Perton

Perton
Staffordshire
Perton Shopping Centre
Location
Location:	52°35’32"N, 2°12’18"W
Data
Population:	10,686  (2011)
Post town:	Wolverhampton
Postcode:	WV6
Dialling code:	01902
Local Government
Council:	South Staffordshire

Perton is a large village and civil parish in Staffordshire, to the south of Codsall, and to the west of the city of Wolverhampton. Perton is named such as a derivative of 'Pear Town' due to the number of pear trees that were once there.

Overview

Perton is part of the Wolverhampton Urban Area, but the only direct road connection between Perton and Wolverhampton is for the use of buses and emergency vehicles only; private vehicles must travel north or south from Perton and use the A41 or A454.

At the centre of the village lies a shopping centre containing a Sainsbury's supermarket and a number of other shops, as well as an interdenominational church and Lakeside Community Church meeting in the Civic Centre. Perton has three schools: Perton First School, Perton Sandown First School and Perton Middle School.

Old Perton, also known as Perton Ridge, consists of large houses and a farm; it is located to the south of the modern village on the road to Pattingham.

History

Old Perton

The original Perton lay upon the slopes of Perton ridge down to the Bridgnorth road. 'Perton' derived its name from 'Pear Town' in reference to a particular type of pear which grows in the area. The original manor was owned by Edward the Confessor and then by the Abbot of Westminster. The abbey held Perton manor until 1162 when it was transferred to the monarch who in turn gave it to Lord William Perton.

In 1260 a warren was set up for the rashing of rabbits and the manor was held by John de Perton, heir to William, in return for eight days knightly service to the King of England in his wars against the Welsh.

In 1523 it was sold to James Leveson, a merchant from Wolverhampton, and it eventually passed down to Richard Leveson, a sailor, who served aboard the Ark Royal and who fought against the Spanish Armada. He became a commander and in 1596 was knighted after playing a leading role in the Navy's attack on Cadiz. After many subsequent attacks against Spain he was appointed Vice Admiral of England in 1604.

Perton once again changed hands when Sir Walter Wrottesley purchased Perton manor from Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset in 1662. It then remained in the Wrottesley family estate along with many farms until it was sold in the 1960s.

New Perton

During World War I, Fern Fields was used as a relief landing ground for No 38 (Home Defence) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps.

In the period between the First and Second World Wars the site was used for barnstorming. On 22 June 1929 a famous aviation barnstormer named Alan Cobham went to Perton trying persuade local dignitaries that they should all have their own local airfields by making speeches and taking the mayors and officials of Walsall, Wednesubry, Wolverhampton, and Stourbridge for flights in his DH-61 Giant Moth (a ten-seater enclosed cabin aeroplane).

Shortly after the start of the second world war construction of RAF Perton began in the usual RAF triangular pattern, two of 1,100 yards and one of 1,400 yards, using ash from Lower Gornal and stone from Oldbury as a fighter station. However RAF Perton did not become a fighter station and instead served as a relief aerodrome for training pilots of other RAF stations – the Princess Irene Brigade of the Dutch Army trained RAF Perton and later took part in the liberation of their country.

In 1947 RAF Perton was abandoned and given to the Agricultural Land Commission with the Dutch camp becoming a refuge camp for Poles, Latvians and Lithuanians until 1950 when it was converted to housing and occupied until 1962.

In 1972, the Mander family sold the site of the former RAF station to a private developer for £5.5million, with the first houses being occupied within a couple of years and Perton being firmly established as a major residential area by the mid-1980s, by which time some 11,500 people were living there.

In 1987, there were plans for Wolverhampton council to absorb Perton and a number of nearby villages. However, these plans were highly controversial and ultimately never took place. One Perton councillor claimed that the people of Perton were against such a move as they were "keen to get away from Wolverhampton's bad image".

Churches

Perton has two active Christian churches:

• The Church at Perton [3], which meets at the church in Anders Square in the centre of Perton, and
• Lakeside Community Church Perton [4], which meets at 10.30 am in Perton Civic Centre.

Facilities

Perton centre has a food shop, pet shop, newsagent (including a post office), toy shop, DIY store, two charity shops, unisex hairdressers and two other stores in addition to a Sainsbury's supermarket.

Perton centre also has a fish and chip shop, two pubs (the Wrottesley Arms and the Pear and Partridge on the outskirts) and an Indian restaurant. There is also a small café.

In addition to the village centre there are also two farm shops, Brownies (on the Perton Bypass) and Bradshaw's; both are just outside the village boundary yet within walking distance. There is also another pub named The Pear and Partridge which is just inside the village boundary.

Perton has two doctors' surgeries, two dentists, a chemist, an optician and a veterinary surgery.

Events

The annual Perton Carnival takes place on the May Day public holiday.

An annual Springwatch Festival takes place in Perton Library just after Easter. The Festival is organised by Wild about Perton and brings together local organisations to celebrate local wild places and wildlife.

Surrounding area

Baggeridge Country Park, Bratch Locks, Highgate Common, Himley Hall and Wombourne with its railway walks and Wom Brook Walk are all within a 20-minute driving distance from Perton.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Perton)

• Map on Streetmap.co.uk
• Perton Multi Media News Channel
• The Church At Perton
• Lakeside Community Church
• Perton and Codsall United FC website
• Wild about Perton website