One of the most ambitious investigations undertaken by The Sandwell Walker, The Lost County Boundary Stream seeks to uncover the forgotten watercourse that once formed part of the historic boundary between Staffordshire and Worcestershire. Although much of the stream has disappeared beneath roads, housing and industry, surviving evidence suggests that sections still exist beneath the modern landscape.
Using historic Ordnance Survey maps, archive research, field investigations and on-site exploration, this project follows the stream’s route through West Smethwick Park, towards Oldbury, tracing its connection to local waterways and the industrial development of the Black Country.
The investigation explores how the stream influenced parish and county boundaries, shaped the landscape before urban expansion, and became progressively culverted during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Along the way, the project documents surviving features, compares historic and modern mapping, and brings together evidence from archives, aerial photography and local history.
This ongoing research forms part of the Sandwell Heritage Research Project (SHRP) and will contribute to future documentary episodes, detailed research articles, interactive mapping and the Sandwell Heritage Atlas.
Whether you’re interested in local history, forgotten waterways, historic boundaries or the industrial heritage of Sandwell, this project offers a fascinating glimpse into a hidden part of the borough’s past that most people walk over every day without ever knowing it exists.
Topics: Smethwick History • Oldbury History • West Smethwick Park • County Boundaries • Lost Rivers • Hidden Streams • Staffordshire • Worcestershire • Black Country History • Sandwell Heritage • Historic Maps • Industrial Archaeology • Local History Research