Stourbridge
Encyclopedia
Stourbridge icon 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
(DY8)
The population, as recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2001
, was 55,480. Much of the population is now made up of commuters to Birmingham
and the Black Country
. Stourbridge is included in the Stourbridge parliamentary constituency
, currently held by Margot James
of the Conservative Party
.
and conurbation
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. Stourbridge is located about 13 miles west of Birmingham, at the edge of the industrial Midlands, located between Kidderminster
and Dudley
.
Much of the town consists of suburban streets, interspersed with green spaces. Stourbridge borders on green belt
land, and is close to unspoiled countryside with rural Shropshire
close by to the west. The Clent Hills
, Kinver Edge
and large areas of farmland lie to the south and west.
The town and surrounding area is at the south western extremity of the Black Country
and the majority of the working-class population retain the region's accent and dialect, although there is a larger middle-class population than nearby towns such as Dudley or Halesowen.
, Worcestershire and was known as Bedcote. Since 1974, it has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
Stourbridge takes its name from the River Stour
, which flows through the town and for centuries formed the border between Worcestershire and Staffordshire
. But the border was moved a couple of miles north in 1966, when Amblecote
Urban District (previously in Staffordshire) was incorporated into the Borough of Stourbridge. This arrangement lasted eight years until the ascent of the Local Government Act 1972
in 1974, when Stourbridge was amalgamated into the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and became part of the wider West Midlands county.
There have been numerous campaigns to re-instate Stourbridge into the ceremonial county
of Worcestershire since 1974.
diaspora. However, most of the glass industry was actually located in surrounding areas including Wordsley
, Amblecote
and Oldswinford
. The rich natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining furnaces made it the perfect location for the industry. Glass making peaked in the 19th century, encouraged by the famous glass-making family, the Jeavons.
The 1861 census identified that 1,032 residents of Stourbridge were involved in the glass trade in some way. Of these, 541 were glass workers - an increase from 409 in 1851, believed to be partly caused by the collapse of the glass industry in nearby Dudley
in the 1850s. The vast majority of those involved in the glass trade came from Staffordshire
, Warwickshire
, Worcestershire
and Shropshire
. 9% came from other parts of England and 0.2% had come from abroad. Of particular note are glass cutters, as 8.1% had come from Ireland, believed to be as a result of the decline of the Irish glasscutting industry in the first half of the 1800s. The houses inhabited by glassworkers were of a much better quality in comparison to the slums in which the nailmakers of Lye
and Wollescote
lived. However, only a few glassworkers owned their own houses.
Stourbridge glass is recognised as amongst the finest in the world has been used countless times as gifts for royalty and visiting dignitaries. However, in recent years, the industry has been destroyed by the effects of globalisation, with the glassmaking companies moving abroad.
The Red House Cone
, thought to be the only complete remaining glass cone of its kind, stands on the Stourbridge Canal at Wordsley. It is the site of the Red House Glass Museum and there are regular demonstrations of blowing glass in the traditional way, and a collection of Stourbridge glass can be seen at Broadfield House Glass Museum
in Kingswinford
.
on the Birmingham to Kidderminster line, with a frequent and efficient train service and the town is also served by the shortest railway branch line
in Europe , the Stourbridge Town Branch Line
, with a shuttle service from Stourbridge Junction on the Birmingham - Kidderminster line to Stourbridge Town railway station
in the town centre.
There is also a complex network of bus routes, both interurban and local.
Stourbridge lies on the River Stour
and is linked to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
and the Dudley No. 1 Canal by the Stourbridge Canal
. This places the town on the Stourport Ring
, a popular route with holidaymakers and is navigable by narrowboat
.
The town is served by National Route 54 of the National Cycle Network
.
over the River Stour and the A491 road
. The railway towards Dudley closed to passengers in 1962 and is now used solely as a freight line.
The railway formerly continued to an interchange basin with the Stourbridge Canal
. The old Stourbridge Town station, when demolished, was recovered and materials used for buildings at Tyseley Locomotive Works. Until recently, on Sundays, as part of a pilot scheme, a gas-powered Parry People Mover
operated on the line. This ceased but it was thought it may restart when the UK rail franchise for the local train operating company Central Trains expired and was rebid. There was a coach service in operation between Stourbridge Junction and the town, in place of the train service but the train service has now resumed.
The famous Stourbridge Lion
locomotive
, was built in Stourbridge at the foundry of Foster, Rastrick and Co. in 1828. The shell of the building still stands and is easily accessible, though potentially hazardous as with any derelict building. It arrived in New York on 13 May 1829, becoming the first steam locomotive to run on a commercial line in the United States. The locomotive is quite famous in the USA, although few people in Stourbridge have heard of it. It is currently on display at the B&O Railroad Museum
Baltimore, Maryland, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution
, Washington, D.C.
. A clock has recently been unveiled in the town to celebrate the engine.
is a tram that is planned to run to Stourbridge from Walsall
via Wednesbury
and Dudley on the South Staffordshire Line
, the business plan of which was submitted to Network Rail for approval in March 2011. Trams would share the line with freight trains. A decision is due from Network Rail in the Summer of 2011, however it is unclear where in Stourbridge the Midland Metro would terminate.
of Further Education. Both of these colleges attract students from a wide area.
