Kingswinford
Encyclopedia
Kingswinford is a suburban area (formerly a large village) in the West Midlands
.
Historically within Staffordshire
, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book
its name relates to a ford for the King's swine (Kingswin(e)ford) - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing. Positioned at the western edge of the West Midlands
it borders on a rural area extending past the River Severn
, which explains recent changes. But its position at the edge of the Black Country
and its long standing in the area means it has had significant influence in the past. This is illustrated by the influence in creating local workhouses which shows a population of 15,000 plus in the 1831 census.
The ancient parish of Kingswinford included Wordsley
, Brierley Hill
and Quarry Bank
. The parishes of Kingswinford and Amblecote
formed the Kingswinford rural district
in 1894. It gave its name to a Parliamentary constituency of Kingswinford
from 1885 until 1950. However, Amblecote became an urban district
in 1898, leaving Kingswinford one of only a few single-parish rural districts. It was added to the Brierley Hill
urban district in 1935, which became part of the County Borough of Dudley
in 1966 and then the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
in 1974. However, the rural part of the parish was added to Kinver
in 1935, becoming part of Seisdon
in 1966 and since 1974 part of South Staffordshire
.
The Kingswinford DY6 postal district covers the entirety of Kingswinford and Wall Heath
as well as nearby rural areas such as Hinksford and Ashwood
.
and conurbation
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. It was originally a rural district in Staffordshire
, but in 1933 it was divided between Seisdon
in the north and Brierley Hill
in the south.
Kingswinford is situated on the edge of the conurbation and to the north, east and south lie other suburban areas of the Black Country
. However, the border to the west is green belt
, which stretches for many miles through Shropshire
, beyond the Severn Valley
and into Wales
.
. It was here in 1605 that most of the men who had attempted to blow up Parliament with Guy Fawkes
were cornered, and a bloody gunfight ensued, resulting in the deaths of at least four of the conspirators
, including their leader Robert Catesby
. Bullet holes can still be seen in the house's walls, but it is not open to the public.
Many of the streets of the Charterfields housing development, built during the 1970s, adopted the names of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, such as Catesby Drive (Robert Catesby
), Digby Road (Sir Edward Digby), Keyes Drive (Robert Keyes
), Tresham Road (Francis Tresham
), Ambrose Crescent (Ambrose Rokewood
), Monteagle Drive (Lord Monteagle - William Parker
) and Rokewood Close (Ambrose Rokewood
).
of St. Mary http://www.stmaryskingswinford.org.uk dates back to the 11th century, although much of the main body of the building is from the 17th century. It contains a notable Norman
carving of St. Michael slaying the dragon
. The church is also home to a well-regarded two manual Nicholson and Lord pipe organ
. It remained the church of the huge parish of Kingswinford until it was closed because of mining activities in 1831, when a new parish church was built, Holy Trinity Church in Wordsley
. It reopened in 1846, initially as a chapel of ease
, before regaining parochial status (with a smaller parish). It is the parish church for the Kingswinford Team of Anglican churches. The building is now a Grade II listed building.
Urban District Council and since 1966 has been controlled by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. It now forms part of the DY6 postal district.
Recent house building, commencing in the 1950s and 1960s, has largely destroyed the original rural character of Kingswinford, the result being the complete absorption of the former village into the large urban area that is the Dudley borough. This turn of events is lamented by some but has also brought considerable economic wealth into the area through the arrival of upmarket housing estates.
Kingswinford is also where food retail
er Julian Graves
has its head office
and distribution centres.
, along with five public house
s and bars. Once a town centre with a cinema
, modern 1960s precinct and local quality butcher's, baker's and grocer's, it saw decline in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many locals attribute this to the opening of Merry Hill Shopping Centre
. Unlike Dudley
town centre, Kingswinford has brought many locals back to the town centre by concentrating on quality shops and attractions. Kingswinford town centre doesn't just attract locals, however. Due to its location and major road networks that pass through, many people who use the A491 road
, stop in Kingswinford. This is somewhat seen as more of a disadvantage by residents than local business, as traffic on the A491 bottleneck
s at Kingswinford Cross. Just before the A491 goes through Kingswinford it changes from a dual carriageway
to a single carriageway
, with numerous traffic light
s in Kingswinford. A bypass
has been suggested, however, this is still in early development.
house was demolished in the 1950s to build a shopping centre. John Badley of Townsend (1678–1768) was an ancestor of John Badley
, F.R.C.S.
and John Haden Badley
the centenarian
educator and founder of Bedales School
.
