Bushbury
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Bushbury is a
suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
and ward in the
City of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians" ...
in the
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
, England. It lies two miles north-east of Wolverhampton city centre, divided between the
Bushbury North Bushbury North is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands, England. It is situated to the north of the city centre, on the city's border with South Staffordshire. As well as South Staffordshire, Bushbury North borders the Fallings P ...
and
Bushbury South and Low Hill Bushbury South and Low Hill is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands, England. It is situated to the north of the city centre, bordering the Bushbury North, Fallings Park, Heath Town, St Peter's and Oxley wards, and forms part ...
wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
. Bushbury also lies near to the villages of
Coven A coven () is a group or gathering of witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promote ...
,
Featherstone Featherstone is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, two miles south-west of Pontefract. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in 2011 ...
and Four Ashes which are in
South Staffordshire South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of the West Midlands county, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south. It contains notable settlements ...
. Bushbury is a mixed area of private and council owned houses, built since the 1920s, and lies in the shadow and on the slope of Bushbury Hill.


History

Bushbury was recorded in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086 as 'Biscopsberie'. Toponymists believe that the name comes from the Old English 'biscop' (bishop) and 'burh' (fortification), so Bushbury possibly means 'Bishops fortification'. St. Mary's Church lies on Bushbury Lane. In the chancel of the church can be found the 'Founders Arch', this is actually the tomb of Sir Hugh de Byshbury who is reputed to have built the church (chancel) in the 15th century. Just beyond the south door in the churchyard is the base of a preaching cross, believed to date to the 10th or 11th Century having been placed by the Earl of Mercia. Other buildings of historical significance include the 17th Century Northycote Farm on Underhill Lane. The area, along with a wide tract of Mercia, was assigned by
William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
to
Ansculf de Picquigny Ansculf de Picquigny (c. 1014 – c. 1084) was a French baron who followed William the Conqueror to England. Biography Ansculf de Picquigny, born around 1014, was the son of Guermond de Picquigny, Picquigny being a village near Amiens in Picardy ...
, who built a motte and bailey fortress at
Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...
. By 1087, the time of Domesday Book, the area belonged to Ansculf's son, William Fitzansculph. He had installed in Bushbury a tenant called Robert, who also held lands from him in Penn,
Ettingshall Ettingshall is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, and is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council. The population of this ward taken at the 2011 census was 13,482. History Historically part of Staffordshire, Ettingshall was mention ...
,
Moseley Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
and
Oxley Oxley may refer to: Places Australia Australian Capital Territory * Oxley, Australian Capital Territory is a suburb of Canberra, Australia Queensland *Oxley, Queensland is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia **Oxley railway station, Brisbane ...
. In medieval times, Bushbury was divided into several manors, each with a manor house - Bushbury,
Essington Essington is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire, England, located near the city of Wolverhampton and towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Cannock and Brewood. The villages of Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Coven, Penkridge and Featherstone a ...
, Moseley, Elston, Showell (Seawall or Sewell from an earlier unrecorded Old English name - likely Seofan Wealles meaning 'Seven Wells'), Oxley, Wobaston (Wybaston - from an early unrecorded Old English name - likely Wigbeald's tun). Into the early 19th century, Bushbury was very rural, with a population of just 488 in 1801, but this was to change with the coming of the railways and increasing industry in the 19th Century, with large housing estates transforming the area completely from the 1920s onwards. Following the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, a number of aircraft manufacturers set up or relocated plants from the south of the country to take advantage of the labour supply, and this, coupled with the opening of the Goodyear tyre plant, significantly industrialised the area. In 1927, the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company opened its Bushbury plant. Twelve years later, it was employing 1700, many of which were Bushbury men. Previous to this, many of Bushbury's population was employed at either the Electric Construction Company, or one of the railway companies operating nearby in the