In addition, there is a sixth form
for both genders at Old Swinford Hospital
school, founded in 1667 by Thomas Foley
.
Stourbridge has several secondary schools including Redhill School, Old Swinford Hospital
, Pedmore Technology College (previously known as The Grange School) and Ridgewood High School as well as Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School
(includes: kindergarten, plus classes 1 to 11).
GCSE results achieved by pupils in Stourbridge are consistently among the best in the Dudley borough. Old Swinford Hospital
school is currently the highest performing school in the area.
Stourbridge, barring Kingswinford
, is the only town in the Dudley borough to have stuck with the traditional 5-7 infant, 7-11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary schools. Dudley, Sedgley, Coseley and Brierley Hill operated 5-8 first, 8-12 middle and 12-16/18 secondary schools from 1972 to 1990. Stourbridge councillors were considering adopting a similar system, but decided against it. Halesowen, meanwhile, followed the model of schools in neighbouring Worcestershire
communities such as Redditch
and Wyre Forest
by adopting 5-9 first, 9-13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools in 1972, only to revert to the traditional age ranges in 1982. http://www.oldswinford.dudley.gov.uk/Chapter_Eight.htm
, The Co-operative
, Ethel Austin
and Specsavers
. Recently featured in the Clothes Show Live is Polka Dot Paradise who supply clothes to the celebrities and the TV and Film industry. There are also two Wetherspoons pubs and a number of food outlets and cafes. Off the High Street is the Ryemarket shopping centre which houses a number of shops including a Waitrose
and WH Smith.
and Stourbridge Cricket Club
both share the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Amblecote, and Stourbridge Rugby Club
play at Stourton Park in nearby Stourton
and Redhill Volleyball Club play at Redhill School.
, The Wonder Stuff
, Pop Will Eat Itself
and Ned's Atomic Dustbin
- all enjoyed chart success. Other notable musicians include Clint Mansell
and the 80s Doom Metal
band Witchfinder General
.
, the Express & Star
and to a lesser extent the Stourbridge Chronicle.
The Stourbridge area is served by commercial and BBC Radio
stations broadcasting from Wolverhampton
, Birmingham as well as from within Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Stourbridge used to be served by four cinemas.
The "Danilo" at the end of the Hagley Road is now the site of the Picture House nightclub.
The oldest and smallest (The Scala, later known as the Savoy) was to be found at the top of Lower High Street. A third on the High Street (The Odeon) was incorporated into the Owen Owen store. This was discovered when demolition began to create the new Wilkinsons store. The Odeon possessed a large pipe organ. A mosaic from the cinema floor was rescued and moved to the crown centre nearby. The fourth and largest cinema was the "Kings" halfway down New Road, nearly opposite the Methodist church. Originally the old "King's Hall" it was rebuilt and much enlarged as the "Kings" around 1938.
Stourbridge FM was established in March 2001 to campaign for a commercial radio station broadcasting to and from the Stourbridge area. Stourbridge FM Radio Ltd carried out three experimental 'trial' broadcasts in November 2001, May 2002 and January 2003 from studios in the centre of the town and was sponsored by Stourbridge College
. The station received a great deal of support from listeners and business people alike within the community, including numerous letters of support and a petition. By February 2004, Stourbridge FM had disbanded due to official information that there were no immediate plans for a small-scale commercial radio licence in the Stourbridge area, nor would the up-and-coming commercial radio licence in Kidderminster receive an area extension. The volunteer force of Stourbridge-FM established a new steering group known as the Stourbridge Radio Group to apply for a non-profit making community radio licence for the area.
The group won a community radio licence in September 2005, called The 'Bridge. Test transmissions began on 102.5 FM on 4 December 2007, and the full programming launched on 1 January 2008 at 10.25am.
anchor store, a two-level underground car, six retail stores and a central food court. The developers hope that the project will be completed by the end of 2012. Work on demolishing the existing Crown Centre and Bell Street multi-storey car park is set to commence in early 2012.
by James Joyce
and The Cantos
of Ezra Pound
.
- James Joyce Finnegans Wake
, part 1, Episode 6. Page 184.
- Ezra Pound
, Canto LXVI, line 30, Page 380.
Stourbridge found its way into Pound's Cantos via John Adams
the second President of the United States, whose diary entry from 1786 Pound translated into his own epic poem.
Stourbridge Golf Course is also mentioned by P. G. Wodehouse
.
- P. G. Wodehouse, Money for Nothing, Chapter 5.
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...
, 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. Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
part of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
, Lye
Lye, West Midlands
Lye is a suburban area of the Black Country in England, between Halesowen and Stourbridge in Dudley Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands. It was formerly a village in the parish of Oldswinford, Worcestershire...
, Norton
Norton, Dudley
Norton is a suburb and council ward in the town of Stourbridge, West Midlands. It has a population of 11,943 in an area of 569 hectares. The population is largely White British and self-identifies as predominantly Christian.-History:...
