47-466: The Pensnett Canal , also called Lord Ward's Canal was a private 1.25 miles (2 km) long canal near Brierley Hill , West Midlands , England, which opened in 1840 and served the industrial enterprises of Lord Dudley's Estate. The engineer was Mathew Frost. Since its closure to navigation in 1950, much of it has been lost by overbuilding, but a small section at its junction with the Dudley Canal
94-687: A colliery owner, contractor, land-owner, and surveyor who lived at Bilston. His brother James was also a contractor, who was involved in constructing the Sandhills Branch of the Birmingham Canal and 2 miles (3.2 km) of the Stourbridge Extension Canal at around the same time, but this was one of the first canal projects that Matthew had managed, although he also worked on the Hatherton Branch of
141-584: A further 1,300 redundancies. The steelworks site, along with the adjacent Merry Hill Farm, were subsequently designated as an Enterprise Zone and were redeveloped to create the Merry Hill Shopping Centre and The Waterfront business park. In recent years, proposals have been drawn up by the local authority to regenerate Brierley Hill, with the Brierley Hill Regeneration Partnership formed to improve
188-602: A separate civil parish , being formed from the part of Kingswinford parish in Brierley Hill urban district , under the Local Government Act 1894 . Previously, it had been an urban sanitary authority. The urban district expanded greatly in 1934 after taking in most of the Kingswinford and Quarry Bank districts, and made a failed bid to obtain borough status in 1952. On 1 April 1966 the district
235-619: A short railway ran to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. For most of its length, it ran parallel to the Dudley No. 1 Canal, which ran close to the southern part of the Round Oak Ironworks. Despite the fact that it was soon surrounded by railways, the canal continued in use for about 100 years, and there was an interchange wharf with the railway at its far end. Development took place along its line, which included
282-485: Is Mr David Priestley. The first religious building in Brierley Hill was St. Michael's Chapel, which was constructed in 1765 by public subscription. It became a parish church in 1842, covering the areas of Brockmoor, Delph, and Quarry Bank. In 1872, construction commenced on St. Mary's Catholic Church. Designed by E. W. Pugin , it was completed in 1873 and upon completion, consisted of a nave, sanctuary, aisle, and side chapel. There are also Methodist and Baptist churches in
329-548: Is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley , West Midlands , England, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Dudley and 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Stourbridge . Part of the Black Country and in a heavily industrialised area, it has a population of 13,935 at the 2011 census . It is best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined considerably since
376-598: Is located immediately east of Brierley Hill. One of the largest shopping centres in the UK , it was built between 1985 and 1989 on the grounds of Merry Hill Farm, the last working urban farm in the West Midlands. Round Oak Steelworks was built in 1857 on land overlooking the site of what is now the Merry Hill Centre, and employed up to 3,000 people at its peak, but that figure had fallen to just over 1,200 by
423-535: Is owned by Dudley Metrolpolitan District Council, and some by C B Brown, who also own nearby industrial units. The water is known to be contaminated, both by discharges from industrial sites, and by fly-tipping. In 2008 the council commissioned the consulting engineers Arup Group to carry out a wide-ranging study of the remains, known as the Pensnett Canal Feasibility Study. Four options were identified, which were to do nothing, to fill in
470-779: Is part of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, in the West Midlands county in England. The Brierley Hill electoral ward is currently represented by one Labour councillor, Matthew Cook and two Conservative councillors, Adam Davies and Wayne Little on the borough council. On a national level, the ward forms part of the Dudley South constituency, with the Conservative MP Mike Wood currently elected. The Merry Hill Shopping Centre
517-640: Is situated to the immediate north of the town centre. On the border with Wordsley was the Bottle and Glass Inn, erected on the bank of the Dudley Canal in about 1800 as The Bush. It remained here until 1980 when it was transferred to the Black Country Living Museum as a centrepiece of the then-new village. It is also home to Brockmoor Primary School, which has existed at its current site in Belle Isle since 1994. The original school
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#1732780598243564-642: Is that the line diverts at Canal Street in Woodside and travels through The Waterfront and then through the Merry Hill Centre before travelling along Brierley Hill High Street, which under current plans may mean that the High Street is pedestrianised. West Midlands Police have their main Dudley area station in Brierley Hill, situated on the corner of Bank Street, next to the Civic Hall. The police station
