Wolverhampton
Industrial town in West Midlands, central England, 20 km/12 mi northwest of Birmingham; population (2001) 236,600. Industries include metalworking, engineering, and the manufacture of chemicals, tyres, aircraft, bicycles, and locks and keys. Europe's first power station fuelled by waste tyres opened here in 1993.
History
Wolverhampton was a wool town in the Middle Ages and, situated at the heart of the industrial
Black Country, it was a centre of the iron industry from the 18th century.
Features St Peter's church was founded in 994 and some of its present structure dates from the 13th century. Wightwick Manor nearby to the west was begun in 1887; it includes embroideries, carpets, and wallpapers designed by William Morris. Moseley Old Hall to the north is an Elizabethan timber-framed house in which Charles II stayed in 1651 when escaping from the Battle of Worcester. The University of Wolverhampton (formerly Wolverhampton Polytechnic) was established in 1992. |