, Oldswinford
Oldswinford
The name Oldswinford is now used for a small area of Stourbridge, close to the parish church.-History:Originally, it was an extensive ancient parish, covering the whole of the former Municipal Borough of Stourbridge, except Pedmore...
, Pedmore
Pedmore
Pedmore is a residential suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England. It was originally a village in the Worcestershire countryside until extensive housebuilding during the interwar years saw it gradually merged into Stourbridge.- Amenities :...
, Wollaston
Wollaston, West Midlands
Wollaston is a village and suburb of Stourbridge, in West Midlands, England. It is within Dudley Metropolitan Borough. It is situated on the border between Dudley Metropolitan Borough and Staffordshire County , and until 1974 was in Worcestershire. Wollaston is one mile from Stourbridge town...
, Wollescote
Wollescote
Wollescote is a residential area of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is administered by the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.It is situated two miles east of the town centre, near the border with Halesowen....
and Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
(DY8)
The population, as recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, was 55,480. Much of the population is now made up of commuters to 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...
and the 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...
. Stourbridge is included in the Stourbridge parliamentary constituency
Stourbridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Stourbridge is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, currently held by Margot James
Margot James
Margot James MP is a British politician and entrepreneur. She is currently a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for women, and the Member of Parliament for the consituency of Stourbridge. She is the first openly lesbian MP in the Conservative Party...
of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Geography and administration
Stourbridge is a part of the West Midlands metropolitan countyMetropolitan 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...
and conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. Stourbridge is located about 13 miles west of Birmingham, at the edge of the industrial Midlands, located between Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
and 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...
.
Much of the town consists of suburban streets, interspersed with green spaces. Stourbridge borders on green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
land, and is close to unspoiled countryside with rural Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
close by to the west. The Clent Hills
Clent Hills
The Clent Hills lie 9⅓ miles southwest of Birmingham city centre in Clent, Worcestershire, England. The closest towns are Stourbridge and Halesowen, both in the West Midlands conurbation. The Clent Hills range consists of, in order from north-west to south-east: Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill , and...
, Kinver Edge
Kinver Edge
Kinver Edge is a high heath and woodland escarpment just west of Kinver, about four miles west of Stourbridge, and four miles north of Kidderminster, and is on the border between Worcestershire and Staffordshire, England. It is now owned by the National Trust....
and large areas of farmland lie to the south and west.
The town and surrounding area is at the south western extremity of the 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...
and the majority of the working-class population retain the region's accent and dialect, although there is a larger middle-class population than nearby towns such as Dudley or Halesowen.
Closest cities, towns and villages
Civic history
For centuries, Stourbridge was in the ancient parish of OldswinfordOldswinford
The name Oldswinford is now used for a small area of Stourbridge, close to the parish church.-History:Originally, it was an extensive ancient parish, covering the whole of the former Municipal Borough of Stourbridge, except Pedmore...
, Worcestershire and was known as Bedcote. Since 1974, it has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
Stourbridge takes its name from the River Stour
River Stour, Worcestershire
The Stour is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and it is about in length...
, which flows through the town and for centuries formed the border between Worcestershire and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
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...
. But the border was moved a couple of miles north in 1966, when Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
Urban District (previously in Staffordshire) was incorporated into the Borough of Stourbridge. This arrangement lasted eight years until the ascent of the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
in 1974, when Stourbridge was amalgamated into the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and became part of the wider West Midlands county.
There have been numerous campaigns to re-instate Stourbridge into the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of Worcestershire since 1974.
Stourbridge Glass
The town gives its name to local glass production, which has been manufactured since the early 1600s. The local glass proved particularly suitable for the industry, taken up predominantly after the immigration of French coal miners in the HuguenotHuguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
diaspora. However, most of the glass industry was actually located in surrounding areas including Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
, Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
and Oldswinford
Oldswinford
The name Oldswinford is now used for a small area of Stourbridge, close to the parish church.-History:Originally, it was an extensive ancient parish, covering the whole of the former Municipal Borough of Stourbridge, except Pedmore...
. The rich natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining furnaces made it the perfect location for the industry. Glass making peaked in the 19th century, encouraged by the famous glass-making family, the Jeavons.
The 1861 census identified that 1,032 residents of Stourbridge were involved in the glass trade in some way. Of these, 541 were glass workers - an increase from 409 in 1851, believed to be partly caused by the collapse of the glass industry in nearby 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...
in the 1850s. The vast majority of those involved in the glass trade came from Staffordshire
Staffordshire
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...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
. 9% came from other parts of England and 0.2% had come from abroad. Of particular note are glass cutters, as 8.1% had come from Ireland, believed to be as a result of the decline of the Irish glasscutting industry in the first half of the 1800s. The houses inhabited by glassworkers were of a much better quality in comparison to the slums in which the nailmakers of Lye
Lye, West Midlands
Lye is a suburban area of the Black Country in England, between Halesowen and Stourbridge in Dudley Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands. It was formerly a village in the parish of Oldswinford, Worcestershire...
and Wollescote
Wollescote
Wollescote is a residential area of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is administered by the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.It is situated two miles east of the town centre, near the border with Halesowen....
lived. However, only a few glassworkers owned their own houses.