, Compton Drive, is housed in a splendid grade II listed building set in its own grounds and located in the historic Stourbridge Glass Quarter. It has a magnificent collection of British glass, much of it made locally, from historic 18th century pieces to contemporary works from Britain's leading glass artists.
A programme of lectures and events, and support for the work of the glass museum is organised by the friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum.
St. Mary's Primary School, Maidensbridge Primary School, Blanford Mere Primary School and Glynne Primary School, amongst others are feeders to Kingswinford School.
Summerhill School sees children come from mainly the Glynne, fairhaven and Dawley Brook primary schools and from other local areas, such as the neighbouring Wall Heath
and Wordsley
and even areas of Stourbridge
.
There are two major industrial trading estates in Kingswinford, the Dawley Brook Estate and the Pensnett Estate. These provide good local employment opportunities.
In 2005, work began on a project which is expected to bring around 2,000 new homes to the Kingswinford area, in order to create enough supply to accommodate the high demand for properties in and around Kingswinford - which is now one of the most favoured localities in the Black Country
.
There are a few annual traditions in Kingswinford that have emerged in recent years and grown in popularity, such as fancy dress attire every Christmas Eve
, particularly amongst young adult residents, often resulting in various pub crawls through the town. Another infamous tradition is for football fans to wear a retro or classic football shirt on the day of the FA Cup final
.
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
.
Historically within Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
its name relates to a ford for the King's swine (Kingswin(e)ford) - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing. Positioned at the western edge of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
it borders on a rural area extending past the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, which explains recent changes. But its position at the edge of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
and its long standing in the area means it has had significant influence in the past. This is illustrated by the influence in creating local workhouses which shows a population of 15,000 plus in the 1831 census.
The ancient parish of Kingswinford included Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
, Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
and Quarry Bank
Quarry Bank
Quarry Bank is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, which exists within the Brierley Hill DY5 postal district.Locally, the name is often pronounced, "Quarry Bonk"...
. The parishes of Kingswinford and Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
formed the Kingswinford rural district
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
in 1894. It gave its name to a Parliamentary constituency of Kingswinford
Kingswinford (UK Parliament constituency)
Kingswinford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Kingswinford in Staffordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
from 1885 until 1950. However, Amblecote became an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in 1898, leaving Kingswinford one of only a few single-parish rural districts. It was added to the Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
urban district in 1935, which became part of the County Borough of Dudley
County Borough of Dudley
Dudley was a local government district in the English Midlands from 1865 to 1974. It was a municipal borough covering the town of Dudley and became a county borough in 1889. Although completely surrounded by Staffordshire, the borough was associated with Worcestershire for non-administrative...
in 1966 and then the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...
in 1974. However, the rural part of the parish was added to Kinver
Kinver
Kinver is a large village in South Staffordshire district, Staffordshire, England. It is in the far south-west of the county, at the end of the narrow finger of land surrounded by the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The nearest towns are Stourbridge in the West...
in 1935, becoming part of Seisdon
Seisdon
Seisdon is a rural village in the county of Staffordshire approximately six miles west of Wolverhampton.-Etymology:The name appears to mean "hill of the Saxons", deriving from the Anglo-Saxon words Seis meaning Saxon and Dun meaning hill.-History:...
in 1966 and since 1974 part of South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
.
The Kingswinford DY6 postal district covers the entirety of Kingswinford and Wall Heath
Wall Heath
-Geography:Wall Heath is a small village on the western fringe of the Black Country and the West Midlands conurbation in the United Kingdom. It is located on the A449 road, approximately seven miles south of Wolverhampton and 9 miles North of Kidderminster....
as well as nearby rural areas such as Hinksford and Ashwood
Ashwood, Staffordshire
Ashwood is a small area of Staffordshire, England.It is situated in the South Staffordshire district, approximately two miles west of the West Midlands conurbation and the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley....
.
Geography
Kingswinford is a part of the West Midlands metropolitan countyMetropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
and conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. It was originally a rural district in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, but in 1933 it was divided between Seisdon
Seisdon
Seisdon is a rural village in the county of Staffordshire approximately six miles west of Wolverhampton.-Etymology:The name appears to mean "hill of the Saxons", deriving from the Anglo-Saxon words Seis meaning Saxon and Dun meaning hill.-History:...
in the north and Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
in the south.