611-492: The Dudley Canal , near to the southern mouth of the Dudley Tunnel . The current brick viaduct was built in 1880 and it is believed that the original wooden structure is still encased within its successor. Use of the viaduct had fallen by the late 1960s due to the closure of passenger stations on the route, but the line remained open until 19 March 1993, when the section of the railway between Walsall and Brierley Hill
658-555: The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at the same time. Work is known to have begun by November 1839, and the canal was probably completed in 1840. It was constructed at the 473ft Wolverhampton Level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations , as it joined the Dudley Canal at Parkhead junction, just to the south of the Dudley Tunnel . The junction was a three way affair, with another private branch to
705-476: The Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio WM , BBC Radio Shropshire , Heart West Midlands , Smooth West Midlands , Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands , Capital Midlands , Hits Radio Birmingham , Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire and Black Country Radio , a community based station which broadcast from
752-549: The West Midlands Metro will see the railway line north of Brierley Hill re-opened, with light rail services providing a link to the existing Metro line in Wednesbury and Dudley to the north and Stourbridge to the south. Though there is some speculation as to where in Brierley Hill the metro will route, with two suggested options. Number one is that the metro follows the disused South Staffs line. Number two
799-674: The 1970s. One of the largest factories in the area was the Round Oak Steelworks , which closed down and was redeveloped in the 1980s to become the Merry Hill Shopping Centre . Brierley Hill was originally in Staffordshire . Since 2008, Brierley Hill has been designated as the Strategic Town Centre of the Dudley Borough. The name Brierley Hill derives from the Old English words 'brer', meaning
846-572: The Earl of Dudley, arrived late. Brierley Hill Civic Hall, situated on Bank Street in the town centre, hosted several of Slade's first gigs during the early 1970s, although none of the members were actually from Brierley Hill. Because Stourbridge has a small postal Sorting Office, Amblecote became part of Brierley Hill, although 2.1 miles away and historically part of Stourbridge ( and still in Stourbridge Constituency ) Brockmoor
893-425: The Earl of Stafford was one. The mineral agent at the time was Francis Downing, but he was replaced by Richard Smith in 1836, and it was Smith who built up an industrial empire by taking back control of leasehold properties. This required better transport links, and in 1839 contractors were invited to submit quotations for building the private Pensnett Canal. The contract for construction was awarded to Matthew Frost,
940-556: The building of brickworks, coke ovens and lime kilns. Hartshill Iron Works, on which work began in the late 1840s, was the largest of these developments, and the output from its forges and rolling mills was an important source of traffic for the canal. Much of the traffic was taken to Wallows Wharf, but the canal was also used by railway boats, which carried iron goods to various parts of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, for transshipment to railway wagons. The canal
987-635: The canal becoming disused in the 1940s, although the section to Harts Hill Iron Company continued to be used until 1950. It was also known as Lord Ward's Branch although there is an identically named branch near the northern portal of the Dudley Tunnel, which is now part of the Black Country Living Museum . Baron Ward was another title of the Earl of Dudley. The canal is mostly unnavigable, having been partly infilled and in many places built upon by industrial premises. A short length, now called Pensnett Basin, runs between Parkhead Junction and an arch of
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#17327805982431034-496: The canal can also be observed from a number of road bridges. The Harts Hill Iron Works ran a fleet of boats based on the canal, which amounted to some 40 vessels during the life of the works. One of their boats, built of wrought iron in 1895, either in the dock at the works or at Noah Hingley's dock at Withymore, has survived. Originally numbered 17, it became number 18 and acquired the name Bessie at some point. Ownership passed to Stewarts and Lloyds of Halesowen some time probably in
1081-430: The canal to create additional land for development or green spaces, to fill in parts of the canal, and to restore and retain the whole of the remaining watered section. The report also suggested that how the canal was treated could act as a catalyst for development in the area. There is no further access to the former canal although a public footpath follows a short distance over the course between factories. The course of