Stourbridge glass is recognised as amongst the finest in the world has been used countless times as gifts for royalty and visiting dignitaries. However, in recent years, the industry has been destroyed by the effects of globalisation, with the glassmaking companies moving abroad.
The Red House Cone
Red House Cone
The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
, thought to be the only complete remaining glass cone of its kind, stands on the Stourbridge Canal at Wordsley. It is the site of the Red House Glass Museum and there are regular demonstrations of blowing glass in the traditional way, and a collection of Stourbridge glass can be seen at Broadfield House Glass Museum
Broadfield House Glass Museum
Broadfield House is a Grade II listed building which houses a glass museum and hot glass studio run by Dudley Council located in the Stourbridge Glass Quarter, West Midlands, England. Its collection is made up of items dating from the 17th century to present day and holds many public events and...
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...
.
Transport
Stourbridge has a railway station called Stourbridge JunctionStourbridge Junction railway station
Stourbridge Junction railway station is a railway station on the Birmingham, Worcester and Kidderminster Line in West Midlands, England. Stourbridge Town Branch Line runs from the station to Stourbridge town centre...
on the Birmingham to Kidderminster line, with a frequent and efficient train service and the town is also served by the shortest railway branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
in Europe , the Stourbridge Town Branch Line
Stourbridge Town Branch Line
The Stourbridge Town Branch Line is a railway branch line, in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is claimed to be the shortest branch line in Europe, and many miniature railways are certainly longer....
, with a shuttle service from Stourbridge Junction on the Birmingham - Kidderminster line to Stourbridge Town railway station
Stourbridge Town railway station
Stourbridge Town is a railway station near the centre of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is situated at the end of a short branch line linking the station with Stourbridge Junction just 0.8 miles away, where passengers can change for mainline train services...
in the town centre.
There is also a complex network of bus routes, both interurban and local.
Stourbridge lies on the River Stour
River Stour, Worcestershire
The Stour is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and it is about in length...
and is linked to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
and the Dudley No. 1 Canal by the Stourbridge Canal
Stourbridge Canal
The Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.-History:The Stourbridge and Dudley canals were originally proposed as a...
. This places the town on the Stourport Ring
Stourport Ring
The Stourport Ring is a connected series of canals forming a circuit, or canal ring, around Worcestershire, The Black Country and Birmingham in central England...
, a popular route with holidaymakers and is navigable by narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
.
The town is served by National Route 54 of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
Transport history
Stourbridge Junction is on the former Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line. Just to the north of the station is Stambermill ViaductStambermill Viaduct
Stambermill Viaduct is a viaduct situated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It was constructed in 1850 to carry the new railway between Stourbridge and Walsall across the River Stour, and was open to passenger trains until 1964...
over the River Stour and the A491 road
A491 road
The A491 is an A road in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme.-History:The road north of Oldswinford forms part of an ancient road, probably of Anglo-Saxon origin, joining the burhs of Worcester and Stafford...
. The railway towards Dudley closed to passengers in 1962 and is now used solely as a freight line.
The railway formerly continued to an interchange basin with the Stourbridge Canal
Stourbridge Canal
The Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.-History:The Stourbridge and Dudley canals were originally proposed as a...
. The old Stourbridge Town station, when demolished, was recovered and materials used for buildings at Tyseley Locomotive Works. Until recently, on Sundays, as part of a pilot scheme, a gas-powered Parry People Mover
Parry People Movers
Parry People Movers Ltd. is a British company manufacturing lightweight trams and railcars that use flywheel energy storage to store energy for traction, allowing electric systems to operate without overhead wires or third rails, and railcars fuelled by small gas, diesel or hydrogen engines,...
operated on the line. This ceased but it was thought it may restart when the UK rail franchise for the local train operating company Central Trains expired and was rebid. There was a coach service in operation between Stourbridge Junction and the town, in place of the train service but the train service has now resumed.
The famous Stourbridge Lion
Stourbridge Lion
The Stourbridge Lion was a railroad steam locomotive. It was not only the first locomotive to be operated in the United States, it was also one of the first locomotives to operate outside of England, where it was manufactured in 1828....
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, was built in Stourbridge at the foundry of Foster, Rastrick and Co. in 1828. The shell of the building still stands and is easily accessible, though potentially hazardous as with any derelict building. It arrived in New York on 13 May 1829, becoming the first steam locomotive to run on a commercial line in the United States. The locomotive is quite famous in the USA, although few people in Stourbridge have heard of it. It is currently on display at the B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
Baltimore, Maryland, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. A clock has recently been unveiled in the town to celebrate the engine.
Midland Metro
The Midland MetroMidland 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...
is a tram that is planned to run to Stourbridge from 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 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 Dudley 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...
, the business plan of which was submitted to Network Rail for approval in March 2011. Trams would share the line with freight trains. A decision is due from Network Rail in the Summer of 2011, however it is unclear where in Stourbridge the Midland Metro would terminate.
