117-535: Guy Motors was a Wolverhampton -based vehicle manufacturer that produced cars, lorries, buses and trolleybuses . The company was founded by Sydney S. Guy (1885–1971) who was born in Kings Heath , Birmingham. Guy Motors operated out of its Fallings Park factory from 1914 to 1982, playing an important role in the development of the British motor industry. Sydney S. Guy registered Guy Motors Limited on Saturday 30 May 1914,
234-542: A blue plaque was erected in memory of British immigrant rights activist Paulette Wilson , a member of the Windrush generation . The plaque was launched with campaigners including Patrick Vernon and Claire Darke at the Wolverhampton Heritage Centre. The Centre is a cornerstone of the area's local Caribbean community and was formerly the constituency office of Enoch Powell where his Rivers of Blood speech
351-426: A metropolitan borough , transferring from Staffordshire into the newly formed West Midlands county. Wolverhampton was granted city status on 31 January 2001 – an honour that had been unsuccessfully applied for in 1953, 1966, 1977, 1985 and 1992 – making it one of three "Millennium Cities". Wolverhampton also made an unsuccessful application for a Lord Mayor in 2002. Many of the city centre's buildings date from
468-522: A municipal borough on 15 March 1848 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 before becoming a county borough in 1889. It was represented politically in Victorian times by Charles Pelham Villiers , a Liberal MP and noted free trade supporter who was also the longest-serving MP in parliamentary history. Lord Wolverhampton, Henry Hartley Fowler was MP for Wolverhampton at the turn of
585-565: A 14-seat post bus built based on the design was used for crossing the Scottish Highlands. In 1915 Guy Motors came under control of the Ministry of Munitions and production was focussed on the war effort. In spite of the wartime situation, Guy brought out a revised version of their 30cwt lorry in May 1915, with the engine (made by White and Poppe ) and transmission mounted on a separate subframe from
702-654: A 6-wheeled version of their dropped-frame chassis, which allowed for the introduction of the first 6-wheeled double decker buses and 6-wheeled trolleybuses in 1926. Owen Silvers, the general manager of Wolverhampton Corporation , had pushed Guys to develop the 3-axle bus, and took delivery of the first production vehicle. He then convinced Guys to work with W. A. Stevens, who had developed the Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric bus, of which Wolverhampton had several, and Rees Roturbo Co Ltd, who were also based in Wolverhampton, on
819-577: A branch of Safeway which Morrisons were forced to sell off as part of the acquisition of the supermarket chain, closed at the end of trading on 31 December 2020. The store was sold to Tesco which opened in June 2021. Aldi have two stores close to the city centre: one just off the A4123 Birmingham Road and a newer branch close to the former Wolverhampton Low Level railway station in Sun Street. In 2021,
936-607: A brief period the Wolverhampton trolleybus system was the world's largest trolleybus system. The last Wolverhampton trolleybus ran in 1967, just as the railway line through the High Level station was converted to electric operation. England's first automatic traffic lights could be seen in Princes Square in 1927. The modern traffic lights at this location have the traditional striped poles to commemorate this fact. Princes Square
1053-599: A developing area, but since part of the tramway and all of the extension were outside of the Corporation's area of responsibility, agreement had to be reached with Staffordshire County Council. Trams on the route were withdrawn in August 1924, with motor buses being used while the conversion took place. 3 miles (4.8 km) of new trolleybus route were opened on 9 March 1925, and again, single-deck vehicles from Tilling-Stevens were used. The tramway had used double-deck trams, but there
1170-603: A fleet of double deckers sold to the London Public Omnibus Company and exports supplied all around the world. Exports served as a major source of income for Guy with sales to South Africa, Pakistan, India and the Netherlands, their armoured vehicles proving particularly popular for covering difficult terrain, with 100 supplied to the Indian government in 1928. In 1928, Guy took control of fellow Wolverhampton manufacturer
1287-516: A former Lord Mayor of London and a twice Master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors , who was born in the city, founded Wolverhampton Grammar School , one of the oldest active schools in Britain. From the 16th century onwards, Wolverhampton became home to a number of metal industries including lock and key making and iron and brass working. Wolverhampton suffered two Great Fires:
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#17328588046461404-464: A frame of identical shape to the Leyland Titan TD8 . Parts originally made of aluminium and other parts essential for the war effort were replaced by steel and iron. It was immediately successful, due to its robustness, reliability and low running costs. The company's contribution to the war effort established it as a leading supplier for the government and meant financial stability when heading into
1521-592: A large stained glass rotunda in its foyer. It is among the few canal street factories in the "Black Country" that has been preserved. Wolverhampton's biggest public art display took place between July and September 2017; Wolves in Wolves saw the installation of 30 wolf sculptures in the city centre and West Park, with the sculptures auctioned off to raise money for charity. Trolleybuses in Wolverhampton The Wolverhampton trolleybus system served
1638-452: A luxury 4 litre V8, the first British V8 engine . The Guy cars were produced in a separate works and in relatively small numbers, whereas £70,000 was invested in the main factory in 1919 with the aim of increasing production to 40 to 50 2-ton trucks per week. Guy Motors were one of the first companies to get back to commercial vehicle production after the war, and in March 1920 they were expanding
1755-608: A main road. Following the acquisition of the Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company, two of their depots were used for the trolleybuses, one at Sedgley and the other at Bilston. On 6 October 1938 a new depot providing stabling for 56 trolleybuses was opened on Park Lane, Fallings Park, on the opposite side of the road to the Guy Motors works. From the Cleveland Road depot there were tracks to
