Tettenhall, formerly in Staffordshire, is now very much part of Wolverhampton City. 150 years ago it was described as a “large and fertile parish” comprising some 8,000 acres of land. Its boundaries then embraced the true villages of Tettenhall, Tettenhall Wood, Compton Liberty and the Prebends of Pirton-with-Trescott, Bovenhill, Pendeford, and Wrottesley.
Before the Norman Conquest, the village was called Theotenhall, signifying the house of pagans.
In the mid 1850s Lord Wrottesley was the Lord of the Manor of Tettenhall Clericorum. Tettenhall village stood near the centre of the parish, two miles North West of Wolverhampton, and comprised “many respectable houses on and near the Shiffnal (sic) Road, at the foot and on the declivities of a lofty and picturesque eminence, which rises above the Smestow rivulet, and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.” The houses were then “chiefly occupied by gentry, and by persons engaged in the trade and commerce of Wolverhampton. “Several handsome houses, and a great number of cottages, have been built at nearby Tettenhall Wood, since its enclosure in 1809, mostly occupied by lockmakers.” Wrottesley Hall itself, erected in 1696, with an estate of 2,319 acres, was the seat and property of Lord Wrottesley, whose ancestors possessed it since the time of Henry III.
Landmark Buildings
The Clock Tower and St Michael’s Church, the two structures that have become icons of Tettenhall.
People of Tettenhall
A few of the many special characters, the vast majority of them real, from down the ages, beginning with Teotta himself who lent his very name to the village.
Reference Books
With grateful thanks to the real historians of Tettenhall, past and present, whose printed works can still be ordered online or bought from the local Post Office.
Then & Now
A genuine look back in time, preceding even our memories of a village that used to be and then compared with Tettenhall today.
Listed Properties
Some of the special buildings and play areas surrounding the Tettenhall and Wolverhampton area, from West Park to Wightwick Manor, Rock House to Tettenhall Towers.
Genealogy
If you or your family have links to Tettenhall, share them with us and may be you will find your missing family connections?
Acknowledgements and References
The majority of these historical images are provided courtesy of Wolverhampton Archives. If in doubt, please contact the archives at archives@wolverhampton.gov.uk for permission to re-use them.
Source: History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851. With thanks and acknowledgement to the Wolverhampton History Society for their kind permission to use many images and descriptions in this section.