Education
Stourbridge is home to two colleges - the prestigious King Edward VI College founded in 1552 (becoming a sixth form college in 1976) and Stourbridge CollegeStourbridge College
Stourbridge College is a further education college situated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England.The main campus, built during the 1970s, is situated south of the town centre on Hagley Road...
of Further Education. Both of these colleges attract students from a wide area.
In addition, there is a sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
for both genders at Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital is a selective voluntary aided boys' boarding school in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England that has been in continuous operation since the 17th century.- History :Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1667...
school, founded in 1667 by Thomas Foley
Thomas Foley
Thomas Foley or Tom Foley may refer to:* Thomas Foley , British admiral* Thomas Patrick Roger Foley , American religious leader* Tom Foley , American baseball player...
.
Stourbridge has several secondary schools including Redhill School, Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital is a selective voluntary aided boys' boarding school in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England that has been in continuous operation since the 17th century.- History :Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1667...
, Pedmore Technology College (previously known as The Grange School) and Ridgewood High School as well as Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School
Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School
Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School Limited is an independent school situated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It educates around 260 children aged from 3 to 17 who follow the international Steiner Waldorf Education curriculum.-History:...
(includes: kindergarten, plus classes 1 to 11).
GCSE results achieved by pupils in Stourbridge are consistently among the best in the Dudley borough. Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital
Old Swinford Hospital is a selective voluntary aided boys' boarding school in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England that has been in continuous operation since the 17th century.- History :Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1667...
school is currently the highest performing school in the area.
Stourbridge, barring 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...
, is the only town in the Dudley borough to have stuck with the traditional 5-7 infant, 7-11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary schools. Dudley, Sedgley, Coseley and Brierley Hill operated 5-8 first, 8-12 middle and 12-16/18 secondary schools from 1972 to 1990. Stourbridge councillors were considering adopting a similar system, but decided against it. Halesowen, meanwhile, followed the model of schools in neighbouring Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
communities such as Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
and Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
by adopting 5-9 first, 9-13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools in 1972, only to revert to the traditional age ranges in 1982. http://www.oldswinford.dudley.gov.uk/Chapter_Eight.htm
Shopping
Stourbridge's shopping centre lies on or near the High Street. Here can be found branches of many banks and building societies as well as big retailers such as WilkinsonWilkinson
-Places:In the United States:* Wilkinson, Indiana, a town in Hancock County* Wilkinson, Wisconsin, a town in Rusk County* Wilkinson County, Georgia* Wilkinson County, Mississippi* Wilkinson Heights, South Carolina* Wilkinson Station, North Carolina...
, The Co-operative
The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food, abbreviated sometimes to the Co-op, is a brand devised for the supermarket and convenience store business of the UK's consumers' co-operative movement. It is the name of the largest division of The Co-operative Group, and is used by other independent consumer co-operatives...
, Ethel Austin
Ethel Austin
Ethel Austin is a British clothing retailer with a UK-wide network of more than 60 stores, though before it entered administration in 2010 it had over 300....
and Specsavers
Specsavers
Specsavers Optical Group Ltd is the biggest optical retailer in the UK and Ireland. It is also the biggest of the four major opticians that control 70% of the British market for spectacles and contact lenses, with Specsavers having a 39% share of the market...
. Recently featured in the Clothes Show Live is Polka Dot Paradise who supply clothes to the celebrities and the TV and Film industry. There are also two Wetherspoons pubs and a number of food outlets and cafes. Off the High Street is the Ryemarket shopping centre which houses a number of shops including a Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
and WH Smith.
Sport
Stourbridge Football ClubStourbridge F.C.
Stourbridge Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club currently plays in the Southern League Premier Division.-Early years:The club was founded in 1876 and was originally known as Stourbridge Standard...
and Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club play at the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Stourbridge, and compete in the Crusader Worcestershire County Cricket League....
both share the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Amblecote, and Stourbridge Rugby Club
Stourbridge R.F.C.
Stourbridge RFC are a Rugby Union side based in Stourbridge, West Midlands.They play their home games at Stourton Park, which was redeveloped in 2003 to provide a larger clubhouse and social area which can also be used for weddings and other functions...
play at Stourton Park in nearby Stourton
Stourton, Staffordshire
Stourton is a hamlet in Staffordshire, England a few miles to the northwest of Stourbridge. There is a fair amount of dispute over the pronunciation, being pronounced 'stower-ton', 'stir-ton' or 'store-ton' by different people from the area. The nearest sizeable villages are Wollaston and Kinver, ...
and Redhill Volleyball Club play at Redhill School.
Music
During the 1980s and the early 1990s, four Stourbridge bands - Diamond HeadDiamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
, The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
, Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
and Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were unusual for using two bass players in their lineup: Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat Cheslin...
- all enjoyed chart success. Other notable musicians include Clint Mansell
Clint Mansell
Clinton Darryl "Clint" Mansell, is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself....
and the 80s Doom Metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Witchfinder General
Witchfinder General (band)
Witchfinder General is a doom metal band from Stourbridge, England. They were part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre.-Biography:...
.
