Bloxwich
Coordinates: 52°36′57″N 2°00′58″W / 52.61577°N 2.01620°W
| Bloxwich | |
 All Saints Church, a landmark at one end of the High Street. |
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 Bloxwich
Bloxwich shown within the West Midlands |
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| Population | ~40,000 (2001 Population Census) |
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| OS grid reference | SJ9902 |
| Metropolitan borough | Metropolitan Borough of Walsall |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WALSALL |
| Postcode district | WS3 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Walsall North |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early history
Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the family of Bloc (Bloxwich, earlier Blochescwic, meaning "Bloc's village").[1]
Some 19th century works suggest that at one time Bloxwich was a settlement in the ancient manor of Wednesbury. There is no conclusive evidence for this and Bloxwich has since at least medieval times been associated with the manor and town of Walsall (which for reasons unknown does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086). Bloxwich itself is however mentioned in this book under the name 'Blockeswich'.[2]
Traditionally there has been a strong rivalry between Bloxwich and Walsall with origins as early as the English Civil War, when Walsall was Parliamentarian in sympathy and Bloxwich, centre of the Foreign of Walsall, was Royalist. This situation was exacerbated by disputes over local taxation for the poor rate in the 17th and 18th centuries.[1]
[edit] 18th and 19th centuries
Being part of the Black Country, Bloxwich grew rapidly in the 18th century around coal mining, iron smelting and various manufacturing industries, as part of the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturing in the area consisted of bridle bits, stirrups, keys, cabinet locks, plane irons, buckle tongues, chains and saddles. Its most famous product of manufacture were awl blades, which it is reputed to have surpassed all other places in the United Kingdom in manufacturing.[2] In the early 19th century, Bloxwich was still a village. Most of its inhabitants were employed in the newly founded mining and forging industries, as well as light metalworking. It is also known for its canals.
[edit] 20th and 21 centuries
Agriculture remained important locally as late as the 1950s.
As it is near Walsall, Bloxwich was heavily developed between the wars for council housing. Most were constructed around Blakenall Heath, as well as Harden and Goscote. In the 20 years which followed the Second World War, the Lower Farm, Beechdale and Mossley estates were also erected as council housing developments, while the southern side of Harden was developed along with the Rivers Estate at Blakenall Heath. Many privately owned houses, mostly in the Little Bloxwich area, were also constructed. In the 1990s and 2000s, many new housing developments have sprung up both in Bloxwich and at Blakenall Heath.
Bloxwich has in recent years completed numerous redevelopment projects. The Bloxwich police station, opened in 1884 on Elmore Green Road, was closed for reconstruction in 2000, and reopened by The Princess Royal on 26 September 2002.[3] (It also has responsibility for Willenhall and Darlaston.) The market square, library, and job centres have also been refurbished.
[edit] Current appearance
Bloxwich town centre is still mostly made up of Victorian and Edwardian buildings and leafy parks and gardens, which maintain its origins as a Staffordshire village. Good built examples are Bloxwich Hospital, Bloxwich Hall, All Saints Church and several private houses in Station Street, Stafford Road, Wolverhampton Street and Sandbank.
From the Georgian period to the 1960s, Bloxwich had more public houses than any other town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, though these have begun to disappear. A focal point is the well-known Bloxwich Fountain in the Promenade Gardens. The church contains the original cemetery which dates back to the early 18th century. When this stopped being available, a new cemetery was created between the High Street and Field Road, just to the north. The last burial took place in 2000 and a new cemetery was open to the north of Bloxwich on the Turnberry estate, a private estate which was laid out during the 1980s.
Beyond Bloxwich Golf Club, Yieldfields Hall, to the north of the town on the A34 marks the northernmost edge of Bloxwich, Walsall and the West Midlands, currently the border with Staffordshire.
[edit] Neighbourhoods
- Houghville
- Blakenall Heath
- Beechdale
- Harden
- Little Bloxwich
- Wallington Heath
- Mossley
- Turnberry Estate
- Dudley Fields
- Goscote
- Leamore
- Lower Farm Estate
The postcode for Bloxwich is WS3, it also covers the suburban centre of Pelsall.
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary schools
- Sunshine Infant School
- Blakenall Heath Junior School
- Harden Primary School
- Leamore Primary School
- Hatherton Lane Primary School
- Busill Jones Primary School
- Mossley Primary School
- Little Bloxwich Church of England Primary School
- Elmore Green Primary School
- St Peter's Catholic Primary School
- Lower Farm Primary School
[edit] Secondary schools
[edit] Defunct schools
[edit] Transport
Bloxwich is well served by public transport and is home to two train stations, Bloxwich and Bloxwich North.
Very regular buses link Bloxwich with Walsall, whilst others link the area to the surrounding towns of Wolverhampton, Bilston, Willenhall, Brownhills, Wednesfield, Cannock and Hednesford. Other local services serve nearby estates of Coalpool, Harden, Mossley, Lower Farm, Goscote, Leamore, Beechdale, Dudley Fields, Landywood, Essington and Pelsall. Three peak only services link Bloxwich with Birmingham.
The main operator of bus services in the area is National Express West Midlands, but Arriva Midlands, Thandi Bus Services & Green Bus Services also operate on routes in the area.
Roadwise, the A34, Southampton/Oxford/Manchester road, goes straight through the town and forms its High Street. Most shops are based on this linear development. The A4124 Wolverhampton to Brownhills road crosses to the north of the town. Bloxwich is four miles from the M6 motorway between junctions 10 and 11.
[edit] Famous residents
Famous people from Bloxwich include Pat Collins, a 19th century funfair owner; the site of his house and Wakes grounds are now the location of an Asda supermarket that was built during the 1970s.
- Rob Halford (born 1951), lead singer of seminal Heavy Metal band Judas Priest, who still owns a house in Walsall despite being resident in the USA.
- Phil Drabble (1914–2007), author and television presenter
- Tom Major-Ball (1879–1962), music hall performer and father of former Prime Minister John Major.
- Lee Naylor (footballer) (born 1980)
Also the birthplace of Arthur Tolcher.
Comedian Meera Syal grew up there.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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