West Bromwich was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1066, the name meaning "the little village on the heath of broom". A Benedictine priory existed in West Bromwich from the 12th century around which much of the town grew. In 1727 the town became a stop on the coaching road between London and Shrewsbury and its growth began. In the 19th century coal deposits were discovered, ensuring that the town grew rapidly as an industrial centre, with industries such as gun and nail making developing.

In 1888 West Bromwich became a county borough, incorporating the village of Great Barr.

This page was last updated: 02 September 2005

Town history extracts are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under GFDL