When was walsall town hall built

Site of Gorway House. Site of Park Hall. Site of Gillity Greaves. Site of Daffodil Farm. The area to the north-east of the town centre was developed in the 19th century mainly by John Walhouse and his successors the barons Hatherton, who owned most of the land. Much of the smaller property, however, has been replaced by council houses and flats, while many of the villas have been turned into offices.

The chief building before the 19th century was Reynold's Hall, near the present Arboretum Road. It was the house on which the Walhouse estate centred until John Walhouse demolished it in the late 18th century as limestone working developed in the area. The home farm survived until That way was presumably one leading from Rushall Street to Walsall field mentioned in the 15th century; it seems to have crossed the Holbrook by a stone bridge by the later 16th century.

The Council House to the north was built on the site of Teddesley House in ; the central library further north on the other side of the new Tower Street was opened in Public baths had been opened behind the library site in On the western side of Lichfield Street Hatherton Place, now the eastern end of Hatherton Road, existed by ; it was originally known as Littleton Place, a name in use by when a building-lease was granted there.

It had been built by , and Littleton Road had then been extended east to Lichfield Street. Brook, later Albert, Street existed by Darwall Street was built in the late s by the trustees of C. Darwall, and Leicester Street linking it with Bridge Street dates from the same time. Paul's Road dates from c. To the east of Lichfield Street is a district mainly of villas and better-class terraces. Walhouse Street was built as far as Lower Rushall Street at the same time as Lichfield Street; the first lease was granted in Patrick's Convent.

Rowley and Charlotte Streets were built in the later s, being named after Charlotte Rowley, who married Lord Hatherton's eldest son in ; Upper Walhouse Street was extended to Charlotte Street at the same time. George's Church was built at the corner of Persehouse and Upper Walhouse Streets in , and many 'superior' houses were being built round it in Foden, who as Lord Hatherton's agent was involved in the development of the area from George's Place in Persehouse Street was completed in ; houses have been built opposite on the site of St.

George's Church, demolished in the mid s. The area to the north which is now occupied by the Arboretum was partly in Rushall until Limestone was being quarried there by the late 18th century. Operations had ceased by the earlier s, leaving two flooded pits, the larger of which was known as Hatherton Lake by The park was opened in , with lodges and boundary wall designed by Robert Griffiths of Stafford, the county surveyor.

In the borough council, after much pressure, took a three-year lease of the Arboretum and opened it as a public park; it bought the freehold in The Arboretum was extended south-eastwards several times between and and now covers a.

The district north-east of the Arboretum, which was part of Rushall until , is a middle-class residential area with open country around Calderfields Farm. Of the streets on the east side of Ablewell Street Bott Lane existed by The streets in the mainly residential area to the east known as the Chuckery date largely from the turn of the 19th century.

The name may be derived from Churchgreave, the name of one of the common fields; the boundaries of the field seem to have followed the line of several of the present streets in the area. The southern end of Beacon Street too dates from about that time. In the same period the Sutton road, which at least until the building of Sutton Crescent ran along Prince's Avenue and the Crescent, was realigned to run south of the Crescent.

The district to the east contains an area of early settlement at Wood End, which straddled the Sutton road near the parish boundary and was inhabited by The area to the north of the road is open country. The area to the south is also occupied by middle-class housing; a few of the roads had been laid out by , but most of them date from the s and s.

The area along Birmingham Road in the southeast of the borough has developed as a middle-class suburb. Until the late 18th century the road to Birmingham, known as Peakhouse Lane, followed a winding course along the present Jesson Road and through Five Ways along Park Hall and Lonsdale Roads, but it was straightened to its present course apparently c. Mary's Roman Catholic school, existed by as Springfield, the home of Richard Jesson, an attorney.

In the s a suburb of 'villas and terraces of villettes' developed around the northern part of the Birmingham road. It was considered by one writer to be the most attractive part of Walsall: 'above the lamplights and level pavement the branching trees spread their network of interchanging leaves after the manner of Parisian boulevards. Emery Street, linking it with Lodge Street now Sandymount Road and containing smaller terraces, existed by , but only the northern end had then been built up.

Highgate House was built in the mid s by F. Oerton, a saddlers' ironmonger who had lived in a house by his works in Bath Street; he was mayor in In fact most of the houses there and at Sargent's Hill were not built until the years between the two World Wars and after. Broadway, built in the s, is lined with houses of the period between the two World Wars. Terraces were then built on Lord Bradford's land at the northern end of West Bromwich Road and in the new Weston Road; more were built in the early 20th century.

Broadway was built across the area in the s, and privately owned houses had been built along it by Houses were built both by the council and privately along West Bromwich Road south of Broadway in the same period. On either side of West Bromwich Road south of the old boundary is the portion of the Delves that was transferred from Wednesbury in The purpose of the transfer was to provide Walsall with land for houses, and most of the housing, both council and privately built, dates from the s.

