Wordsley
Encyclopedia
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 (the "green belt
"). It is administered as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Wordsley falls into the Stourbridge (DY8) postcode and address area.
of Staffordshire
and, with neighbouring Amblecote
, it is one of several villages just north of the River Stour
that forms the historic border with the county of Worcestershire
to the south. It formed part of the extensive manor of Kingswinford
.
A 610 miles (982 km) long-distance footpath runs nearby. The path loosely follows the escape of the future Charles II
during the English Civil War
. He is said to have stopped at a house (which has since been demolished) on the corner of Kinver Street and the main Stourbridge road in Wordsley, during the night following the battle of Worcester on 3rd of September 1651, and taken bread and beer for himself and his party of about 60 cavaliers.
There were numerous glassworks in Wordsley from 1776 until 1930, making artisan
-created cut-glass items such as vases, glasses and objets-d'art. The famous Portland Vase
was cut in Wordsley. One of the most famous glass designers was a Wordsley man, William Jabez Muckley
. Another was John Northwood, and his son Harry C. Northwood who helped establish glassware in the USA. Yet another who established glassware in the USA was John Northwood's friend, Frederick Carder
. One of the most accomplished glasscutters was George Woodall, whose campaign led to the building of the Wordsley School of Art. The 'Red House Glassworks
', a 100-foot high glassmaking cone, survives and has recently been restored. Lead-crystal cut-glass from Wordsley's heyday is now rare and collectable. Glassworking continued in the area, albeit at a reduced scale, until the 1990s.
Wordsley was the headquarters of the Royal seedsmen, Webbs of Wordsley. Their grounds covered thousands of acres.
A Workhouse
was opened at Wordsley in 1903 and became fully operational in 1907, but became Wordsley Hospital
after the First World War and expanded with a series of extensions which took place between the 1930s
and 1980s
, the final extension being a state-of-the-art maternity unit that opened in 1988. However, the hospital closed in 2005 with its services being moved to an expanded Russells Hall Hospital
in Dudley. Most of the buildings were demolished in 2007 to make way for housing, but parts of the hospital were saved for alternative use. These include the chapel and the old workhouse buildings. They are now under way transforming these into luxury apartments starting at £250,000
This church is the Holy Trinity Church in Wordsley which was consecrated in 1831, replacing St. Mary. Construction had begun 1828 following the donation of land from the Earl of Dudley
. The building was designed by architect Lewis Vulliamy
. This replaced the ancient parish church at Kingswinford
, which was reopened in 1846, initially as a chapel of ease
.
Much of the historic fabric of the village has been subject to demolition over the decades. Victorian terraced housing, shops and glassworker cottages - now so valued elsewhere - were replaced en masse by large housing estates built either in the 1960s modernist style or the 1990s Barratt style. Village buildings that were formerly highly notable fine relics of the Victorian and Edwardian era, such as the Wordsley Hospital
and the Wordsley School of Art, have recently been demolished or redeveloped.
Wordsley Hospital closed in 2005, with its functions being transferred to Russells Hall Hospital
. Some of the less significant buildings were demolished in 2007, but most of the older buildings are being refurbished and incorporated into the new housing development.
The fine Wordsley School of Art, built in 1899 had fallen into disrepair and was demolished at the end of 2000. The first instructor at the school was Frederick Carder, a glass designer. The building had not been used since the Community Association moved to new premises at The Green in the 1970s. The Broadfield House Glass Museum
salvaged two granite plaques which were laid down when the school was completed in 1898 and extended in 1906. The school's site remains empty and overgrown.
In 2006, a row of dilapidated shops at the junction of High Street and Brierley Hill Road were cleared, and plans were announced to widen the often congested road system at this point. New apartments were built on the plot and completed in 2008 (Retrieved 14 July 2007) There is concern that this, and other major homes schemes in the area, will lead to much increased traffic problems on the High Street.
Stuart's Glass Works, another notable building, came under pressure from sales of cheaper imported glass and the business there closed in March 2002. The Stuart's site is earmarked for residential development, which will incorporate some of the historic buildings such as the old flour mill. The glass making centre has know been knocked down, and waiting for a new housing development. The historic Red House Cone
is now preserved as a museum and visitor centre with a craft centre.
passes through Wordsley, being originally a prehistoric track.
National Route 54 of the National Cycle Network
passes a mile to the south-east.
The navigable Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal passes a mile to the west, and the Stourbridge Canal
just to the west, descending in a flight of locks that passes beside the Red House glass cone
.
The nearest rail station is Stourbridge Town
, just under two miles from Wordsley, which is the only station on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line
, a branch off the main Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line
.
