Gornal, West Midlands
Coordinates: 52°31′23″N 2°07′26″W / 52.523°N 2.124°W
| Gornal | |
 Gornal
Gornal shown within the West Midlands |
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| OS grid reference | SO915917 |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | Dudley |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUDLEY |
| Postcode district | DY3 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Dudley North |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Gornal is an area and ward located northwest of Dudley Town Centre in the West Midlands of England. It encompasses the three areas of Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal and Gornal Wood; and was formerly a part of the ancient manor of Sedgley and the Sedgley Urban District until 1966, when it was merged into the County Borough of Dudley.[1] Since 1974, it has been part of the larger Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
Gornal stone, a variety of limestone, originates in Gornal.[2]
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[edit] Areas
[edit] Upper Gornal
Situated south of Sedgley on the main A459 road, the area has undergone extensive private and council housing development since the 1920s. It was the target of three bombs by the German Luftwaffe during World War II, though no buildings were damaged and there were no civilian casualties.[3]
Upper Gornal formely had a small cinema, the Jack Darby Picture House, but it closed in 1960 due to competition from other nearby theatres. The building now houses a small hardware store.[4] Also of note, the local landmark Pig on the Wall public house was controversially demolished in 2002 to make way for a McDonald's restaurant.[5]
[edit] Lower Gornal
Lower Gornal is located southwest of Upper Gornal, and includes the three schools in the local area - Roberts Primary, Red Hall Primary, and Ellowes Hall Sports College. First built in 1894, the original building of Roberts Primary School was demolished in 2000 following the completion of a new £6million building. Red Hall was formed around 1900 as an infant, junior and secondary school; but the secondary school closed in 1964 when Ellowes Hall opened. Ellowes Hall itself was named for the Ellowes Hall House that previously stood on the site, prior to its demolition in 1964.[6]
Gornal Athletic F.C., a football team currently in the Premier Division of the West Midlands (Regional) League, are based in Lower Gornal.
[edit] The Local legend - 'Pig on the wall'
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This section is written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (January 2012) |
One, not entirely apocryphal, episode from Lower Gornal's past occurred when Enoch & Eli (Aynock and Ayli in the local dialect - the two fictional characters to which local jokes are usually attributed) "put the pig on the wall to watch the band go by". Local legend has it, that once, a military band marched through the suburb, and caused such great excitement amongst the residents, that not only did many people flock to see it, but one person even put his pig on the wall to afford the animal a better view! This phrase has long been part of the local idiolect, but its origins still remain obscure. There was even a hotel in the Upper Gornal area of the town called the "Pig on the Wall". It was originally called the Bricklayer's Arms and know locally as Hammond's after the long time owners, but took up its new name in 1985. It was however demolished and replaced with a McDonalds restaurant in late 2002.[citation needed]
[edit] Gornal Wood
Gornal Wood is on the western boundary of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, and contains a small shopping area, including a library. It is the site of the Crooked House pub, a famous landmark known because of its distinctive appearance as a result of mining subsidence.[7]
Gornal Wood Crematorium is also in this area.
[edit] Notable Events
[edit] 2002 Earthquake
The epicentre of the 2002 Dudley earthquake was located in Gornal Wood.[8] It measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and could be felt as far away as North Yorkshire.[9]
[edit] Notable residents
Former BBC newsreader Sue Lawley was born in Dudley in 1946 and grew up in Lower Gornal.[10]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Sedgley UD through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10153748. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "Gornal stone - Encyclopedia". Encyclo.co.uk. 2007-10-15. http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Gornal%20stone. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ "Photos When Bombs Fell on Gornal". Gornal and Sedgley. http://www.gornalandsedgley.org.uk/photos.php?pgid=32. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ "Yampy Gornal Dudley Black Country History - Jack Darby's, Gornal cinema - The Picture House Dudley Road owned by Jack Darby". Yampy.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/jackdarbys.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ "Memories of the Pig are just off the wall". Express&Star. http://www.expressandstar.com/latest/2009/11/02/memories-of-the-pig-are-just-off-the-wall/. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "Ellowes Memories". Yampy.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/ellowes.htm/. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "The Crooked House - History". thecrooked-house.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/ellowes.htm/http://www.thecrooked-house.co.uk/page10.htm. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "Dudley epicentre left unshaken". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2276610.stm. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
- ^ "Earthquake hits UK". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2275158.stm. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
- ^ "The Guardian Profile: Sue Lawley". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/aug/25/broadcasting.bbc. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
[edit] External links
- More details of the 'Pig on the Wall' and its urban legend
- The Ancient Manor of Sedgley - Local History website
- Sedgley Local History Society website
- [1] Map
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