Gorsebrook Gorsebrook is an historic area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, located alongside the Stafford Road between the areas of Dunstall, Oxley and Bushbury. Place name and origins The first mention of Gorsebrook is in the 985 AD Charter where King ...
area. The remaining remnant of the ECC is the sports and social club on Showell Road. The Stafford Road was only made into a dual carriageway during the 1930s, and this saw much of the terraced and older housing on the left hand side as you travel from Wolverhampton towards Stafford, demolished to make way for the road. However a short section of Stafford Road was single carriageway between Bushbury Lane and Five Ways Island. This gap was rebuilt as dual carriageway in the late 1980s. The industry led to rapid housebuilding in the 1930s, and also made the area a significant target for German bombers in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. A combination of good fortune and foresight led to a major German bombing raid, shortly after the blitz in Coventry, to be cancelled. After the end of World War II in 1945,
Wolverhampton council City of Wolverhampton Council is the governing body of the city of Wolverhampton, England. It was previously known as Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council (WMBC) prior to the award of city status in 2000, and also as Wolverhampton City Co ...
erected 400 prefabricated bungalows across the city, and built its first permanent postwar houses at the Underhill Estate near Bushbury in the late 1940s. The large Bushbury Cemetery/Crematorium is in Underhill Lane. The cemetery was opened in 1949 with 40 acres, with planning permission for extension sought in 2012.http://www2.wolverhampton.gov.uk/community_living/life_events/death/cemeteries/bushbury Council website, bereavement services. The crematorium, with two chapels, east and west, designed by local architect
Richard Twentyman (Alfred) Richard Twentyman (1903–1979) was an England, English architect based in Wolverhampton; chiefly known for modernist buildings around the English midlands. Life Twentyman was born in 1903 in Bilbrook, Staffordshire, Bilbrook, Staff ...
, was opened in 1954.http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Twentyman/Churches2.htm Article on Churches by Twentyman. Schools in the area include
Moreton School Moreton School is a co-educational secondary school located one-mile north east of Wolverhampton City Centre in the West Midlands of England. The school accommodates over 700 pupils. History It was originally formed as a boys school, Bushbury ...
. The
Northicote School Northicote School was a co-educational secondary school located in the city Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. The age range of the school was 11-18. It had specialist status in mathematics and computing. It was the first school in Britain t ...
was formerly located in this area, where previous headteacher
Geoff Hampton Sir Leslie Geoffrey Hampton (born 1952), best known as Sir Geoff Hampton, is a British head teacher who gained notability in March 1998 when he received a knighthood in recognition for his achievements as head teacher of Northicote School in Wolv ...
received a
Knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
in 1998 in recognition of his services to the improvement of the school and his services to education. In 2008, the iconic blue and yellow
Goodyear chimney The Goodyear chimney was a landmark on the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Goodyear factory on Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, England. It was high and weighed . Work started on building the chimney in October 1927, with the mayor of Wolverham ...
was demolished, as part of wider work to clear a section of the Goodyear site, which is to make way for a new housing estate. It was reported that around 1000 people attended the demolition. However the factory clock tower is expected to be retained as part of the redevelopment.


Geography

Bushbury lies approximately two miles north of Wolverhampton City Centre. Despite the heavy industrialisation of the area, Bushbury remains a gateway to the Staffordshire countryside. While one end of the suburb is dominated by the former Goodyear plant and surrounding factories, the other end contains areas of greenery in Northwood Park, and playing fields adjacent to Bee Lane. Beeches Farm still operates at the rear of St. Mary's Church.


