Gornal
| Gornal | |
| Staffordshire | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The village of Gornal Wood | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO915917 |
| Location: | 52°31’23"N, 2°7’26"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 18,542 (2011) |
| Post town: | Dudley |
| Postcode: | DY3 |
| Dialling code: | 01902 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dudley |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dudley North |
Gornal is a town in Staffordshire, within the Black Country. It encompasses three villages; Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal, and Gornal Wood.
The three Gornal villages were originally a part of the ancient manor of Sedgley.
Gornal stone, a variety of limestone, originates in Gornal.[1]
Upper Gornal
Upper Gornal is south of Sedgley on the main A459 road. It has undergone extensive private and council housing development since the 1920s. It was the target of three bombs by the Luftwaffe during Second World War, though no buildings were damaged and there were no civilian casualties.[2]
Upper Gornal formerly had a small cinema, the Jack Darby Picture House, from the early 20th century, but it closed in 1960 due to competition from other nearby theatres. The building now houses a small hardware store.[3] Also of note, the local landmark Pig on the Wall public house was controversially demolished in 2002 to make way for a McDonald's restaurant.[4]
Lower Gornal
Lower Gornal is southwest of Upper Gornal, and includes the three schools in the local area. First built in 1894, the original building of Roberts Primary School was demolished in 2000 following the completion of a new £6million building. Red Hall was formed around 1900 as an infant, junior and secondary school; but the secondary school closed in 1964 when Ellowes Hall opened. Ellowes Hall itself was named for the Ellowes Hall House that previously stood on the site, until its demolition in 1964.[5]
Gornal Athletic FC are based in Lower Gornal.
The Local legend - 'Pig on the wall'
One, not entirely apocryphal, episode from Lower Gornal's past occurred when Enoch & Eli (Aynock and Ayli in the local dialect - the two fictional characters to which local jokes are usually attributed) "put the pig on the wall to watch the band go by". Local legend has it, that once, a military band marched through the suburb, and caused such great excitement amongst the residents, that not only did many people flock to see it, but one person even put his pig on the wall to afford the animal a better view!
This phrase has long been part of the local idiolect, but its origins still remain obscure. There was even a hotel in the Upper Gornal area of the town called the "Pig on the Wall". It was originally called the Bricklayer's Arms and known locally as Hammond's after the long time owners, but took up its new name in 1985. It was however demolished and replaced with a McDonald's restaurant in late 2002.
Gornal Wood
Gornal Wood is on the western edge of the areas contains a small shopping area, including a library. It is the site of the Crooked House pub, a famous landmark known because of its distinctive appearance as a result of mining subsidence.[6]
Gornal Wood Crematorium and Cemetery is also in this area, having opened in 1960.
The 2002 Earthquake
The epicentre of the 2002 Dudley earthquake was beneath in Gornal Wood.[7] It measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and could be felt as far away as Yorkshire.[8]
Outside links
- More details of the 'Pig on the Wall' and its urban legend
- The Ancient Manor of Sedgley - Local History website
- Sedgley Local History Society website
References
- ↑ "Gornal stone - Encyclopedia". Encyclo.co.uk. 2007-10-15. http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Gornal%20stone. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ↑ "Photos When Bombs Fell on Gornal". Gornal and Sedgley. http://www.gornalandsedgley.org.uk/photos.php?pgid=32. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ↑ "Yampy Gornal Dudley Black Country History - Jack Darby's, Gornal cinema - The Picture House Dudley Road owned by Jack Darby". Yampy.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/jackdarbys.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ↑ "Memories of the Pig are just off the wall". Express&Star. http://www.expressandstar.com/latest/2009/11/02/memories-of-the-pig-are-just-off-the-wall/. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ↑ "Ellowes Memories". Yampy.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/ellowes.htm/. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ↑ "The Crooked House - History". thecrooked-house.co.uk. http://www.yampy.co.uk/gornal/news/history/ellowes.htm/http://www.thecrooked-house.co.uk/page10.htm. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ↑ "Dudley epicentre left unshaken". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2276610.stm. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
- ↑ "Earthquake hits UK". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2275158.stm. Retrieved 10 October 2011.