Darlaston
Encyclopedia
Darlaston is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
in the West Midlands
of England.
car park, slightly south west of the original parish church, which is now the location for St Lawrence's Church.
Due to being located on the South Staffordshire Coalfield, Darlaston became industrialised very early in its history. The first industries were cottage industries and anyone wishing to mine the coal had to apply for a copyhold from the lord of the manor. In 1698, Timothy Woodhouse was manager of the coal mines belonging to Mrs Mary Offley, who was the lady of the manor. In the first year he sold 3,000 sacks of coal and later went into partnership in his own business. Darlaston also had a windmill which is mentioned in a map of 1695. The mill continued to be in use until about 1860.
The town grew in the 19th century around the nut
, bolt
and gun lock manufacturing and coal mining
industries. It was highly industrialised with a population of 6,000 in 1841. Large areas of land were owned by the Birmingham Coal Company and the area was accessed by the Birmingham Canal Navigations
and Grand Junction Railway
. In December 1839, the rector of the parish reported that there were approximately 1,500 homes in the parish of Darlaston, most of which were in poor condition and owned by working class people. The Rose family were identified as a wealthy family in the area during the 19th century as a result of Richard Rose's acquisitions of unenclosed land. Upon his death in 1870, his estate was valued at over £877. He bequeathed the land to his wife Hannah. His brother was identified as James Rose in an 1871 census and was listed as a latch, bolt and nut maker, employing 39 people, including 19 children. At the time of the 1881 census, James Rose was 55 and his business had expanded to employ 90 people. James Rose died in 1901. Construction of Darlaston Town Hall commenced on June 21, 1887 and it was completed in 1888.
On January 1, 1895, Darlaston became an urban district
, and the local board became Darlaston Urban District Council. In 1965, Darlaston became part of Walsall and in 1974, it became part of the metropolitan county
of the West Midlands
.
Darlaston was subject to bombing raids in World War II. One such bombing raid targeted the Guest Keen & Nettlefolds'
Atlas works on July 31, 1942 and completely destroyed All Saints Church. It was the only church in the Diocese of Lichfield
to be destroyed by enemy action. A newly built church reopened in 1952.
A Luftwaffe
bombing on 5 June 1941 wrecked several houses in Lowe Avenue, Rough Hay, and killed 11 people. The bomb had been aimed at Rubery Owen's factory but missed by some distance.
By the end of the 1980s, most of the industry in the town had closed and the town is now considered a ghost town, with an increasing high level of unemployment.
Many Victorian
terraced house
s were demolished during the second half of the 20th century, and the Urban District Council of Darlaston
built thousands of houses and flats to replace them with. Since 1966, Darlaston has been part of the Walsall borough and is now in the WS10
postal district which also included neighbouring Wednesbury
.
Bentley Old Hall stood in the north of Darlaston until the early 20th century. Its grounds were redeveloped as a housing estate in the 1950s.
Mining subsidence
, which has taken its toll on many buildings across central England, has also made its mark in Darlaston. In 1999, a council house on the New Moxley housing estate collapsed down a disused mineshaft while its occupants were on holiday. The adjoining house also had to be knocked down. Since then, the council owned housing stock in Darlaston has broken away from Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and is now controlled by Darlaston Housing Trust. In 2001, two of the town's four multi-storey blocks of flats were demolished, and the remaining two where demolished 2004. Local elderly residents were deprived of their car parking facilities in Wesleys fold because of the demolition due to an oversight by Walsall council. Some of the town's council owned low rise homes have already been flattened by bulldozers, mostly because of subsidence, while many more are expected to be cleared.
The town is served by one large secondary school - Darlaston Community School - which has specialist Science College
status. The school was later taken over by businessman Bob Edminson and was turned into Grace Academy in 2009 and is the third Grace Academy.
Since the early 1970s, the town centre has been by-passed by St Lawrence's Way, which runs between The Green and Bull Stake.
On 8 November 1992, a speeding drunk-driver at the wheel of a BMW
ran over and killed two young girls in Herberts Park Road. He was remanded in custody for his own safety following threats of reprisal attacks on him by angry local residents. The driver, Janson Cartwright (20), was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at Stafford
Crown Court
on 2 April 1993. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned from driving for five years. Ironically, Cartwright had received an award in 1987 for saving the life of an elderly woman who fell into a local canal.