1872-622: A member of the Mander family , was Liberal MP for Wolverhampton East from 1929 to 1945, distinguished for his stance against appeasement and as a supporter of the League of Nations . He was known as "the last of the Midland radicals". More recent members have included the Conservative mavericks Enoch Powell and Nicholas Budgen . Powell was a member of Edward Heath 's Tory shadow cabinet from 1964, until he
1989-410: A process of fitting new bodies to the utility vehicles in 1952, when 16 vehicles were refurbished by Park Royal Vehicles . Charles H. Roe of Leeds built new bodies for a further 16 in 1958/59, and a final batch of 22 were rebodied in 1961/62. Although the future of the trolleybus system was considered in 1957, no action was taken at the time. On 22 January 1961, motor buses replaced the trolleybuses on
2106-583: Is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands , England, 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Birmingham . The population in 2021 was 263,700. Historically in Staffordshire , the city grew as a market town specialising in the wool trade. In the Industrial Revolution , it became a major centre for coal mining, steel production, lock making, and automotive manufacturing. The economy of
2223-436: Is held that in the 14th and 15th centuries that Wolverhampton was one of the "staple towns" of the woollen trade, which today can be seen by the inclusion of a woolpack on the city's coat of arms, and by the many small streets, especially in the city centre, called "Fold" (examples being Blossom's Fold, Farmers Fold, Townwell Fold and Victoria Fold), as well as Woolpack Street and Woolpack Alley. In 1512, Sir Stephen Jenyns ,
2340-573: Is recorded as being the site of a decisive battle between the unified Mercian Angles and West Saxons against the raiding Danes in 910, although sources are unclear as to whether the battle itself took place in Wednesfield or Tettenhall . Both places have since been incorporated into Wolverhampton. The Mercians and West Saxons claimed a decisive victory, and the field of Woden is recognised by numerous place names in Wednesfield. In 985, King Ethelred
2457-469: The Arab bus chassis, designed for use with diesel engines, was launched and would prove a mainstay of Guy's success for the next twenty years. From the mid-1930s, the company became increasingly involved in the British re-armament programme, developing and producing military vehicles. In 1935, Guy submitted their new four-wheel Ant armoured car to military trials, where it impressed so much that 150 were ordered by
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#17328588046462574-687: The British Motor Corporation to form British Motor Holdings. This company had then merged with Leyland in 1968, to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation . Leyland ceased the production of Guy-badged buses in 1972, although Leyland-badged versions of the Guy Victory were produced at Wolverhampton and Leyland until 1986. Despite the mergers, the British motor industry continued on a generally downward trend and British Leyland looked for where it could make savings. Guy Motors
2691-644: The Great Western Railway in 1854. In the 19th century, the city saw much immigration from Wales and Ireland , the latter following the Great Famine . In 1866, a statue was erected in memory of Prince Albert the Prince Consort , the unveiling of which brought Queen Victoria back to Wolverhampton. The unveiling of the statue was the first public appearance Queen Victoria made after the funeral of her husband. A 40-foot-tall (12 m) archway made of coal
2808-568: The Gunpowder Plotters , Robert Wintour and Stephen Littleton , who had fled to the Midlands. The pair played no part in the original plot nevertheless suffered a traitor's death of being hanged, drawn and quartered on butcher's blocks set up in the square a few days before the execution of Guy Fawkes and several other plotters in London. There is also evidence that Wolverhampton may have been
2925-524: The Star Motor Company , who had seen declining sales throughout the decade, in an attempt to expand their luxury car manufacturing. Under Guy, Star Motors moved to a new factory in Bushbury and the range of vehicles was narrowed to prevent competition against itself. Despite this, Star continued to struggle and a loss was made on every car sold. The Wall Street Crash had a crippling effect on industry and
3042-554: The World War I . New estates at Parkfields (near the border with Coseley ) and Birches Barn (near Bantock Park in the west of Wolverhampton) gave the city some 550 new council houses by 1923, although this was a fraction of the number of new council houses required. The first large council housing development in Wolverhampton was the Low Hill estate to the north-east of the city, which consisted of more than 2,000 new council houses by 1927 and
3159-645: The 1950s and 1960s, mostly settling in the Blakenhall , All Saints , Whitmore Reans and Heath Town areas. Wolverhampton is home to a large proportion of the Pakistani and the Sikh community, who settled there during the period (1935–1975) from the Indian state of Punjab . Today, the Sikh community in Wolverhampton is roughly 9.1% of the city's population. In 1974, as a result of local government reorganisation, Wolverhampton became
3276-435: The 1954 cc 13/36 with an engine from Coventry Climax . There is some uncertainty regarding the number of these cars made, but it is generally agreed it was in the 100s rather than thousands. The main commercial interest of Guy Motors was production of the commercial chassis and engine ready for a variety of bodies to be fitted. This was available in different wheelbases and was used both for trucks and for buses, and still used
3393-510: The 1960s and 1970s. Wolverhampton gained its first parliamentary representation as part of the Reform Act 1832 , when it was one of 22 large towns that were allocated two members of parliament. A local mob attacking electors who voted or intended to vote for the Tory candidate led to the 1835 Wolverhampton riot , with dragoons being called in to end the intimidation. Wolverhampton was incorporated as
3510-458: The 20th century, several older parts of the town were redeveloped for new council housing during the 1960s and early 1970s. The most notable example is the Heath Town area, where almost all of the 19th-century buildings were demolished during the 1960s and replaced by four tower blocks and several blocks of maisonettes. However, the state housing at Heath Town quickly became unpopular and by the 1980s