Media
From the 1860s until the late 1960s, the area was covered by the County Express newspaper. Archives are now on microfilm in Stourbridge Library. Today, Stourbridge is covered by the Stourbridge NewsStourbridge News
The Stourbridge News is a local free newspaper which serves the township of Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England. It is also circulated to the homes of readers living in the surrounding communities of Wordsley, Amblecote, Pedmore and Lye. It has been in circulation since February 1985 and...
, the Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
and to a lesser extent the Stourbridge Chronicle.
The Stourbridge area is served by commercial and BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
stations broadcasting from 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...
, Birmingham as well as from within Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Stourbridge used to be served by four cinemas.
The "Danilo" at the end of the Hagley Road is now the site of the Picture House nightclub.
The oldest and smallest (The Scala, later known as the Savoy) was to be found at the top of Lower High Street. A third on the High Street (The Odeon) was incorporated into the Owen Owen store. This was discovered when demolition began to create the new Wilkinsons store. The Odeon possessed a large pipe organ. A mosaic from the cinema floor was rescued and moved to the crown centre nearby. The fourth and largest cinema was the "Kings" halfway down New Road, nearly opposite the Methodist church. Originally the old "King's Hall" it was rebuilt and much enlarged as the "Kings" around 1938.
Stourbridge FM was established in March 2001 to campaign for a commercial radio station broadcasting to and from the Stourbridge area. Stourbridge FM Radio Ltd carried out three experimental 'trial' broadcasts in November 2001, May 2002 and January 2003 from studios in the centre of the town and was sponsored by Stourbridge College
Stourbridge College
Stourbridge College is a further education college situated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England.The main campus, built during the 1970s, is situated south of the town centre on Hagley Road...
. The station received a great deal of support from listeners and business people alike within the community, including numerous letters of support and a petition. By February 2004, Stourbridge FM had disbanded due to official information that there were no immediate plans for a small-scale commercial radio licence in the Stourbridge area, nor would the up-and-coming commercial radio licence in Kidderminster receive an area extension. The volunteer force of Stourbridge-FM established a new steering group known as the Stourbridge Radio Group to apply for a non-profit making community radio licence for the area.
The group won a community radio licence in September 2005, called The 'Bridge. Test transmissions began on 102.5 FM on 4 December 2007, and the full programming launched on 1 January 2008 at 10.25am.
Religion
Places of worship include:- St Thomas' Church, Market Street. The apseApseIn architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and north chancelChancelIn church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
screen at St Thomas' Church were added by W. H. William BidlakeWilliam BidlakeWilliam Henry Bidlake was an English architect, a leading figure of the Arts and Crafts movement in Birmingham and Director of the School of Architecture at Birmingham School of Art from 1919 until 1924....
. - St Mary's Church, Oldswinford
- Amblecote Holy Trinity Church, Vicarage Road
- St Peter's, Pedmore
- Presbyterian-Unitarian Chapel, Lower High Street. Built 1788.
- Quaker Meeting House, founded 1689.
- Hanbury Hill Baptist Church
Places of interest
- Clent HillsClent HillsThe Clent Hills lie 9⅓ miles southwest of Birmingham city centre in Clent, Worcestershire, England. The closest towns are Stourbridge and Halesowen, both in the West Midlands conurbation. The Clent Hills range consists of, in order from north-west to south-east: Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill , and...
- Bonded Warehouse
- Broadfield House Glass MuseumBroadfield House Glass MuseumBroadfield House is a Grade II listed building which houses a glass museum and hot glass studio run by Dudley Council located in the Stourbridge Glass Quarter, West Midlands, England. Its collection is made up of items dating from the 17th century to present day and holds many public events and...
- Crystal Leisure Centre
- Hagley HallHagley HallHagley Hall is an 18th century house in Hagley, Worcestershire. It was the creation of George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton , secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters and briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer...
- Foster & Rastrick Foundry buildingFoster, Rastrick and CompanyFoster, Rastrick and Company was one of the pioneering steam locomotive manufacturing companies of England. It was based in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, now West Midlands....
- Mary Stevens Park
- Red House ConeRed House ConeThe Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
- River StourRiver Stour, WorcestershireThe Stour is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and it is about in length...
- Ryemarket Fountain
- Stambermill ViaductStambermill ViaductStambermill Viaduct is a viaduct situated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It was constructed in 1850 to carry the new railway between Stourbridge and Walsall across the River Stour, and was open to passenger trains until 1964...
- Stourbridge CanalStourbridge CanalThe Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.-History:The Stourbridge and Dudley canals were originally proposed as a...
- Stourbridge Junction Clock & Car Park Footbridge
- Stourbridge Town Hall
- Town Centre Clock
- Town Centre brickwork
- Wychbury HillWychbury HillWychbury Hill is a hill situated off the A456 Birmingham Road, at Hagley, Stourbridge, on the border of West Midlands and Worcestershire.It is divided between the parish of Hagley and former parish of Pedmore. It is one of the Clent Hills. The hill offers good views across the Severn Valley as...
