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This
absorbing and liberally illustrated book tells in a light-hearted way
the story of the origins of Aston Fields and the Victorian development
of the eastern side of Bromsgrove. It all started with the coming of the
railway – before then there was nothing but a narrow winding lane,
fields, and half a dozen houses.
The book tells the history of the new roads and some of the people who
lived in them. It covers the wheeling and dealing over land, the fierce
controversies in Bromsgrove town over the new road to the station, and
the rows about gas lighting, water and proper drains, while also describing
industries of importance to the town’s economy – the Wagon Works,
the clothing factory and Bromsgrove Guild.
A member of the Victorian Society for many years, Jennie McGregor-Smith
is Caseworker for the Bromsgrove District. Stimulated by the loss of the
Almshouses in Stratford Road, she was an instigator in the founding of
The Bromsgrove Society in 1980. This is her second book on local history,
and she has also written a study of John Cotton, the Victorian Bromsgrove
architect.
She has been involved for thirty years in the promotion of classical music
in the town, and was a prime mover in the campaign for Artrix, Bromsgrove’s
arts centre. |