Earlier in 1992, the disused Kings Hill Primary School building on Joynson Street was destroyed by fire just weeks before it was due to be demolished. The school had recently relocated to a building on Old Park Road that had previously been part of Kings Hill Secondary School.
On 21 May 1993, divorcee Christine Reece (54) was found dead in a ground floor council flat on Glynne Avenue. The woman's fiancée was later found dead from an overdose. It was established that the woman had been murdered several days earlier by her fiancée Kenneth Gear, whose death was believed to have been suicide
. The three-storey block of flats in which Mrs Reece lived was demolished in the early 2000s.
On 16 August 2000, Phillip Woods (19) was stabbed to death in George Rose Park during a funfair. Three men were later charged with murder but found not guilty.
On 9 October 2007, Bangladeshi-born
Kalif Ahmed (31) was gaoled for life
after being found guilty of murdering his 21-year-old wife Laily Begum, who was last seen alive in January 2006. Her body has never been found, but police were able to make a successful prosecution against Ahmed due to the blood stains found at his council house on Simmonds Place. The trial judge recommended that Ahmed should serve at least 20 years before being considered for parole, effectively meaning he will remain in prison until at least 2026 and the age of 50.
The geology of Darlaston and the rest of Black Country
is very complex. There are underlying coal reserves, most likley deposited in the Carboniferous Period. The geology of Darlaston provided the fuel for the industrial revolution of the town. Disused coal mines are found near Queen Street in Moxley, behind Pinfold street JMI School, near Hewitt Street and Wolverhampton Street, in George Rose Park and behind the police station in Victoria Park.
, offering tax breaks and relaxed planning laws to any businesses interested in setting up bases in the selected areas. It is expected to create thousands of jobs in the town by 2015 and ease the town's long running unemployment crisis, which has deepened since 2008 as a result of the recession.
until 1916, when it closed. Since 1999, there has been a Midland Metro
stop on Bradley Lane in the Moxley
area of the town.
Buses which serve Darlaston Town Centre are stop at Darlaston Town Bus Interchange. These services are listed below.
Additional services which briefly enter Darlaston are the Banga Buses & Choice Travel
530, between the Rocket Pool and Wolverhampton
via Bilston
and the 575 between Ettingshall
and Wolverhampton
, the 680 between Moxley
and Bilston
via Lower Bradley & the 523 between Wednesbury
and Stowlawn all operated by Choice Travel
.
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district in the Black Country part of the West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills,...
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...
of England.
History
Archaeological evidence of the history of Darlaston has been destroyed by The de Darlaston family owned Darlaston and lived in the manor between the 12th century and 15th century. When the de Darlaston family died out, the manor was taken over by the Hayes family and renamed Great Croft. The exact location of the manor is not known. It is believed that the site is covered by the new AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
car park, slightly south west of the original parish church, which is now the location for St Lawrence's Church.
Due to being located on the South Staffordshire Coalfield, Darlaston became industrialised very early in its history. The first industries were cottage industries and anyone wishing to mine the coal had to apply for a copyhold from the lord of the manor. In 1698, Timothy Woodhouse was manager of the coal mines belonging to Mrs Mary Offley, who was the lady of the manor. In the first year he sold 3,000 sacks of coal and later went into partnership in his own business. Darlaston also had a windmill which is mentioned in a map of 1695. The mill continued to be in use until about 1860.
The town grew in the 19th century around the nut
Nut (hardware)
A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts...
, bolt
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
and gun lock manufacturing and coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industries. It was highly industrialised with a population of 6,000 in 1841. Large areas of land were owned by the Birmingham Coal Company and the area was accessed by the Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations is a network of navigable canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country...
and Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
. In December 1839, the rector of the parish reported that there were approximately 1,500 homes in the parish of Darlaston, most of which were in poor condition and owned by working class people. The Rose family were identified as a wealthy family in the area during the 19th century as a result of Richard Rose's acquisitions of unenclosed land. Upon his death in 1870, his estate was valued at over £877. He bequeathed the land to his wife Hannah. His brother was identified as James Rose in an 1871 census and was listed as a latch, bolt and nut maker, employing 39 people, including 19 children. At the time of the 1881 census, James Rose was 55 and his business had expanded to employ 90 people. James Rose died in 1901. Construction of Darlaston Town Hall commenced on June 21, 1887 and it was completed in 1888.
On January 1, 1895, Darlaston 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....