- Wilkinsons
Development
One such scheme is the proposed £50m rebuilding of the Crown Centre shopping mall, which originally opened in 1985. This will include the creation of a new 60000 sq ft (5,574.2 m²) TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
anchor store, a two-level underground car, six retail stores and a central food court. The developers hope that the project will be completed by the end of 2012. Work on demolishing the existing Crown Centre and Bell Street multi-storey car park is set to commence in early 2012.
Famous residents
- Johnny BriggsJohnny Briggs (actor)Johnny Briggs, MBE is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006...
, actor - Jonn PenneyJonn PenneyJonn Penney is a musician best known as the lead singer of Ned's Atomic Dustbin....
, Musician - Neds' Atomic Dustbin - William Henry BuryWilliam Henry BuryWilliam Henry Bury was executed in Dundee, Scotland, for the murder of his wife Ellen in 1889, shortly after the height of the Whitechapel murders in London that were attributed to the unidentified serial killer "Jack the Ripper". Bury's previous abode near Whitechapel, and certain similarities...
, murderer and Jack the Ripper suspect - Fiona Butler, the 'tennis girlTennis GirlThe Tennis Girl is a popular poster. It shows a young woman from behind walking towards the net of a tennis court with a tennis racquet in her right hand and her left hand reaching behind lifting her short tennis dress, showing she is not wearing any underwear.The photograph was taken by Martin...
' captured scratching her bare behind in the iconic 1976 AthenaAthena (retailer)Athena is a British art retailer, and was formerly a large retail chain, famous for its distinctive posters.-History:Athena's first shop was opened by Ole Christensen in Hampstead in July 1964, and then bought into E&O PLC, by Chairman, Douglas H. Bayle...
poster was born in Pedmore. It was created by her then boyfriend, local photographer Martin Elliott. - Phil Cope, lead guitarist for iconic Doom MetalDoom metalDoom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Witchfinder GeneralWitchfinder GeneralWitch-Finder General is an office claimed by English witchhunter Matthew Hopkins .Witchfinder General may also refer to:* Witchfinder General , a British heavy metal band...
. - Kay DaviesKay DaviesDame Kay Elizabeth Davies, DBE, FRS is a British human geneticist.She is the Dr Lee's Professor of Anatomy at Oxford University and a fellow of Hertford College...
, Human Geneticist - Stephen LaughtonStephen LaughtonStephen Laughton is a British playwright. He was raised in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. He attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, before completing a master's degree at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Based in London, he started his career as an associate producer and worked...
, Playwright - Frank FoleyFrank FoleyMajor Francis Edward Foley CMG was a British Secret Intelligence Service officer...
, the relatively little-known "British SchindlerOskar SchindlerOskar Schindler was an ethnic German industrialist born in Moravia. He is credited with saving over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, which were located in what is now Poland and the Czech Republic respectively.He is the subject of the...
" retired and eventually died in Stourbridge. A memorial is in Mary Stevens Park. - Samuel JohnsonSamuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
lived and worked in Stourbridge for a time - Don KenyonDon KenyonDonald Kenyon was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1951 to 1955. He captained Worcestershire between 1959 and 1967....
, cricketer, captain of Worcestershire - Screech Louder, drummer in indie band The Long BlondesThe Long BlondesThe Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2003 by Dorian Cox , Reenie Hollis , Emma Chaplin , Kate Jackson and Screech Louder .After several critically...
- The Wonder StuffThe Wonder StuffThe Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
formed in Stourbridge in 1986 - Matt NealMatt NealMatthew Neal is a British motor racing driver. He won the British Touring Car Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2011. He has also won a European Touring Car Championship race. He is 6' 6" tall, making him almost entirely unable to race single-seaters...
, Motor racing driver - Dan O'HaganDan O'HaganDan O'Hagan is a freelance football commentator and TV presenter, who covers the UEFA Champions League for SBS in Australia. Formerly he was the voice of the world feed for the French Football League...
, BBC Match of the DayMatch of the DayMatch of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
football commentator - Ian PearsonIan PearsonIan Phares Pearson is a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1994 until 2010, representing Dudley West from 1994 until 1997, and then Dudley South from 1997 until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election...
MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Economics and Business and also Economic Secretary to the Treasury - Jan PearsonJan PearsonJan Pearson is an English actress currently known for playing Karen Hollins in the BBC's daytime soap Doctors which she joined in February 2009. In 2010, Jan won the award of Best On-Screen Partnership for her role as Karen Hollins alongside with Chris Walker.-Early life:Born and brought up in...
, Actress was born here. Jan plays Karen HollinsKaren HollinsKaren Hollins is a fictional character from the British BBC One soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Jan Pearson. She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 February 2009 in the episode "Mac's Women" series ten, episode thirty-five of the program. Pearson had made two former unrelated guest...
on the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's daytime soap Doctors. - Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, singer with Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. Attended King Edward VI School, Stourbridge. - Hadleigh Jeavons, fully fledged geezer
- Danielle Saxon ReevesDanielle Saxon ReevesDanielle Saxon Reeves is an active member of the British banjo circuit, having played the classical guitar and classical banjo since the age of 9...
