THE NEW VILLAGE

After the second world war the airfield was left derelict.  The Mander family who owned the land made many attempts for permission to build on the site.  This was opposed, mainly by Wolverhampton, on the grounds of protecting the green belt.  But eventually permission was obtained and parcels of land were sold off to various builders for development. Building began in 1974 and was completed in 1989

As part of the development, the river Penk (which later joins the Trent) was diverted and channelled into two artificial lakes in the centre of the village.  Near the junction of the Parkway and Gainsborough Drive the river goes underground through a culvert in the direction of the Church.

The road system is set up from a large pear-shaped ‘ring’ road, The Parkway, with the shops, church etc and main lake inside the ring.  Roads (mostly ‘closes’) are all laid out from main drives and are themed.  If you know your castles, rivers, etc it will assist in finding most roads in the village.

 

Inside the Parkway

 

Outside the Parkway

Explorers

Shackleton Drive

Architects

Hawksmoor Drive

Churches

Canterbury Drive

Artists

Gainsborough Drive

Pilots

Canterbury/Severn Drive

Battles

Edge Hill Drive

Poets

Coleridge Drive

Castles

Richmond Drive

Racecourses

Sandown Drive

Country Life

Leasowe Drive

RAF Stations     

Manston Drive

Engineers

Stephenson Drive

Rivers

Severn Drive

Golf Courses

St Andrews Drive

Polish Army General

Anders Square

Local History

Mercia Drive

First housing was cheap to encourage people to live here.  Many houses had no garages and some were built without inside walls to separate the rooms.  The idea was to allow buyers to build on as they could afford it.  Very few houses now remain as they were originally built- most have been altered to some extent.  Inside the Parkway, many houses are built on made up ground and the old airfield runways lie buried feet below them.  Pedestrian access to the shopping area was originally to be by footpath from each development using subways under the Parkway.  It was only later, after much protest, that public footpaths were provided on the Parkway and then only on one side.

Land was earmarked for a Senior School but it was eventually sold for more building.  This resulted in even more children and the need for them to leave the village for secondary education.

Fishing at Lower Lake

A frequent complaint about Perton is the lack of sports facilities. However, there are football pitches, golf course and tennis courts situated on the edge of the village and fishing at the Lower Lake.  There are also a number of clubs and organisations, many operating from the Community Centre.

Perton residents have become use to the sights and sounds of large flocks of Canadian Geese leaving and returning to the village morning and evening. There is sometimes a problem with ever increasing numbers because of a plentiful food supply from the residents who feed them.  The geese eat the grass banks of the upper lake causing erosion.

Most people living in the village use a car although there is a frequent direct bus service to Wolverhampton via the special bus lane in Gainsborough Drive.  The two roads in and out of the village are very busy early in the morning 7.45 to 8.45  and in the evening 4.45 to 6.45. 

Page compiled by Brian

Reviewed August 2003