Wednesfield

Wednesfield (like Wednesbury) takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon god Woden. The town’s past industrial importance was partly based on an unpleasant speciality, the manufacture of traps. Both man and animal traps were supplied to the landed gentry, and man traps also went to the slave owners in the plantations.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

A massive building programme changed the face of Wednesfield in the 1950s, and tower blocks like these seemed for a while to be the answer to the housing problem. The Wyrley and Essington Canal recalls an earlier development boom, when Britain was gripped by canal fever. Opened in 1797, it is now known affectionately as the Curly Wyrley.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

The balustraded tower of St Thomas’ church provides a nice focal point here. Originally built in 1750, it was so badly damaged by fire in 1902 that it had to be rebuilt. Locals used to say that the fire damage was so severe because the Wolverhampton fire brigade was slow to arrive - frequent stops were necessary to rest the horses.
An extract from from"West Midlands Living Memories".

THE DAWNING of the Victorian age marked the beginning of a period of dramatic change for Walsall. The next 100 years would see the arrival of the railways, the development of the canals and a much improved road system. Better transport was a boon for industry and it was a major factor in the development of the leather industry that would leave its mark on the town forever. The 19th century brought rapid population growth and prosperity, but it also brought slum living and poverty. In 1801 there were 10,399 inhabitants in the borough and the foreign of Walsall; this had increased to 26,816 by 1851. Rapid population growth led to 19th-century problems with sanitation and increasing slum accommodation. In older parts of the town the streets were narrow with courts and alleys and many homes were also without running tap water. In many ways Walsall became somewhat a victim of its own success, surrounded by rich sources of minerals and limestone. Housing was cramped but people flocked to the town. The introduction of turnpike roads in the late 18th century had opened Walsall up to travelling tradesmen and more and more people became aware of this much-maligned little industrial town.
An extract from from"Walsall - A History & Celebration".

Upper Rushall Street and Peal Street running north and south from the bottom of the church steps indicate ancient routes to Lichfield and Wednesbury. The modern day High Street running from the steps leading to the west door of the church shows the medieval settlement from the 1200s. As the town grew, Digbeth stretched from the High Street down to a small open stream running through the valley bottom. Today The Bridge public square marks where the stream was crossed and the town continued to climb up the other side on to what is now Park Street. The stream is a tributary of the River Tame but now runs underneath the square through drainage tunnels.
An extract from from"Walsall - A History & Celebration".