Kingswinford is situated on the edge of the conurbation and to the north, east and south lie other suburban areas of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
. However, the border to the west is green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
, which stretches for many miles through Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, beyond the Severn Valley
Severn Valley
Severn Valley could be*The Severn Valley in Shropshire, English Midlands *The Severn Valley Country Park in Shropshire, English Midlands *The fictional Severn Valley...
and into Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Closest cities, towns and villages
Gunpowder Plot
Near the town is Holbeach House, a small country house which has now been turned into a nursing homeNursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
. It was here in 1605 that most of the men who had attempted to blow up Parliament with Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
were cornered, and a bloody gunfight ensued, resulting in the deaths of at least four of the conspirators
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
, including their leader Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby , was the leader of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605....
. Bullet holes can still be seen in the house's walls, but it is not open to the public.
Many of the streets of the Charterfields housing development, built during the 1970s, adopted the names of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, such as Catesby Drive (Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby , was the leader of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605....
), Digby Road (Sir Edward Digby), Keyes Drive (Robert Keyes
Robert Keyes
Robert Keyes was a member of the group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a conspiracy to assassinate King James I by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605. He was the sixth man to join the...
), Tresham Road (Francis Tresham
Francis Tresham
Francis Tresham , eldest son of Sir Thomas Tresham and Merial Throckmorton, was a member of the group of English provincial catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a conspiracy to assassinate King James I of England...
), Ambrose Crescent (Ambrose Rokewood
Ambrose Rokewood
Sir Ambrose Rookwood was a member of the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to replace the Protestant King James I with a Catholic monarch. Rookwood was born into a wealthy family of Catholic recusants, and educated by Jesuits at Flanders. His older brother became a Franciscan, and his two...
), Monteagle Drive (Lord Monteagle - William Parker
William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle
William Parker, 13th Baron Morley, 4th Baron Monteagle was an English peer, Lord of Morley, Hingham, Hockering, &c., in Norfolk, the eldest son of Edward Parker, 12th Baron Morley , and of Elizabeth Stanley, daughter and heiress of William Stanley, 3rd Baron Monteagle .When quite a youth he...
) and Rokewood Close (Ambrose Rokewood
Ambrose Rokewood
Sir Ambrose Rookwood was a member of the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to replace the Protestant King James I with a Catholic monarch. Rookwood was born into a wealthy family of Catholic recusants, and educated by Jesuits at Flanders. His older brother became a Franciscan, and his two...
).
Parish church
The parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Mary http://www.stmaryskingswinford.org.uk dates back to the 11th century, although much of the main body of the building is from the 17th century. It contains a notable Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
carving of St. Michael slaying the dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
. The church is also home to a well-regarded two manual Nicholson and Lord pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
. It remained the church of the huge parish of Kingswinford until it was closed because of mining activities in 1831, when a new parish church was built, Holy Trinity Church in Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
. It reopened in 1846, initially as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
, before regaining parochial status (with a smaller parish). It is the parish church for the Kingswinford Team of Anglican churches. The building is now a Grade II listed building.
Modern development
From 1894 to 1938, Kingswinford was the centre of Kingswinford Rural District Council. It was then part of Brierley HillBrierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
Urban District Council and since 1966 has been controlled by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. It now forms part of the DY6 postal district.
Recent house building, commencing in the 1950s and 1960s, has largely destroyed the original rural character of Kingswinford, the result being the complete absorption of the former village into the large urban area that is the Dudley borough. This turn of events is lamented by some but has also brought considerable economic wealth into the area through the arrival of upmarket housing estates.
Kingswinford is also where food retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
er Julian Graves
Julian Graves
Julian Graves is a health food retailer, with 255 stores operating in the United Kingdom and the Republic Of Ireland. They sell health foods, a limited range of kitchenware, baking ingredients and a variety of confectionery items. NBTY who own rival chain Holland & Barrett reached an agreement to...
has its head office
Head Office
Head Office is a 1985 American comedy film, produced by HBO Pictures in association with Silver Screen Partners. It stars Judge Reinhold, Eddie Albert, Lori-Nan Engler, Jane Seymour, Richard Masur, Michael O'Donoghue, Ron Frazier, Merritt Butrick and was directed and written by Ken...
and distribution centres.
Town centre
Kingswinford has many local shops in the town centreTown centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
, along with five public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and bars. Once a town centre with a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, modern 1960s precinct and local quality butcher's, baker's and grocer's, it saw decline in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many locals attribute this to the opening of Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...
