Wednesfield(/ˈwɛnz.fiːld/) is a town and historic village in theCity of Wolverhampton,in the county of theWest Midlands,England, It is 2 miles (3.2 km) east-northeast ofWolverhamptoncity centre and about 10 miles (16 km) fromBirminghamand is part of theWest Midlands conurbation.It was historically within the county ofStaffordshire.
| Wednesfield | |
|---|---|
 High-risesin Wednesfield, seen from Graiseley Lane. | |
  Wednesfield Location within theWest Midlands | |
| Population | 22,646 (2011 CensusWards)[1][2] |
| OS grid reference | SO944998 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wolverhampton |
| Postcode district | WV11 |
| Dialling code | 01902 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Its name comes from theOld EnglishWōdnesfeldmeaningWoden's Field,open land belonging to, or holy to, the high god of theGermanic Pantheon.
Local areas includeAshmore ParkandWood End.There is also a formal garden at Wednesfield Park.
Geography
editWednesfield lies at52°35′59″N2°04′58″W/ 52.5998°N 2.0827°W(52.5998°, −2.0827°), and is located to the northeast of Wolverhampton city centre on the northern fringe of theWest Midlands conurbation.It was historically part of the county ofStaffordshire,and since 1974 has been part of theWest Midlandsmetropolitan county.
The south of the town lies over coal measures whilst the town centre hasdoleritedeposits and the area to the north lies overmudstoneandsandstone.The town lies on generally flat land between 130m and 140m above sea level, rising to around 170m in the north.[3][4][5]
There are no navigable rivers within the town, although the original course of theRiver Tamecrossed the south-east of the town.[4]
Governance
edit
Following thePoor Law Amendment Act 1834,Wednesfield formed part of the WolverhamptonPoor Law Union,an inter-parish unit established to providesocial security.This replaced an earlier arrangement where the Parish had operated aworkhouseon Old Heath Road since 1723. In 1863 theWednesfield Local Board of Healthwas established.[6]With reference to theLocal Government Act 1858,it was a regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation in the township, and replaced an earlier Sanitary Committee that was established in 1856. The Local Board was only in existence for three years before being split into two, one for Wednesfield itself, and one forWednesfield Heath.[6]
Wednesfield was formerly atownshipin the parish of Wolverhampton,[7]in 1866 Wednesfield became a separatecivil parish.[8]
Following theLocal Government Act 1894,the rump of the parish (minus Wednesfield Heath and part of what becameShort HeathUrban District) became anurban districtwithin theadministrative countyofStaffordshire.[6]
| Partition of Wednesfield Urban District in 1966 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population | Area (acres) | |
| Wednesfield UD | 33,048 | 1,018 |
| Wolverhampton CB | 32,798 | 812 |
| Walsall CB | 215 | 36 |
| Cannock RD | 35 | 170 |
| Source: Vision of Britain[9] | ||
With the exception of a loss of 24acres(with a census population of 224) to theCounty Boroughof Wolverhampton in 1933, the Urban District remained intact until 1 April 1966, when due to the provisions of theLocal Government Act 1958,most of the Wednesfield Urban District was merged into Wolverhampton County Borough, though some parts were incorporated intoWalsall County Boroughand others intoCannock Rural District,now part ofSouth Staffordshiredistrict.[9]The parish was also abolished on 1 April 1966 and merged with Wolverhampton,EssingtonandWalsall.[10]In 1961 the parish had a population of 33,048.[11]
In the early 1950s, when Wednesfield was still independent from its larger neighbour, Wolverhampton council developed two overspill estates –Ashmore Parkand Long Knowle – in Wednesfield to rehouse families from slums in the town.[12]
For electoral purposes, Wednesfield is represented by thewardsofWednesfield North,Wednesfield SouthandFallings Park,which together make up the Wednesfield and Fallings Park LANA (Local Area and Neighbourhood Arrangements).[13]
It is part of theWolverhampton North East constituencyand is represented in theHouse of CommonsbyJane Stevenson(a member of theConservative Party) following her election on12 December 2019.[14]
History
editOn 5 August 910 the allied forces ofMerciaandWessexdefeated an army ofNorthumbrianVikingsin theBattle of Tettenhall(sometimes called the Battle of Wednesfield or Wōdnesfeld).
