![Claregate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Claregate.jpg)
Claregate is a suburb of
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...
,
West Midlands
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is north west of Wolverhampton city centre, within the
Tettenhall Regis
Tettenhall Regis is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 11,911.
Geography
The modern ward of Tettenhall Regis is one of two covering the Tettenhall area, the other being Tett ...
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
.
History
As a distinct residential area, Claregate has only existed since the pre and post war housing estate was built between the Codsall and Aldersley roads. It is bounded on the north east side by the rail line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury, on the south east side by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and on the west side by the ridge that rises up to Tettenhall village. The origins of the name are unknown, though a 13th-century source names a place called 'Clare' in the area.
Today
![Wolverhampton Marathon 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Wolverhampton_Marathon_2013.jpg)
Claregate is a thriving suburb situated between
Tettenhall
Tettenhall is an historic village within the City of Wolverhampton, England. Tettenhall became part of Wolverhampton in 1966, along with Bilston, Wednesfield and parts of Willenhall, Coseley and Sedgley.
History
Tettenhall's name derives fr ...
,
Pendeford
Pendeford is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is situated north-north-west of the city centre, within the Oxley ward of Wolverhampton City Council. At the 2011 Census, the population of ...
and
Aldersley
Aldersley is a small suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is north-west of Wolverhampton city centre, within the Tettenhall Regis ward. Aldersley is a relatively modern part of Wolverhampton, with most of the housing stock – b ...
. The area is majority housing, with shopping areas, pubs and a school. The area also forms part of the route of the Wolverhampton Marathon.
Amenities
The focal point of the area is the traffic island between Codsall Road, Pendeford Avenue, Blackburn Avenue and Knights Avenue. Here, a cluster of businesses are located including an Esso Filling Station (formerly BP, Murco and Jet before that) – and originally named Claregate Garage, Evergreen Hairdressers, Esha's Boutique, Greedy Pig sandwich shop and Cut 'N' Dry barbers.
There are also shopping parades at the junction of Green Lane and Blakeley Avenue with a Premier convenience store, the Sunrise Chinese take-away and a children's nursery amongst other businesses, and Tettenhall Hardware, a Co-operative Food store, the Roma Wines off-licence and two fish and chip take-aways are situated on Pendeford Avenue at its junction with Green Lane.
Education
Claregate has one school, Claregate Primary School, situated on Chester Avenue.
Claregate Playing Fields
Claregate has a large playing field that is used for cricket and football, as well as hosting tennis courts and a children's playground. In June 2013, the park was saved for future generations when it was unveiled as one of six Wolverhampton parks to be designated a Queen Elizabeth II Field.
Adjacent to the playing fields is Claregate Pavilion. It provides changing room facilities to clubs which use the playing fields. It is also home to Sugar n Spice, an activity group for girls aged over nine years. Sugar n Spice was founded in 1975.
Public houses
Claregate has two long established pubs, the first formerly called 'The Fieldhouse', but now sharing the area's name, 'The Claregate', on Codsall Road. The other is The Pilot, situated on Green Lane. In 2012, Marston's Brewery announced plans to construct a mini Tesco supermarket on land that currently forms part of The Claregate pub's car park. The scheme faced opposition from a local campaign group called Residents Against Marston's Proposals (RAMP), but was approved in November 2012 on the condition that the store close at 10pm (although currently (2018) opens 7am to 11pm), and a pedestrian crossing be installed on Codsall Road.
Micropub
![Hail to the Ale micropub (Jan 2014)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Hail_to_the_Ale_micropub_%28Jan_2014%29.jpg)
The first
micropub
A micropub is a very small, modern, one room pub founded on principles set up by Martyn Hillier of the first micropub, The Butchers Arms in Herne, Kent, which are "based upon good ale and lively banter".
Definition
A micropub, according to ...
in the West Midlands resides in the centre of Claregate alongside the traffic island at Pendeford Avenue. Approval was granted by city planning chiefs in June 2013. The pub, ran by
Essington
Essington is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire, England, located near the city of Wolverhampton and towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Cannock and Brewood. The villages of Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Coven, Penkridge and Featherston ...
based Morton Brewery, is called '
Hail to the Ale' and serves only ale, cider and fruit wines. It received its premises licence in August 2013 despite some opposition from local residents, opening its doors on 5 September 2013, and proved immediately popular with drinkers. It has since won several CAMRA accolades including City Pub of the Year
015-2018 County Pub of the Year
015 & 2017 Region Pub of the Year
015and Wolverhampton Cider Pub of the Year
018 The building was previously an antique furniture shop called 'Anything Goes', but is best known locally as the Claregate Post Office.
References
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Areas of Wolverhampton