For the old photo feature this week, I thought we’d take a stroll up to Walsall Wood. Still villagey, with some surprisingly beautiful buildings and quiet residental streets, the former mining community is a little hidden gem in the Northern Wastes. Worth exploring when you have a free afternoon. The older images are all taken from the excellent work by Jan Farrow, ‘Brownhills and Walsall Wood on old picture postcards’. As ever, if you can find a copy, do buy one.
- A fantastic card showing Walsall Wood High Street in the mid 1950’s. I’d guess the photographer would be stood just about where the driveway to St. John’s Health Centre is today. Interesting to see how many buildings still remain. From ‘Brownhills and Walsall Wood on old picture postcards’ by Jan Farrow.
Brookland Road, from the 1920's. Love the cart and the ghostly figure on the left. The cinema was, I believe, nicknamed The Blood Tub for some reason. From 'Brownhills and Walsall Wood on old picture postcards' by Jan Farrow.
A rare and sadly damaged film photo scan by reader Homuch? of Street's Corner Bungalow just prior to demolition, somewhere around the late 1990's. At this point the house was derelict, prior to demolition and replacement by the flats that stand there today. Many don't realise that the name originates from the fact that the Street family lived here. not because of the crossing of two roads. Howmuch? often comments on his irritation that the flats were named 'The Ivy House', from the former shop next door, fearing that the name may be lost.
I can't imagine why this picture of a suburban estate road made it to a postcard, but I'm very glad it did. Castle Road, Holly Bank in the 1930's. From 'Brownhills and Walsall Wood on old picture postcards' by Jan Farrow.
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I’ve read somewhere that Mr Street was the first headmaster of the school nearby- certainly the junction named after the family.
Sorry for the multiple comments, but the same book (I think) has a view of the High St from the other end (at the junction of Coppice Rd), from the late 19th/early 20th century, and it’s amazing how recognisable it still is.
Hi Bob,
My grandad made the curved windows that were in the bungalow pictured above. I was really upset when the bungalow came down as it was a lasting reminder of my grandad who died when I was 3, now it’s gone a piece of our family history has gone too.
This is / was Les Jackson’s bungalow. He was the grocer whose shop stood just across the Streets Corner junction, in Lichfield Road. The grocer’s was a double-fronted shop and had wooden boards to protect the shop when it was closed. My first bar of Cadbury’s chocolate was given to me by Mr Jackson…a rare treat as this was during the rationing time juts after the war.
The bungalow faced Brownhills Road, and the footpath and kerb are still dropped. Nowadays the site has a block of flats which bears the name of the off licence which stood behind Mr Jackson’s bungalow.
With regards D. Evans