| Bilston | |
|---|---|
 _in_Bilston%2c_Wolverhampton_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5599219.jpg)  Top: Bilston Market entrance. Lower: St Leonard's Church,Town Hall | |
  Bilston Location within theWest Midlands | |
| Population | 25,576 (2011.Wards)[1][2] |
| OS grid reference | SO951964 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Areas of the town | List
|
| Post town | BILSTON |
| Postcode district | WV14 |
| Dialling code | 01902 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Bilston is amarket town in theCity of Wolverhampton in theWest Midlands, England. It is in theBlack Country, 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) south east of Wolverhampton city centre and close to the borders ofSandwell andWalsall. The town was known forenamalling from the mid-17th century, and is a former coal and iron mining district. Iron works dominated inVictorian times and the area became a centre for steel production. The town had a population of 34,639 at the 2021 Census.
Bilston was first referred to in AD 985 asBilsatena whenWolverhampton was granted toWulfrun[3] then in 996 asBilsetnatun in the grant charter of St. Mary's Church (nowSt. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton).[4][5]Bilsetnatun can be interpreted as meaning the settlement (ton) of the folk (saetan) of the ridge (bill). It is mentioned in theDomesday Book as a village calledBillestune.
Historically in Staffordshire, Bilston was a largely rural area until extensively developed for factories and coal mining in the 19th century.[6]
In 1866 Bilston became acivil parish.[7] BilstonUrban District Council was formed under theLocal Government Act 1894 covering the ancient parish of Bilston. The urban district was granted aroyal charter in 1933, becoming amunicipal borough and Alderman Herbert Beach its Mayor. Between 1920 and 1966, the council replaced most of the 19th-centuryterraced houses with rented modern houses and flats on developments like Stowlawn, the Lunt, and Bunker's Hill. By 1964 there were more than 6,000 council houses.
On 1 April 1966 the Borough of Bilston was abolished, with most of its territory incorporated into theCounty Borough of Wolverhampton (seeHistory of West Midlands), although parts of Bradley in the east of the town were merged intoWalsall borough and part went toWest Bromwich.[8] The parish was also abolished on 1 April 1966 and merged with Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich.[9] In 1961 the parish had a population of 33,067.[10]
Bilston Town Hall, dating from 1872, has now been refurbished and re-opened. It had been derelict for more than a decade after Wolverhampton Council discontinued its use as housing offices, but now operates as a venue for events, conferences, performances and occasions.
Bilston lost its passengerrailway station in 1972, although goods trains continued to pass through the site of the station for a further decade. The town's new bus station opened in October 1991, linking withthe town'sWest Midlands Metro station, which opened in May 1999.
The hugeBritish Steel Corporation plant to the west of the town centre was closed in 1979, after 199 years of steel production at the site, with the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs.[11] Part of the site was developed as the Sedgemoor Park Housing Estate between 1986 and 1989, and aB&Q superstore opened on another part of the site in December 1993, forming the first phase of a new small retail park and industrial estate which developed over the next decade. TheGKN steel plant to the south of the town centre closed in 1989.[12]
Construction of the long-awaitedBlack Country Route began in the mid 1980s, although the final phase was not completed until July 1995, by which time Bilston had a direct unbroken dual carriageway link withDudley,Walsall and theM5 Motorway. TheBlack Country Spine Road opened at the same time, improving Bilston's road links withWest Bromwich andBirmingham.
21st century developments in Bilston include theSouth Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy and the adjoiningBert Williams Leisure Centre, which form the centerpiece of the town's new Urban Village, which is planned to include an eventual total of more than 1,000 new homes.[13]
Christian worship in Bilston can be traced back to 1090. In 1458, the chapel was replaced by St Leonard's Chantry and a third renovated church was consecrated in 1733. The church seen today dates from a rebuilding of 1825–26 to the designs of Francis Godwin in the manner ofJohn Soane and is the fourth church on the site, though a small amount of older stonework from the C14 or C15 remains visible inside the present tower.[14] It was altered in 1882–83 by prolific church architectEwan Christian.[15] Ewan Christian altered the aisle windows into single tall, thin openings where there had previously been two. The church contains a font of 1673, probably from the older church.[16] The church is painted stucco inside and out. It is also unusual in having achamfered square tower, giving it an octagonal appearance, in being surmounted with acupola, a golden globe withweather vane and a fenced viewing platform.
From the middle of the 18th century, Bilston became well known for the craft ofenamelling.[17] Items produced included decorative containers such as patch-boxes, scent boxes, and bonbonnieres.
With the opening of theBirmingham Canal to the west of the town in 1770, industrial activity in the local area increased, with the first blast furnaces near the canal at Spring Vale being erected by 1780.