In the centre of the Delves is Delves Green, a acre open space maintained by the corporation. The Caldmore area lies between the old roads to West Bromwich and Wednesbury.

The West Bromwich road fn. Thomas Faukes of Caldmore occurs in , fn. Matthew's stood to the south of Vicarage Place until the 19th century, probably occupying the same site from the Middle Ages. There was development in patches throughout the area by the 18th century.

At Little London there was spur-making by the earlier 18th century. Doveridge along West Bromwich Street south-east of Caldmore included four metal-workers in as well as two farmers.

Mary was opened in on St. Mary's Mount above the vicarage, fn. Mary's Row was built in the later s, 'a neat row' consisting of the works and houses of Messrs.

He granted further leases in the same area and in Cemetery Road now Barleyfields Row in the s. Michael's Church in Bath Road was opened in , and St.

Michael Street called Stratford Street until dates from about then. Michael's was renamed Carless Street in in memory of Seaman J. Carless, V. There has been some redevelopment of Caldmore since the s. The council houses and flats in Orlando Street replaced slum properties; work began in the late s and the first new dwelling was let in The multi-storey flats in Little London were first occupied in The action group established a housing association in , with offices and an aid centre in a converted shop on Caldmore Green.

The council declared part of Caldmore a general improvement area in , the first in Walsall. In several of the streets south from West Bromwich Street were planted with shrubs and plants. Some restrictions have also been placed on motor traffic. The Caldmore district including much of Palfrey to the south remains a working-class community; in , however, 60 per cent of the population were owner-occupiers.

Thirty per cent of the community were immigrants and their families, mainly of Asiatic origin. Palfrey is continuous with Caldmore and has its centre upon Milton Street. Before the later 19th century, however, there was little settlement in the area. Palfrey Green occurs in as demesne pasture and lay at the southern end of what is now Lord Street. Old cottages there were demolished in Development began when the Walsall Freehold Land Society acquired a acre estate at Palfrey in The land was divided into lots and distributed among 78 people.

Building had started by Whitehall Road, cut in the later s, was built up by the mid s, and Tennyson Street now the east end of Dale Street , Alexandra Street the north end of Alexandra Road , and Villiers Street existed by then.

There were also buildings on the corner of Milton and Lord Streets. Several building-leases were granted in Stank Lane and Milton Street between and Earl Street and Countess Street were laid out in the early s and building-leases granted in , , and Building spread southwards to the borough boundary between the World Wars, with both council and privately built estates.

Broadway West was built across the southern area in the s and is lined with privately built houses of the inter-war years.

Bescot Crescent, dating from the same period, contains much light industry. The Whitehall Road area has been included in the Caldmore improvement scheme. Demolition of several of the terraces was in progress in , and there had been some rebuilding on cleared sites. The Pleck, a name meaning a small plot of ground, occurs as a small area of waste in and The name suggests Saxon occupation 'Beorhtmund's cottage' , fn. There were also a few houses to the east along Wednesbury Road and Wallows Lane and to the west along Darlaston Road, including one on the boundary at James Bridge.

There were several houses in the area of the former park; they included one with an acre holding attached, known as Park House and the forerunner of what was called Parks Farm in the early 19th century.

Bescot Farm at the end of what is now Slater's Lane also existed by the later 18th century. Extensive growth came in the later 19th century, but there had been some building earlier in the century.

At Pleck itself a National school was opened in and a Wesleyan meeting was started c. Chapel Street took its name from the Wesleyan chapel opened there in ; it was renamed St. Quentin Street to commemorate the storming of the Hindenburg Line at the St. Quentin Canal in , an operation in which Walsall men took part.

Regent Street was renamed Caledon Street after the ship in which J. Two houses were being built near the bridge over Walsall Brook early in , and Bridgeman Place near by existed then; as Bridgeman Terrace it was described in as 'a handsome row of fashionable houses with stucco fronts', one of them the home of Charles later Sir Charles Forster, M.

The extension of mining and the building of ironworks from c. John's Church was opened in Pleck Road. The railway had been opened through that part in , with a station first in Bridgeman Place and from in the new Station Street. A cemetery was opened at the southern end of Queen Street in Development continued throughout the area in the s and s, and Short, Brook, and Brockhurst Streets and part of Charles Street were built. Midland Road had been laid out by , fn. Some houses still stood in Queen Street, but few were occupied.

The rest of the Pleck district also developed from the later 19th century, mainly as a residential area. The last colliery, James Bridge, was abandoned in Brick-making apparently ceased c. James Bridge remains an industrial area. In Pleck itself Lord Bradford granted buildingleases round St. John's Church in the late s, and terraces were built along the west side of Pleck Road, also on the Bradford estate, shortly afterwards and in the early s.

Most houses in that area, however, date from the end of the century. Checketts Street was built by Walter Checketts on land leased from Lord Bradford in and , and Forrester Street was being built up throughout the s. The east end of Ida Road dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 20th century much of the area has been used for council housing. The estate around Ida and Alumwell Roads dates from the later s and the s, and it was continued west to Primley Avenue from the later s.

