Turnpike Fever! Local Transport in the Georgian Era

The fourth Andrew Barnett & Trevor Genge Memorial Lecture takes place on Thursday 11th October at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley. The speaker is Samantha Badger a local history enthusiast and keen researcher.

Sam’s presentation will focus on the Turnpike Trusts from their start in 1706 through to closure in the 1890s. The Black Country was criss-crossed with roads charging people to use them for animal movements and horse drawn transport.

Although tolling was a lucrative boom business it eventually became debt ridden and succumbed to the railways. This is a fascinating story full of local colour and interest.

As usual visitors are invited to come along – admission £2. Annual membership of the Society costs £5 and gives free access to the programme of talks.

[Schoolteachers, Andrew Barnett and Trevor Genge were co-founders of the Society in 1984. Andrew launched the Sedgley Local History Museum (closed 2004) and Trevor published five books on the Sedgley Manor villages. Both were avid researchers and staunch supporters of conservation projects.]

2018 – Summer Teaser

The 56th Teaser was a building looking the worse for wear in 2000. Today it is in tiptop condition.

It was a photo of Sandyfields Farmhouse which lies partially hidden on an old section of Sandyfields Road in Cotwall End, Sedgley.

The oldest parts of the early C19th house are built in red sandstone from an adjacent quarry. The property is locally listed by Dudley MBC giving it some degree of protection.