Compton, Wolverhampton

Compton sits nestled below the ridge that stretches south west from Aldersley, with some of its housing climbing the steep hill near 'The Holloway' on the climb towards Tettenhall Wood. Across the Smestow valley the terrain rises again in the direction of Finchfield. The valley here through which the Smestow Brook flows was formed as a glacial meltwater channel.[1] The area was quarried for its sandstone.[2]

Its place name reflects its position - first recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as 'Contone', from Old English cumb - a narrow valley or deep hollow ('cumb' is likely a continuation in use or a loan word from Brythonic cwm (Welsh) or cum (Cornish), meaning 'valley'),[3] and Old English tūn - a farmstead or fenced place.[4]

Compton Lock on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal was the starting point in 1766 for the construction of the canal under James Brindley.

In the late 19th-early 20th century, Compton was home of a distinguished local artist Joseph Vickers de Ville (1856–1925). It was during this time that the still existing terraced housing was built along Henwood Road near the Bridgnorth Road junction.

'The Oddfellows', Compton

Today, the quarrying has stopped, and housing estates have been constructed along the side of the valley. Much of the area was built in the latter half of the 20th century, though Compton does retain some of its older buildings such as several houses on The Holloway.

At present, Compton Park campus is one of two Business Schools of the University of Wolverhampton; the other is in Telford. The Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers football club is in Compton Park.[5]

Next to the Sir Jack Hayward training ground is St Edmund's Catholic Academy and opposite is St Peter's Collegiate Academy.

Compton has several shops, take-aways, restaurants and pubs. They include The Art Department hairdressers, The Wineseller off-licence, Shuga Budz cake shop, Taylor Biddle opticians, Compton Dry Cleaners and Launderette, Spar convenience store and a Sainsburys Local. There is a fish and chip takeaway called Pep's Plaice on the Bridgnorth Road. Restaurants include Fiume Italian Restaurant, Zooma Indian Restaurant, and House Of Canton Cantonese restaurant. A pub / restaurant, The Oddfellows sits alongside the Compton island, and one of the oldest pubs in Wolverhampton, The Swan at Compton is located on the junction of The Holloway and Bridgnorth Road.

The nearest railway station today is Wolverhampton but Compton had its own station, Compton Halt, on the Wombourne Branch Line from 1925 - 1932. The line remained open for freight until closure in 1965. The line now forms part of a railway walk. Compton has a frequent bus service 10/10A connecting Compton with Perton and Wolverhampton while less direct services 62/62A connect to Wolverhampton via Tettenhall and Dunstall Hill. These services are operated by National Express West Midlands while Arriva Midlands service 9 operates hourly Mon-Sat between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth.

• https://web.archive.org/web/20120305172036/http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/92D8CE13-255C-4350-9D36-3085739B8DD0/0/Compton.pdf Area profile of Compton Neighbourhood (2001 Census)