, and the local board became Darlaston Urban District Council. In 1965, Darlaston became part of Walsall and in 1974, it became part of the metropolitan county
Metropolitan 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...
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...
.
Darlaston was subject to bombing raids in World War II. One such bombing raid targeted the Guest Keen & Nettlefolds'
GKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
Atlas works on July 31, 1942 and completely destroyed All Saints Church. It was the only church in the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
to be destroyed by enemy action. A newly built church reopened in 1952.
A Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombing on 5 June 1941 wrecked several houses in Lowe Avenue, Rough Hay, and killed 11 people. The bomb had been aimed at Rubery Owen's factory but missed by some distance.
By the end of the 1980s, most of the industry in the town had closed and the town is now considered a ghost town, with an increasing high level of unemployment.
Many Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
terraced house
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
s were demolished during the second half of the 20th century, and the Urban District Council of Darlaston
Darlaston Urban District
Darlaston Urban District was a local authority which existed within the West Midlands conurbation, England from 1894 until 1966. It was centred around the township of Darlaston in the Black Country, and also incorporated the villages of Bentley and Moxley....
built thousands of houses and flats to replace them with. Since 1966, Darlaston has been part of the Walsall borough and is now in the WS10
WS postcode area
The WS postcode area, also known as the Walsall postcode area, is a group of postcode districts emanating from Walsall and stretching to Burntwood, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, and Wednesbury in England.-Coverage:...
postal district which also included neighbouring Wednesbury
Wednesbury
Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
.
Bentley Old Hall stood in the north of Darlaston until the early 20th century. Its grounds were redeveloped as a housing estate in the 1950s.
Mining subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
, which has taken its toll on many buildings across central England, has also made its mark in Darlaston. In 1999, a council house on the New Moxley housing estate collapsed down a disused mineshaft while its occupants were on holiday. The adjoining house also had to be knocked down. Since then, the council owned housing stock in Darlaston has broken away from Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and is now controlled by Darlaston Housing Trust. In 2001, two of the town's four multi-storey blocks of flats were demolished, and the remaining two where demolished 2004. Local elderly residents were deprived of their car parking facilities in Wesleys fold because of the demolition due to an oversight by Walsall council. Some of the town's council owned low rise homes have already been flattened by bulldozers, mostly because of subsidence, while many more are expected to be cleared.
The town is served by one large secondary school - Darlaston Community School - which has specialist Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
status. The school was later taken over by businessman Bob Edminson and was turned into Grace Academy in 2009 and is the third Grace Academy.
Since the early 1970s, the town centre has been by-passed by St Lawrence's Way, which runs between The Green and Bull Stake.
Crime
Darlaston has been the scene of high profile crimes which have attracted massive media attention in the local press.On 8 November 1992, a speeding drunk-driver at the wheel of a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
ran over and killed two young girls in Herberts Park Road. He was remanded in custody for his own safety following threats of reprisal attacks on him by angry local residents. The driver, Janson Cartwright (20), was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
on 2 April 1993. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned from driving for five years. Ironically, Cartwright had received an award in 1987 for saving the life of an elderly woman who fell into a local canal.
Earlier in 1992, the disused Kings Hill Primary School building on Joynson Street was destroyed by fire just weeks before it was due to be demolished. The school had recently relocated to a building on Old Park Road that had previously been part of Kings Hill Secondary School.
On 21 May 1993, divorcee Christine Reece (54) was found dead in a ground floor council flat on Glynne Avenue. The woman's fiancée was later found dead from an overdose. It was established that the woman had been murdered several days earlier by her fiancée Kenneth Gear, whose death was believed to have been suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. The three-storey block of flats in which Mrs Reece lived was demolished in the early 2000s.
On 16 August 2000, Phillip Woods (19) was stabbed to death in George Rose Park during a funfair. Three men were later charged with murder but found not guilty.
On 9 October 2007, Bangladeshi-born
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
Kalif Ahmed (31) was gaoled for life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
after being found guilty of murdering his 21-year-old wife Laily Begum, who was last seen alive in January 2006. Her body has never been found, but police were able to make a successful prosecution against Ahmed due to the blood stains found at his council house on Simmonds Place. The trial judge recommended that Ahmed should serve at least 20 years before being considered for parole, effectively meaning he will remain in prison until at least 2026 and the age of 50.