3627-490: The British Prime Minister David Lloyd George announced a General Election. He also made his "Homes fit for heroes" speech at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in the same year. It was on the idea of "Homes fit for heroes" that Lloyd George was to fight the 1918 "Coupon" General Election . Mass council housing development in Wolverhampton, to rehouse families from slum housing, began after the end of
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3744-491: The Corporation had no powers to run trolleybuses, the Ministry of Transport allowed the scheme to be implemented, providing a clause to permit such operation was included in their next Parliamentary Bill. Rookery Bridge was widened and the route was extended from the original 1.75 miles (2.82 km) to 2.25 miles (3.62 km), terminating at Pinfold Bridge. Tramcars over the route were withdrawn, to be replaced by motor buses while
3861-463: The Horse". The Stafford Street drill hall was completed in 1890. Wolverhampton had a prolific bicycle industry from 1868 to 1975, during which time a total of more than 200 bicycle manufacturing companies existed, none remaining today. These manufacturers included Viking, Marston, Sunbeam, Star, Wulfruna and Rudge. The last volume manufacturers of bicycles left Wolverhampton during the 1960s and 1970s –
3978-685: The House of Lords as Lord Bilston. After the end of World War II in 1945, the council erected 400 prefabricated bungalows across Wolverhampton, and built its first permanent postwar houses at the Underhill Estate near Bushbury in the late 1940s. The 1950s saw many new houses and flats built across Wolverhampton as the rehousing programme from the slums continued, as well as the local council agreeing deals with neighbouring authorities Wednesfield Urban District and Seisdon Rural District which saw families relocated to new estates in those areas. The 1960s saw
4095-548: The Penn Road routes, because major roadworks were under way at the in-town end of the service, and although some of the routes were reinstated on 21 May, that along Oxbarn Avenue was not, with motor buses continuing in service. In 1961 there were some 150 vehicles operational, but the Transport Committee decided that the trolleybuses should be withdrawn, and the routes were progressively closed. Those to Penn and Penn Fields were
4212-582: The Second World War appears a little confused. Joyce et al. state that 38 extra vehicles were obtained to meet wartime traffic levels. Lockwood states that wartime needs were met by borrowing 12 Sunbeams from Bournemouth , and the purchase of 38 Sunbeams with utility bodywork between 1943 and 1946. The fleet list published in Joyce et al. shows 18 Sunbeams entering service between 1940 and 1942, and 38 Sunbeams with utility bodywork arriving between 1943 and 1946, so
4329-511: The Snow Hill terminus, for the route to Fighting Cocks, Sedgley and Dudley, and to the route out to Bilston, which provided access to all of the routes that radiated out from central Wolverhampton. These tracks were only used for vehicle movements, and there were no public services over them. Four Wolverhampton trolleybuses are known to have survived. No. 433, a Sunbeam W4 supplied with BTH electrical equipment and Park Royal utility bodywork in 1946,
4446-721: The Sunbeam name. Trolleybuses continued to sell well, with the Sunbeam becoming the most popular model in South Africa. In 1950 Guy motors signed an agreement with Mahindra & Mahindra of Mumbai , India a multinational automobile manufacturer to assemble their vehicles in India and also represent Guy motors throughout India and also share workforce between the two companies. Sunbeam trolleybuses had been built at Sunbeam's Moorfields Works, enabling Guy to concentrate on motorbuses and lorries at their Fallings Park Works, but in 1953 they completed
4563-549: The Unready granted lands at a place referred to as Heantun to Lady Wulfrun by royal charter, and hence founding the settlement. In 994, a monastery was consecrated in Wolverhampton for which Wulfrun granted land at Upper Arley in Worcestershire, Bilston , Willenhall , Wednesfield, Pelsall , Ogley Hay near Brownhills , Hilton near Wall , Hatherton , Kinvaston , Hilton near Wolverhampton, and Featherstone . This became
4680-470: The Urban Districts of Wednesfield and Tettenhall and parts of Willenhall , Sedgley and Coseley , almost a third of Wolverhampton's population lived in council housing, but since that date social housing has been built on a minimal scale in the area, and some of the 1919–1975 developments have since been demolished. As well as the many new council estates which sprang up around Wolverhampton during
4797-427: The abundance of coal and iron deposits in the area. The remains of this wealth can be seen in local houses such as Wightwick Manor and The Mount (both built for the prominent varnish and paint manufacturers, the Mander family ) as well as Tettenhall Towers. All three are located in the western fringe of Wolverhampton, in the areas known as Wightwick and Tettenhall. Many other houses of similar stature were demolished in
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4914-470: The addition of a Native American mascot to their vehicles. 1924 also saw Guy produce the first-ever dropped-frame chassis for passenger vehicles (the B-type). This design allowed passengers to enter buses in a single step and became extremely popular, Guy receiving an order for 170 from Rio de Janeiro alone. Growing populations in towns and cities meant larger capacity buses were a necessity, leading Guy to develop
5031-594: The area was plagued with crime and unemployment. The first regeneration projects on the estate began during the 1990s, and in 2017 some of the maisonette blocks were demolished. A similar redevelopment took place around the same time in Blakenhall, where new shops and five tower blocks were built in a 1960s redevelopment area. However, all of these buildings were demolished between 2002 and 2011 and have since been replaced with new private and social housing. Large numbers of black and Asian immigrants settled in Wolverhampton from
5148-474: The buildings and plant on their 60-acre site, and had £2.5 million in orders. However, the post-war period was to prove difficult for the motor industry as military contracts were cancelled and military vehicles no longer required for service were sold onto the market at low prices. The Guy 4 litre 8-cylinder "Open Tourer" car was joined by a smaller model in 1921, the "Guy Saloon Car" with the 2465 cc four-cylinder 16.9 hp. A cheaper model followed in 1924 with
5265-584: The century. The railways reached Wolverhampton in 1837, with the first station located at Wednesfield Heath , now Heath Town, on the Grand Junction Railway . This station was demolished in 1965, but the area exists as a nature reserve just off Powell Street. Wolverhampton railway works was established in 1849 for the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway and became the Northern Division workshop of
