I visited a quirky spot in the Midlands where residents often can’t tell which town they’re in
Depending on who you ask, you might hear Moxley, Bilston, or Tipton. It’s a real head-scratcher. Three council boundaries meet here, and it gets messy.
The A4098 Great Bridge Road is where Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton all converge. Locals call it the Black Country’s own ‘Bermuda Triangle.’
The exact spot is near some trees by the tram line. The tram bridge is the dividing line. Gritting lorries won’t even cross it!
Residents often deal with overlapping names and confusing postcodes. It’s a hassle for hospital appointments and even bin collections.
I met Mr. and Mrs. Whitehouse, both 67. They live in Tipton but have a Bilston address. Their postcode is Wolverhampton, but they pay taxes to Sandwell.
“It’s very confusing,” Mrs. Whitehouse said. “We’ve had trouble with hospital appointments. Our address is Bilston, Wolverhampton, but we live in Tipton.”
Mr. Whitehouse added that the tram bridge is the border for gritting lorries. They just turn back when they reach it.
I also spoke to Mrs. Phillips, 79, waiting for a bus. She has a Tipton address but a Dudley postcode. “I don’t know if this is Walsall or Wolverhampton,” she said.
She mentioned some drug issues in her area. “I live alone, so I shut the curtains,” she said. “You see cars stopping and handing things over.”
Another woman out walking agreed it’s confusing. “I don’t know where I am half the time,” she said.
A sign near the tram bridge says Tipton, but Google Maps shows the Sandwell boundary is just north of it.
Residents are puzzled about which side of the bridge belongs to which council. It’s split right down the middle!
One man living on the Sandwell side said it was confusing when he moved there. “We didn’t know who collected our bins,” he said.
On the north side, another man pointed out the flats and said, “That’s Walsall. The other side of the bridge is Sandwell.”
He has a Wolverhampton postcode but pays council tax to Walsall. He identifies as living in Moxley, even after 46 years.
He mentioned that his street, Green Avenue, has a bad reputation. “People say it’s rough, but I find it quiet,” he said.
He also noted drug use in the area, with people waiting for deliveries early in the morning.
These modern council borders show how much the Black Country has changed over the years. It’s a fascinating slice of local history!
