Aldridge-Brownhills

Aldridge-Brownhills could refer to:

Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)

Aldridge-Brownhills /ˈɔːldrɪdʒ braʊnhɪlz/ is a constituency in the West Midlands, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Wendy Morton of the Conservative Party.

Constituency profile

A Labour Party MP served the constituency from its formation in February 1974 until 1979, when it was won by the Conservative who was to serve as its representative for thirty-six years. Richard Shepherd kept his seat at his party's landslide defeat of 1997 which saw Labour claim many of the Conservative safe seats. In 2014, Richard Shepherd announced he would not stand for election in the United Kingdom general election in 2015. Wendy Morton was selected to run for the seat and secured it with a safe majority.

Boundaries

1974-1983: The Urban District of Aldridge-Brownhills.

1983-2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall wards of Aldridge Central and South, Aldridge North and Walsall Wood, Brownhills, Hatherton Rushall, Pelsall, and Streetly.

Aldridge

Coordinates: 52°36′22″N 1°55′04″W / 52.606°N 1.91787°W / 52.606; -1.91787

Aldridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands, England. Historically it was part of the county of Staffordshire, but in 1974 it was incorporated into the West Midlands county. It also became part of the borough of Walsall at this time, having originally been an independent local authority and then being merged with neighbouring Brownhills to form Aldridge-Brownhills UDC in 1966.

History

Aldridge was recorded as a settlement in the Domesday Book of 1086, though the now much larger settlement of Walsall was not. It was valued at 15 shillings under the name of "Alrewic", which may have originated from an abundance of Alder trees in the area.

Aldridge began as a small agricultural settlement, with farming being the most common occupation up until the 19th century.

In the 1800s, Aldridge became an industrial town with coal mines and lime kilns. The coal and clay in the area prompted many to set up collieries and brickworks. Aldridge clay is especially useful in the manufacture of blue bricks. The 1881 census shows that the mines and brick works were major employers. Because the coal and clay beneath the eastern side of Aldridge (towards Stonnall) is located much deeper under the surface, extraction of this coal and clay would not have been economically viable. As a result, farms continued to dominate the eastern part, though a sand quarry was set up and still remains on Birch Lane.

Aldridge (surname)

Aldridge is an English surname derived from Aldridge or a similar toponym. Notable people with the surname include:

Aldridge (disambiguation)

Aldridge can refer to:

Places

People

Other uses

See also

Brownhills

Coordinates: 52°38′49″N 1°55′59″W / 52.647°N 1.933°W / 52.647; -1.933

Brownhills is a town in the West Midlands, England. Located on the edge of Cannock Chase near the large artificial lake Chasewater, it is 6 miles (9.7 km) north-east of Walsall and a similar distance south-west of Lichfield. It is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall and the Aldridge-Brownhills parliamentary constituency and neighbours the ancient villages of Pelsall and Stonnall. Before boundary changes in 1974, it was in the county of Staffordshire.

The town lies on the ancient Watling Street, but is not recorded before the 17th century, although Ogley Hay, which in modern times is a district of the town, is recorded as a settlement in the Domesday Book. Brownhills quickly grew around the coal mining industry, especially after it became linked to the canal and railway networks in the mid-19th century, and by the end of the century had grown from a hamlet of only 300 inhabitants to a town with a population of over 13,000, of whom the vast majority were employed in the coal industry. Mining remained the town's principal industry until the 1950s, but the subsequent closure of the area's pits led to a severe economic decline which has continued until the present day. The local authority has instituted a regeneration programme which it is hoped will revive the town's fortunes, providing better transport and leisure facilities.