Clockwise from top: Aldridge St Mary's Church, War Memorial, rural area with pylons and farmland, Anchor Drive and skyline towards Walsall & Shopping Centre
Aldridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. It is historically, a village that was part of Staffordshire until 1974. The town is three miles (five kilometres) from Brownhills, five miles (eight kilometres) from Walsall, six miles (ten kilometres) from Sutton Coldfield and seven miles (eleven kilometres) from Lichfield. The town is also the second-largest town in the Walsall Borough (by population, after Walsall).[3]
The name "Aldridge" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon alr or alre + wīc meaning 'alder (tree) + village'.[4] Another suggestion is that the name "Aldridge" means "outlying farm among alder-trees", from the Old Englishalor and wīc.[5] It was recorded as Alrewic in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was valued at 15 shillings and had a population of seven households; the Lord was Robert (d'Oilly) and the tenant-in-chief was William son of Ansculf.[4][6] The name was recorded as Alrewich and Allerwych in the 12th century.[4]
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 brickworks 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 remains on Birch Lane.[7]
During the 20th century, modern shops were built in the centre of Aldridge, as well as council buildings. During the Second World War, the small Aldridge Airport was used for military planes. It was subsequently used for passenger services for a time.
Aldridge became an urban district in Staffordshire in 1934. As well as the parish of Aldridge the urban district contained the parishes of Great Barr, Pelsall and Rushall. Other villages within the district included Walsall Wood, Clayhanger and Streetly. These areas began to grow substantially with private house buildings from the 1930s, mostly bought by families relocating from the central areas of Walsall.
At the 2021 census, both wards of Aldridge North & Walsall Wood and Aldridge Central & South populations were both 13,157 and 13,739. When combined, that gives Aldridge a total population of 26,896. Of the findings, the ethnicity and religious composition of the wards separately were:
Aldridge is made up of two council wards: Aldridge Central & South, and Aldridge North & Walsall Wood. There are three Conservative Councillors for Aldridge Central & South: Pard Kaur, Bobby Bains, and Tim Wilson. Aldridge North & Walsall Wood is also covered by three Conservative councilors: Keith Sears, Anthony Harris and Gary Clarke.[15]
Education
Aldridge has several primary and secondary schools. The primary schools are Cooper and Jordan Church of England Primary School, Leighswood, St Mary of the Angels (Roman Catholic), and Whetstone Field. Redhouse Primary School closed in 2006.[16] The secondary schools are Aldridge School and St Francis of Assisi Catholic College.
Industry and commerce
In Aldridge, there are several factories with several large industrial estates in the area. Some of the most notable factories include the large Ibstock and Weinberger brickworks, and the GKN Driveshafts factory, although the latter company closed in recent years due to relocation and cheaper imports. Birlec, a manufacturer of industrial furnaces relocated to Aldridge in the late 1950s, but has since closed. Aldridge Plastics Ltd, a plastics injection moulder, was set up in the town in 1968 and continued trading for almost 40 years before ceasing production in 2007. From January 2011[needs update], GFP Engineering Ltd, a Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) moulding company, will commence trading after relocating from nearby Lichfield.[citation needed] There is also a marina, Aldridge Marina, offering facilities for canal boat moorers.
Most of the town's shops are located either on High Street, Anchor Road, or in the shopping area known as "The Parade". Well-known shops here include WH Smith, Iceland supermarket, Home Bargains, and Boots The Chemist. A purpose-built Safeway (UK) opened in 1992 and started operating as a Morrisons in 2004. B & M took over the former Focus DIY in Coppice Lane and opened its doors for the first time on 1 August 2015. One of the oldest traders in Aldridge is R.H.N. Riley Insurances on Anchor Road, they have been trading since 1957 and in Aldridge since about 1970. Also in the area is a Wetherspoons Public House, in the former Avion cinema, latterly a bingo hall. Many of its original features have been retained including the protected facade.
Transport
Aldridge is served by local bus services. Many of the buses in Aldridge were renumbered in April 2010 as part of Centro's attempt to simplify bus services in and around the Walsall area. Some subsidised services have changed operators over time, such as 25 previously operated by Arriva, iGo, and Diamond.
