Two historic stone horse troughs, previously located on the corner of High Street and Upper High Street and now near the bandstand in Brunswick Park, Wednesbury, were officially unveiled last week.
The ceremony was attended by Councillor Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Infrastructure, Maria Jardine, Chair of the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership Board, and the Friends of Brunswick Park as well as members of the Handley family.
The family were invited as 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 also 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 camera and agreeing a Masterplan for Wednesbury Town Centre which forms a long-term vision for the town.
Find out more about the Wednesbury LUP on the Regenerating Sandwell website.
These improvements also include replacing street paving, planting trees and installing new street furniture in Union Street.
Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Infrastructure, Councillor Peter Hughes, said: “The improvements to public spaces in Wednesbury will provide everyone with an even more 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. I would like to thank the Friends of Brunswick Park for all their hard work to make this a beautiful place to come and relax. I would also like to thank the Handley family not only for their initial gifts over a century ago but also for their ongoing interest in the future of Wednesbury.”
Keith Handley, great-great nephew of Alderman John Handley, said: “I would like to thank all the people, some of whom I met for the first time today, who have helped to save these wonderful monuments.
“These are part of our family’s history and part of Wednesbury’s history as well.”
Contractors McPhillips moved and installed the troughs in Brunswick Park for free and the Friends of Brunswick Park are providing plants, helping to keep the horse troughs for people to see for the future.