43 Taylor Street is undeniably a unique part of Black Country heritage:
- The site of John Williams & Son is the last in situ trap making business in Wednesfield representing an important stage in the Industrial Revolution in the development from cottage industry to small factory manufacture.
- Wednesfield once rang to the sound of trap makers’ hammers. Its trap manufacturers were innovative entreprenuers holding a sizeable number of patents and inventions making Wednesfield the world leader of the trade.
- The only other remaining Wednesfield trap works, William Sidebotham’s, has been rebuilt at the Black Country Museum.
Maps
This map at Wolverhampton Archives dates from 1919 and shows the development of the Taylor Street area to that date.
- John Williams’ house, workshop and land is the third block along from Fern Cottage on Taylor Street on the left stretching from Taylor Street to Duke Street.
- The High Street with the canal running along the back can be seen towards the bottom. The buildings on the High Street back onto the canal. It is feasible that John Williams conducted business from the back of the property along the canal and the business was strategically placed.
- P.H. at the end of the High Street is the Dog and Partridge.
- The High Street runs across Pinfold Bridge (Gregory’s Bridge) into Lichfield Road.
- Taylor Street is the second turning to the left on Lichfield Road from the High Street. It emerged somewhere between 1851 and 1854 as Lichfield Road New Street and was entered as such on the 1861 census. The first documentary reference to Taylor(s) Street is a baptismal record in 1864 so that Taylor Street got its present name between 1861 and 1864.
- Duke Street appeared and was named at a later date than 1864.
2012
In March 2012, Wolverhampton Council received a planning application that proposed demolishing the dwelling and factory at 43 Taylor Street to enable the construction of four new dwellings.
This quickly sparked a local initiative supported by Wolverhampton’s Express and Star, the Black Country Bugle and Wednesfield’s community website that set out to save the buildings.
On 15 June 2012, Wolverhampton City Council served an Article 4 Direction on the owners of 43 Taylor Street to bring demolition under planning control so that the buildings could not be demolished without going through the full planning application process. Later in the same year, Wolverhampton City Council conducted a Heritage Assessment which confirmed the house at 43 Taylor Street dated from at least 1865/66 and the current workshop adjoining the house dated from somewhere between 1902 and 1919.
An amended application was approved at a Planning Committee meeting at Wolverhampton City Council on 4 December 2012. This application determined:
- the house at 43 Taylor Street should retain a number of original features
- the house should be developed as a residence
- the back wall of the workshop fronting Taylor Street could be demolished to build a bungalow.
An objection to the inclusion of car ports in the amended plans was accepted by the developers.
A further condition of the acceptance of the plans was the future placing of a Blue Plaque on the buildings to record and give information on the heritage of the site.
Construction did not start immediately and the site changed its ownership before redevelopment started in 2016.
2013
In early 2013, the then owner of 43 Taylor Street made an offer to view the site.
This was a generous offer which was made even more generous when the owner gave me and my sister the keys telling that we could spend as much time as we wanted at the property. This enabled us not just to soak up the atmosphere but also to make a full photographic record.
The workshop had been in use up to 2010 but the house had not been used as a residence for a number of decades. Some superficial boarding had been constructed to use the front downstairs room as an office and a doorway had been made directly from the house to the workshop but essentially everything was caught in time with many original features on site.
Front
Front Downstairs Room
Kitchen, Scullery, Staircase
Front Bedroom facing Taylor Street
Back Bedroom
Attic
Cellar
Workshop – Former Trapworks
Exterior
JANUARY 2017
Work eventually started at the site at 43 Taylor Street towards the end of 2016.
Wolverhampton Council forwarded the following information in response to enquiries about the extent of the demolition:
“Planning permission was granted in July 2015 for the partial demolition and conversion of former factory unit adjoining the dwelling at 43 Taylor Street to a dormer bungalow with a single storey extension to the side and rear. Demolition of two outbuildings and the erection of two dwellings fronting on to Duke Street. Demolition of existing rear projection of the existing dwelling at 43 Taylor Street and erection of a single storey rear extension.