5382-532: The city centre) is now the northern terminus for the West Midlands Metro light rail system. An extension to the railway station opened in 2023, the opening being delayed until the new railway station was completed. Wolverhampton was one of the few towns to operate surface contact trams and the only town to use the Lorain Surface Contact System. Trolleybuses appeared in 1923, and in 1930 for
5499-579: The city is still based on engineering, including a large aerospace industry, as well as the service sector . The city is named after Wulfrun , who founded the town in 985, from the Anglo-Saxon Wulfrūnehēantūn ("Wulfrūn's high or principal enclosure or farm"). Before the Norman Conquest , the area's name appears only as variants of Heantune or Hamtun ; the prefix Wulfrun or similar appearing in 1070 and thereafter. Alternatively,
5616-669: The city may have earned its original name from Wulfereēantūn (" Wulfhere's high or principal enclosure or farm") after the Mercian King, who according to tradition established an abbey in 659, though no evidence of an abbey has been found. The variation Wolveren Hampton is seen in medieval records, e.g. in 1381. The Oxford English Dictionary includes the demonym Wulfrunian , defined as "An inhabitant of Wolverhampton", its earliest example of use being from 1959. A local tradition states that King Wulfhere of Mercia founded an abbey of St Mary at Wolverhampton in 659. Wolverhampton
5733-457: The city of Wolverhampton , then in Staffordshire , England (and now in West Midlands , England), for much of the twentieth century. Opened on 29 October 1923 ( 1923-10-29 ) , the system was one of the most extensive trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom , with a total of 14 routes, and a maximum fleet of 173 trolleybuses. For a brief period in the 1930s, it even had
5850-623: The city. The site is now home to a relocated outdoor market. Following the closure of the Mander Centre branch of Tesco and relocation of Sainsbury's , the only remaining supermarket in the central shopping area was Iceland . In September 2023 a Tesco Express convenience store opened in Dudley Street replacing a branch of Clinton Cards. Outside the Ring Road were major branches of Sainsbury's , Asda and Waitrose . The Waitrose store, originally
5967-414: The company for £800,000, transferring its assets to a new company, Guy Motors (Europe) Limited, which left all the liabilities with the now defunct Guy Motors Limited, the name eventually reverting to "Guy Motors Ltd" in 1966. Jaguar immediately set about rationalisation , reducing both the number of employees and the range of vehicles in production. Guy continued to be successful throughout the 1960s, with
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#17328588046466084-450: The confines of the old tramway system. Trolleybuses ran to Bushbury Hill from 30 November 1931, and to a number of developing residential areas subsequently. The Amos Lane and Pear Tree routes opened on 21 March 1932, and on 10 April 1933 a service began serving Brickkiln Street, Jeffcock Road and Bradmore. The Penn Fields route had been extended to Penn on 10 October 1932, and a second route to Penn opened on 8 April 1935. The Wednesfield route
6201-532: The construction of new assembly shops next to their existing works, and Moorfields Works was closed, with trolleybus production moving to Fallings Park. Guy continued to update their old models, introducing a new version of the Otter chassis in 1950 for 30-seater vehicles and 84 were ordered by London Transport . By 1954, Guy passenger vehicles were operated by 150 companies in the UK and in 26 countries abroad. The company developed
6318-401: The contents auctioned off. The closure of Guy Motors had a devastating effect on the factory's neighbouring areas, including Heath Town and Low Hill, where many of the company's workers lived, contributing to a rise in the already high unemployment in these areas. Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( / ˌ w ʊ l v ər ˈ h æ m p t ə n / WUUL -vər- HAMP -tən )
6435-487: The conversion work took place. The route was hampered by a low railway bridge, and so six single-deck vehicles were obtained from Tilling-Stevens, which were fitted with Dodson centre-entrance bodies. A formal opening ceremony for the service was held on 29 October 1923. The Corporation next turned their attention to the single-track tramway route from Waterloo Road to Bushbury, which was to be extended by about 1 mile (1.6 km) along Stafford Road. The extension would serve
6552-654: The design of a trolleybus. Guys modified their 3-axle chassis, fitting a single 60 hp (45 kW) Rees-Stevens electric motor at the front of the chassis. Rees Roturbo produced the regenerative control system. The first BTX vehicle, with an open rear staircase, was tested on the Wolverhampton system in December 1926, and Silvers placed an order for a further 58, with enclosed staircases. The Hastings Tramway Co ordered 50 single-deck BTX trolleybuses and eight open-top double-deck versions, while Rotherham ordered five. Guy double decker buses and trolleybuses would prove popular, with
6669-807: The development of the Victory trambus and the Big J series of trucks. The Big J was designed around a new, high-revving Cummins V6-200 engine coupled to a 12-speed splitter-type gearbox, and was intended for motorway operation. The reliability shortcomings and poor fuel economy of the Cummins V6-200 engine soon saw it replaced by engines from other sources. For example, AEC AV505, Leyland O.401, Gardner 6LXB, Cummins NH180/NTK265 and Rolls-Royce Eagle 220/265 were popular choices dependent on Gross Vehicle Weight. Gearboxes were sourced from AEC, David Brown and Fuller. Rear axles were selectable from ENV and Kirkstall Forge offerings. Such were
6786-400: The distinction of being the world's largest trolleybus system. It was closed on 5 March 1967 ( 1967-03-05 ) . Prior to 1923, Wolverhampton had run a tramway system and a number of motorbuses. Included in the motorbus fleet were a small number of petrol-electric vehicles, manufactured by Tilling-Stevens of Maidstone. The General Manager of the municipal transport section
6903-444: The earlier reference to 38 vehicles appears to cover the utility vehicles, some of which did not enter service until the war was over. Between the end of the war and 1950, a further 50 Guys and 71 Sunbeams were obtained, enabling the replacement of many of the older vehicles in the fleet. Some of the earlier 2-axle Sunbeams were sold to Southend in 1950, with a further batch going to Belfast in 1952. Wolverhampton Corporation began