Geography and geology
Darlaston is situated between Wednesbury and Walsall. No motorway runs through the town, but a section of the M6 between J9 and J10 may be considered to be in Darlaston. The town also no longer has a railway station as it was closed and demolished in the 1960s. The Walsall Canal and Tame Valley canal run through the town. The town has a few small open spaces including Broadwaters road playing field, Kings Hill Park, George Rose Park and Victoria Park.The geology of Darlaston and the rest of 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...
is very complex. There are underlying coal reserves, most likley deposited in the Carboniferous Period. The geology of Darlaston provided the fuel for the industrial revolution of the town. Disused coal mines are found near Queen Street in Moxley, behind Pinfold street JMI School, near Hewitt Street and Wolverhampton Street, in George Rose Park and behind the police station in Victoria Park.
Enterprise Zone
In 2011, a total of 15 derelict sites in the town were designated as enterprise zonesUrban Enterprise Zone
In the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, are intended to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods through tax and regulatory relief to entrepreneurs and investors who launch businesses in the area. UEZs are areas where companies can locate free of...
, offering tax breaks and relaxed planning laws to any businesses interested in setting up bases in the selected areas. It is expected to create thousands of jobs in the town by 2015 and ease the town's long running unemployment crisis, which has deepened since 2008 as a result of the recession.
Public transport
Darlaston town centre was served by a Darlaston railway stationDarlaston railway station
Darlaston railway station was a station built on the South Staffordshire Line in 1863. It served the town of Darlaston, and was located to the east of the town centre, on Walsall Road. It was one of two railway stations that served the town...
until 1916, when it closed. Since 1999, there has been a Midland Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
stop on Bradley Lane in the Moxley
Moxley
Moxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and...
area of the town.
Buses which serve Darlaston Town Centre are stop at Darlaston Town Bus Interchange. These services are listed below.
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stand A | ||
| 9 | Lodge Farm Lodge Farm The Lodge Farm estate is located in the area of Short Heath in the town of Willenhall, which is in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.The estate is centred primarily within the interior loop of Stroud Avenue. It comprises mainly current and former council properties and a smaller number of more... Via Bentley Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Choice Travel Choice Travel Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.-History:... |
| 327 | Willenhall Willenhall Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire... Via Rough Hay |
Diamond Bus Diamond Bus Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel.... |
| 333 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... Via Lodge Farm Lodge Farm The Lodge Farm estate is located in the area of Short Heath in the town of Willenhall, which is in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.The estate is centred primarily within the interior loop of Stroud Avenue. It comprises mainly current and former council properties and a smaller number of more... & Willenhall Willenhall Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| 334 | Bilston Bilston Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and... Via The Lunt The Lunt The Lunt is a residential area of Bilston within the city of Wolverhampton and is part of the West Midlands conurbation in England.It was mostly laid out by the local council during the 1920s and 1930s, with houses being built to rehouse people from town centre slums... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... /Finesse Coaches/Golden Line/Sandwell Travel |
| 339 | Bilston Bilston Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and... Via Herberts Park & Moxley Moxley Moxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| Stand B | ||
| 9 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... Via Pleck Pleck Pleck in the borough of Walsall neighbours Palfrey and stretches from the bridge on Wednesbury Road to Junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It consists of a large green space called Pleck Park and housing estates.... |
Choice Travel Choice Travel Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.-History:... |
| 333 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... Via Pleck Pleck Pleck in the borough of Walsall neighbours Palfrey and stretches from the bridge on Wednesbury Road to Junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It consists of a large green space called Pleck Park and housing estates.... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| 334 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... Via Pleck Pleck Pleck in the borough of Walsall neighbours Palfrey and stretches from the bridge on Wednesbury Road to Junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It consists of a large green space called Pleck Park and housing estates.... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... /Sandwell Travel/Finesse Coaches/Golden Line |
| 337 National Express West Midlands route 337 National Express West Midlands route 333E is a bus route, operating in the Walsall area of the West Midlands, England.The same route is also followed by Midland service 9 , National Express West Midlands route 333 , National Express West Midlands, Finesse Coaches & Sandwell Travel route... |
Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... Via Pleck Pleck Pleck in the borough of Walsall neighbours Palfrey and stretches from the bridge on Wednesbury Road to Junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It consists of a large green space called Pleck Park and housing estates.... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| 339 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... Via Pleck Pleck Pleck in the borough of Walsall neighbours Palfrey and stretches from the bridge on Wednesbury Road to Junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It consists of a large green space called Pleck Park and housing estates.... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... /Midland Bus Company |
| Stand C | ||
| 79 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... Via Bilston Bilston Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| 339 | Bilston Bilston Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and... Via Moxley Moxley Moxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and... |
Midland Bus Company |
| Stand D | ||
| 79 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... Via West Bromwich West Bromwich West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country... |
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West... |
| 327 | Wednesbury Wednesbury Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:... Via Kings Hill |
Diamond Bus Diamond Bus Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel.... |
| 645 | Woods Estate Via Kings Hill | Diamond Bus Diamond Bus Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel.... |
Additional services which briefly enter Darlaston are the Banga Buses & Choice Travel
Choice Travel
Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.-History:...