. Unlike Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
town centre, Kingswinford has brought many locals back to the town centre by concentrating on quality shops and attractions. Kingswinford town centre doesn't just attract locals, however. Due to its location and major road networks that pass through, many people who use the A491 road
A491 road
The A491 is an A road in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme.-History:The road north of Oldswinford forms part of an ancient road, probably of Anglo-Saxon origin, joining the burhs of Worcester and Stafford...
, stop in Kingswinford. This is somewhat seen as more of a disadvantage by residents than local business, as traffic on the A491 bottleneck
Bottleneck
A bottleneck is a phenomenon where the performance or capacity of an entire system is limited by a single or limited number of components or resources. The term bottleneck is taken from the 'assets are water' metaphor. As water is poured out of a bottle, the rate of outflow is limited by the width...
s at Kingswinford Cross. Just before the A491 goes through Kingswinford it changes from a dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
to a single carriageway
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
, with numerous traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
s in Kingswinford. A bypass
Bypass
Bypass may refer to:* Bypass , in effects units, a switch that allows sound* Bypass , in computing, circumventing security features in hacking, or taking a different approach to an issue in troubleshooting* Bypass * Bypass surgery...
has been suggested, however, this is still in early development.
Townsend
There is an area at the end of Kingswinford which has been known as Townsend dating back to 19th century maps of the area. It was centred on Townsend House, the family seat of the Badley family from the 17th until the early 20th century. The GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house was demolished in the 1950s to build a shopping centre. John Badley of Townsend (1678–1768) was an ancestor of John Badley
John Badley (surgeon)
John Badley, F.R.C.S. student of John Abernethy at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. His 1801 lecture notes of Abernethy are in the archives at the University of Birmingham School of Medicine....
, F.R.C.S.
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
and John Haden Badley
John Haden Badley
John Haden Badley , author, educator, and founder of Bedales School, which claims to have become the first coeducational public boarding school in England in 1893....
the centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
educator and founder of Bedales School
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
.
Places of interest
Broadfield House Glass MuseumBroadfield House Glass Museum
Broadfield House is a Grade II listed building which houses a glass museum and hot glass studio run by Dudley Council located in the Stourbridge Glass Quarter, West Midlands, England. Its collection is made up of items dating from the 17th century to present day and holds many public events and...
, Compton Drive, is housed in a splendid grade II listed building set in its own grounds and located in the historic Stourbridge Glass Quarter. It has a magnificent collection of British glass, much of it made locally, from historic 18th century pieces to contemporary works from Britain's leading glass artists.
A programme of lectures and events, and support for the work of the glass museum is organised by the friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum.
Primary schools
Kingswinford serves 5–11 year olds with six primary schools, one of which is a special school. Bromley Hills is adjacent to the Crestwood School, where the vast majority of the children transfer to at the age of 11. Dingle Primary School children also attend Crestwood in the majority of cases. Another school in Kingswinford is Crestwood Park, a school that was one of the worst schools in the area but hasimproved dramatically.St. Mary's Primary School, Maidensbridge Primary School, Blanford Mere Primary School and Glynne Primary School, amongst others are feeders to Kingswinford School.
Summerhill School sees children come from mainly the Glynne, fairhaven and Dawley Brook primary schools and from other local areas, such as the neighbouring Wall Heath
Wall Heath
-Geography:Wall Heath is a small village on the western fringe of the Black Country and the West Midlands conurbation in the United Kingdom. It is located on the A449 road, approximately seven miles south of Wolverhampton and 9 miles North of Kidderminster....
and Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
and even areas of Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
.
Secondary schools
The area has three major secondary schools:- The Kingswinford School is located in the heart of the town, a five minute walk from the main road that runs through, the A491 (Market Street).
- Summerhill School is located some half mile away and has recently undergone major building works. Perhaps reflecting the area's status, it was rebuilt in 2003 with a brand new 21st century design replacing the original 1950s1950sThe 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
buildings. This project was one of the first large scale PFI projects (the deal was worth around £27 million) and is considered to be a showcase for the local authority's education provision. A remaining building from the old school that was built in 1993 was the subject of local debate since its closure in 2003, with Dudley Metropolitan Borough council intent upon using it to house the borough's archiveArchiveAn archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s. This caused conflict following the proposal of an alternative scheme (The C.I.C Kingswinford) put forward by a local young entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
(John Hackett) to use the building as an arts centreArts centreAn art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
that was rejected by the council. The council planned to move the archives service to this building in 2007, but the scheme was cancelled in 2008 after it was found to be uneconomical. The building was damaged, but not destroyed, in an arson attack on 5 November 2008, carried out by 2 current students at the time. It now sits derelict by the sports facilities of the school, with shattered glass and bricks causing a hazard to many students.
