As work to improve Wednesbury town centre continues, the town’s history is also being preserved.
Two historic stone horse troughs, previously located on the corner of High Street and Upper High Street, have been moved to near the bandstand in Brunswick Park, Wednesbury.
Alderman John Handley and his sister Miss Jane Handley gifted the horse troughs to the residents of Wednesbury in May 1910 and September 1906 respectively.
Alderman Handley served as Mayor of Wednesbury from 1906 until 1908 and he and his sister also gifted the land to build Wednesbury Library.
Wednesbury town centre is currently benefiting from Levelling Up Partnership (LUP) investment from the government. Work has already been completed to help keep Wednesbury safe by installing new and upgraded CCTV cameras, and agreeing a Masterplan for Wednesbury Town Centre which forms a vision for the town.
Find out more about the Wednesbury LUP on the Regenerating Sandwell website.
These improvements also include preserving Wednesbury’s past with the help of the council’s contractor McPhillips who are currently carrying out works in Union Street. These include replacing street paving, planting trees and installing new street furniture.
Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Infrastructure, Councillor Peter Hughes, said: “We want to thank McPhillips for their hard work and dedication on these renovations for Wednesbury. The improvements to public spaces will provide everyone with a pleasant place to live, work and shop.
“Wednesbury residents are rightly proud of their town’s history. These stone troughs are a small part of that history, but each piece we save helps to preserve the full history of Wednesbury for future generations to study. And they will also add to the beauty of Brunswick Park. An official ‘unveiling’ event, involving descendants of the Handley family is due to take place in the near future”
Contractors McPhillips moved and installed the troughs in Brunswick Park for free, helping to keep them safe and accessible for people to see for the future.
Friends of Brunswick Park Jill Turner and Stephen Robinson joined Dan Redmond from McPhillips and Alan Wheatley from Sandwell Council’s grounds maintenance team, when the troughs were installed at the Park .
Dan Redmond said: “At McPhillips we deeply value the communities where we operate and we understand the importance of preserving local history.
“The relocation of the historic horse troughs to Brunswick Park is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the town's heritage while enhancing the town’s communal space.
“By moving these planters – which have been a part of the community for over 100 years – to the bandstand, we are not just preserving history but are also improving the park space for residents to enjoy for years to come.”