Bilston was transformed by theIndustrial Revolution. In 1800, it was still a largely rural area dependent on farming. By 1900, it was a busy town with numerous factories and coalmines, as well as a large number of houses for the workers and their families. The Bilston coal mines were reputedly haunted by an evil spirit, so the miners brought in a localexorcist known as The White Rabbit.[18]
Six new blast furnaces were erected there between 1866 and 1883. Five of these were producing a total of nearly 25,000 tons of steel per year at what was now known as Bilston Steel Works. The first electric powered blast furnaces opened there in 1907, and finally in 1954 the "Elisabeth" blast furnace was erected, creating 275,000 tons of steel per year. However, by the 1970s the steel works had become uneconomic and theLabour government decided to close it, with closure taking place on 12 April 1979. The iconic "Elisabeth" was demolished on 5 October 1980. Local unemployment, which had been steadily rising for some years, was pushed even higher by the plant's closure.[19] A former railway bridge which connected parts of the steelworks site remains in situ across the canal.
The industry remained prolific during theinterwar years, but much of the housing was now sub-standard, and during the 1920s and 1930s, many of the older houses were cleared and replaced by modern council houses.[citation needed]
The original line of the Birmingham Canal (now theBCN Old Main Line) was planned to serve Bilston amongst other towns.[28] Thebill for its construction stated that "the Primary and Principal Object of this Undertaking was and is to obtain a Navigation from the Collieries to this Town [ie Birmingham]".[29] The canal opened from Wednesbury to Birmingham on 6 November 1769 and through to Newell on 25 March 1772.[30] Coal from Bilston was reaching Birmingham by May 1770.[31] When the BCN New Main Line was built the Wednesbury section became a loop serving industry and collieries, the southern part of which was subsequently abandoned and filled in. A branch was also built from the Walsall Canal to Bilston, but was closed in 1953.[32]
From 1850 to 1972 there was arailway station in Bilston town centre, but passenger services were then withdrawn and the line via Bilston (fromWolverhampton Low Level toBirmingham Snow Hill) had been almost completely abandoned within a decade. There was also a railway station,Bilston West on the now closedOxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line. The final stub of the railway, connecting a town centre scrapyard with theSouth Staffordshire Line atWednesbury, closed in 1992.
Bilston has threeWest Midlands Metro tram stops on the line between Wolverhampton andBirmingham;Bilston Central,Loxdale andThe Crescent. The town was set to be served by 2 new lines by 2024, with trams travelling toStourbridge &Walsall, however budget constraints have put back the opening date to at least 2025.
A significant development in the Bilston area was theA463Black Country Route. With more cars, the roads around Bilston town centre became increasingly congested. In the late 1960s, the government drew up plans for a new motorway bypassing Bilston (and running from theA4123 nearCoseley to Junction 10 of theM6 motorway atWalsall), which was scheduled to be completed by 1976, but nothing came of it. Plans for a new dual carriageway were revived in the early 1980s on a slightly different route, much closer to Bilston town centre. The first phase of the road (to be known as the Black County Route) was completed in 1986. Though initially running around one-half mile (800 metres) east of the A4123, it was extended in 1990 to Oxford Street in Bilston town centre. In the town centre a number of buildings were demolished and roads re-routed, while one road, Market Street was obliterated. During 1995, completion of the final phase of the Black Country Route between Bilston and Junction 10 of theM6 motorway led to an improvement in traffic flow in and around the town centre.
Bilston Bus Station opened in 1991 and underwent refurbishment in 2005 by Centro.[33] Buses run from the bus station toWolverhampton,Willenhall,Wednesfield,New Cross Hospital,Tipton,Dudley andWalsall. In addition, surrounding areas such asEttingshall,The Lunt, Stowlawn, Rocket Pool,Bradley,Moxley andPortobello are served. Service 79 (Wolverhampton -West Bromwich) does not stop at the bus station, instead its route is along Wellington Road and Lichfield Street.
Services 25, 34, 39, 42, 79, 82 and 530 (Sunday) are operated byNational Express West Midlands.[2] Services 57, 82 (Evening/Sunday), 223, 229, 303 and 326 are operated byDiamond West Midlands. Services 53 and 530 are operated by Banga Bus and service 23/23A are operated by Carolean Coaches. Some services are subsidised byTransport for West Midlands.
At the Bilston end of theBlack Country Route can be seen the group of wooden statues designed byRobert Koenig and called "Steel Columns." "This sculpture was made from 15 lengths ofsweet chestnut which stretch up to 6 metres in height. The male and female figures depicted are based on those found in oldVictorian photographs of Bilston. The titleSteel Columns is a reference to Bilston's steel making background and the connection the figures had with this history."[34]
Art and craft works of local significance from the eighteenth century are displayed atBilston Craft Gallery, which also has a temporary exhibition space where local art and crafts are often displayed. The craft gallery also hosts workshops for families and children, including school trips.