- The Crestwood SchoolThe Crestwood SchoolThe Crestwood School is a school in Kingswinford, West Midlands, England.-Admissions:It is an 11-16 comprehensive school with some 700 students on the roll, averaging at around 140 per year group.-Grammar school:...
is located on another busy road through Kingswinford that joins the A491 (Market Street) to the Brierley HillBrierley HillBrierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
area, often used, to residents dismay, as a quick way to Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The Crestwood School has recently also undergone major building works, which has seen the moving of the Brier school upon on land between Crestwood (As known to locals) and Bromley Hills Primary School. This has also been seen as an annoyance to local residents as it has brought extra traffic to an already busy road, especially at school run times.
Local churches
In addition to the parish church of St. Mary, Kingswinford http://www.stmaryskingswinford.org.uk is home to several churches of other denominations including:- Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church
- Calvary Church
- Crestwood Church http://www.Crestwoodchurch.org.uk
- Kingswinford Methodist Church
- Kingswinford Christian Fellowship
Kingswinford today
Despite its roots as a small village, Kingswinford is now better described as a dormitory town to Dudley, containing as it does a large number of commuting communities, small industrial businesses and several schools. The area is considered by local residents to be a good place to live and work. There are however, increasing congestion and over-population problems coherent with those that exist throughout the Dudley borough.There are two major industrial trading estates in Kingswinford, the Dawley Brook Estate and the Pensnett Estate. These provide good local employment opportunities.
In 2005, work began on a project which is expected to bring around 2,000 new homes to the Kingswinford area, in order to create enough supply to accommodate the high demand for properties in and around Kingswinford - which is now one of the most favoured localities in the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
.
There are a few annual traditions in Kingswinford that have emerged in recent years and grown in popularity, such as fancy dress attire every Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, particularly amongst young adult residents, often resulting in various pub crawls through the town. Another infamous tradition is for football fans to wear a retro or classic football shirt on the day of the FA Cup final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
.
Kingswinford's more colourful side
- Kingswinford's most notorious resident is the mysterious author known as Captain Lazonby-Threpwell. His reputation was built on a series of bizarre letters to local newspapers and the fantastical book "Gulleys, Alleyways and Shortcuts of Kingswinford". Believed to have been written under a pseudonym, his writing has been favourably compared to that of J. D. SalingerJ. D. SalingerJerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980....
. - In 1987, Kingswinford adopted the Ocean Quahog (Arctica Islandica) as the official town shell.
- Sri Lankan bornSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
double murderer Senthamil Thillainathan lived in Kingswinford for a short time before his arrest in 2002. - In 2004, Kingswinford was put on red alertRed Alert-Warning systems:Notable warning systems that use red alerts are:* The Homeland Security Advisory System * The BIKINI state * An emergency broadcast bullentin used by the Emergency Management of Ontario, in Ontario, Canada-Music:...
when it was announced that a crocodileCrocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
had been sighted in a local park - Sunday Times bestselling author, Miranda Dickinson, was born in Kingswinford and mentions the town's library in her author biography included in her first novel "Fairytale of New York" (2009).
- On 1st December 2010 Ralph's Surf Shack - The Alternative Guide to Kingswinford - celebrated its 10th anniversary by launching a new Kingswinford Social Portal.
See also
- GornalGornal, West MidlandsGornal is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Gornal encompasses three areas: Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal and Gornalwood; and is located to the northwest of Dudley...
- Wrens Nest Estate
- Kates HillKates HillKates Hill is a residential area in Dudley, West Midlands, England.-History:Kates Hill was the scene of chaos in 1648 when parliamentarians used it as their base in the Civil War against King Charles I...
estate - Russells Hall EstateRussells Hall EstateRussells Hall is a residential area of Dudley in the West Midlands of England. The area was extensively mined for coal during the Industrial Revolution and would remain open for many years, which meant the district had become highly industrialised in the then heyday of the Black Country's...
External links
- Kingswinford Information Site
- BBC Invesitgation into Captain Lazonby-Threpwell
- Dudley Borough Council
- BBC News Crocodile Report
- Ralphs Surf Shack - The Alternative Guide to Kingswinford
- The Pig King of Kingswinford
- Your Dudley
- Two-Headed Pheasant Mystery
- Wordsley Team Parish
- Calvary Church, Kingswinford