#pelsall

This is my recreation of a tablet which can be found at St Peter’s Church which marks the founding of the town of Wolverhampton, then known as Heantune or Hamptune. The prefix Wolver- either comes from Lady Wulfruna or from the King Wulfhere.

A history of the Lady Wulfruna can be found at History Website: http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/wulfruna/wulfruna01.htm

I’m interested in the names listed in the “lands at” section however. Some of them are obvious, but others have suffered from the Chinese-whispers effect of history.

Earn-leie

Picture credit: Pictures of England

Historians believe this refers to Arley in Worcester, though that seems quite far off for a connection to Wolverhampton. Nowadays a very small but beautiful settlement, benefiting from a station on the Severn Valley Railway.

Kynwaldes-Tun

This refers to Kinvaston, which nowadays is nothing more than a house next to Gailey Interchange, Junction 12 of the M6. It stands on ancient Watling Street.

Bilsetna-Tun

Refers to Bilston, which for much of its history was just as prominent as Wolverhampton next door that eventually outgrew its brother and swallowed it up entirely.

Willen-hale obviously refers to Willenhall, and Wodnesfeld, named for the Norse god Odin, is now Wednesfield Town, another town that has been swallowed by Wolverhampton in recent years.

Peoles-Hale is now Pelsall in Walsall, and has no connection to Wolverhampton nowadays.

I can find no reference to Oegin-Tun though given the fall in prominence of many of the places described this is not surprising. I believe this may have become modern day Essington, which through careful management of the greenbelt manages to exist as a separate entity in Staffordshire.

Hiltune became Hilton, where there is still a manor, though I do not know what Hiltune (altera) refers to. A brook rose in Hilton which ran through Featherstone and to Coven, where it confluenced with the River Penk.

Hagenthorndun means a hill where the hawthorn grows, and refers to Hatherton, which is now most known for its marina. The settlement of Calf Heath adjacent is now much more prominent.

Eswich refers to Ashwood in Kinver Forest. Its connection with Wolverhampton sits in its position on the River Smestow, which rises in Tettenhall and flows through Wombourne. Kinver was settled in Roman times, and rock houses from the time still sit at Kinver Edge.

Finally Foetherstun has become Featherstone, though the village as it stands at present is a fully modern affair, with the only historic areas being in its surrounding farms. The creation of the M6 Motorway has kept it from bleeding into Wolverhampton itself, keeping it as a separate settlement, though this has also cut off the primary route into the village, which ran past Moseley Old Hall.

My Hamptun tablet can be found in the Wolftown Store, on a variety of items.

#365daysofbiking Impressively tolerant:

March 7th - The canal was a bad choice of route, as I realised after a short time that the toads were on the move, and the towpath was littered with amphibians taking the cold night air.

Heading to spawning waters, many would not make the perilous land journey from their normal habitats, being lost to traffic and, er... Bike wheels.

Fortunately, as far as I know, I didn't hit any. I came back on the road, with the lights on full.

#365daysofbiking Radio activity:

March 7th - Spinning over to Pelsall on at errand at dusk, I passed under the Old Cement Works Bridge at The Slough, and noted the radio masts there, the larger of which has always been a bit more than the average cellphone mast.

There since the days of analog mobile phones, it was the first cellphone basestation in the area and has been repeatedly upgraded as technology improved. I also carries on the same structure some microwave transceivers and what looks like maybe VHF telemetry antenna. It’s a busy mast for one lurking in a car park of an average, fairly remote trading estate.

Next to it of course, the three armed mast of a Tetra node, the UK emergency services digital network.

Antenna and masts fascinate me. And they never look better than against a dusk sky.

#365daysofbiking Omnidiretional signals:

January 19th - Some things are just nice. 

I’m a big fan of Back the Track - the group of, it has to be said, mostly pensioners and older folk who have been determinedly converting the old South Staffordshire Railway trackbed through Brownhills into a cycling and walking route for all to enjoy.

This week they installed the new bench at the base of the signalpost by Clayhanger Marsh. The bench was always a personal dream of Brian Stringer, the group’s instigator and leader. Barry Roberts built the bench in his garage from materials he had, begged and were donated, and now it’s in place for all the trail users to ponder the great views on.

The McLean Way (MW) logo is made cleverly from track clips found discarded in the ballast of the old line.

What’s really neat is the backrest flips over, so you can comfortably sit facing the direction you choose.

It’s a lovely, creative and novel thing and I thank Barry and of course, all of Back the Track for their efforts. 

It’s worth noting that there’s no road access to where the bench is sited, so those old guys must have manhandled the bench to it’s position. No mean feat.

#365daysofbiking Post haste:

January 1st - In the grey murk of an overcast, darkening evening, the McLean Way really is more rewarding than one would think: There are delights along it’s length from the A5 to Walsall, from hand made benches, to spectacular views and curios like the landmark restored signal post at Clayhanger Marsh.

For me, it always looks better on a grey day, the better to imagine locos hauling coal, rumbling through here, climbing to the peak by the rear of the Swan pub before coasting down to Lichfield.

There might have been a young boy on the Brownhills Bridge, waving to the driver and giggling at the ground shaking. 

But that’s all in the past now, ond on a dull new years day, this is a great place to take a breather and remember what was lost, and what was found.

#365daysofbiking Fluffed up:

May 1st - On the McLean Way early in the morning for a change (the old South Staffordshire Railway route from Brownhills to Walsall) I noted at Ryders Hayes that the sallow  seeds were ripe and drifting on the breeze coating everything with fine white downy fluff.

Sallow isn’t the only member of the willow family to do this, nor is it the only species of tree, but it’s always fun to see, if a bit challenging to the airways to cycle through!

#365daysifbiking The grey way:

January 20th - The McClean Way, the trail that follows the former South Staffordshire Railway out of Walsall and is now being extended by volunteers up through Brownhills is beautiful, even on a cold, grey Sunday afternoon. 

Clayhanger Marsh, which the trail is embanked above, was brooding and deathly quiet, and I didn't;t see another soul. The only colour was from the graffiti on the old railway over bridge at the Wyrley and Essington Canal near the Pelsall Road. 

This is a fairly unique bridge and is actually a listed structure. I note it’s had it’s number re-stencilled recently, indicating that Network Rail, the ultimate owners, still regard it as an asset.