As of July 2024 operating services through Aldridge include - Walsall Community Transport (25), Chaserider (36, 36A), and National Express West Midlands (6, 7, 937, 937A, 997). These services operate to surrounding estates each terminating at Walsall, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Brownhills, Kingstanding, and Lichfield.
Aldridge railway station was on the Sutton Park Line running from Walsall to Birmingham via Sutton Coldfield. It also had a direct link to Wolverhampton on the now defunct Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway as well as a direct link to Brownhills via Walsall Wood although this closed in the 1960s. The station had passenger services to Walsall, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Brownhills. It closed in 1966 and since then the line has been used only for freight. Ongoing speculation about returning passenger services to Aldridge, which would require a new station to be built, has continued with the apparent inclusion of Aldridge and Streetly stations on a map in the 2016 West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan.[17] In February 2021, the West Midlands Combined Authority announced that the land needed for the station to be rebuilt had been acquired for £400,000.[18]
Sports, recreation and entertainment
Aldridge has a cricket and hockey club called "The Stick and Wicket", located on the green behind the parish church, St. Mary's, and the Masonic Hall. Aldridge Hockey Club merged with Walsall Hockey Club in 2011; it is now known as Aldridge & Walsall Hockey Club.[19]
Aldridge Sailing Club was formed in 1967 and is RYA-affiliated.
Aldridge Rugby Football Club was formed in 1998 from an amalgamation of two established rugby clubs based in Birmingham: Witton and Old Centrals. The club is based on the former Old Centrals sports ground at Bourne Vale in Aldridge and plays in Midlands 5 West (North), fielding three senior sides.
Aldridge Compass Suites (based at the Masonic Hall on the Green) is a venue for wedding receptions, christenings and other functions.
The Aldridge Youth Theatre was officially opened by the actor Bernard Hepton and is located on Noddy Park Road. It is run by a group of volunteers and puts on a variety of plays throughout the year. A pantomime is usually staged in January.
425 (Aldridge) Squadron, part of Staffordshire Wing of the Air Training Corps, was formed in 1941 and currently occupies a purpose-built HQ close to the village centre. The Squadron is run by uniformed RAFVR(T) officers and ATC SNCO adult staff, assisted by civilian instructors and a padre.
The 36th Walsall 1st Aldridge scout group is located on Middlemore Lane, opposite Anchor Meadow, and runs Beaver, Cub, Scout, and Explorer sections for boys aged 6 and upwards. The beavers are aged 6–8, cubs are aged 8–10/11, scouts are aged 11–14 and explorers are aged 14–18.
The Methodist church is used by 1st Aldridge Girl guides as well as two brownie groups and a rainbow group. The rainbows group is for girls aged 5–7, the brownies for girls aged 7–10, and guides aged 10–14. Older girls also take part and are known as the senior section.
St. Mary's Parish Church has one of the largest church youth groups in the area.[citation needed] Around 90 young people, between the ages of 13 and 18, attend the group. The group also hosts an annual summer camp in Wales (in recent years attracting over 100 teenagers), as well as a weekend away in February.
The 33rd Walsall Scout group is based at Aldridge Methodist Church and holds Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts for boys and girls aged 6–14.
The 49th Walsall Scout Group is the third Scout Group in Aldridge based at St Thomas's Church at the bottom of St Thomas Close, on the estate just off Lazy Hill Road and Greenwood Road. It also caters for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18.
Charles George Bonner VC, DSC, born in Aldridge, was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Bonner Grove, a neighborhood of social housing flats and privately owned houses, remembers his name.
Lee Sinnott (born 12 July 1965 in Aldridge) is an English ex-professional footballer and was the manager of Farsley Celtic, whom he led to promotion three times in four years. He went on to manage Port Vale for a short period. He began his career at Walsall as an apprentice and played in the 1984 FA Cup final for his next club Watford in 1984. He captained Huddersfield Town to Division Two playoff glory in 1995.