7020-417: The early 20th century and before, the oldest buildings being St Peter's Church (which was built in the 13th century but has been largely extended and refurbished since the 15th century, situated on Lichfield Street) and a framed timber 17th-century building on Victoria Street which is now one of just two remaining in the area which was heavily populated by them until the turn of the 20th century. This building
7137-510: The first 30-foot (9.1 m) two-axle double-deck trolleybus chassis in 1954, the Sunbeam F4A, which could seat 68 passengers. In 1957, Sydney Guy retired after 43 years with the company. Guy continued to develop new and very successful models of chassis, introducing updated versions of the Otter and Warrior models and the high performance Victory chassis. However, an ill-advised decision to take South African sales in-house, which involved leasing
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#17328588046467254-539: The first batch ordered, and if unsuccessful, to stand the cost. The vehicles were welded, and on examination by the British Army , the welding was found to have worked extremely well. Over time, it was further developed and became widely used in allied armoured vehicles, such as later models of the Churchill and Sherman tanks. By the time World War II started, Guys had built a total of 376 trolleybus chassis, but manufacture
7371-492: The first in April 1590, and the second in September 1696. Both fires started in today's Salop Street. The first fire lasted for five days and left nearly 700 people homeless, whilst the second destroyed 60 homes in the first five hours. This second fire led to the purchase of the first fire engine within the city in September 1703. On 27 January 1606, two farmers, Thomas Smart and John Holyhead of Rowley Regis , were executed on High Green, now Queen Square, for sheltering two of
7488-428: The first to go, on 9 June 1963, followed by the Tettenhall route on 30 June. Major closures took place on 3 November, when services to Finchfield and Low Hill, Merry Hill and Low Hill, Amos Lane and Jeffcock Road, and Wednesfield were all withdrawn. Next to go was the Fordhouses to Bushbury Hill service, on 26 January 1964, and on 26 October, the route from Willenhall to Bilston and Fighting Cocks ceased to operate. This
7605-506: The government. After this success, Guy began to concentrate solely on the production of military vehicles and, by 1938, Guy relied exclusively on Government contracts and had ended civilian production. During this time, Guy designed a new armoured car, the Quad Ant , which was welded rather than rivetted together. The original official contract specified that it had to be designed as a rivetted vehicle, but Guy had suggested welding as being more suitable and effective. To that end, they developed
7722-532: The intention was to replace the trams with trolleybuses. The conversion work took place in stages, with the first part from Snow Hill to the Fighting Cocks public house on the borough boundary opening on 26 October 1925. This was extended to Sedgley Bull Ring on 10 November 1925, and then to Sedgley Depot on 11 May 1927. Shortly afterwards, the changeover was complete, when the service reached Dudley on 8 July 1927. The initial vehicle, which carried civic officials from Coseley, Dudley, Sedgley, Willenhall and Wolverhampton,
7839-491: The largest and best-known of which was Viking Cycles Ltd, whose team dominated the UK racing scene in the 1950s (Viking's production of hand-built lightweight racing and juvenile bicycles exceeded 20,000 units in 1965). Closures of other smaller cycle makers followed during the 1980s including such well-known hand-builders as Percy Stallard (the former professional cyclist) and Jack Hateley. Wolverhampton High Level station (the current main railway station) opened in 1852, but
7956-457: The largest in the world, with around 25 miles (40 km) of route, and the service being used by 36 million passengers a year. The tramcar route to Bradley was to have been converted, but motor buses replaced the trams instead. In 1930 a circular service to Whitmore Reans began operating, which included a branch specifically to serve the Courtauld's textile works. A new departure was the route from Willenhall to Fighting Cocks, which did not involve
8073-406: The location of the first working Newcomen Steam Engine in 1712. A few years before she began her reign, Queen Victoria visited Wolverhampton in the 1830s and described it as "a large and dirty town" but one which received her "with great friendliness and pleasure". In Victorian times , Wolverhampton grew to be a wealthy town mainly due to the huge amount of industry that occurred as a result of
8190-402: The main body. A year later they revealed their new 2-ton model, this time powered by a Tylor JB4 engine (a type approved by the War Office and in use on wartime trucks by Karrier and AEC). They also produced Wasp and Dragonfly radial aircraft engines, Tylor truck engines and Maudslay gearboxes as well as being the country's largest maker of depth charge fuses. For their efforts during
8307-415: The mid-1960s, with the Mander Centre (plans for which were unveiled on 15 April 1965) being opened in two phases, the first in 1968 and the second in 1971. Several refurbishments have taken place since. The Wulfrun Centre, an open shopping area, was opened alongside the Mander Centre's first phase in 1968, but has been undercover since a roof was added in the late 1990s. Central Wolverhampton police station
8424-553: The necessary techniques, including rotating jigs, which meant that the bodies and turrets could be produced more quickly and cheaply. This new development made armoured vehicles much safer and is reported to have eventually saved the British government £100 million pounds , earning Guy a commendation from the Royal Commission. Initially though, the government's technical advisors were sceptical that welding armour plate, using these techniques, would be economical, so Guy offered to weld
8541-429: The north of Wolverhampton, and later moved over Wolverhampton city centre and surrounding suburbs, causing some damage. The Wolverhampton Ring Road circumnavigates the city centre linking the majority of the city's radial routes. It was constructed in sections between 1960 and 1986, and carries the number A4150, although this is only marked on one road sign. The centre of Wolverhampton has been altered radically since
