Pensnett
Encyclopedia
Pensnett is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
, West Midlands
, England
. It is situated three miles south-west of Dudley
and two miles north of Brierley Hill
. In 1966, Pensnett joined the County Borough
of Dudley which became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in 1974.
, was an area mentioned in the Domesday book, part of the Dudley estate. The name is from the Celtic 'pen', for hill and the Anglo-Saxon 'snaed' for 'a piece of woodland'. For many years, it was used as common ground, for animal grazing although officially a hunting reserve., although was known as an area where coal and iron could be found. Pensnett Close was first enclosed in 1744, with the Pensnett Chase Act being passed in 1784 to enclose it further, which included a clause to compensate people for mining subsidence, indicating the industry was well established in the area.
Pensnett was made part of the parish of St Mark's in 1844. Towards the end of the 19th century the face of the area began a period of dramatic change. Several factories were built in Pensnett and the factory workers were mostly employed in the iron and steel industries. Many terraced houses with shop fronts were developed along the village's High Street around the turn of the 20th century, but the biggest changes were yet to come.
After World War I
, Brierley Hill Urban District
Council followed the example of almost every other local authority in Britain and built houses which were to be rented out to working class families. Several hundred council house
s were built in the Pensnett area between 1920 and 1966, although a large percentage of the village's homes were privately owned.
, which was built during the 1980s, the roads around Pensnett are nowadays extremely congested. As long ago as the early 1990s, there were plans to build a relief road around Pensnett, but they have yet to come to fruition.
, West Midlands
, England
.
Pensnett is home to the Pensnett Trading Estate, which has gradually expanded since about 1970. It was mostly developed in the 1980s
and is so named as to reflect its location in the Pensnett area of the town near the border with Kingswinford
. It includes many industrial and commercial businesses, and since 2000 has included a Travel West Midlands bus depot which replaced a depot in the Merry Hill Shopping centre
.
is the Pensnett High School
in Tiled House Lane which was previously known as Pensnett School of Technology and Pensnett Secondary Modern School, having opened in 1932. The school changed from Pensnett School of Technology to Pensnett High School in 2007. However, after much speculation about its future, it was scheduled for a phased closure beginning in July 2011, with the 12 and 13 year old pupils transferring to new schools in September that year, and no 11 year olds being admitted. However, the school's oldest two year groups will remain at the school to complete their studies before it fnally closes completely in July 2013. Most children living in the Pensnett area will now attend Crestwood School in Kingswinford
or Holly Hall School in Dudley
.
The nearest primary school is Bromley Pensnett Primary School, situated just around the corner from the Pensnett High School.
The local authority's Learning Support centre was situated on Birds Meadow from 1978 until 1989, within the buildings of the former Birds Meadow Infant School which dated back to the 1930s. The site was redeveloped for private housing in the early 1990s.
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...
, 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...
. It is situated three miles south-west of 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 two miles north of 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...
. In 1966, Pensnett joined the County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Dudley which became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in 1974.
Origins
Pensnett Chase, in the countryside of south StaffordshireStaffordshire
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...
, was an area mentioned in the Domesday book, part of the Dudley estate. The name is from the Celtic 'pen', for hill and the Anglo-Saxon 'snaed' for 'a piece of woodland'. For many years, it was used as common ground, for animal grazing although officially a hunting reserve., although was known as an area where coal and iron could be found. Pensnett Close was first enclosed in 1744, with the Pensnett Chase Act being passed in 1784 to enclose it further, which included a clause to compensate people for mining subsidence, indicating the industry was well established in the area.
Pensnett was made part of the parish of St Mark's in 1844. Towards the end of the 19th century the face of the area began a period of dramatic change. Several factories were built in Pensnett and the factory workers were mostly employed in the iron and steel industries. Many terraced houses with shop fronts were developed along the village's High Street around the turn of the 20th century, but the biggest changes were yet to come.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Brierley Hill 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....
Council followed the example of almost every other local authority in Britain and built houses which were to be rented out to working class families. Several hundred council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
s were built in the Pensnett area between 1920 and 1966, although a large percentage of the village's homes were privately owned.
Location
Pensnett lies in the Brierley Hill DY5 postal district. Due to its proximity to the Merry Hill Shopping CentreMerry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...
, which was built during the 1980s, the roads around Pensnett are nowadays extremely congested. As long ago as the early 1990s, there were plans to build a relief road around Pensnett, but they have yet to come to fruition.
Trading estate
The Pensnett Trading Estate is an enterprise zone located in Brierley HillBrierley 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...
, 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...
.
Pensnett is home to the Pensnett Trading Estate, which has gradually expanded since about 1970. It was mostly developed in the 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...
and is so named as to reflect its location in the Pensnett area of the town near the border with 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...
. It includes many industrial and commercial businesses, and since 2000 has included a Travel West Midlands bus depot which replaced a depot in the Merry Hill Shopping centre
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...
.
Education
The local secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
is the Pensnett High School
Pensnett High School
The Pensnett 14-19 Education Campus is a secondary school located in the Pensnett area of Brierley Hill in the West Midlands of England. There are around 150 pupils aged 14–16 on the roll.-History:...
in Tiled House Lane which was previously known as Pensnett School of Technology and Pensnett Secondary Modern School, having opened in 1932. The school changed from Pensnett School of Technology to Pensnett High School in 2007. However, after much speculation about its future, it was scheduled for a phased closure beginning in July 2011, with the 12 and 13 year old pupils transferring to new schools in September that year, and no 11 year olds being admitted. However, the school's oldest two year groups will remain at the school to complete their studies before it fnally closes completely in July 2013. Most children living in the Pensnett area will now attend Crestwood School in 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...
or Holly Hall School in 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...
.
The nearest primary school is Bromley Pensnett Primary School, situated just around the corner from the Pensnett High School.
The local authority's Learning Support centre was situated on Birds Meadow from 1978 until 1989, within the buildings of the former Birds Meadow Infant School which dated back to the 1930s. The site was redeveloped for private housing in the early 1990s.