009
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SMETHWICK
History.....
About Smethwick -Click here
Smethwick History Society
People.....
Smethwick Heritage Centre
Photo in the gallery of some Smethwick land marks
Gallery photo of Smethwick - Old Church
Gallery photo of Smethwick - High Street C1916
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STOURBRIDGE
History.....
About Stourbridge -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Stourbridge landmarks
Gallery photo of Stourbridge - C1906
Gallery photo of Stourbridge - Canal Basin
Stourbridge - King Edward VI 2009
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TIPTON
History.....
About Tipton -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Tipton landmarks
Gallery photo of Tipton - Great Bridge Road pre WWI
Gallery photo of Tipton - Park View C1907
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WALSALL
History.....
About Walsall -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Walsall landmarks
Gallery photo of Walsall - Market 1930's
Gallery photo of Walsall - The Bridge C1914
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WARLEY
History.....
About Warley -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Warley landmarks
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WEDNESBURY
History.....
About Wednesbury -Click here
Wednesbury History Society
Photo in the gallery of some Wednesbury landmarks
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WEDNESFIELD
History.....
About Wednesfield -Click here
This history of Wednesfield
Photo in the gallery of some Wednesfield landmarks
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WEST BROMWICH
History.....
About West Bromwich -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some West Bromwich landmarks
Gallery photo of West Bromwich - High Street
Gallery photo of West Bromwich - Dartmouth Park 2008
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WILLENHALL
History.....
About Willenhall -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Willenhall landmarks
Willenhall - Market Place 2009
Willenhall - Lock Museum
Willenhall Market Place - 'Bell Inn' built 1660
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WOLVERHAMPTON
History.....
About Wolverhampton -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Wolverhampton landmarks
Gallery photo of Wolverhampton - Lichfield Street 1900's
Gallery photo of Wolverhampton - Trysull C1905
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WORDSLEY
History.....
About Wordsley -Click here
Photo in the gallery of some Wordsley landmarks
Gallery photo of Wordsley - Red House Glass Cone
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nb all the photos linked to here are on display in our Black Country Gallery section
a gallery of snapshots from modern day and those long gone, but captured on film, to give you a flavour of the area.
So please browse thru that marvellous section Mallosa has put together.