530, between the Rocket Pool and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
via Bilston
Bilston
Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
and the 575 between Ettingshall
Ettingshall
Ettingshall is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, and is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council.-History:Ettingshall was mentioned as an ancient manor in the Domesday Book of 1086...
and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, the 680 between Moxley
Moxley
Moxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and...
and Bilston
Bilston
Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
via Lower Bradley & the 523 between Wednesbury
Wednesbury
Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
and Stowlawn all operated by Choice Travel
Choice Travel
Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.-History:...
.
Famous residents
- Jimmy McIntyreJimmy McIntyreJames Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
, football manager was born in Darlaston in 1881 and started his playing career with the local football team. - Graham HawkinsGraham HawkinsGraham Norman Hawkins is an English former football player and manager.A defender, he began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1964, before he moved on to Preston North End three years later. In seven years with Preston he made 245 league appearances, and also served as their captain...
ex footballer and manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers was born here on 5th March 1946 - Netan SansaraNetan SansaraNetan Nico Sansara is an English footballer who plays for PAEEK as a left back. He has played for Dundee in the Scottish First Division, and has also played for Walsall.-Early life:...
, first Asian to play for the England U-18 team, and also plays regularly for League One Walsall FC, is also a Darlaston native. Netan also attended Darlaston Comprehensive School. Sansara's Grandfather Ram Sansara also owned two pubs in Darlaston "The Three Horse Shoes" on Pinfold Street and "The Duke Of York" on Dangerfield Lane. - The athlete Mark Lewis-FrancisMark Lewis-FrancisMark Anthony Lewis-Francis is a British track and field athlete, specifically a sprinter, who specialises in the 100 metres. A renowned junior, his greatest sporting achievement at senior level has been to anchor the Great Britain and Northern Ireland 4 x 100 metres relay team to a shock gold...
was born at Darlaston in 1981. - The town was also the home of footballer Billy AnnisBilly AnnisWilliam Annis was an English footballer, who played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:Annis worked as a machinist before joining the club in August 1898 from Stafford Road , making his league debut on 14 March 1899 in a 2–0 win at...
(1878–1944) who played 143 games in defence for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1898 and 1905. - Mark RhodesMark RhodesMark Thomas Rhodes is an English singer and television presenter.-Career:...
, runner-up in ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Pop IdolPop IdolPop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
2003 contest, and children's television presenter, is also from Darlaston. - Darlaston is the home town of the professional boxer and former Midlands Welterweight Champion Stuart ElwellStuart ElwellStuart Elwell is a professional boxer from Darlaston in the Black Country, England.He became a professional boxer in the year 2000. His first fight was against Ernie Smith at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, which he won on points. His professional record currently stands at 12 wins out of 16 fights...
. - Stephen C Page, actor who appeared on Lost in 2006.
- Anna Connell the founder of St Marks football team that later became Manchester City Football Club. She died in 1924 in Darlaston.
- West Bromwich Albion and England footballer Derek Statham owned a house in Sandwell Avenue before moving to neighbouring town Walsall.
Neighbourhoods
- Rough Hay: a predominantly interwar council housing area in the north of the town close to the border with WillenhallWillenhallWillenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
.
- MoxleyMoxleyMoxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and...
: an established private and council residential area in the west of the town close to the border with BilstonBilstonBilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
.
- Kings Hill: a mixed residential area near the town centre which includes many types of housing as well as several factories and business units.
- Woods Bank: a predominantly interwar council housing area in the south of the town close to the border with WednesburyWednesburyWednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
.
- Bentley: the most northernly area in Darlaston which was mostly developed after 1945 but is now included in the WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
postal district.