| Woodcross | |
|---|---|
  Woodcross Location within the West Midlands | |
| Population | 5,044 (2001 Census) |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BILSTON |
| Postcode district | WV14 |
| Dialling code | 01902 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Woodcross is a residential area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. The area traditionally existed within the boundaries of Sedgley and later Coseley until 1966.
The first known record of the name was in 1614, where it was recorded as Woodcrosse - likely meaning 'the cross at the wood' or 'the wooden cross'. [1]
Prior to 1930, Woodcross was a largely rural area which consisted of a few residential properties on the slope of Beacon Hill as well as extensive farmland. But over the next 40 years, the area was heavily developed for housing (most of which was built by Coseley UDC).
Woodcross borders Ettingshall and Lanesfield to the north, Sedgley to the west, Woodsetton to the south and Coseley / Roseville to the south and east.
Notable landmarks in Woodcross are Beacon Hill Cemetery, Manor Primary School and St Mary's Church. There is also a statue in honour of local doctor Frederick Baker, who died in 1912, that is located on the corner of Hall Lane and Gorge Road.
Woodcross was a largely rural area until the 1930s when Coseley Urban District Council built a number of houses in and around Woodcross Lane. After the end of World War II in 1945, the Council built many more houses, this time creating a large estate with many streets named after Coseley councillors and famous local people, including Tipton born runner Jack Holden, whose name is featured on Jack Holden Avenue.
The 2001 Census tells us that the majority of Woodcross's population is of English ethnicity (89.4% White British), with the largest minority population being of Indian ethnicity (5.2% Asian Indian). [2]
Woodcross has several estate based pubs. 'The Three Crowns' on Dovedale Road, the 'Horse and Jockey' on the corner of Evans Street and Robert Wynd, and the 'Gate Hangs Well' on Hurst Road. There is also a working men's club complete with function rooms, the 'Woodcross Club' on Woodcross Lane. The 'New Spread Eagle' (formerly the 'Spread Eagle') on Meadow Lane off the Birmingham New Road was closed in 2010 and demolished in the spring of 2011 to make way for a new nursing home.
Woodcross is served by Manor Primary School, for pupils aged 3–11 years. It began life in 1933, when Woodcross was still in the early stages of development, as Manor Secondary School for pupils aged 11 and above. However, the vast growth of Woodcross and nearby Lanesfield, as well as the construction of the new Ettingshall Park estate, after World War II led to increased pressure on places at the school, and it was replaced by Parkfield Secondary Modern School on Lawnswood Avenue, Lanesfield, in April 1962. Manor Primary School opened in its buildings in September 1962.
The nearest railway station is Coseley on the Wolverhampton to Birmingham line. West Midlands Trains services operate every 30 minutes serving all stations with additional express services towards Birmingham New Street or Wolverhampton.
Bus services in Woodcross include services 81 between Wolverhampton and Dudley and 223/224 between Bilston and Sedgley, service 223 continuing to Gornal Wood and Dudley. In addition frequent buses operate along Birmingham New Road towards Wolverhampton and Roseville. Services are operated by National Express West Midlands, Diamond Bus and Banga Bus. From 5th January 2025 service 224 will be operated by Carolean following the award of a new tender.
Dudley is a market town in the West Midlands, England, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Wolverhampton and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the 2011 census, it had a population of 79,379. The wider Metropolitan Borough had a population of 312,900. In 2014, the borough council adopted a slogan describing Dudley as the capital of the Black Country, a title by which it had long been informally known.
Tipton is an industrial town in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands, England. It had a population of 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham and southeast of Wolverhampton. It is also contiguous with nearby towns of Darlaston, Dudley, Wednesbury and Bilston.
Bilston is a market town in the City of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, England. It is close to the borders of Sandwell and Walsall. The nearest towns are Darlaston, Wednesbury, and Willenhall. Historically in Staffordshire, four wards of Wolverhampton City Council now cover the town. These are Bilston South and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston and Ettingshall North and Ettingshall South and Spring Vale, which comprise a part of Bilston and other parts of Wolverhampton. The town had a population 34,639 at the 2021 Census.
Sedgley is a town in the north of the Dudley district, in the county of the West Midlands, England.
Penn is an area divided between the City of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire district. The population of the Wolverhampton Ward taken at the 2011 census was 12,718. Originally, it was a village in the historic county of Staffordshire.
Coseley is a village in the Dudley district, in the county of the West Midlands, England. It is situated three miles north of Dudley itself, on the border with Wolverhampton and Sandwell. It falls within the Tipton and Wednesbury parliamentary constituency.
Lanesfield is a district now within the boundaries of Wolverhampton, specifically in the city council's Spring Vale ward. Lanesfield lies within the Ancient Manor of Sedgley and was a rural village for many years until the growth of the Black Country's industries. Lanesfield's name originates from the Lane family who lived where the area now stands. Originally, Lanesfield was known as Lane's Field.
Goldthorn Park is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands. It is situated 1½ miles south of the city centre within the Blakenhall ward. It mostly consists of private houses built from the 1930s onwards.
Ettingshall is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It lies within two wards of Wolverhampton City Council: Ettingshall North and Ettingshall South and Spring Vale. The population of Ettingshall taken at the 2011 census was 13,482.
Spring Vale is a district and former ward of Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands, England. It is situated SSE of the city centre, on the city's border with the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 12,243.
Coseley railway station is located in the Coseley area of the borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford branch of the West Coast Main Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by West Midlands Trains.
Parkfield High School was a secondary school located in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England.
Coseley Urban District was a local government district in Staffordshire which was created in 1894.
Sedgley urban district was a local government district within Staffordshire, which was created in 1894 from the western half of the manor of Sedgley.
Gornal is a village and electoral ward in the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, in the West Midlands of England. It encompasses the three historical villages of Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal, and Gornal Wood. Gornal was historically part of Staffordshire, prior to the creation of the West Midlands County in 1974. Gornal is 11 miles from Birmingham.
Beacon Hill in Sedgley, England, is one of the highest points in the West Midlands, at 237 metres (778 ft) above sea level.
Woodsetton is an area of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough in the West Midlands of England, roughly 2.0 miles (3 km) northwest of Dudley Town Centre. Formerly in the Sedgley Urban District, a part of Woodsetton was transferred into the Dudley County Borough in 1926 to allow for the building of the Priory Estate. This reorganisation also saw this part of the area transferred from Staffordshire to Worcestershire.
The Coseley School was a mixed secondary school located in Coseley, West Midlands, England.