Beacon Hill, Sedgley
Encyclopedia
Beacon Hill in Sedgley
, England
, is one of the highest points in the West Midlands, at 777 feet or 237 metres above sea level.
From the summit, Wolverhampton
, Walsall
and Birmingham
are all visible, as is the Staffordshire
and Shropshire
countryside to the west. The hill is so named as historically it was one in a series of prominent locations with beacons on top, where a fire would be lit as a signal during times of war or turmoil. The Sedgley beacon sat between beacons at Barr Beacon
and Cannock Chase
. At the highest point, a tower erected in 1846 stands on the site of an earlier tower, which sits on the spot of the original beacon.
Beacon Hill is the highest point of land between Sedgley and the Ural Mountains
in Russia. When the tower was climbable (today a fence restricts access as the steps inside have crumbled away), the Bristol Channel
was visible on a clear day.
Approximately half of Beacon Hill was situated in the urban district of Coseley
, which was created in 1897 from the eastern half of the old Sedgley manor. This section included the Beacon Tower.
However, the local government reorganisation of 1966 (which saw the bulk of Sedgley and approximately half of Coseley incorporated into Dudley
) resulted in the creation of post code districts, with all of Beacon Hill being included in the new Sedgley DY3 post code district.
.
The Beacon Hill Tenants & Residents Association look after and clean up the hill, and have been responsible for the erection of gates and fences in an effort to prevent vandalism and fly tipping in the area.
Sedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is one of the highest points in the West Midlands, at 777 feet or 237 metres above sea level.
From the summit, Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
are all visible, as is the Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
countryside to the west. The hill is so named as historically it was one in a series of prominent locations with beacons on top, where a fire would be lit as a signal during times of war or turmoil. The Sedgley beacon sat between beacons at Barr Beacon
Barr Beacon
Barr Beacon is a hill on the edge of Walsall, West Midlands, England, very near the border with Birmingham. It gives its name to nearby Great Barr and to the local school Barr Beacon Language College. It is historically the site of a beacon where fires were lit in times of impending attack or on...
and Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase local government district....
. At the highest point, a tower erected in 1846 stands on the site of an earlier tower, which sits on the spot of the original beacon.
Beacon Hill is the highest point of land between Sedgley and the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
in Russia. When the tower was climbable (today a fence restricts access as the steps inside have crumbled away), the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
was visible on a clear day.
Approximately half of Beacon Hill was situated in the urban district of Coseley
Coseley
Coseley is a town located mostly within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the English West Midlands. Part of the Black Country, it lies south east of Wolverhampton and north of Dudley....
, which was created in 1897 from the eastern half of the old Sedgley manor. This section included the Beacon Tower.
However, the local government reorganisation of 1966 (which saw the bulk of Sedgley and approximately half of Coseley incorporated into Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
) resulted in the creation of post code districts, with all of Beacon Hill being included in the new Sedgley DY3 post code district.
Today
The Beacon housing estate sits near the tower monument on Beacon Hill. It was initially developed by Sedgley UDC in the 1920s, with a further section being added in the 1930s and the final section being developed after the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Beacon Hill Tenants & Residents Association look after and clean up the hill, and have been responsible for the erection of gates and fences in an effort to prevent vandalism and fly tipping in the area.
Further reading
- http://www.dudley.gov.uk/housing/council-housing/tenant-participation/tenants-and-residents-associations/north-dudley-area-tras/beacon-hill-tra Beacon Hill, Sedgley - Tenants & Residents Association
- http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/ENG/SEDGLEY.gif Sedgley Beacon Hill computer generated panorama