Best of Staffordshire

National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas **

2009-06-23T09:30:00.005+01:00

Just off the A38, the National Memorial Arboretum was opened in 2001. The trees are starting to mature now and amongst them are memorials to members of the various sections of the armed forces plus a number of civilian organisations. The most impressive and moving is the national memorial to those members of the armed forces who have been killed since the second world war and the sculpture pictured above forms part of this.

The quality of the memorials is variable and some look a little home made, but, in a way, this adds to the place rather than detracts. There is a danger that places of this sort can be a bit solemn and pompous, but this is avoided here, not least by the friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff and volunteers.

Big Bang, Fauld *

2009-06-07T10:12:00.005+01:00

Did you know that the largest explosion on the British Isles was in Staffordshire? On 27 November 1944, high explosives stored underground in a gypsum mine at Fauld near Burton on Trent accidentally blew up. The result was 70 people losing their lives and an enormous crater.

You can visit the site today and, sure enough, it is a huge hole in the ground although now it is filled with plants and trees. It is an impressive sight and a reminder of how major tragedies can lose their impact during wartime.

Municipal archaeology (1)

2009-05-30T09:53:00.011+01:00

Public buildings often display municipal coats of arms that belonged to long-departed local authorities. I found these arms on a fire station in Old Hill, deep in the Black Country. They are the arms of Rowley Regis Borough Council - a council that disappeared in 1966 when it merged with Oldbury and Smethwick to form the short-lived Borough of Warley. This in turn disappeared in 1974 when it joined with a number of other Black Country councils in the creation of the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.

The arms are a bit scruffy and it is difficult to make out the detail. According to the wonderful website 'Civic Heraldry', the arms are described as follows:

"The lions' faces indicate that Rowley Regis was formerly part of the royal domain, also indicated by the last part of its name. The ermine pale is from the arms of the Ward family, to which belongs the present Earl of Dudley. The leg and lion passant are from the heraldry of the Haden and Somery families respectively. The fork tailed lion is from the arms of Sutton, Lord Dudley, to whom the Manor was granted in the sixteenth century and the fleur-de-lis stands for Halesowen Priory. The supporters and anchor refer to local industries."

I like the motto "Loyal and Industrious". I suppose today a motto for a council would be something like "Ensuring joined-up services through stakeholder engagement".

New Art Gallery, Walsall **

2009-05-24T23:50:00.003+01:00

I am really impressed by the New Art Gallery, Walsall. I am impressed with the clean minimalist external design by Caruso St John and the way the have used concrete and wood in the interior to make a building of genuine quality. I am impressed by the way it contributes to the townscape - a new square at the end of the High Street. Finally I am impressed by Walsall Council for having the courage to commission this building and deliver some proper regeneration to a bit of the town that was coming apart.

The building houses a permanent collection that was built up by the widow of Jacob Epstein and, not surprisingly, this artist is well represented. There are also works by many well-known artists, although most are fairly minor works. The top floor galleries are used for temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

I started comparing this gallery to The Public in West Bromwich. Both are landmark buildings by famous contemporary architects and both are seen as an important part of town centre regeneration. I can’t help thinking that The Public comes off worse. Not because of the relative merits of the two architects, but because I know what the New Art Gallery is for – it houses artworks, there are galleries and it is new. It strikes me that The Public is the result of somebody doing a survey and finding out that x% of residents in the top 10% most deprived super output areas don’t visit art galleries. Then someone said – well if they don’t visit art galleries, let’s build something that is sort of arty, but isn’t a gallery and for good measure let’s make it really relevant and welcoming by calling it The Public. The result is a building that may well do the opposite of what it was intended to do – would you go to something called The Public?

Two things strike me. First why should we assume that local people wouldn’t want to go to an art gallery and second, what’s wrong with attracting to West Bromwich the sort of people who go to art galleries? Goodness, it’s the sort of place that would benefit enormously from them coming along and injecting a bit of cash into the local economy.

Taverns for the bona fide (4)

2009-05-24T00:41:00.008+01:00

Pubs are often landmarks in the local community and between the wars brewers made the effort to provide buildings of some distinction. The good news is that in Wolverhampton, the council recognised the value these buildings add to the local scene and some of them have real design value in their own right - such as the Red Lion, Amos Lane (above). In October 2008, a report was presented to the council recommending the inclusion of a large number of pubs on the local list of buildings of special historic interest.

I have had a drive round and taken photographs of these pubs and you can see them by clicking here (the set is still incomplete). The bad news is that not all the pubs on the list are still with us - it looks like the developers have got there first and all that can be seen is a heap of rubble. A number of the photographs show pubs that are boarded up and a quite a few that look as if they are barely trading. This is worrying and I wonder how many will still be with us in a year or so.

St. Michael and All Angels, Hoar Cross **

2009-05-22T14:20:00.004+01:00

Today the Forest of Needwood is more a collection of copses and spinneys separated by open fields than the royal forest of mediaeval times. There are bits of it where you can still get a feel of the forest and one of these is Hoar Cross. People now go to Hoar Cross for some up-market spa treatment at the Hall, but for some of us the chief attraction is this church. Dating from the 1870s, it was designed by Bodley and Garner. It was built in memory of Hugo Meynell Ingram by his widow, Emily, who lived in the neighbouring hall. Looking at its scale and level of ornament, it is clear that no expense was spared and Bodley and Garner did Emily and Hugo proud.

Bodley really was a Victorian superstar of church architecture and the architect of choice of wealthy partrons. I love the tower with its crisp detailing and deeply incised openings. It’s difficult to think of this as an 1870s building; it seems more as if it should have been built 20 or 20 years later. Despite its size, the interior is surprisingly gloomy – all that red sandstone. Nevertheless, this is a must for all enthusiasts of Victorian church architecture and, along with St Giles, Cheadle, is essential viewing.