West Midlands is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the larger West Midlands region of England. A landlocked county, it is bordered by Staffordshire to the north and west, Worcestershire to the south, and is surrounded by Warwickshire to the east. The largest settlement is the city of Birmingham.
Walsall is a market town and administrative centre of the borough of the same name in the West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Birmingham, 7 miles (11 km) east of Wolverhampton and 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Lichfield.
Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield ( ), is a town and civil parish in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south of Lichfield, 7 miles southwest of Tamworth, and 7 miles east of Walsall.
Brownhills is a historic market and industrial town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall of the West Midlands, England. The town is located south of Cannock Chase and close to the large Chasewater reservoir, it is 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Walsall, a similar distance southwest of Lichfield and 13 miles (20.9 km) miles north-northwest of Birmingham. It is part of the Aldridge-Brownhills parliamentary constituency and neighbours the villages of Pelsall and Walsall Wood. It lies within the boundaries of the historic county of Staffordshire.
Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District of Staffordshire, England. It is approximately 4 miles (6 km) west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills, with a population of 26,049 and forming part of Lichfield district. The town forms one of the largest urbanised parishes in England. Samuel Johnson opened an academy in nearby Edial in 1736. The town is home to the smallest park in the UK, Prince's Park, which is located next to Christ Church on the junction of Farewell Lane and Church Road. The town expanded in the nineteenth century around the coal mining industry.
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston, Pelsall and Willenhall.
Cannock Chase is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. It is named after and covers a large part of Cannock Chase, a designated National Landscape. The council is based in the town of Cannock. The district also contains the towns of Hednesford and Rugeley, as well as a number of villages and surrounding rural areas.
Perry Barr is a suburban area in north Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands, England. It is also the name of a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Birmingham Perry Barr is also a parliamentary constituency; its Member of Parliament between 2001 and 2024 was Labour's Khalid Mahmood. The MP as of July 2024 is Ayoub Khan, who ran as an Independent.
Little Aston is a village in the Lichfield District of Staffordshire, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) south of the city of Lichfield. It is contiguous with Sutton Coldfield and Streetly. At the 2011 United Kingdom census the population of Little Aston ward was 2,920 people living in 1,104 households. Little Aston is also in the parish of Shenstone.
Streetly is an area in the county of West Midlands, England which lies around 7 miles (11 km) to the north of Birmingham City Centre. It is uniquely located within the borders of Birmingham, Lichfield and Walsall district authorities, and is part of the West Midlands conurbation. It is adjacent to, New Oscott, Great Barr, Four Oaks, Little Aston and Aldridge.
Aldridge-Brownhills is a constituency in the West Midlands, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It has been represented since 2015 by Wendy Morton, a Conservative.
Shenstone is a village and civil parish in The Lichfield District, Staffordshire, England, located between Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield. The parish also contains the village of Stonnall.
Pelsall is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England. Forming part of the borough's border with Staffordshire, Pelsall is located 4 miles north of Walsall, midway between the towns of Bloxwich and Brownhills and 4 miles northwest of Aldridge. The southern edge of Cannock Chase is 6 miles to the north. Pelsall is also 8 miles southwest of Lichfield and 8 miles northeast of Wolverhampton.
Rushall is a historic village in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands county of England. It is centred on the main road between Walsall and Lichfield. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book but has mostly developed since the 1920s. Rushall was historically a part of the county of Staffordshire before it was incorporated with much of the old Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District into the modern-day Walsall district.
Pheasey is a residential area of Walsall Metropolitan Borough in the West Midlands of England, often considered to be part of Great Barr. The area was predominantly developed for housing, as the Pheasey Estate, in the 1930s, but work was not completed until after the Second World War. Barr Beacon, a hill, is a local landmark.
Walsall Wood is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the county of the West Midlands, England. It is located middway between the towns of Aldridge and Brownhills. As well as Walsall and Lichfield.
Clayhanger is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The village is situated between Pelsall, Walsall Wood and Brownhills. The village has only one road running through it from Pelsall/Brownhills to Walsall Wood. The village has no other through roads and is predominantly residential.
Walsall Council, formally Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The town of Walsall had been a borough from medieval times, which was reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 the council has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority since 2016.
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