Compton, Wolverhampton
Encyclopedia
Compton is a suburb
of Wolverhampton
, West Midlands
, England
. It is located to the west of Wolverhampton city centre on the A454
, within the Tettenhall Wightwick
ward.
, with some of its housing climbing the steep hill near 'The Holloway' on the climb towards Tettenhall Wood
. Across the Smestow
valley the terrain rises again in the direction of Finchfield
. The valley here through which the Smestow Brook
flows was formed as a glacial meltwater channel. The area was quarried for its sandstone
.
Its place name reflects its position - first recorded in the Domesday book
of 1086 as 'Contone', from Old English cumb - a narrow valley or deep hollow ('cumb' is likely a continuation in use or a loan word from Brythonic
cwm (Welsh
) or cum (Cornish
), meaning 'valley'), and Old English tūn - a farmstead or fenced place.
Compton Lock on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
was the starting point in 1766 for the construction of the canal under James Brindley
.
In the late 19th-early 20th century, Compton was home of a distinguished local artist Joseph Vickers de Ville
(1856–1925). It was during this time that the still existing terraced housing was built along Henwood Road near the Bridgnorth Road junction.
At present, Compton Park campus is one of two Business Schools of the University of Wolverhampton
; the other is located in Telford
.
The Sir Jack Hayward
training ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers football club is located in Compton Park.
Next to the Sir Jack Hayward training ground is St. Edmunds Roman Catholic secondary school and opposite is St Peters secondary school.
Compton has several shops, take-aways, restaurant
s and pubs. They include Clare's of Compton hairdressers, The Wineseller off-license, A Cottage Garden flower shop, Taylor Biddle opticians, Compton Dry Cleaners and Launderette, Spar convenience store and Daisy Fresh and Essential (formerly the Daisy Freezer Centre). There is a fish and chip takeaway called Pep's Place on the Bridgnorth Road.
Restaurants include Tiger Wok Thai / Chinese restaurant, and House Of Canton Cantonese restaurant. A pub / restaurant, The Oddfellows sits on the Compton island, and one of the oldest pubs in Wolverhampton, The Swan at Compton is prominently located on the junction of The Holloway and Bridgnorth Road.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of 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...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
. It is located to the west of Wolverhampton city centre on the A454
A454 road
The A454 is a major road in England. Starting from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, it runs eastwards, crossing a narrow part of Staffordshire, to Wolverhampton, West Midlands. It then by-passes Willenhall where it becomes the eastern section of "The Black Country Route" before meeting the M6 motorway at...
, within the Tettenhall Wightwick
Tettenhall Wightwick
Tettenhall Wightwick is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands.-Geography:It is one of two wards covering the Tettenhall area, the other being Tettenhall Regis. It is situated on the western edge of the city, bordering South Staffordshire and the Tettenhall Regis, Park and Merry Hill...
ward.
History
Compton sits nestled below the ridge that stretches south west from AldersleyAldersley
Aldersley is a small suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is north-west of Wolverhampton city centre, within the Tettenhall Regis ward...
, with some of its housing climbing the steep hill near 'The Holloway' on the climb towards Tettenhall Wood
Tettenhall Wood
Tettenhall Wood is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is west of Wolverhampton city centre, within the Tettenhall Wightwick ward. It sits high on a relatively steep hill and it is claimed that the Malvern Hills can be seen from some of the houses located in the area. To its west...
. Across the Smestow
Smestow
Smestow may refer to:*Smestow School, a school in Wolverhampton, England.*Smestow Valley Leisure Ride.*Smestow Brook, a tributary of the River Stour....
valley the terrain rises again in the direction of Finchfield
Finchfield
Finchfield is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is located south-west of the city centre, within the Tettenhall Wightwick Ward between the Merry Hill and Tettenhall Regis Wards of Wolverhampton City Council. Many of the streets have Arboreal/Plant related...
. The valley here through which the Smestow Brook
Smestow Brook
The Smestow Brook, sometimes called the river Smestow, is a small river that plays an important part in the drainage of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, and parts of Dudley in the United Kingdom, and has contributed to the industrial development of the Black Country...
flows was formed as a glacial meltwater channel. The area was quarried for its sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
.
Its place name reflects its position - first recorded in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as 'Contone', from Old English cumb - a narrow valley or deep hollow ('cumb' is likely a continuation in use or a loan word from Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
cwm (Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
) or cum (Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
), meaning 'valley'), and Old English tūn - a farmstead or fenced place.
Compton Lock on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
was the starting point in 1766 for the construction of the canal under James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
.
In the late 19th-early 20th century, Compton was home of a distinguished local artist Joseph Vickers de Ville
Joseph Vickers de Ville
Joseph Vickers de Ville was an English painter of landscapes and rural subjects.-Life and work:Joseph Vickers de Ville was a son of the farmers Joseph and Mary Deville. He was born in Eaton, Derbyshire, but is considered a Wolverhampton artist, as he moved to Wolverhampton by 1881, together with...
(1856–1925). It was during this time that the still existing terraced housing was built along Henwood Road near the Bridgnorth Road junction.
Today
Today, the quarrying has stopped, and housing estates have been constructed along the side of the valley. Much of the area was built in the latter half of the 20th century, though Compton does retain some of its older buildings such as several houses on The Holloway.At present, Compton Park campus is one of two Business Schools of the University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
; the other is located in Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
.
The Sir Jack Hayward
Jack Hayward
Sir Jack Arnold Hayward, OBE is an English businessman, property developer, philanthropist and president of Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Biography:...
training ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers football club is located in Compton Park.
Next to the Sir Jack Hayward training ground is St. Edmunds Roman Catholic secondary school and opposite is St Peters secondary school.
Compton has several shops, take-aways, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and pubs. They include Clare's of Compton hairdressers, The Wineseller off-license, A Cottage Garden flower shop, Taylor Biddle opticians, Compton Dry Cleaners and Launderette, Spar convenience store and Daisy Fresh and Essential (formerly the Daisy Freezer Centre). There is a fish and chip takeaway called Pep's Place on the Bridgnorth Road.
Restaurants include Tiger Wok Thai / Chinese restaurant, and House Of Canton Cantonese restaurant. A pub / restaurant, The Oddfellows sits on the Compton island, and one of the oldest pubs in Wolverhampton, The Swan at Compton is prominently located on the junction of The Holloway and Bridgnorth Road.
Further reading
- http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/92D8CE13-255C-4350-9D36-3085739B8DD0/0/Compton.pdf Area profile of Compton Neighbourhood (2001 Census)