Will The Hoard Point To Wednesfield?

I read the article 'Give Public the hoard and a purpose at last' Express and Star October 23rd written by Nigel Hastilow which itself had picked up on a suggestion by Tom Watson MP, which argued for 'The Public' in West Bromwich to be made the home of the Staffordshire Hoard.

Now I am not prone to supporting Nigel Hastilow normally. But his article for the Express and Star pressed the case for use of this publicly financed building in very cogent terms.

He made very good points about the fact that this building which has been the subject of much public condemnation, and is looking for a role to play within the community.

I agree with both Tom Watson and Nigel in that The Public is in just the right place, and showcasing our local history in what will be a huge pull for people. It may just give this most expensive of buildings a role that saves it from the auditors KPMG's suggestion that it be demolished!

The Staffordshire Hoard is a priceless collection of Anglo Saxon history ,which has recently been discovered in Burntwood Staffordshire, would and could then be displayed in the region in West Bromwich, itself a town with a rich Staffordshire history.

It was good to see on the same page of the Express and Star the Regional Minister Ian Austin MP also making the case for this Anglo Saxon treasure hoard to remain on show here in what was the old Kingdom of Mercia.

I have long argued the case for Wednesfield both on this site and through Wolverhampton Council when I was a Councillor. Our own history and that of Wolverhampton is linked to Mercia in a way that we just have not exploited. We had a massive battle here in 910 that changed the history of England it was that big. Wednesfield and Burntwood are less than 20 miles apart.


The battle that took place here in Wednesfield is one of the great historic facts that have long been overlooked by many historians. But with the discovery of the treasure this may give more impetus for scholars to delve once again into this rich history that we now all share.

I have been very keen to see this famous battle recognised, not only by the City of Wolverhampton but the region also.

Edward the Elder in August 910 sent an army that took on the Danes in a battle at Wednesfield. The battle gave the name to Wednesfield. Woden was the God of War. Hence Wodensfield became Wednesfield in modern times. Next year is the thousandth Birthday of the event,which was the reconquest of the Southern Danelaw. Wouldn't it be great to be able to celebrate this great historic battle with the opening of the Anglo Saxon Hoard in The Public in West Bromwich.


The first clear action of the reconquest came in 909, when Edward sent an army of West Saxons and Mercian's into Northumbria, where it ravaged for five weeks. The following year the Northumbrian Danes descended on Mercia, and the army of the West Saxons and the Mercian's overtook them at Wednesfield and killed a great many of them, including two or three kings and, according to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, "many thousands of men".

After this defeat the Northumbrian Danes stayed north of the Humber, which allowed Edward and his Mercian allies, Æthelred and Æthelflæd, to concentrate on the Danish armies south of the Humber."

I argued that this battle was an important one because the Northumbrian Danes never came raiding south like they had done previously. The Battle of Wodensfield ensured that we that are left are speaking English not Danish. This battle was that important."

Now for me the battle we have now of getting modern day Wulfrunians interested in our history and to be proud of it is equally as important. I would like to see Wolverhampton's Civic Society placing a 'Blue Plaque' in Wednesfield to signify this important English historic victory. But more than that I would like to see our whole region now come together to have the hoard stay in the region. With the ready made The Public acting as its home.

So come on folks lets make this historic and important battle a real unique selling point for our heritage and our future"