Wollaston, Worcestershire
| Wollaston | |
| Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
 The Britannia Inn, Wollaston High Street | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO888849 |
| Location: | 52°27’43"N, 2°9’59"W |
| Data | |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dudley |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Stourbridge |
Wollaston is a suburb of Stourbridge, in Worcestershire, at the edge of the conurbation. Wollaston is one mile from Stourbridge town centre.
Wollaston Hall
Wollaston is locally famous for Wollaston Hall, which once stood in the village but was disassembled and shipped abroad to an unknown location in North America. It has been established that panelling and a fireplace from the Hall are now in the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, a building that bears a striking resemblance to the original Hall.[1]
Birthplace of steam locomotive
The Stourbridge Lion, built in Wollaston, was the first steam locomotive to run on a commercial line in the United States. Built by Foster, Rastrick & Co. in 1829, the Stourbridge Lion's historic first run took place on 8 August.
The foundry in Lowndes Road, Wollaston where the Stourbridge Lion was built stands to this day but is now under threat of demolition. The Grade II listed building has been vandalised since the last business went bankrupt and is in a sorry state. The locomotive is in America still, on view at the B&O Railroad museum, Baltimore, Maryland, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.
Transport links
The Stourbridge Canal skirts around the village linking the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley No 1 Canal, this places Wollaston on the Stourport Ring.
The nearest railway station is Stourbridge Town, and several coach and bus services from Stourbridge run through the village.
The Stourbridge to Bridgnorth A458 road runs through the village.
Between 1901 and 1930, Wollaston was served by an electric tramway, the Kinver Light Railway.
Big society
Founded in 2007, FNDC (Friday Night Drinks Club) is a group that meets weekly at public houses within Wollaston. Each member offers a topic of interest for discussion. The group meets from 7pm at The Princess public house and welcome new participants. A friendly and open collective, the group is well known for supporting local hostelries.
Wollaston Illuminations
Wollaston is home to the locally famous "Wollaston Illuminations" in Leonard Road in the village, where the annual Christmas lights attract people from all over the Black Country to raise money for a chosen charity. The Stourbridge celebrity Johnny Briggs, who played Mike Baldwin in the ITV soap Coronation Street has switched the lights on several times over the years, and they are often featured on the BBC Midlands Today news programme.
In 2006 many of the residents of Leonard Road decided to cancel the illuminations as a protest to hot food and drink vendors 'cashing in' on the fundraising event which in past years, has raised large sums for charity.[2]
Outside links
- History of Wollaston Group
- History of Wollaston Discussion Forum
- Edsel Ford's House
- Stourbridge Lion
References
- A History of Wollaston, H.O.W. Group ISBN 0-9547053-0-0