1st Wordsley Scout group was formed in 1910 and was initially based on what is now the A491 road near to the Red House Glass Cone. However in the 1950s, they moved to their current headquarters on the B4180 Brierley Hill Road on the Wordsley/Brierley Hill
border. In 2010, the group celebrated their centenary (this being 3 years after The Scout Association
's centenary in 2007).
player Ronnie O'Sullivan
.
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area 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 - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside (the "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...
"). It is administered as part of 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...
Wordsley falls into the Stourbridge (DY8) postcode and address area.
History
Wordsley lies in the far south of the historic boundariesCounties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
of 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...
and, with neighbouring 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...
, it is one of several villages just north of the River Stour
River Stour, Worcestershire
The Stour is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and it is about in length...
that forms the historic border with the county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
to the south. It formed part of the extensive manor of Kingswinford
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area 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 - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
.
A 610 miles (982 km) long-distance footpath runs nearby. The path loosely follows the escape of the future Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. He is said to have stopped at a house (which has since been demolished) on the corner of Kinver Street and the main Stourbridge road in Wordsley, during the night following the battle of Worcester on 3rd of September 1651, and taken bread and beer for himself and his party of about 60 cavaliers.
There were numerous glassworks in Wordsley from 1776 until 1930, making artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
-created cut-glass items such as vases, glasses and objets-d'art. The famous Portland Vase
Portland Vase
The Portland Vase is a Roman cameo glass vase, currently dated to between AD 5 and AD 25, which served as an inspiration to many glass and porcelain makers from about the beginning of the 18th century onwards. Since 1810 the vase has been kept almost continuously in the British Museum in London...
was cut in Wordsley. One of the most famous glass designers was a Wordsley man, William Jabez Muckley
William Jabez Muckley
William Jabez Muckley was a noted English artist who was born at Wordsley, Kingswinford, in Staffordshire. He was the eldest of the seven children of Jabez Muckley who was a glass artisan....
. Another was John Northwood, and his son Harry C. Northwood who helped establish glassware in the USA. Yet another who established glassware in the USA was John Northwood's friend, Frederick Carder
Frederick Carder
Frederick Carder was an American artist and glassmaker. He was born in Staffordshire, England and attended Stourbridge School of Art and the Dudley Mechanic Institute, he later worked in Wordsley. In 1960, Alfred University honored Carder with an honorary doctorate degree.Frederick Carder married...
. One of the most accomplished glasscutters was George Woodall, whose campaign led to the building of the Wordsley School of Art. The 'Red House Glassworks
Red House Cone
The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
', a 100-foot high glassmaking cone, survives and has recently been restored. Lead-crystal cut-glass from Wordsley's heyday is now rare and collectable. Glassworking continued in the area, albeit at a reduced scale, until the 1990s.
Wordsley was the headquarters of the Royal seedsmen, Webbs of Wordsley. Their grounds covered thousands of acres.
A Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
was opened at Wordsley in 1903 and became fully operational in 1907, but became Wordsley Hospital
Wordsley Hospital
Wordsley Hospital was a NHS-owned hospital located in Wordsley, Stourbridge, which is in the West Midlands of England.-Overview:Wordsley Hospital was built as a workhouse in 1903, and became a hospital after the Great War...
after the First World War and expanded with a series of extensions which took place between the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, the final extension being a state-of-the-art maternity unit that opened in 1988. However, the hospital closed in 2005 with its services being moved to an expanded Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital is an NHS-owned hospital located in Dudley, West Midlands, England.It is situated on the A4101 main road which connects Dudley with Kingswinford, and lies narrowly within Dudley's boundaries just outside Brierley Hill...
in Dudley. Most of the buildings were demolished in 2007 to make way for housing, but parts of the hospital were saved for alternative use. These include the chapel and the old workhouse buildings. They are now under way transforming these into luxury apartments starting at £250,000
Places of interest
Earl of Dudley
Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of Stafford, is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family. This family descends from Sir Humble Ward, the son of a wealthy goldsmith and jeweller to King Charles I...
. The building was designed by architect Lewis Vulliamy
Lewis Vulliamy
Lewis Vulliamy was an English architect belonging to the Vulliamy family of clockmakers.-Life:Lewis Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Vulliamy. He was born in Pall Mall, London on 15 March 1791, and articled to Sir Robert Smirke...
. This replaced the ancient parish church at Kingswinford
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area 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 - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, which was 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....
.
