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Kingswinford

Kingswinford photos (10 available)

Old photo of Kingswinford

Kingswinford maps (2 available)

Old map of Kingswinford

Kingswinford books (9 available)

Kingswinford memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in West Midlands below.

West Midlands memories

Wordsley Hig Street

Wordsley, High Street 1959

Wonderful to see these old photos of Wordsley. Unfortunately not of the shop where I spent the first few years of my life, from 1950.
My parents had a chip shop at 109 High Street, next door to the Cat Inn. Eventually they changed trades and went to fresh fish, then greengrocery, then hardware. Perhaps a few might remember "Bob" Hope and my mom, called Dora. As I walked to school every day (Brook Street Primary) I know the whole road as it used to be. From our shop uphill I remember a little shop owned by an old gentleman (well he seemed old then). He reputedly set fire to the shop, then hanged himself, when I was very young. Can ...read more here
A memory of Wordsley contributed by Jim Hope

The Community Centre

Wordsley, High Street 1959

The large building on the right is the Community Centre, built as an art school to improve the standards of design which in the 19th century was very poor, particularly in the glass industry. Opposite was a parade of shops, just out of shot. On the left at the corner of Kinver Street was Whitehouses the butchers, housed in a very old building with a Dutch gable. Farther on was the chemist, double fronted with large glass bottles in each window. Next I think was the bank, followed by the Co-op, and on the corner was Woods the baker. Mr. Wood's son Bob was in my class at Lawnswood Road school, and we were friends until I left to do national ...read more here
A memory of Wordsley contributed by Geoffrey Lowe

Walks with my Dad

Wordsley, the Common c1955

This picture is the memorable part of our route, a walk from Belle Vue where I lived until the late fifties. My father would take me for walks on Sundays when the weather was good, which it seemed to be most of the time, we would walk up the common which was then all countryside. We would climb over the stile in the photo and turn up the hill towards the wood, known as the Cally Wood, it was private with no public access. So we we would take another stile which would take us across the fields towards Cot Lane. This was the exciting bit for a six year old as the path crossed the sand pits by a metal ...read more here
A memory of Wordsley contributed by Geoffrey Lowe

Lower High Street

Wordsley, High Street 1959

This picture is taken from the junction of Kinver Street and is looking up towards Church Street on the top left. At the bottom right is the Rose and Crown pub (Davenports house) next to which was a shop that sold everything and I think belonged to the Randalls. After that was the Hall (like a village hall) and then the church land started. On the left and out of shot was a butchers, a bank, a chemist (window showing by cars), a Co-op and a bakery. In front of the white house (Conservative Club ?) ran a lane which went to the bullring of Mount Road where I spent some of my time as a boy. John Lampitt
A memory of Wordsley contributed by john lampitt

Extracts From Kingswinford & West Midlands books

Kingswinford, Summerhill House Hotel c1965

Kingswinford has become a place of characterless roads, estate houses and shopping precincts, but it retains a scattering of the elegant houses built by 18th-century ironmasters and glassworks owners. Summerhill House, built in 1756, is one of these, an imposing Georgian mansion with a grand facade. It became a hotel many years ago.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

Kingswinford, the Shopping Precinct c1965

Was the Millennium Dome at Greenwich based on Kingswinford shopping centre? Perhaps we should be told! This picture was taken in the days when we had real money and no one had heard of new pence. In 1967 a dozen eggs cost 4s 1d; 2lb of sugar 1s 9d; potatoes were 5d a pound; a pint of milk 10d; streaky bacon 3s 6d a pound; and for the well off, sirloin was 6s 10d a pound.
An extract from from"West Midlands Pocket Album".

Kingswinford, the Townsend Precinct c1965

The precinct is built on the site of the Townsend tram terminus, next to a junction known as the Cross, which is also the name of a good-looking pub on the opposite corner. Townsend was an early name for this part of Kingswinford, which is at one end of the High Street, and thus the ‘town’s end’. Trams ran to this point from both Dudley and Stourbridge from 1900 until 1926.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

Kingswinford, Parish Church of St Mary c1965

Above the vestry door is a superbly carved Norman tympanum showing St Michael overcoming Satan. It is thought to date from around 1120. More recently, George Woodall (1850-1925) was buried at St Mary’s. He was the greatest cameo carver the world has ever known, producing an astonishing variety of delicately engraved cameo glass for Thomas Webb & Sons.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

Kingswinford, Parish Church of St Mary c1965

This pub, just across the road from the church, was once the town’s courthouse. When sentences were passed here, they would then, it is said, be announced publicly from an old medieval preaching cross which once stood in the churchyard.
An extract from from"Stourbridge Living Memories".