Wednesfield was formerly well known for making all kinds of traps, frommousetraps,tomantrapsand locks. Many of the factories that dominated the area have been cleared to make way for houses and other buildings.
| Historical population of Wednesfield | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,088 | 1,248 | 1,468 | 1,879 | 3,168 | 4,858 | 8,553 | 8,998 | 10,801 | 14,538 | 4,883 | 6,488 | 7,446 | 9,330 | 14,894 | 17,418 | 33,048 | 33,555 |
| Township 1801–1891[6]• Urban District 1901–1961[15]• LANA 2001[13] | ||||||||||||||||||
Religion
editTheChurch of St Thomasis located in the town centre. It was originally consecrated in August 1750, as achapel of easeofSt. Peter's Collegiate Church,Wolverhampton and known as the Chapel of St. Thomas in Wednesfield. It became a separate parish in 1849. It was almost completely destroyed by fire on 18 January 1902, as a result of which the tower is the only remaining part of the original building. The church was reconstructed in similar style to the original and continues in active use as a place of worship.[16]
TheGuru NanakGurdwarawas opened in 1984 and is also located in the town centre, and caters for the localSikhcommunity, many of whom are descendants of those who immigrated to the area in the 1950s and onwards. A part of the Gurdwara suffered fire damage in 2002 so the committee decided to demolish the original building and the rebuild was ready by 2004. It hasliftsfor the elderly.[17]
Economy
edit| Economic status of residents | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Wednesfield | Wolverhampton(borough) |
| Full-time | 39.4% | 37.5% |
| Part-time | 12.7% | 11.3% |
| Unemployed | 3.9% | 5.3% |
| Other Active | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| Inactive | 37.0% | 37.8% |
| Source: Wolverhampton City Council[13] | ||
Wednesfield Village or 'the village' as it is still referred to by many residents provides a range of shopping, office and community facilities for residents in the north east ofWolverhamptonand some adjoining parts of theMetropolitan Borough of Walsall,along with services for the major industrial areas to the south of the town andNew Cross Hospital.Just to the west of the town centre, there is a largeSainsbury'ssupermarket and theBentley Bridge Retail Park.There is also a retailmarket.[18]
Bentley Bridge consistes of both leisure and retail components. The leisure component is in the form of amultiplexcinema andbowlingalley together with fast food outlets, apub,numerous restaurants, whilst there is 14,700 m2of retail space which includes a fitness gym.[18]
The proximity to Wolverhampton city centre has been a major constraint on retail economic growth within the town. Wednesfield is part of a network of lower orderBlack Countrytown centres, providing principally convenience shopping facilities for a local catchment area and it is surrounded by centres with a similar role includingBilstonto the south,Willenhallto the south east andBloxwichto the east.[18]
However, since 2009 the Bentley Bridge Retail Park has thrived with empty units being filled by national retailers. In September 2011 retailerTK Maxxannounced plans to close its city centre store in Wolverhampton and relocate to Bentley Bridge.[19]Whilst the retail park thrives, local independent traders on the high street continue to suffer due to economic circumstances.
The area to the south of the former railway line is characterised by industrial development, mostly with small units although there is some larger development such a steel processing and distribution plant. Historically, the main industries were coal mining andtrapmaking, although mining ceased in the area in the early twentieth century.[4]
Transport
editTheWyrley and Essington Canalrunning through the town was opened in 1797. It was constructed to allow coal traffic to travel between mines nearGreat WyrleyandWolverhampton,and was constructed following the contours of the land. This meant that the centre of the town was surrounded on three sides by the canal, and that almost all of the pre-existing roads required hump-backed bridges, and despite the improvement in communications and the potential for transporting goods via the canal, it is recorded that some local residents felt that it actually obstructed the development of the town, rather than assisting it.[20]A second canal through the town, theBentley Canal,opened in 1843 between Wednesfield Junction, near the modernNew Cross Hospital,and Walsall. The canal was abandoned in the 1960s,[21]and only a short section at Wednesfield Junction is extant.
Wednesfield railway stationon theWolverhampton and Walsall Railwaywas opened in 1872, connecting the town withWolverhampton High LevelandWalsall.It was operated by theMidland Railway,and was located on Neachells Lane to the south of the town centre.[22]It closed to passenger traffic in 1931, although it remained open for goods traffic until the 1980s.[23]Much of the trackbed was reused for theA4124Wednesfield Way, which bypasses the town centre and opened in 1999.[18]
The first railway within the township was theGrand Junction Railway,whereWednesfield Heath railway station(opened in 1837) was the primary station forWolverhampton,and was located on Station Road,Heath Town.The station was replaced by Wolverhampton High Level in the city centre, and closed to passengers in 1873 whilst remaining open for goods traffic until 1965.[24]The siting of this station at Heath Town has been cited as a reason for the separation of Wednesfield and Heath Town.[20]
Public transport in Wednesfield is coordinated byTransport for West Midlands.Most bus services within the town are operated byNational Express West Midlands,with services from the town centre to destinations including Wolverhampton city centre,Bilston,Bloxwich,WalsallandWillenhall.[25]
The 59 bus route which runs from Wolverhampton city centre toAshmore Parkvia New Cross Hospital and Wednesfield High Street is the most frequent in the city.