8658-580: The original station was demolished in 1965 and then rebuilt. Wolverhampton Low Level station opened on the Great Western Railway in 1855. The site of the Low Level station, which closed to passengers in 1972 and completely in 1981, has since been redeveloped with much of the original station incorporated into a hotel. An Aldi store opened nearby in 2019. In 1918 at "The Mount" in Tettenhall Wood ,
8775-435: The ornate cast iron safe painting industry from the Victorian era. Numerous companies, such as Chubb Lock and Safe Company , expanded their artistic status to international reputation, whereby a safe became a work of art with fine script and hand-painted designs. The Chubb Building was converted into a National Historic Registered Landmark Treasure in 1992, which now houses a cinema, art galleries, nightclub, business offices and
8892-440: The permutation of fitments that each vehicle's configuration was recorded on an "Erection Sheet" which, in the pre-internet age, was mailed from the factory to Guy dealers to have a record of each vehicle that may require attention in his workshop. The distinctive, non-tilt cab was sourced from Motor Panels . However a series of mergers by their parent company had left them in a precarious situation In 1966, Jaguar had merged with
9009-684: The post-war years. After the war, Guy returned to civilian production, with bus production remaining a mainstay and retaining a strong emphasis on export sales to their major markets, including South Africa, Pakistan and the Netherlands. In 1947, Guy received orders for 70 BTX 30-foot (9.1 m) from Belfast , which were fitted with electrical equipment by GEC, and 50 BT 26-foot (7.9 m) models for Wolverhampton, which carried BTH electrical equipment. Guy had by then built 496 trolleybus chassis, but in 1948, they acquired Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles Limited and from then on, all trolleybuses produced (except some for UK operators carrying Karrier badges) carried
9126-463: The predecessor of The Transport Museum, Wythall , who in turn stored it in the north west of England until 2004, when it was moved to Wythall. Some bodywork repairs were carried out in 2006, and it was repainted in 2007. It is now on static display at the museum. The final vehicle is No. 654, the last vehicle numerically in the fleet at Wolverhampton, and one of the final batch of Guy BT vehicles, with BTH electrical equipment and Park Royal bodywork. It
9243-518: The rehousing programme continue, with multi-storey blocks being built on a large scale across Wolverhampton at locations including Blakenhall , Whitmore Reans and Chetton Green . The later part of the decade saw the Heath Town district almost completely redeveloped with multi-story flats and maisonette blocks. By 1975, by which time Wolverhampton had also taken in the majority of the Borough of Bilston ,
9360-604: The reliability upon which Guy had built its name. Although new designs such as the Warrior Mark II were being produced and despite the fact that their lorry division was performing well, by 1960, Guy faced seemingly insurmountable financial problems. The failure of the Wulfrunian was a commercial disaster and the operation in South Africa was losing them £300,000 a year. By 1961, Guy had no choice but to enter receivership. Sir William Lyons , managing director of Jaguar , acquired
9477-440: The same day he departed his position as works manager at the Wolverhampton company, Sunbeam . A factory was built on the site at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton . and by September 1914 production was under way on the newly designed 30 cwt lorry. This employed a much lighter form of pressed steel frame, unlike the more commonly used heavy rolled steel channel frames of the time. This made the vehicle able to cross difficult terrain and
9594-465: The separate subframe to mount the engine and transmission as had been developed during WW1. At the commercial show at Olympia in October 1920 two examples were shown, one having a single decker Mulliner bus body seating 28, the other with shorter wheelbase, but otherwise identical chassis and engine, having a 2.5 ton tipper wagon body. In 1924, the company adopted the slogan 'Feathers in our Cap' which led to
9711-523: The site for the current St. Peter's Church . A statue of Lady Wulfrun, sculpted by Sir Charles Wheeler , can be seen on the stairs outside the church. Wolverhampton is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as being in the Hundred of Seisdon and the county of Staffordshire . The lords of the manor are listed as the canons of St Mary (the church's dedication was changed to St Peter after this date), with
9828-460: The subsequent recession meant that Guy could no longer afford to fit out Star's Bushbury plant and, in 1932, that company entered receivership . Despite performing well throughout the decade, by the end of the 1920s Guy was facing an uncertain future, due to the expensive takeover of Star and the Wall Street Crash, which had seen its share prices fall from one pound to one shilling (5p). Guy
9945-503: The tenant-in-chief being Samson , William the Conqueror 's personal chaplain. Wolverhampton at this date is a large settlement of fifty households. In 1179, there is mention of a market held in the town, and in 1204 it had come to the attention of King John that the town did not possess a Royal Charter for holding a market. This charter for a weekly market held on a Wednesday was eventually granted on 4 February 1258 by Henry III . It
10062-816: The then Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick officially opened its new Wolverhampton offices at the recently completed i9 office development on 10 September 2021. At the opening of the new office development the Secretary of State was joined by the leader of City of Wolverhampton Council Ian Brookfield and the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street . From the 18th century, Wolverhampton was well known for production of japanned ware and steel jewellery. The renowned 18th- and 19th-century artists Joseph Barney (1753–1832), Edward Bird (1772–1819), and George Wallis (1811–1891) were all born in Wolverhampton and initially trained as japanned ware painters. The School of Practical Art
10179-469: The town's first purpose-built crown court. A few department store chains including Marks & Spencer and Next have stores in the centre of Wolverhampton. Beatties , a House of Fraser store, was announced to close in 2019. Debenhams opened a 3-floor department store in the Mander Centre in 2017, but has now closed. Rackhams had a store on Snow Hill for some 25 years until 1992. This building