, classical banjo and guitarist; director of the Midlands Fretted Orchestra - Nigel Reo-CokerNigel Reo-CokerNigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker is an English footballer of Sierra Leonean descent. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is known for being a robust midfielder with good overall tackling and passing qualities...
, Aston Villa player - Debra ShipleyDebra ShipleyDebra Ann Shipley is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Labour Party Member of Parliament for Stourbridge from 1997 until the 2005 general election, when she stood down for reasons of ill health...
MP - David TrotmanDavid TrotmanDavid John Angelo Trotman is a mathematician, with dual British and French nationality. He was born on September 27, 1951 in Plymouth, Devon, England, a grandson of the poet and author Oliver W F Lodge and a great-grandson of the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge...
, Pure mathematician. Attended King Edward VI School, Stourbridge. - Lynda WalthoLynda WalthoLynda Ellen Waltho is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Stourbridge from 2005 to 2010 elected after sitting Labour MP Debra Shipley had stepped down due to ill-health just days before the 2005 election was called...
MP - Thomas WebbThomas Webb (glassmaker)Thomas Webb was an English glassmaker and the founder of Thomas Webb & Sons, makers of fine English glass and crystal. Webb entered the glass industry in 1829 when he became a partner in the Wordsley glassworks of Webb and Richardsons...
, founder of Thomas Webb & Sons - Brett WestwoodBrett WestwoodBrett Westwood is a radio presenter and author, specialising in natural history. He regularly presents episodes of BBC Radio 4's series Living World and Nature, as well as his own short series, several of which are available in Real Audio format from the BBC website...
, radio presenter and author - Dave CartwrightDave CartwrightDave Cartwright is a UK singer, songwriter, guitarist and author. Born in Haslemere, Surrey in April, 1943, he grew up in Amblecote, West Midlands where, on lead guitar and vocal, he formed his first rock'n'roll group - The Crossfires - in 1959. He then joined the now-legendary Kidderminster outfit...
, singer-songwriter, broadcaster and author - Walter BraithwaiteWalter Braithwaite (composer)Walter Heurtley Braithwaite was a composer, pianist and teacher. He was born in Gloucester on 24 August 1906, the third of five children born to Rev. Herbert Morris Braithwaite Walter Heurtley Braithwaite (1906–1991) was a composer, pianist and teacher. He was born in Gloucester on 24 August 1906,...
, teacher, composer and pianist. - Clement Lindley WraggeClement Lindley WraggeClement Lindley Wragge was a meteorologist born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England. After training in law, Wragge became renowned in the field of meteorology, winning the Scottish Meteorological Society's Gold Medal and starting the trend of using people's names for cyclones...
, meteorologist - Ashley Young, Manchester United player
- Kenton AllenKenton AllenKenton Allen is Chief Executive of Big Talk Productions. He is a multi-award–winning programme maker with programmes such as the BAFTA Award–winning The Royle Family and the Oscar Award–winning film Six Shooter ....
, Multi-award winning programme maker with programmes such as the BAFTA award winning The Royle FamilyThe Royle FamilyThe Royle Family is a popular, BAFTA award-winning television comedy drama produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for three series between 1998 and 2000, and specials from 2006 onwards...
(2000) and the Oscar award winning film Six Shooter (2006). Attended King Edward VI School, Stourbridge. - Clint MansellClint MansellClinton Darryl "Clint" Mansell, is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself....
, English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat ItselfPop Will Eat ItselfPop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
.Attended King Edward VI School, Stourbridge. - S.J. Watson. Author of Before I Go to Sleep, was born and lived here before moving to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
- Diamond HeadDiamond Head (band)Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
, heavy metal band who influenced other bands such as MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
& MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
.
In popular culture
Stourbridge appears in two great works of poetry from the 20th century: Finnegans WakeFinnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
by James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and The Cantos
The Cantos
The Cantos by Ezra Pound is a long, incomplete poem in 120 sections, each of which is a canto. Most of it was written between 1915 and 1962, although much of the early work was abandoned and the early cantos, as finally published, date from 1922 onwards. It is a book-length work, widely considered...
of Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
.
- James Joyce Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
, part 1, Episode 6. Page 184.
- Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, Canto LXVI, line 30, Page 380.
Stourbridge found its way into Pound's Cantos via John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
the second President of the United States, whose diary entry from 1786 Pound translated into his own epic poem.
Stourbridge Golf Course is also mentioned by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
.
- P. G. Wodehouse, Money for Nothing, Chapter 5.
External links
- River Stour
- Internet Guide To Stourbridge
- Stourbridge News Local Stourbridge weekly newspaper
- St Thomas's Church
- Stourbridge bus and rail information
- Ridgewood High School
- Chevron's myspace page
- Old Swinford Hospital School
- King Edward VI College
- Stourbridge College
- Redhill School
- Information about the Stourbridge Lion
- Stourbridge Cricket Club
- Stourbridge Ladies Circle
- The 'Bridge 102.5FM
- Stourbridge Bicycle User Group (Stourbug)
- The Wordsley School, Stourbridge
- 871 Troop, 67 (QOWWY) Signal Squadron (V)