Gorsebrook
Encyclopedia
Gorsebrook is an historic area of Wolverhampton
, West Midlands
, located alongside the Stafford Road between the areas of Dunstall
, Oxley
and Bushbury
.
primarily in the Wolverhampton area. The place name appears in the bounds of the grant, in Old English at both the beginning and the end as gose broc. The modern translation for this is goose brook. The brook in question likely refers to the section of the Smestow Brook
that winds east to west through this area.
place name relates to the brook running through the centre of the area. In 1849, the Stafford Road Works
opened in Gorsebrook, to build and maintain locomotives. The works had what was at one time regarded as Wolverhampton's best football club, Stafford Road F.C.
, founded in 1876 by works manager Charles Crump. By the 1902 Ordnance Survey, the area represented the northern edge of Wolverhampton's industry, with terraced houses running along the west side of the Stafford Road opposite the earlier Gorsebrook House, and into Jones Road. North of this area were fields and the odd small settlement. From the 1920s onwards, the area to the north was considerably developed, with housing estates springing up, as the area took on a look that is still familiar to us today. In 1934, an Odeon cinema was opened in Gorsebrook, known as the 'Dunstall Odeon', though it was to close in 1960 becoming a bingo hall. Opposite the cinema stood The Croft pub. In February 1964, Stafford Road works closed. The widening of the Stafford Road in the 1980s saw the clearing of many terraced properties and other buildings on the west side including the Bushbury Garage and Dunstall Cinema building, for the creation of the north bound carriageway.
, Gorsebrook House was the home of a solicitor, John Corser and his wife Elizabeth. The Ordnance Survey
First Series - Sheet 62, which covers Wolverhampton, shows Gorsebrook as Gosbrook. At the time, Gorsebrook House stood alongside the Stafford Road in a very rural area. In the 1890s, the Electric Construction Corporation Ltd (ECC) built their workshops on land belonging to Gorsebrook House to the east, the House becoming the companies head office. In 1900, the building was home to the first Works Manager of the Electric Construction Corporation, a Richard Jones. Gorsebrook House was demolished in the 1950s.
Local amenities include Jones Road Working Men's Club, a McDonald's
drive through, Jones Road Newsagents, Tastebuds Café, Bushbury Working Men's Club, Strykers bowling alley, Wikid Pets, Dunstall Park Garage, Eurofit, Rainbow office furniture, and a café and Costa Coffee
on Wolverhampton Science Park. The Croft pub was renamed The Island House upon the creation of the dual carriageway, but this is now closed. The only remaining remnant of the Electric Construction Company is its sports club, on Showell Road.
Wikid Pets on Gorsebrook Road often features in the local press for its variety of animals and attractions.
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...
, 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...
, located alongside the Stafford Road between the areas of Dunstall
Dunstall Hill
Dunstall Hill is an inner-city area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is located on the north of the city centre within the St Peter's ward.-Dunstall Park:...
, Oxley
Oxley, Wolverhampton
Oxley is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, and a ward of Wolverhampton City Council. Its area code is WV10. It is situated in the north of the city, bordering South Staffordshire and the Bushbury North, Bushbury South and Low Hill, St Peter's and Tettenhall Regis wards...
and Bushbury
Bushbury
Bushbury is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It lies two miles north-east of Wolverhampton city centre, divided between the Bushbury North and Bushbury South and Low Hill wards.- Place name and history :...
.
Place name and origins
The first mention of Gorsebrook is in the 985 AD Charter where King Æthelred grants 10 hides of land to WulfrunWulfrun
Wulfrun was an Anglo-Saxon noble woman and landowner, who established a landed estate at Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England in 985. Contemporary knowledge of her comes from several text sources:...
primarily in the Wolverhampton area. The place name appears in the bounds of the grant, in Old English at both the beginning and the end as gose broc. The modern translation for this is goose brook. The brook in question likely refers to the section of the Smestow Brook
Smestow Brook
The Smestow Brook, sometimes called the river Smestow, is a small river that plays an important part in the drainage of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, and parts of Dudley in the United Kingdom, and has contributed to the industrial development of the Black Country...
that winds east to west through this area.
History
Not much is known about Gorsebrook throughout most of its history. The early EnglishAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
place name relates to the brook running through the centre of the area. In 1849, the Stafford Road Works
Wolverhampton railway works
Wolverhampton railway works was in the city of Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire, England. It was almost due north of the city centre, and is commemorated with a small display of level crossing gates and a plaque...
opened in Gorsebrook, to build and maintain locomotives. The works had what was at one time regarded as Wolverhampton's best football club, Stafford Road F.C.
Stafford Road F.C.
Stafford Road were an English association football club founded in 1876, that are now defunct. The club was connected to the Stafford Road railway works in Wolverhampton, then-Staffordshire.-History:...
, founded in 1876 by works manager Charles Crump. By the 1902 Ordnance Survey, the area represented the northern edge of Wolverhampton's industry, with terraced houses running along the west side of the Stafford Road opposite the earlier Gorsebrook House, and into Jones Road. North of this area were fields and the odd small settlement. From the 1920s onwards, the area to the north was considerably developed, with housing estates springing up, as the area took on a look that is still familiar to us today. In 1934, an Odeon cinema was opened in Gorsebrook, known as the 'Dunstall Odeon', though it was to close in 1960 becoming a bingo hall. Opposite the cinema stood The Croft pub. In February 1964, Stafford Road works closed. The widening of the Stafford Road in the 1980s saw the clearing of many terraced properties and other buildings on the west side including the Bushbury Garage and Dunstall Cinema building, for the creation of the north bound carriageway.
Gorsebrook House
During the early 19th Century19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, Gorsebrook House was the home of a solicitor, John Corser and his wife Elizabeth. The Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
First Series - Sheet 62, which covers Wolverhampton, shows Gorsebrook as Gosbrook. At the time, Gorsebrook House stood alongside the Stafford Road in a very rural area. In the 1890s, the Electric Construction Corporation Ltd (ECC) built their workshops on land belonging to Gorsebrook House to the east, the House becoming the companies head office. In 1900, the building was home to the first Works Manager of the Electric Construction Corporation, a Richard Jones. Gorsebrook House was demolished in the 1950s.
Today
Only sections of wall and mature trees indicate that an older building once stood alongside the east side of the Stafford Road in this area. Today, Wolverhampton Science Park, constructed in the 1990s, occupies the site of the old House and Electric Construction Corporation. The section of the Smestow Brook bearing the name 'Gorsebrook', is now culverted, disappearing in Fowlers Park to the east and resurfacing at the other side of Dunstall Park racecourse to the west. A memorial to the Stafford Road Works exists on the south side of Gorsebrook Road near the junction with Stafford Road.Local amenities include Jones Road Working Men's Club, a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
drive through, Jones Road Newsagents, Tastebuds Café, Bushbury Working Men's Club, Strykers bowling alley, Wikid Pets, Dunstall Park Garage, Eurofit, Rainbow office furniture, and a café and Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse company founded in 1971 by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa, as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Since 1995 it has been a subsidiary of Whitbread, since when the company has grown to over...
on Wolverhampton Science Park. The Croft pub was renamed The Island House upon the creation of the dual carriageway, but this is now closed. The only remaining remnant of the Electric Construction Company is its sports club, on Showell Road.
Wikid Pets on Gorsebrook Road often features in the local press for its variety of animals and attractions.