1128-662: The disused Parkhead Viaduct , where the arch has been closed off. This section was bought from the Lord Dudley's Estate in 1995 by the Dudley Canal Trust. At the time it was filled in, but it was re-excavated and a brick lining constructed. At the same time the Grazebrook Arm was dredged, the towpath bridges were reconstructed, and the towpaths in the area were resurfaced. Much of the canal within Brierley Hill town centre remains in water. Some of this section
1175-598: The east serving the Blowers Green furnaces of M & W Grazebrook, which was known as the Grazebrook Arm. As built, the canal was 1.25 miles (2 km) long with no locks. It ran from Parkhead Basin at the southern portal of the Dudley Canal tunnel to the Wallows Wharf to serve the Earl of Dudley's Old Park and Wallows Collieries and the northern part of his (now demolished) Round Oak Ironworks , where
1222-612: The late 1920s and early 1930s. Brierley Hill is situated along the main A461 road between Stourbridge and Dudley , with other roads providing connections to neighbouring locations. A bypass now diverts the road on a new alignment behind the Asda store rather than through the town centre. It is also served by numerous bus services, with a bus station situated at the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, and several bus stops along
1269-680: The late 1920s or early 1930s, and it worked at the Coombeswood Tube Works, becoming their number 112. After the works closed in the 1970s, British Steel donated the vessel to the Black Country Living Museum in 1976. [REDACTED] Media related to Pensnett Canal at Wikimedia Commons Download coordinates as: 52°29′28″N 2°06′46″W / 52.49099°N 2.11276°W / 52.49099; -2.11276 ( Pensnett Canal - nominal location ) Brierley Hill Brierley Hill
1316-496: The main High Street. Buses from Brierley Hill and Merry Hill provide links to central Dudley, Halesowen , Stourbridge, Walsall , West Bromwich, and Wolverhampton , among others. From 1850 to 1962, Brierley Hill was served by a railway station for passengers on the Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line between Dudley Town and Stourbridge Junction , before passenger services were withdrawn. This
1363-491: The majority of schools in other areas. However (along with Dudley, Sedgley, and Coseley) it ran a system of 5–8 first, 8–12 middle, and 12–16 secondary schools from 1972 until 1990, before reverting to the traditional age ranges. The school serves the Quarry Bank area which is situated approximately one mile south of the town centre, and there are currently around 175 pupils aged 5–11 on the roll. The current head teacher
1410-544: The place where the Briar Rose grew; 'leah', meaning a woodland clearing; and 'hill'. Largely a product of the Industrial Revolution , Brierley Hill has a relatively recent history, with the first written records of the town dating back to the 17th century. Originally established as a settlement in the woodland of Pensnett Chase , it began expanding rapidly following the chase's enclosure in 1748, and
1457-433: The railway’s closure but fell into disrepair and required major strengthening and refurbishment to carry the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension of the West Midlands Metro tram network. The viaduct forms part of the second phase of this route, which is expected to open in either 2025 or 2026. This England rail transport related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
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1504-462: The site of a Victorian residential area. Quarry Bank is situated to the southeast of the town centre and leads to the border with Cradley Heath and Stourbridge. It has a bustling village high street with many independent shops, Church and Stevens Park. Like Amblecote it is part of the Stourbridge constituency. Hawbush Estate stands one mile to the west of the town centre and was developed in
1551-469: The time it closed in December 1982. The adjacent Waterfront office complex was built on the former steelworks site, being developed between 1989 and 1995, although since the onset of the recession in the late 2000s around half of its office units have become empty, with an application for government-funded Enterprise Zone status rejected. The original T.H. Baker store was on the High Street, central to
1598-414: The town centre and borders the townships of Sedgley , Kingswinford , and Dudley . Withymoor Village and Lakeside lie to the south of the town centre bordering Stourbridge and were mostly developed in the 1970s and 1980s, following open cast coalmining . A Sainsbury's store is at the centre of the village. Chapel Street Estate was developed during the 1960s with predominantly multi-storey flats on
1645-403: The town over 10 years, by investing in the infrastructure and increasing the number of homes and job opportunities. Brierley Hill is home to the renowned Bathams brewery on Delph Road. (See article on Daniel Batham & Sons). Brierley Hill was originally part of Staffordshire . Brierley Hill was formerly a chapelry in the parish of Kingswinford , on 31 December 1894 Brierley Hill became
