Upper Green and the Surrounding Area

One of the best known parts of modern Tettenhall is Upper Green, with its delightful grass and trees, memorial clock, lovely old shops, and adjacent paddling pool.

In the eighteenth century it was an area of sparsely populated open marshland known as Marsh Green, with Marsh Pool, which is now the paddling pool. Nearby on the ridge stood an area of woodland, an outlier of Kinver Forest, that extended though Compton and Wightwick into the area now called Tettenhall Wood. It was originally a Royal forest, used by the King and the aristocracy for deer hunting. As a result, the local population had to abide by the strict forest laws which ensured that they could do nothing that would interfere with the King's sporting pleasure.


A view of Upper Green from Stockwell Road.


An earlier view showing two of the village's grand houses, the Manor House on the left, and the Oaklands on the right, both occupied by successful industrialists. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century the Manor House was occupied by Thomas Parker and his family. He ran Elwell-Parker Limited, became involved with E.C.C., then ran Thomas Parker Limited, later becoming a director of the Metropolitan Railway Company. For many years the Oaklands was occupied by Edward Lisle and his family. He ran the Star Engineering Company.
A well known local landmark on Upper Green is the coronation memorial clock tower, built to commemorate the coronation of King George V.

The photograph was taken at the unveiling ceremony on 22nd June, 1911. The tower, containing a clock made by John Smith & Sons of Derby, was designed by Frederick T. Beck of Darlington Street, Wolverhampton, and built by Mr. Cave of Wolverhampton.

The inscriptions on the tower are as follows:

To commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King George V, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Swindley of the Cedars Tettenhall presented this clock to the Urban District of Tettenhall 22nd June 1911.

And on the four sides:
  
I labour here with all my might to tell the hours by day and night.

For every hour that strikes there is a joy.

For every hour that comes there is a hope.

For every hour that passes there is a record.


The junction of Upper Green and Upper Street showing the row of houses that have now been converted into cafés and shops.


Looking towards Upper Green from The Rock in about 1900. The two fine early nineteenth century houses on the left are now listed buildings.


Another view from the same spot.


Wolverhampton trams were once a common sight in Wergs Road alongside Upper Green. The tram service from Wolverhampton opened on 13th September 1902, and was well used. The Swiss-chalet shelter on the left came from the 1902 Wolverhampton Art and Industrial Exhibition, and remained in service until the early 1970s, by which time it had started to badly deteriorate.

A view looking across the village pond to the sixteenth century farmhouse in Stockwell Road. In the 1930s the pond became the paddling pool, which still survives today.

The village pond was converted to the paddling pool during the last few months of 1933. The Graham family of the Express & Star paid for the conversion. Some of the grand houses alongside Upper Green can be seen through the trees on the left.


Another view of the paddling pool, looking in the opposite direction towards Clifton Road.


Looking from the southern end of Wood Road, into Mount Road. On the far right is the Tettenhall Institute, and behind is the spire of Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church. Tettenhall Institute, originally Tettenhall Working Mens Institute, opened in 1893.


A view of Wood Road looking northwards towards Tettenhall village.

The view down Compton Holloway looking towards Compton, Bradmore, and Merridale, much of which was still open countryside. The steep ascent up Compton Hill must have been extremely difficult for fully-laden horse-drawn carts and carriages, like the one in the photograph.


The junction of Church Road, Ormes Lane, and Compton Holloway.

The school began in a small way, in a pleasant Georgian house belonging to Francis Holyoake, with 6.5 acres of land, and several outbuildings including a fine barn, which was converted into a classroom. Building work on the main school (shown above) began in March 1865 and lasted until March 1867. The building, which cost £16,769.14s.5d., officially opened in April 1867.

Danescourt Road led to a long-gone grand house called Danes Court, built by local industrialist Edward Perry who ran Jeddo Works in Paul Street, later replaced by Sunbeamland. He was mayor of Wolverhampton in 1855 and 1856, a founder of Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce, and its president from 1856 until 1864. Perry built the house just before his death in 1871, but sadly didn’t live long enough to settle-in. When the house had been completed, he was taken ill and soon died. The gate lodge to the house still survives and is now locally listed.

Tettenhall Towers, built around 1770, much altered in 1820, and greatly extended in 1860, is remembered as the home of the Thorneycroft family, and particularly one family member, the flamboyant Colonel Thomas Thorneycroft. The house incorporates many of the colonel's innovations and inventions including his ventilation and heating system, water closets, and a theatre with a sprung floor, and a stage with an impressive waterfall. The building is now part of Tettenhall College.

One of Tettenhall's grandest houses, The Mount, in Mount Road, was built in 1865 for paint and varnish manufacturer Charles Benjamin Mander, and occupied by family members until 1952 when it was sold and became a hotel.
 
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