Leisure Facilities

There was a former AMF bowling alley in Bushbury, called ''Strykers''. During the 1990s, it was home to
Quasar
laser arena and a SEGA World arcade. In October 2013, Strykers closed its doors in 'mysterious circumstances', according to local newspaper, the ''
Express & Star The ''Express & Star'' is a regional evening newspaper in Britain. Founded in 1889, it is based in Wolverhampton, England, and covers the West Midlands county and Staffordshire. Currently edited by Martin Wright, the ''Express & Star'' publish ...
''. Following the closure, local rumours suggested the bowling alley had closed permanently, closed temporarily for redecoration or was closed in the short term while the owners decided what to do. Enquiries made by the Express and Star revealed no response from the owner, Garland Leisure Limited, suggesting that nobody really had a clue what was going on. Garland Leisure Limited issued a notice to
Companies House Companies House is the executive agency of the company registrars of the United Kingdom, falling under the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. All forms of companies (as permitted by the Companies Act) are i ...
which entered the company into insolvency on 5 November 2013, giving a better indication of the future for the company. On 23 December 2013, a fire started in the empty Strykers building, a blaze which took around 100 firefighters to control and all but destroyed the building. Bulldozers were quickly brought to the scene to flatten the remainder. According to the ''Express & Star'', the owner was said to be 'devastated' and 'didn't know what to do' with the remaining large strip of land, which is located at the end of a residential street, directly opposite the newly constructed KFC fast food restaurant.


Transport

Bushbury steam locomotive depot accommodated
London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally u ...
and
British Railways British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
London Midland Region The London Midland Region (LMR) was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways (BR), and initially consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) lines in England, Wales and Northern Irelan ...
locomotives, until its closure in 1966, at the spot that Bushbury Lane crosses the railway line to Stafford. Two Loco Superintendents of the Wolverhampton sheds are buried near to each other in St. Mary's churchyard. One is George Armstrong the other is Henry Simpson. Following the closure of Bushbury's suburban rail station, buses provide public transport in and around the area.
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands (NXWM) is a bus operator in the West Midlands that operates services in Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, and Solihull, as well as limited routes outside of the general area of Birmingham, su ...
Routes 2, 25, 32, and 33 serve the Bushbury area. Diamond Bus (Let's Go from 25 April 2022) service 65 skirts the northern fringe of Bushbury serving
Wednesfield Wednesfield is a town and historic village in the City of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, It is east-northeast of Wolverhampton city centre and about from Birmingham and is part of the West Midlands conurbation. It was historically wi ...
, Northicote Farm and Bushbury Crematorium. This hourly Mon-Sat service also provides a link to
New Cross Hospital New Cross Hospital is a hospital in the Heath Town district of Wolverhampton, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is located to the east of the city centre in Wednesfield and is managed by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. His ...
without requiring a change of bus.
Select Bus Select or SELECT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Select'' (album), an album by Kim Wilde * ''Select'' (magazine), a British music magazine * ''MTV Select'', a television program * ''Select Live'', New Zealand's C4 music program ...
service 67 operates three times daily Mon-Fri between Wolverhampton and
Cannock Cannock () is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the nearby towns of Walsall, Burntwood, Stafford and Telford. The cities of Lichfield and Wolverh ...
.


Public houses

Today, Bushbury has no pubs and 1 club. On the corner of Elston Hall Lane and Wood Lane was The Woodbine, which spent time under the name the 'Red Rooster' in the early 2000s before reverting to The Woodbine - this is now closed and boarded up. On Northwood Park estate was a newer
Banks's Marston's plc is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Marston's disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Ca ...
pub, the King Charles - this has now been demolished. On Bushbury Lane, close to its Stafford Road junction - though not strictly a 'pub' in the traditional sense is the Bushbury Working Mens Club - as above this is now a
KFC KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
. Despite the Electric Construction Company closing in September 1985, there is still a club bearing its name on Showell Road, the ECC Sports & Social Club. Gone is the Oxley Arms, previously on Bushbury Lane, it was demolished during the 1990s. Other closed pubs included Butler's Arms which stood on the corner of Kempthorne Avenue and Bushbury Lane. Although long since replaced by a Co-op supermarket, the former pub stone signpost was retained by the developers.


References

{{Reflist Areas of Wolverhampton Former civil parishes in the West Midlands (county)