Another, which includes several multi-storey blocks of flats, was laid out in the cleared Oxford Street area in the later s. The streets of privately built houses on either side of Bescot Road date from the years between the two World Wars; those on the west were laid out over part of the grounds of Bescot Hall after its demolition in Birchills occurs as an area of wood and waste in the earlier 14th century.

The roads now known as Birchills Street, Hollyhedge Lane, and Old Birchills also existed in , and there was then settlement along all the roads in the area, including the present Wolverhampton Road. By there were many metal-workers at Birchills. There was also iron-working and limestone mining.

Billy Preston was the first to get a half-century on the ground scoring 77 not out. They dismissed the opponents for The match was followed by an inaugural dinner in the tea room, attended by the Mayor, and several club 'veterans'. From the Walsall Red Book. Harry Shore. She had to visit every home containing a young child.

Her first report, based on visits to around six thousand children revealed the following:. Harry Shore's first report in commented on how hardship and poverty affected young mothers, resulting in a high infant mortality rate, usually from poor housing conditions, lack of ventilation and overcrowding.

High Street on market day. The Liberal government passed a number Acts of Parliament under their Liberal reforms package which were designed to help the poor.

The Education Administrative Provisions Act set up school medical services that were run by local government. All children were to receive a medical inspection. The National Insurance Act provided for a National Insurance scheme with provision of medical benefits. Workers were given access to free treatment for tuberculosis, and the sick were eligible for treatment by a panel doctor.

The unemployed received a time-limited unemployment benefit, and every mother received a maternity grant of thirty shillings. In the years immediately before the First World War the country suffered from much industrial unrest involving strikes by railwaymen, miners, engineering workers etc. Wages were very low and so people were demanding a realistic minimum wage. One industry greatly affected in Walsall was tube making. There were strikes at Birchfields and Pleck involving large numbers of people.

Twenty men entered the factory in an attempt to return to work, which greatly angered the strikers. A crowd of around three thousand gathered outside the factory which was guarded by two lines of policemen. They agreed to disperse if the twenty workers would leave the factory. A riot took place, stones were hurled through factory windows, and a police refreshment vehicle carrying food for the police officers on duty, was overwhelmed by the crowd, and the food carried away. During the strike the Mayor organised a relief fund which fed children daily at their schools.

The strike eventually ended in July. Walsall's lovely old Art Gallery. A very different event took place on 30th August when an aircraft landed in the town for the first time. An aircraft race had been organised between two pilots, Bentfield Charles Hucks, and Gustav Hamel for a fine silver trophy and prize money of five hundred pounds, offered by the Birmingham Daily Post. The race consisted of several short flights around a circular route, starting and ending at the Tally-Ho grounds at Edgbaston.

Gustav Hamel landed in an adjoining field because he felt that the official one was too small. When Hucks landed he was surrounded by a waiting crowd of between 20, and 30, people. The spectators included the Mayor, the town councillors and their wives and friends. After thirty minutes the aviators departed on their last but one leg to Quinton, before returning to Edgbaston.

Hamel succeeded in beating Hucks by just over twenty seconds. Sadly both aviators had short lives. Gustav Hamel disappeared over the English Channel on 23rd May, while returning from Paris in a new 80hp. Morane-Saulnier monoplane. He was only 24 years old. Bentfield Hucks died on 7th November, as a result of double pneumonia. He was 34 years old, and is buried in Highgate Cemetery. Another view inside Walsall's old Art Gallery.

Looking down High Street, possibly in the early s. From a newspaper cutting from an unknown newspaper. Digbeth in From a newspaper cutting. A quiet High Street in the s, possibly on a Sunday. Looking down High Street in the s. Entrance to the Town Hall. Sister Dora's Statue. Alderman J. Cotterell, Mayor of Walsall, Entrance to the Arboretum. The Arboretum lake.

Another view of the Arboretum. A final view of the Arboretum. The Caldmore Green Picture House. The manager was Harry Parr, and the first film was 'Life's Highway'. Seating was provided on a stadium plan, with a raised stepped section at the rear. The auditorium was at right angles to the entrance, and was entered by doors halfway down, on the left of the stage.

The name was later changed to Caldmore Green Picture House which in the s boasted that it had the finest screen in the Midlands.

Audiences declined in the late s because its films had already been shown at other local cinemas, but things improved after when Frank Harvey became manager. Seat prices were reduced and the cinema regained its popularity. In a wide screen was installed for CinemaScope along with new projectors and up-to-date sound equipment. Courtesy of Paul Bowman. It was designed by J. There were seats in the stalls and on the circle. The projection equipment was made by Western Electric.

The cinema opened on 28th August, with a showing of 'Letting in the Sunshine' starring Albert Burdon, and a supporting film, 'Slightly Married' starring Marie Prevost. The cinema's final film before closure was 'Cleopatra' starring Elizabeth Taylor. The building was sold in and demolished in February The Empire.