Much of the historic fabric of the village has been subject to demolition over the decades. Victorian terraced housing, shops and glassworker cottages - now so valued elsewhere - were replaced en masse by large housing estates built either in the 1960s modernist style or the 1990s Barratt style. Village buildings that were formerly highly notable fine relics of the Victorian and Edwardian era, such as the Wordsley Hospital
Wordsley Hospital
Wordsley Hospital was a NHS-owned hospital located in Wordsley, Stourbridge, which is in the West Midlands of England.-Overview:Wordsley Hospital was built as a workhouse in 1903, and became a hospital after the Great War...
and the Wordsley School of Art, have recently been demolished or redeveloped.
Wordsley Hospital closed in 2005, with its functions being transferred to Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital is an NHS-owned hospital located in Dudley, West Midlands, England.It is situated on the A4101 main road which connects Dudley with Kingswinford, and lies narrowly within Dudley's boundaries just outside Brierley Hill...
. Some of the less significant buildings were demolished in 2007, but most of the older buildings are being refurbished and incorporated into the new housing development.
The fine Wordsley School of Art, built in 1899 had fallen into disrepair and was demolished at the end of 2000. The first instructor at the school was Frederick Carder, a glass designer. The building had not been used since the Community Association moved to new premises at The Green in the 1970s. The Broadfield House Glass Museum
Broadfield 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...
salvaged two granite plaques which were laid down when the school was completed in 1898 and extended in 1906. The school's site remains empty and overgrown.
In 2006, a row of dilapidated shops at the junction of High Street and Brierley Hill Road were cleared, and plans were announced to widen the often congested road system at this point. New apartments were built on the plot and completed in 2008 (Retrieved 14 July 2007) There is concern that this, and other major homes schemes in the area, will lead to much increased traffic problems on the High Street.
Stuart's Glass Works, another notable building, came under pressure from sales of cheaper imported glass and the business there closed in March 2002. The Stuart's site is earmarked for residential development, which will incorporate some of the historic buildings such as the old flour mill. The glass making centre has know been knocked down, and waiting for a new housing development. The historic Red House Cone
Red House Cone
The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
is now preserved as a museum and visitor centre with a craft centre.
Transport
The A491 roadA491 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...
passes through Wordsley, being originally a prehistoric track.
National Route 54 of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
passes a mile to the south-east.
The navigable Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal passes a mile to the west, and the Stourbridge Canal
Stourbridge Canal
The Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.-History:The Stourbridge and Dudley canals were originally proposed as a...
just to the west, descending in a flight of locks that passes beside the Red House glass cone
Red House Cone
The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
.
The nearest rail station is Stourbridge Town
Stourbridge Town railway station
Stourbridge Town is a railway station near the centre of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is situated at the end of a short branch line linking the station with Stourbridge Junction just 0.8 miles away, where passengers can change for mainline train services...
, just under two miles from Wordsley, which is the only station on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line
Stourbridge Town Branch Line
The Stourbridge Town Branch Line is a railway branch line, in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is claimed to be the shortest branch line in Europe, and many miniature railways are certainly longer....
, a branch off the main Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line
Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line
The Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line is a commuter railway line from Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester via Stourbridge and Kidderminster. It is part of the Snow Hill Lines, with trains operated by London Midland and Chiltern Railways using by and diesel units...
.
Culture and arts
Wordsley is noted for having an unusually large number of artistic groups operating in the music, theatre and arts sectors. Wordsley is home to the Dudley Music Centre, a respected local facility for the teaching and performance of music. There are two major theatre groups operating from Wordsley: Wordsley Amateur Dramatics Society, and G.I.S.T. The contemporary poet Gary Bills was born at Wordsley Hospital, and attended Lawnswood Primary School and The Buckpool School, now known as the Wordsley School.Education
Wordsley is home to The Wordsley School Business & Enterprise and Music College which was previously known as The Buckpool School. The school is located on Brierley Hill Road next to Buckpool Nature Reserve. It was also next to "The Swan" pub, which has recently been demolished. Primary schools in the area include; The Brook, Belle Vue, Ashwood Park, Fairhaven and The Glynn.Scouting
Wordsley is home to two scout groups - 1st Wordsley Scout Group and 2nd Wordsley Scout Group.1st Wordsley Scout group was formed in 1910 and was initially based on what is now the A491 road near to the Red House Glass Cone. However in the 1950s, they moved to their current headquarters on the B4180 Brierley Hill Road on the Wordsley/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...
border. In 2010, the group celebrated their centenary (this being 3 years after The Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
's centenary in 2007).
Other Clubs
Wordsley is also home to a Boys Brigade club, which is held on a Monday night by Jill Fielder & Sylvia Liddell, it takes place at Wordsely Community Centre. There are also Scout and Brownie groups held weekly and dance classes held at Holy Trinity Church Hall. Wordsley takes great pride in its many great parks.Notable residents
Famous people born in Wordsley include professional snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
.