Wollaston, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
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 (South Staffordshire
district), and until 1974 was in Worcestershire
. Wollaston is one mile from Stourbridge
town centre.
Primary and The Ridge Primary. Concerning secondary schools, the village is primarily served by Ridgewood High School (a Science Specialist College).
It has been established that panelling and a fireplace from the Hall are now in the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, a building that bears a striking resemblance to the original Hall.
, built in Wollaston, was the first steam locomotive to run on a commercial line in the United States. Built by Foster, Rastrick & Co. in 1829, the Stourbridge Lion's historic first run took place on August 8.
The foundry in Lowndes Road, Wollaston where the Stourbridge Lion was built stands to this day but is now under threat of demolition. The Grade II listed building has been vandalised since the last business went bankrupt and is in a sorry state. Local historian Dr Paul Collins believes the site is of huge historical importance and should be developed into a heritage centre and exhibition to celebrate this unique piece of history. The locomotive is now on view at the B&O Railroad museum, Baltimore MD, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution
, Washington.
skirts around the village linking the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
with the Dudley No 1 Canal, this places Wollaston on the Stourport Ring
. The nearest train station is Stourbridge Town
, and several National Express West Midlands
and Hansons bus services from Stourbridge run through the village. The Stourbridge
to Bridgnorth
A458 road
runs through the village. Between 1901 and 1930, Wollaston was served by an electric tram
way, the Kinver
Light Railway.
lights attract people from all over the Black Country
to raise money for a chosen charity. The Stourbridge celebrity Johnny Briggs
, who played Mike Baldwin in the ITV
soap Coronation Street
has switched the lights on several times over the years, and they are often featured on the BBC
Midlands Today
news program.
In 2006 many of the residents of Leonard Road decided to cancel the illuminations as a protest to hot food and drink vendors 'cashing in' on the fundraising event which in past years, has raised large sums for charity.
was born and brought up in Wollaston. Pearson now plays the role of Karen Hollins
in the BBC Birmingham
set soap opera, Doctors.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of 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...
, in 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 within Dudley Metropolitan Borough. It is situated on the border between Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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...
County (South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
district), and until 1974 was in 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...
. Wollaston is one mile from 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...
town centre.
Education
Two primary schools serve Wollaston: St. James's C of EChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Primary and The Ridge Primary. Concerning secondary schools, the village is primarily served by Ridgewood High School (a Science Specialist College).
Wollaston Hall
Wollaston is locally famous for Wollaston Hall, which once stood in the village but was disassembled and shipped abroad to an unknown location in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
It has been established that panelling and a fireplace from the Hall are now in the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, which is named "Gaukler Point" - is on the shore of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores, northeast of Detroit, Michigan, the United States. It became the new residence of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford family in 1929. Edsel Ford was the son of Henry Ford and an...
in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, a building that bears a striking resemblance to the original Hall.
Birthplace of steam locomotive
The Stourbridge LionStourbridge 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....
, built in Wollaston, was the first steam locomotive to run on a commercial line in the United States. Built by Foster, Rastrick & Co. in 1829, the Stourbridge Lion's historic first run took place on August 8.
The foundry in Lowndes Road, Wollaston where the Stourbridge Lion was built stands to this day but is now under threat of demolition. The Grade II listed building has been vandalised since the last business went bankrupt and is in a sorry state. Local historian Dr Paul Collins believes the site is of huge historical importance and should be developed into a heritage centre and exhibition to celebrate this unique piece of history. The locomotive is now on view at the B&O Railroad museum, Baltimore MD, 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.
Transport
The Stourbridge CanalStourbridge 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...
skirts around the village linking 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....
with the Dudley No 1 Canal, this places Wollaston 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...
. The nearest train station is Stourbridge Town
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...
, and several National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
and Hansons bus services from Stourbridge run through the village. The 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...
to Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
A458 road
A458 road
The A458 is a route on the UK highway network that runs from Mallwyd, near Machynlleth, in Wales, to Halesowen, near Stourbridge, in England. On the way it passes through Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Much Wenlock, Bridgnorth and Stourbridge.-Welshpool to Shrewsbury:...
runs through the village. Between 1901 and 1930, Wollaston was served by an electric tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way, the Kinver
Kinver
Kinver is a large village in South Staffordshire district, Staffordshire, England. It is in the far south-west of the county, at the end of the narrow finger of land surrounded by the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The nearest towns are Stourbridge in the West...
Light Railway.
Local Societies
Founded in 2007, FNDC (Friday Night Drinks Club) is a group that meets weekly at public houses within Wollaston. Each member offers a topic of interest for discussion. The group meets from 7pm at The Princess public house and welcome new participants. A friendly and open collective, the group is well known for supporting local hostelries.Wollaston Illuminations
Wollaston is home to the locally famous "Wollaston Illuminations" in Leonard Road in the village, where the annual ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
lights attract people from all over 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...
to raise money for a chosen charity. The Stourbridge celebrity Johnny Briggs
Johnny 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...
, who played Mike Baldwin in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
has switched the lights on several times over the years, and they are often featured on the BBC
BBC
The 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...
Midlands Today
Midlands Today
Midlands Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for the West Midlands region, which covers the north of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands county...
news program.
In 2006 many of the residents of Leonard Road decided to cancel the illuminations as a protest to hot food and drink vendors 'cashing in' on the fundraising event which in past years, has raised large sums for charity.
Notable residents
Actress, Jan PearsonJan Pearson
Jan 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...
was born and brought up in Wollaston. Pearson now plays the role of Karen Hollins
Karen Hollins
Karen 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...
in the BBC 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...
set soap opera, Doctors.