The Public, West Bromwich **

2009-05-20T19:33:00.010+01:00

This is The Public and it is in West Bromwich. Designed by Will Alsop it features in the book "1000 Buildings You Must see Before You Die". I am not sure about that, but certainly West Bromwich could easily be in a book titled "1000 really depressing town centres to see before you die". I have given it two stars, though, because it looks funky and the interior design is really fantastic. The only trouble is, I am not sure what it is for. The gallery bit has not opened yet (it is beset by financial difficulties) and it appears to be a nice caff with an interactive art space attached. I do hope it catches on in West Bromwich and make all the Lottery money that has supported it seem worthwhile. When I visited it a month or so after it opened, I made my way to the gallery area by following the signs. I then got intercepted by a couple of fierce-looking ladies and smartly escorted back to the lifts and the ground floor. It has been fairly controversial and has had a bad press - perhaps they thought I was a journalist.

Taverns for the bona fide (3)

2009-05-17T20:20:00.010+01:00

Somebody must have invested a fair amount of time and money on this beautifully crafted coat of arms. You can see it on the Moreton Arms, Stafford Road, Wolverhampton. It comes from a time when the private sector would spend money on items that were not purely utilitarian or for marketing. It also makes you want to find out who the Moretons were or are and why they are so lucky to get a pub named after them. In fact the Moretons originally came from a hamlet called Moreton (natch) about 15 miles north of where this pub is. They made their way up the social scale and one of them was created Baron Moreton in the 18th century. They must have done even better, because in 1837 they were upgraded to the Earls of Ducie. By this time they had left Staffordshire and settled in Gloucestershire. The current Earl of Ducie lives in Australia.The next coat of arms is on the Bagot Arms - again in Wolverhampton. This pub is closed and for sale and they have taken away the pub name, but thankfully, they have left the sign. This is not the most salubrious part of town and I don't know what Baron Bagot would now think of the place he has given his name to. The Bagots are another Staffordshire family and they still occupy their ancestral home near Abbots Bromley. It is not just pubs that are named after them - there is also a bagot goat.

The Crooked House, Himley *

2009-05-07T23:04:00.004+01:00

This is Staffordshire's most famous pub. When I first went there, it was known as the Glynne Arms; after Sir Stephen Glynne the owner of the land on which the pub sits. He removed too much coal underneath and we can see the consequences of that. Drinking there is a slightly surreal experience; put an empty bottle side down on the table and it will appear to roll uphill.

Speedwell Castle, Brewood

2009-04-30T23:04:00.003+01:00

This Gothick confection stands right in the centre of the pleasant village of Brewood. Constructed around 1750, the story goes that it was built by an apothecary using the proceeds of a bet on the Duke of Bolton's horse 'Speedwell'. Well worth putting money on the ogee-gees.

Anyway, here's a picture of the 3rd Duke of Bolton. I don't know what he has to do with Staffordshire, but he looks like a sporting gent.

St. Giles, Cheadle ***

2009-04-29T18:39:00.008+01:00

"Cheadle, perfect Cheadle, my consolation in all my afflictions" - A W N Pugin. This is the most exciting church in Staffordshire. Pugin's soaring spire towering over a pleasant small town and an interior crammed full of exquisite decoration - glass by Wailes, metalwork by Hardman, tiles by Minton.

Pugin was able to build this masterpiece thanks to the munificence of his patron, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury - a leading Catholic layman of the time. We will come across him again - and Pugin - in future posts.

Chillington Hall, Brewood **

2009-04-28T14:30:00.010+01:00

What an extraordinary fireplace. It is in Chillington Hall near Brewood (pronounced 'Brood'). The archer represents Sir John Giffard - a distant ancestor of the present owner. Apparently he owned a pet leopard which escaped. Sir John gave chase and he found it threatening a woman holding a baby. Thankfully he managed to shoot it with his bow and arrow. Whether Health and Safety caught up with him afterwards is not recorded.

The present house is a mix of designs by Francis Smith (1724) and Sir John Soane (1785). The latter designed the front of the house and some magnificent interiors.

One of the criteria for inclusion of a starred entry in this blog is public access. Chillington Hall just scrapes in by being open for just a few days a year (visit the Hall's offical website for opening details). A visit is well worthwhile and when we went, we were shown round by the chatelaine.

Potteries Museum and Art Gallery ***

2008-07-16T23:01:00.001+01:00

The best museum in Staffordshire with a magnificent collection of local ceramics - Spode, Minton and Wedgwood. It is well worth spending a few hours here. You can search the collection http://www.search.exploringthepotteries.org.uk/engine/theme/default.asp?theme=586

Taverns for the Bona Fide (2)

2008-07-13T11:36:00.000+01:00

Not all of these inter-war pubs are lying derelict. The New Inn on Bilston Road, Wolverhampton has recently been transformed from a down-at-heel Sunday afternoon stripper joint to a rather smart Chinese buffet restaurant. Compare the 21st century signs (not too bad) with the wonderful 1937 vintage carved lettering.

Taverns for the Bona Fide (1)

2008-07-13T11:26:00.003+01:00

During the inter-war years some of the best suburban buildings were pubs. Often it seems that the breweries spared no expense - employing proper architects and building materials. Now they are under threat from decling sales and rising land values. The Black Horse at Thompson Avenue in Wolverhampton is lying unused and unloved. This 3-storey mock yeoman's house should surely be saved and restored.

Update May 2009 - The poor old Black Horse has now been demolished.