Great Bridge, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
Great Bridge is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell
. It is situated in Tipton
, near the border of West Bromwich
, and it is within the metropolitan county
of the West Midlands
.
with the name 'Greet', all from this origin. The stream is thought to be the Oldbury
arm of the River Tame
, known to the early English
in this area as 'grēot' (Greets Green
also gets its name from the watercourse).
For most of the 20th century Great Bridge was the home of numerous factories and foundries. However, by the end of the 1990s most of the factories had long since been closed and been demolished. These include Ratcliff's on Eagle Lane, which closed in 1989, and John Thompson's on Horseley Road, which closed in 1991.
It has been home to a historic market place for several centuries. It boast 2 markets, a recently relocation purpose built outdoor market managed by the local council, as well as an indoor market which is in poor condition.
A 24-hour two-storey Asda
superstore opened in 1997. The surrounding shopping area is notable for the large number of fast food restaurants including McDonalds, KFC
(both of which sprung up in the late 1990s), numerous fish and chip shops and curry houses, along with numerous off-licenses along the high street.
A smaller supermarket in the old village was opened in December 1986 and occupied by Kwik Save
until the retailer went into liquidation in 2007. Wilkinson's took the building over in May 2008.
(now Sheepwash Nature Reserve) lies within the Great Bridge Area. It is a local beauty spot where fishing can be carried out and wild birds such as herons, ducks, swans and Canadian Geese can be seen. It is encircled by a path which walkers and cyclists alike use.
Luftwaffe
destroyed the Tipton Tavern house on the corner of New Road and Horseley Road, killing six people. New Road Methodist Church was also destroyed in the same attack and a number of nearby houses were damaged.
and Great Bridge South railway station
) in the Great Bridge area, but both stations were closed in the 1960s due to the Beeching Axe
. Great Bridge South Station was situated on the line between Great Bridge and West Bromwich, which was dismantled during the 1970s. Great Bridge North Station was situated on the South Staffordshire Line
between Walsall
and Stourbridge
, which closed to passengers in the 1960s but remained open for goods trains until the Walsall - Round Oak section was closed in 1993. It is set to re-open during the 2010s as an extension to the Midland Metro, seeing a return of passenger trains to the area after an absence of almost 50 years. The new light rail passenger link will possibly share a track with goods trains.
Great Bridge already has direct bus links with Tipton
, Dudley
, and West Bromwich
(via the 74 number bus that runs from Dudley and onto Birmingham) and also has direct bus links to Wednesbury
.
Since 1995, Great Bridge has been served by the Black Country Spine Road which gives a quick dual carriageway route to Bilston
and Wednesbury
in one direction and West Bromwich
as well as the M5 motorway
in the other. This opened up several square miles of previously inaccessible land for industrial and commercial use, bringing jobs to Great Bridge in the aftermath of the 1970s
and 1980s
de-industrialisation.
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
. It is situated in Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
, near the border of 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...
, and it is within 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...
.
Origins and history
The place name, Great Bridge comes from Old English 'grēot' (grit or gravelly - meaning a stream with a gravelly bed), with the later addition of 'Bridge' - when a bridge was first built over the stream. There are several watercourses in EnglandEngland
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...
with the name 'Greet', all from this origin. The stream is thought to be the Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
arm of the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
, known to the early English
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
in this area as 'grēot' (Greets Green
Greets Green
Greets Green is a residential area of West Bromwich in the West Midlands of England. It was mostly developed between 1920 and 1970 with a mix of private and council housing, though there are still buildings in the area which date from before the First World War....
also gets its name from the watercourse).
For most of the 20th century Great Bridge was the home of numerous factories and foundries. However, by the end of the 1990s most of the factories had long since been closed and been demolished. These include Ratcliff's on Eagle Lane, which closed in 1989, and John Thompson's on Horseley Road, which closed in 1991.
It has been home to a historic market place for several centuries. It boast 2 markets, a recently relocation purpose built outdoor market managed by the local council, as well as an indoor market which is in poor condition.
Modern day
Many new housing developments have sprung up in Great Bridge since the early 1990s, mostly on the sites of old factories.A 24-hour two-storey Asda
Asda
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...
superstore opened in 1997. The surrounding shopping area is notable for the large number of fast food restaurants including McDonalds, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
(both of which sprung up in the late 1990s), numerous fish and chip shops and curry houses, along with numerous off-licenses along the high street.
A smaller supermarket in the old village was opened in December 1986 and occupied by Kwik Save
Kwik Save
Kwik Save was a discount supermarket chain in the United Kingdom until 2007. Its stores were small to medium sized high street supermarkets, mainly located in areas with below average incomes...
until the retailer went into liquidation in 2007. Wilkinson's took the building over in May 2008.
Recreation
The Sheepwash Urban ParkSheepwash Urban Park
Sheepwash Urban Park is a Local Nature Reserve , situated in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough, in the West Midlands conurbation of the United Kingdom. It forms part of the Black Country Urban Forest.- Location :...
(now Sheepwash Nature Reserve) lies within the Great Bridge Area. It is a local beauty spot where fishing can be carried out and wild birds such as herons, ducks, swans and Canadian Geese can be seen. It is encircled by a path which walkers and cyclists alike use.
World War II
In the early hours of 17 May 1941, an air raid by the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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....
destroyed the Tipton Tavern house on the corner of New Road and Horseley Road, killing six people. New Road Methodist Church was also destroyed in the same attack and a number of nearby houses were damaged.
Transport
There were two railway stations (Great Bridge North railway stationGreat Bridge North railway station
Great Bridge North railway station was a station on the South Staffordshire Line.-History:The station was built in 1850 and served by the South Staffordshire Railway, which later became London, Midland and Scottish Railway...
and Great Bridge South railway station
Great Bridge South railway station
Great Bridge South railway station was the only station on a link line between the South Staffordshire Line and the Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton Low Level Line. It was opened in 1866...
) in the Great Bridge area, but both stations were closed in the 1960s due to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. Great Bridge South Station was situated on the line between Great Bridge and West Bromwich, which was dismantled during the 1970s. Great Bridge North Station was situated on the South Staffordshire Line
South Staffordshire Line
The South Staffordshire Line was a railway line that connected Lichfield in Staffordshire, England with Dudley, formerly in Worcestershire. However, it joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's line just north of Dudley Station, where it, in essence, continued to Stourbridge, in...
between 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...
and 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...
, which closed to passengers in the 1960s but remained open for goods trains until the Walsall - Round Oak section was closed in 1993. It is set to re-open during the 2010s as an extension to the Midland Metro, seeing a return of passenger trains to the area after an absence of almost 50 years. The new light rail passenger link will possibly share a track with goods trains.
Great Bridge already has direct bus links with Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
, 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...
, and 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...
(via the 74 number bus that runs from Dudley and onto Birmingham) and also has direct bus links to 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:...
.
Since 1995, Great Bridge has been served by the Black Country Spine Road which gives a quick dual carriageway route to 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 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:...
in one direction and 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...
as well as the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
in the other. This opened up several square miles of previously inaccessible land for industrial and commercial use, bringing jobs to Great Bridge in the aftermath of the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
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...
de-industrialisation.