The approved application includes a pair of semi-detached houses fronting Duke Street. The applicant wishes to alter the scheme to comprise two detached houses. This would be a material change to the approved scheme and would therefore be subject to a full assessment, including internal and external consultations (neighbouring properties etc.). The site has been cleared in readiness for either the approved scheme, or an amended scheme (if approved).
The house is to remain and historic features preserved and refurbished, subject to condition. Any replacement of windows will be on a like-for-like basis in order to retain the historic character of the property.
The owner of the site approached the Council with a request to take down the Taylor Street frontage of the trap works on the grounds that the existing foundations were not capable of supporting the loadings that the new structure would impose … It was agreed at meetings that the front elevation should be recorded and carefully taken down with all materials being cleaned and stored on site for reuse. It was also agreed that the owner should lay a new foundation along the Taylor Street frontage and the building frontage reconstructed using the salvaged materials. Please be assured that we are monitoring works on the site in order to ensure that the historic frontage is reconstructed.”
MARCH 2017
The trrapworks facade was being rebuilt with original bricks and the roof to the house was being replaced:
JULY 2017
The exterior appeared to be complete and the property was for sale:
DECEMBER 2017
The development fronting Taylor Street was complete and both the house and bungalow (former trap works) had been sold. The house was occupied and serving as a residence again.
The frontage appeared to be well restored to give the original look and feel to the property, preserving this snippet of our industrial industry. Unfortunately, a number of original internal features were lost and are recorded only in Wolverhampton’s Heritage Assessment and the series of photos above that I took in 2013.
2018
2021
Barry Hodgson at the Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society – now The Wolverhampton Society – took on responsibility for the Blue Plaque at 43 Taylor Street.
This last hurdle proved to be problematic. There were numerous discussions and email exchanges involving Wolverhampton City Council, the residents, the developer, The Wolverhampton Society, Barry and myself. These discussions centred around payment for the Blue Plaque, the details of the planning approval back in 2012, animal cruelty, the slave trade and Enoch Powell! The developer firstly paid 50% of the costs but Barry’s persistence meant that he finally paid in full. The other questions and objections just had to be dealt with one by one. The pandemic happened and everything dragged on and on.
Finally, the Blue Plaque was manufactured and an agreement was made to fix it at 43 Taylor Street in December 2021. This had to be abandoned on site due to last minute and unexpected objections from the residents.
2024
It had been over 13 years since the planning meeting when the Blue Plaque had been made a condition of the approval and there was still no Blue Plaque on the building.
Did I mention that Barry is persistent? He didn’t give up and continued to meet and talk with the planner, residents and Wolverhampton City Council. His persistence paid off and the Blue Plaque was finally put up in January 2024. This is not in the place originally planned but it is placed on the wall of the former trap works fronting Taylor Street.
Final Thoughts
On the whole, I am very satisfied with the final result.
Some parties originally wanted to establish a museum of some kind at 43 Taylor Street. This would have been a “nice to have” and an optimal solution in a perfect world but I feel that working consistently with Wolverhampton City Council, Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society, the developer and the local press produced a satisfactory result for all sides. Other outcomes might have resulted in the buildings being demolished or simply falling down due to neglect and lack of maintenance.
It was a job well done in the end.
John Williams, my great great grandfather, and his contributions to Wednesfield will be remembered. In a wider context, Wednesfield’s role in industrial history and world trade is recorded. Its trap makers were a singular group of craftsmen and entrepreneurs who were world leaders in the industry they developed, protected and dominated.
Thanks should be extended to:
- Barry Hodgson, The Wolverhampton Society
- Sue Whitehouse, former Historic Environment Officer for Wolverhampton City Council
- Deborah Williams, my sister, who attended and spoke at the Planning Committee meeting in December 2012 on my behalf
- The Black Country Bugle
- Express and Star, Wolverhampton
- Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society
- the residents of Taylor Street
- Wolverhampton City Council.