10296-553: The trolleybuses starting at the town centre. In late 1931, through working with the Walsall system began, when the Willenhall line was extended, enabling Walsall trolleybuses to reach Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton trolleybuses to reach Walsall. The joint working began on 16 November 1931, after a low bridge on the Willenhall route was modified to allow the running of double-deck vehicles. The Corporation were now opening routes well beyond
10413-487: The vehicles, rather than outright sales, proved an extreme strain on the company's finances, as there were many defaulting contracts. This, combined with their new double-decker chassis, the Wulfrunian, would prove highly damaging for Guy's future. Launched in 1958, the Wulfrunian included many innovations in its design, but, crucially, lacked the thorough testing necessary before marketing it, resulting in it failing to deliver
10530-502: The war Guy received a commendation from William Weir , Secretary of State for Air. Due to orders from the ministry Guy prospered during the war, expanding its factory and became an established name in British manufacturing. In 1917 Sydney Guy applied for two patents relating to modified valve gear, one of these outlining how it could be used in a V8 engine, and in 1919 he launched a new version of his 2-ton truck with an engine using this valve gear, and he started production of his first car,
10647-465: Was Charles Owen Silvers, and he was sufficiently impressed by the performance of the vehicles that he pressed for a system where the petrol engines were replaced by overhead wires. The short, single-track tramway route from Princes Square to Rookery Bridge in Wednesfield was in need of reconstruction, and in April 1923 the town council approved the conversion of the route to their first trolleybus line. Although
10764-651: Was able to endure the Depression due to orders from the War Office and by taking advantage of the 1930 Road Traffic Act which encouraged the development of lighter vehicles. They produced a 2-axle version of the BTX trolleybus, known as the BT model, in 1930, which was available with a 26-foot (7.9 m) double deck body, or a 27-foot (8.2 m) single deck body, and also produced some 23-foot (7.0 m) chassis for export to Delhi. In 1933,
10881-463: Was able to postpone closure, in part due to the success of its Big J range, because it was one of the few companies owned by British Leyland operating at a profit. Nevertheless, in 1981, Leyland took the debatable decision to close the Fallings Park plant, as part of a rationalisation drive and, in August 1982, the doors were shut at the cost of 740 jobs. On 5 October, the factory was stripped clean and
10998-552: Was also the location of the United Kingdom's first pedestrian safety barriers, which were erected in 1934. On 2 November 1927, the A4123 New Road was opened by the then-Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII ) linking the city with Birmingham . The New Road was designed as an unemployment relief project and was the United Kingdom's first purpose-built intercity highway of the twentieth century. Sir Geoffrey Le Mesurier Mander ,
11115-474: Was an arched bridge on the route, with the tram tracks placed centrally in the road. Because trolleybuses were not constrained by tracks, double-deck vehicles would have collided with the bridge if they did not use the centre of the road. At the opening ceremony for the new route, the chairman of the Tramways Committee was able to report that the fortunes of the Wednesfield line had been turned around, and it
11232-425: Was built just south of the city centre on Birmingham Road during the 1960s, but operations there were cut back in the early 1990s when a new larger police station was built on Bilston Street on land which became vacant a decade earlier on the demolition of a factory. This was officially opened by Diana, Princess of Wales , on 31 July 1992. The city centre had several cinemas during the 20th century. The last of these
11349-527: Was constructed for the visit. The Queen was so pleased with the statue that she knighted Wolverhampton's mayor at the time, an industrialist named John Morris . Market Square, originally named High Green, was renamed Queen Square in honour of the visit. The statue replaced a Russian cannon captured during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855, and remains standing in Queen Square. The statue is known locally as "The Man on
11466-560: Was dismissed in April 1968 following his controversial Rivers of Blood speech in which he warned of massive civil unrest if mass immigration of black and Asian commonwealth inhabitants continued. At the same period, Sikh bus drivers and conductors were demonstrating in Wolverhampton against the Transportation Committee's regulations requiring uniform caps and thus prohibiting turbans. In 2005, former Bilston councillor and MP for Wolverhampton South East , Dennis Turner entered
11583-585: Was established in 1884, whilst Wolverhampton Grand Theatre was opened in 1894. There is a Creative Industries Quarter in Wolverhampton, just off Broad Street, with facilities ranging from the newly opened Slade Rooms , to the art house cinema the Light House Media Centre (closed in 2022) and the Arena Theatre, which is part of the University of Wolverhampton . Wolverhampton has a strong history in
11700-573: Was extended to Lichfield Road on 10 February 1934, and trolleybuses replaced motor buses on Oxbarn Avenue the following day. By 1936 there were 90 double-deck and 18 single-deck vehicles in operation. Single-deck vehicles were used on the Fordhouses route until 1938, but those on the Wednesfield route continued until 1943, when the roadway beneath a railway bridge was lowered, allowing double-deck vehicles to be used throughout. The single-deck vehicles were then sold. The situation during and immediately after
11817-462: Was extended to Willenhall Market Place on 16 September, as there were plans for through running onto the Walsall system . A route to Penn Fields opened on 11 July, and another to Tettenhall on 29 October. The last trams ran in August 1928, which allowed the route to Bilston to be opened on 19 November 1928, and this was extended on 28 May 1929 to reach Darlaston. It was at this point that the system became
11934-569: Was forced to arrange the production of buses/trolleybuses to maintain public services. It approached Guy to produce the first of more than 2,000 Guy double-deck buses which entered service between 1942 and 1945. The Ministry of War Supply ordered Guy to produce a chassis suitable for double-deck buses, the Blitz having resulted in a shortage of buses. In 1942, Guy launched the Arab I, then Arab II utility double deck bus, based on their original 1933 design, but with
