COMMUNITY MAGAZINES
Village Voice
PRESERVING THE COMMUNITY
SPIRIT IN THE WEST MIDLANDS
© 2010 ARCOS DESIGN
Previous editions
There is something of a Chinese theme running throughout this issue.
This year Valentines Day coincides with the Chinese New Year and we thought that we would celebrate both - especially as it gives us a chance to feature this beautiful photograph of a tiger.
Although the giant panda is perhaps the animal that we most associate with China 2010 is actually the Year of the Tiger - but unfortunately the number of tigers still surviving in the country are on the decrease and one sub-species (the South China tiger) is thought to be extinct. It is currently thought that only about 50 tigers survive in the wild in China and whilst there are plans to re-introduce them into some areas it is possible that the population has now reduced to a level that will not be sustainable.
The Chinese Government is being very pro-active in trying to stop the hunting of these beasts (poachers now face the death penalty if they are caught) but it may be a question of too little, too late.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal which passes through Wombourne and Swindon is 46 miles long and has 31 locks along its length. Three of those locks are at The Bratch where the canal falls a total of 30 feet 2 inches.
During the 12th century St Marys Church in Bobbington was administered by the Royal Peculiar of Brug. A Royal Peculiar was a church or group of churches that belonged directly to the monarch rather than a diocese. The Deanery of Bridgnorth (Brug) was one such Royal Peculiar and as the church at Bobbington was within its control, St Marys was also a “royal” church.
The Himley Country Hotel in School Road, Himley was originally the local schoolhouse used by the children of workers on the Earl of Dudley’s estate. At Christmas-time the Earl would attend the school and give each child a small present.
In 1865 a plan was put forward to build a new railway line linking the existing Great Western Railway lines at Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton and Gornal. The proposed line—known as the Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton & Staffordshire Railway—also included a branch to Swindon. The plans, however, were later abandoned although a further similar plan by the GWR itself was put forward in 1909. This included a line from Bridgnorth to Wolverhampton with a station at The Bratch in Wombourne. Again the plans were later abandoned.
During the 12th century St Marys Church in Bobbington was administered by the Royal Peculiar of Brug. A Royal Peculiar was a church or group of churches that belonged directly to the monarch rather than a diocese. The Deanery of Bridgnorth (Brug) was one such Royal Peculiar and as the church at Bobbington was within its control, St Marys was also a “royal” church.
The Himley Country Hotel in School Road, Himley was originally the local schoolhouse used by the children of workers on the Earl of Dudley’s estate. At Christmas-
SPELL-
One of the best known and most historic local villages is Trysull and we have put together a few facts and figures about the village:
Trysull, like Seisdon and a long-disappeared hamlet called Cocortone, is included in the Domesday Book which was compiled in 1086. The recorded population of Trysull was just 10.
All Saints’ Church in Trysull (seen here right) dates back to the 12th century. Major extensions were added in the next 300 years and the main body of the church was restored in 1889. The tower had extensive work undertaken on it in 1897 by specialist builders F.W. Simon of Edinburgh.
Agriculture has always been one of the main industries of Trysull and one of the largest farmers in the 19th century was Daniel Banton. He was the first agriculturalist in the county to use guano as a fertiliser.
The children of Trysull inhabitants had school as early as the 1680s although the first purpose-built schoolroom did not appear for a further 40 years.
The original poorhouse for Trysull was based on The Green and was in use by the 1770s but was derelict by the 1840s. A workhouse was built in 1860 and used to house the poor until 1936. During World War II it was used as an egg packing station and was largely destroyed by fire in 1964.
Trysull, like Seisdon and a long-
Agriculture has always been one of the main industries of Trysull and one of the largest farmers in the 19th century was Daniel Banton. He was the first agriculturalist in the county to use guano as a fertiliser.
The children of Trysull inhabitants had school as early as the 1680s although the first purpose-
DID YOU
KNOW?
Over the last five years over 180 editions of VILLAGE VOICE have been published. This represents some 360,000 copies distributed to homes in and around Dudley and South Staffordshire.
We are always pleased to provide advertisers with full details of our circulation
including a road-
Indeed, often we can alter our distribution patterns according to advertiser wishes.
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