National Express West Midlands service 9 (previously 60) operates between Walsall, Pelsall, Bloxwich and Wolverhampton half hourly.
The 71 bus route byChaserider(previously Arriva) provides an hourly link toEssington,Great Wyrleyand Cannock.Diamond Bustendered service 65 provides an hourly service between Wolverhampton and Fordhouses viaNew Cross Hospitaland Bushbury Crematorium.
An extension of theWest Midlands Metrothrough Wednesfield is planned, on the "5Ws" route from Wolverhampton toWednesburyvia Willenhall andWalsall.[18]
Notable people
editThis article's list of residentsmay not follow Wikipedia'sverifiabilitypolicy.(October 2018) |
- Tom Aspaul– singer, songwriter and producer[26]
- Ruth Badger– businesswoman and runner-up on thesecond seriesofThe Apprentice
- Martin Cooper–England rugby unionplayer
- John Cosnett– darts player
- Wayne Jones– darts player
- Hayley Price– Olympic gymnast
- Roy Rickhuss− trade union leader
- Kevin Rowland– musician and frontman ofDexys Midnight Runners
- Dion Sanderson– footballer forCardiff City
- Tessa Sanderson– athlete and Olympic gold medallist
- Kristian Thomas– Olympic gymnast
- Mary Whitehouse– TV/radio clean-up campaigner, was a teacher at Lichfield Road School in the town in 1932–40.
- Sureena Brackenridge– LabourMember of Parliament(MP) for Wolverhampton North East since 2024
- Willard Wigan– microsculpter who holds Guinness World Record for smallest sculpture
References
edit- ^"Wednesfield North ward, Wolverhampton MBC population 2011".Retrieved20 December2015.
- ^"Wednesfield South Ward, Wolverhampton MBC population 2011".Retrieved20 December2015.
- ^"Wednesfield North & Fallings Park Character Area (WV05)"(PDF).Wolverhampton City Council.Retrieved18 March2009.
- ^abc"Wednesfield South Character Area (WV07)"(PDF).Wolverhampton City Council.Retrieved16 March2009.
- ^"Ashmore Park Character Area (WV09)"(PDF).Wolverhampton City Council.Retrieved18 March2009.
- ^abcd"Wednesfield History: Nineteenth Century".Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society.Retrieved20 February2009.
- ^"History of Wednesfield, in Wolverhampton and Staffordshire".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved5 October2024.
- ^"Relationships and changes Wednesfield CP/Ch through time".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved5 October2024.
- ^ab"Relationships / unit history of Wednesfield".Vision of Britain.Retrieved20 February2009.
- ^"Bilston Registration District".UKBMD.Retrieved5 October2024.
- ^"Population statistics Wednesfield CP/Ch through time".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved5 October2024.
- ^"Geograph:: A History of Council Housing in Wolverhampton".geograph.org.uk.
- ^abc"Wednesfield & The Scotlands LANA census data"(PDF).Wolverhampton City Council.Retrieved19 February2009.
- ^"Alphabetical List of Members of Parliament".Office of Public Sector Information. Archived fromthe originalon 22 August 2008.Retrieved20 February2009.
- ^"Wednesfield Urban District population".Vision of Britain.Retrieved24 July2008.
- ^"St.Thomas's Church".Wolverhampton History and Heritage Society. Archived fromthe originalon 30 August 2009.Retrieved18 March2009.
- ^"Religious faith in Wolverhampton: Sikhism".Wolverhampton Archives. Archived fromthe originalon 20 January 2009.Retrieved18 March2009.
- ^abcde"Wolverhampton UDP 2003 – Chapter 17: Wednesfield Village Centre"(PDF).Wolverhampton City Council.Retrieved9 March2009.
- ^"Wolverhampton's TK Maxx store to close".13 September 2011.Retrieved13 September2011.
- ^ab"Wednesfield History: Eighteenth Century".Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society.Retrieved20 February2009.
- ^Hadfield, Charles (1985) [1966].The Canals of the West Midlands(Third ed.). David & Charles.ISBN0-7153-8644-1.
- ^"Wednesfield railway station".Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands.Retrieved24 February2009.
- ^Moors, Terry (2008) [2008].Lost Railways of Birmingham and the West Midlands(First ed.). Countryside Books.ISBN978-1-84674-109-8.
- ^"Wednesfield Heath railway station".Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands.Retrieved9 March2009.
- ^"Where to board your bus in Wednesfield"(PDF).Network West Midlands.Retrieved9 March2009.
- ^Earl, Daniel (25 August 2017)."Unsigned Wolverhampton singer Tom Aspaul writes for Kylie".Express & Star.Retrieved26 December2020.