From Bromsgrove to Aston Fields – A Story of Victorian Expansion

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.