| Blakenhall | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Blakenhall Location within theWest Midlands | |
| Population | 12,600 (2021)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SO910966 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wolverhampton |
| Postcode district | WV2 |
| Dialling code | 01902 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Blakenhall is a suburb andward ofWolverhampton, England. The population of the ward, includingGoldthorn Park, was around 12,600 at the2021 census.[1]
Blakenhall's name, according to toponymists, comes from theOld English "blæc" (meaning "black") and "halh" (meaning "nook" or "corner").[2] It was developed during the late 19th century just south of the town centre with hundreds ofterraced houses, some with shop fronts, being built on the Dudley Road (A459) towardsSedgley. Many were also built down the side streets. Wanderers Avenue, the original home ofWolverhampton Wanderers FC, can be found in Blakenhall. The team regularly played on the adjacent Phoenix Park until 1889. Names of the players can be found on the front of the terraced houses along the street.[3]
Wolverhampton's firstcouncil houses were built in Blakenhall in 1902, though it would be nearly 20 years before mass council house building took place anywhere else in the area.[4] By the 1980s, these properties were outdated and were finally demolished in the spring of 1988.[5] Vehicle makerAJS moved to a new factory built around Graiseley House in 1914.[6] It closed upon their insolvency in 1931 and the site, now occupied by a supermarket (Tesco since July 2021, previouslyWaitrose andSafeway), is marked by a sculpture calledThe Lone Rider, designed bySteve Field.[7][8][9]
In 1919, when work began on Wolverhampton's first major council housing development to rehouse families from town centre slums, a site around Green Lane (later renamed Birmingham Road and Thompson Avenue) and Parkfield Road was included in this development.[10] In 1960, 1st BlakenhallScout Group was formed. The group now meets at St. Johns Methodist Church and is open to boys and girls aged 6–14.[11] The next major development in Blakenhall took place in the 1960s when sixtower blocks were constructed. One of the two taller tower blocks, Cobden House, was demolished by a controlled explosion in August 2002. The four smaller tower blocks (Neale House, Villiers House, Cross House, and Ranelagh House) were cleared with mechanical demolitions in 2007. The final taller tower block, Phoenix Rise (previously known as Franchise House), was demolished in 2011.
The Blakenhall ward servesWolverhampton City Council and forms part of theWolverhampton West constituency. The ward also covers the suburb ofGoldthorn Park, immediately to the south, and part ofGraiseley. It borders Graiseley,Penn,St Peter's,Ettingshall, andSpring Vale wards, as well as (briefly)South Staffordshire and theMetropolitan Borough of Dudley.
Blakenhall's residents are predominantly descendants of Indians who settled in the area followingWorld War II, with 45.6% of the population claiming Indian ethnicity.[13] The localGurdwara occupies the site of a formerCorona drinks factory, and has at times laid claim to be the largest Gurdwara in Europe. Blakenhall's religious makeup as of the2021 census[14] was 40.7%Sikh, 24.3%Christian, 16.6%non-religious, 10.4%Hindu, 4.3%Muslim, 3.3%other, and 0.4%Buddhist.
Blakenhall is one of the most deprived districts of Wolverhampton, although it has improved slightly since the 1990s due to its designation as an ABC Regeneration Area. A similar initiative covers the neighbouringAll Saints district.Colton Hills Community School and senior part ofThe Royal School, Wolverhampton are situated in Blakenhall ward. The junior side ofThe Royal School, Wolverhampton is in Graiseley ward.South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy was also located in the area in the formerParkfield High School but the academy relocated all facilities to Bilston in 2012.
It was incorrectly reported in 2013 that one of Blakenhall's oldest and most notable buildings, the 1861St Luke's Church, was to close due to mounting repair bills and structural problems with the tower and spire.[15][16] The building, which isgrade II listed, finally closed as a church in 2017 and became anantiques centre.[17] The congregation now meets in St. Luke's School a short distance away.[18]
The new Blakenhall Community and Healthy Living Centre, operated byWolverhampton City Council, opened in 2010.[19]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) 2001 Census