The nucleus of the village is where three roads, from Dudley, Tipton and Wolverhampton meet. In the late eighteenth century the canal was built and the road to Wolverhampton was diverted to run alongside the canal and over the top of the tunnel. This led to building developments by the side of the canal: the pub (1790), Station Road cottages (1820) and houses on the trap shop side.
The Piper's Row buildings went up in 1827, between that date and 1837 when the Chapel was built. Level Street cottage was built in 1840. In 1842 the limekilns and a straight canal arm were completed. Shortly after the baker's shop, sweet shop and Himley cottages were built as houses.
Brook Street houses were built in the 1850s. At about this time land subsidence on the site of the rolling mill caused flooding and led to the formation of a new, curved canal arm and a wharf. From this time the boat dock came into being.
At this stage the one running parallel to the new canal arm had largely superseded the old road to Tipton and so the old road was closed, allowing for the later developments of the ironworks. The builder's yard and stone cutters developed on the new Tipton Road. In 1860 the bakery was built, and the brass foundry in 1869. At this stage the iron works area consisted of a cluster of chainmakers.
In 1879 a new bridge was built across the canal arm, and the line of the road was changed. The Himley cottages represent the line of the old road. The baker's shop and the sweet shop both had shop fronts built onto them. Old houses that previously stood on Gregory's row were demolished for the development of Gregory's, the chainmaker's house, and Doo's Chemist.
In the late 1880's the ironworks were created; the anchor forge and the blacksmith's were built and the Level Street house became an office. The rolling mill dates from 1910. Other haphazard developments that took place were: a nailshop in 1880, a pigsty behind Station Road in 1879, the trap shop in 1913 and the lifting bridge over the canal in 1922.
| Reference: | 512 |
| Keywords: | Roads Canal Cottages Pub Community Chemist School Store House BCLM |
| Archive Ref: | Marketing Photograph Collection |
| Updated: | 6/9/2001 11:46:03 |