12051-463: Was listed as preserved at Ashton, Northamptonshire in 2017. Trolleybus No. 274 existed until at least 2014 as part of a cottage at Coven . It was built in 1938, but was withdrawn from service in 1949, after it was involved in an accident. Mr S B Church, who lived near the Park Lane depot, bought it and took it to Coven, where it became a summer house. In 1968 the top deck was removed, and the lower deck
12168-471: Was not to be. This left just the Dudley route, which continued until it closed without ceremony on 5 March 1967. The final working was by Sunbeam No. 446. Initially, the trolleybuses were stabled in depots which were formerly used for tramcars. The main depot was on Cleveland Road, at the centre of the system, but it was not an ideal location, as it had no yard, and trolleybuses generally reversed out straight onto
12285-661: Was now a profitable route, whereas the tramway had made a loss. The Corporation rectified their lack of formal operating powers for the trolleybuses when they obtained the Wolverhampton Corporation Act (1925), which gave them powers to build and run trolleybus routes within the borough and outside it, as well as giving them powers to take over tram routes which were operated by the Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company . The tram routes served Dudley, Bilston and Willenhall, and
12402-496: Was one of a batch of 3-axle double-deck trolleybuses manufactured by Guy Motors of Wolverhampton. They had produced their first such vehicle in 1926, which had 61 seats and a covered top but an open staircase at the rear. Wolverhampton ordered a further 58 similar vehicles from Guy Motors over the next five years, although they all had an enclosed rear staircase. Expansion of the network continued through 1927, with trolleybuses reaching Neachells Lane, Willenhall on 15 May. This route
12519-498: Was one of the batch rebodied in 1958/59 by Roe. It remained in service until the system closed, and now operates at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley. They also have No. 78, an early Guy BTX 3-axle vehicle. This was supplied in 1931 with Rees-Stevens electrical equipment, and was one of the first batch where Guy also built the bodywork, rather than Dodson building it. It was awaiting restoration in 2020. No. 616
12636-545: Was one of the final batch of Sunbeam F4 trolleybuses and was bought in 1949. It came with BTH electrical equipment, and bodywork by Park Royal, which was 8 feet (2.4 m) wide, following a change in legislation. It was withdrawn from service in 1963 or 1965, and was given to the Railway Preservation Society, then based at Hednesford, but was stored at Alton in Hampshire. In order to safeguard it, they donated it to
12753-514: Was one of the largest housing estates in Britain at the time. Mass council housing development in Wolverhampton continued into the 1930s, mostly in the north of the city in the Oxley and Wobaston areas and on the new Scotlands Estate in the north-east. However, council house building halted in 1940 following the outbreak of World War II in September the previous year. Wolverhampton St George's (in
12870-573: Was opened in the 1850s and eventually became a close associate of the Art Gallery. Among its students and teachers were Robert Jackson Emerson (1878–1944), Sir Charles Wheeler (Emerson's most famous pupil and the sculptor of the fountains in Trafalgar Square ), Sara Page who established her studio in Paris, and many other artists and sculptors recognised locally and nationally. Wolverhampton Art Gallery
12987-507: Was originally a residential property, but later became the Hand Inn public house. Later becoming Lindy Lou's children’s shop and still called Lindy Lou's by locals. It was completely restored in 1981 after a two-year refurbishment project and has been used by various businesses since then including as a second-hand book shop. On 23 November 1981, an F1/T2 tornado touched down in Fordhouses to
13104-438: Was partly as a result of the rebuilding of a railway bridge at Willenhall. More closures followed in 1965, with services from Whitmore Reans to Bilston and Darlaston ending on 8 August, while the Willenhall service and the jointly-worked route between Walsall and Wolverhampton ceased on 31 October. Since Walsall had been extending their routes fairly recently, there were hopes that the joint service would last somewhat longer, but it
13221-680: Was the ABC Cinema (formerly the Savoy), which closed in 1991 after 54 years. It was then converted into a nightclub, with part of the site being converted into the offices of a recruitment agency in 2005. The building was demolished in 2019 to make way for an extension to the City of Wolverhampton College 's Metro One campus. A modern landmark in the city centre is the Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre on Pipers Row, which opened in 1990 as
13338-595: Was then divided between a Netto supermarket and the local archives service, but by 2006 its future was under threat as part of the proposed Summer Row retail development. This led to the closure of the Netto supermarket in June 2007 and the relocation of the archives service to the Molineux Hotel building in 2008. The building has since been demolished toward a development push from the Local Authority at various sites around
13455-590: Was then suspended until 1947. Guy armoured vehicles were used throughout the war, featuring prominently at the evacuation of Dunkirk and in the North African campaign. Although production of the Ant and Quad Ant were moved to Karrier , the factory was still involved in the war-effort, producing anti-aircraft guns. Car and commercial vehicle production in the UK virtually ceased during the war and buses were wearing out, being damaged and destroyed. The Ministry of War Transport
13572-666: Was withdrawn in 1965, and given to the National Trolleybus Association (NTA). It returned to the system for tours on the final day of operation, and then moved to a Ministry of Defence site, where it was severely vandalised in 1968. It was then moved to more secure storage in Ashton, Northamptonshire, and although the bodywork is in poor condition, it is structurally sound. The NTA is intending to return it to operational condition, once they have completed restoration of Belfast No. 168, which should be in late 2020 or early 2021. It
13689-556: Was written. On 20 February 2021, it was announced as part of the government's levelling up strategy, that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ) would be the first government department to have a headquarters based outside of London. Five hundred posts, including those of senior civil servants, will be moving to Wolverhampton by 2025. As DLUHC looks set to relocate some 500 members of staff to Wolverhampton,
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