1692-589: The town since 1888. The store closed in July 2018. The West Bromwich Building Society had intended to relocate to the Waterfront from its previous base in West Bromwich in 2012, although the plan was later shelved. The art deco former Danilo Cinema opened on Dudley Road in December 1936, with an opening ceremony conducted by George Formby and the young Viscount Ednam , who stepped in when his father,
1739-420: The town. The town is served by the local newspaper, Dudley News . The town currently has 10 primary schools and one secondary school. Thorns Community College and The Crestwood School are now the town's only secondary schools due to the closure of Pensnett High School . Brierley Hill runs a system of 5 to 7 infant, 7 to 11 junior, and 11 to 16 secondary schools, per the rest of the Dudley borough and
1786-609: The town. There is also a Chinese Buddhist temple located in Brierley Hill, to cater for the Buddhist community of the Dudley Borough. Brierley Hill War Memorial sits outside St. Michael's. Parkhead Viaduct Parkhead Viaduct is a railway viaduct in Dudley , West Midlands , England . The original viaduct was a wooden structure erected in 1850 to carry the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway over Parkhead Locks on
1833-567: Was abolished and merged with the County Borough of Dudley , Seisdon Rural District , Municipal borough of Stourbridge , part also went to form the County Borough of Warley . The parish was also abolished on 1 April 1966 and merged with Dudley and Stourbridge, part also went to form Warley . In 1961 the parish had a population of 56,075. It became part of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough in 1974. Brierley Hill
1880-477: Was before the Beeching Axe came into effect in 1964. The section of line from Stourbridge to Brierley Hill is still in use for goods trains, with a railway steel terminal opening in 1986, but the line northbound to Dudley has been closed since 1993. Currently, the nearest passenger railway station is Cradley Heath , over a mile south-east of the town. Under current plans, an under-construction extension to
1927-470: Was built in the late 19th century, as an infant school for 5 to 7-year-olds and a junior school for 7 to 11-year-olds; it became a first school for 5–8-year-olds and a middle school for 8 to 12-year-olds in September 1972. However, the two schools merged in September 1989 to form Brockmoor Primary School and a year later the age range was altered to 5 to 11. Pensnett is situated more than a mile north of
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1974-432: Was closed. The most recent train believed to have crossed the viaduct was a cable laying train on 1 July 1993, nearly four months after the line's closure. The section of track over Parkhead Viaduct was removed in about 1995, with most of the track between Highgate Road and Blowers Green Road following in 1998 due to the construction of a new road bridge over the line nearby. The structure of the viaduct remained intact after
2021-511: Was first recorded on a map in 1785 after the mapping of the Stourbridge Canal . Brierley Hill had become heavily industrialized by the beginning of the 19th century, with several quarries, collieries, glass works, and iron works emerging. Pigot and Co.'s National Commercial Directory for 1828-9 describes Brierley Hill as a hamlet with extensive iron works manufacturing rod, bar and sheet iron, tanks, and boilers. A National School
2068-417: Was opened in the town in 1835, and a market area had developed along the High Street. By the start of the 20th century, the raw material deposits had become depleted, leading to the closure of many of the industries in the area. The decline in manufacturing resulted in an unemployment rate of 25% in Brierley Hill by the early 1980s, with the closure of the Round Oak Steelworks in December 1982 resulting in
2115-493: Was originally built in the 1960s as the future local council offices, but the plan was scrapped when Brierley Hill became a part of the Dudley Borough. There is also a fire station located on Dudley Road, with fire and rescue services provided by the West Midlands Fire Service . Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from
2162-554: Was restored in 1995, and the section through Brierley Hill remains in water, although it is polluted and not navigable. In the early 1800s, the Earl of Dudley owned a large number of mines, from which coal, ironstone, limestone and fireclay were extracted. Although many were leased to other operators, there was a trend to bring control of them back to a central agency. John William, who had been Earl of Dudley since 1827, died in 1833, and control of his estate passed to his executors, of which
2209-405: Was the location of at least one iron and steel boatbuilding yard. It was owned by Samuel Horton of Netherton, and was listed in a trade catalogue in 1903. As well as building new boats, he carried out repairs at the yard, and had a reputation for good workmanship, which he had built up over 35 years. Horton also made boilers, tanks, colliery tubs and wagons among other iron or steel goods. Parts of
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