The artistWilliam Harold Dudley was born in Bilston; several of his works are in the collection ofWolverhampton Art Gallery.
Bilston Carnival in the 1960's travelled along Wellington Road before ending in Hickman Park where there would bePat Collins' fun fair, horse jumping and an open air stage hosting various entertainment including wrestling and live music bands. The park also had one of the tallest slides for children in any park.
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC West Midlands andITV Central. Television signals are received from theSutton Coldfield TV transmitter.[35]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio WM,Heart West Midlands,Smooth West Midlands,Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire,Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands,Greatest Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire andWCR FM, a community based station which broadcast from nearbyWolverhampton.
The town is served by the local newspaper,Express & Star.
Bilston has 15 primary schools, and two secondary schools –South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy andMoseley Park School, which was originally Etheridge Secondary Modern (formerly Fraser Street Schools), and Bilston Boys' Grammar School. Manor Primary School, which used to be a secondary school, is sometimes incorrectly believed to be in Bilston, but is actually in Woodcross which is within the Wolverhampton-governed part of Coseley.
Bilston had aCholera Orphan School which was opened on 3 August 1833 following a severe outbreak during thesecond cholera pandemic (1829–51) which had left 450 orphans in Bilston after the death of 742 sufferers.[36]The Royal School, Wolverhampton has similar origins.
In 1862 the case of David Brandrick, the "Bilston Murderer" was heavily covered by all the local papers. According to the Windsor and Eton Journal, Saturday 11 January 1862, Brandrick was hanged outsideStafford Jail that morning for the murder of John Bagott, a clothier and pawnbroker.
On 30 September 2007, the body of 16-year-old Shane Owoo was recovered from a flooded clay pit near the Lunt estate. TwoWolverhampton men, Christopher Lewis and Marvin Walker, were found guilty of manslaughter on 25 April 2008 and sentenced to five and a half years in prison. The jury atBirmingham Crown Court heard that the pair had frogmarched Owoo to the pool amid allegations that he had stolen a bicycle from one of the defendants. A third man, Tobias Davies, received a 12-month prison sentence for assaulting Owoo, but had not been present when the other two men attacked him and chased him into the pool where he drowned.[37]
On 28 July 2009, 47-year-oldMoxley pub landlord Swinder Singh Batth was shot dead in the town centre outside Gavin's Sports Bar. Jasbir Singh Takhar, ofCoseley, and Sukwinder Singh Sanghera, ofWest Bromwich, were jailed for life a year later for the murder; it was established that they had been attempting to shoot someone else. The trial judge recommended minimum terms of 29 and 28 years respectively. Five other people received prison sentences of between 21 months and three years for conspiracy to commit violent disorder in connection with the crime, while a sixth person received a three-and-half-year prison sentence for witness intimidation.[38]
On 21 November 2009, 50-year-old Dudley man Daniel McCalla was shot dead at the town's Tropical Harmony nightclub.[39]
At the 2021 census, Bilston's built-up area population was recorded as having a population of 34,639. Of the findings, the ethnicity and religious composition of the wards separately were:
| Bilston: Ethnicity: 2021 Census[40] | |||||||||||||
| Ethnic group | Population | % | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 22,792 | 65.8% | |||||||||||
| Asian or Asian British | 6,145 | 17.7% | |||||||||||
| Black or Black British | 2,962 | 8.6% | |||||||||||
| Mixed | 1,936 | 5.6% | |||||||||||
| Other Ethnic Group | 730 | 2.1% | |||||||||||
| Arab | 61 | 0.3% | |||||||||||
| Total | 34,639 | 100% | |||||||||||
The religious composition of the built-up area at the 2021 Census was recorded as:
| Bilston: Religion: 2021 Census | |||||||||||||
| Religious | Population | % | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 15,112 | 46.1% | |||||||||||
| No religion | 11,415 | 34.8% | |||||||||||
| Sikh | 3,384 | 10.3% | |||||||||||
| Hindu | 1,407 | 4.3% | |||||||||||
| Muslim | 834 | 2.5% | |||||||||||
| Other religion | 470 | 1.4% | |||||||||||
| Buddhist | 132 | 0.3% | |||||||||||
| Jewish | 15 | 0.1% | |||||||||||
| Total | 34,639 | 100% | |||||||||||
Fourwards ofWolverhampton City Council now cover the town. These are Bilston South andBilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston andEttingshall North andEttingshall South and Spring Vale, which comprise a part of Bilston and other parts of Wolverhampton.
The town was represented byBilston parliamentary constituency from 1918 until 1974, which also included nearbySedgley andCoseley. Bilston was then incorporated intoWolverhampton South East, where it remains.[41]
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