DORDON PARISH ONLINE

About Dordon

Dordon has quite a lot of history, in a book, ‘Antiquities’ (History of Warwickshire) published in 1656 it would appear that Dordon was well established as a hamlet even in the year 1135. It is unknown how the small settlement actually received its name as this information is not easily traced. There are some explanations, one of which being that the name may have been originally written as “Dawndun” (the Hill of the Dawn), because the village stands on one of the highest hills in the district, from which the breaking dawn could easily have been seen.

In 1891, a census of Dordon revealed a population of 877 people. By the year 1908 this had increased to 1,365. Due mainly to the influx during the 1950’s of many mining families from the North of England and Scotland, following the closure of a number of coal mines in those areas. Dordon today has a resident population of, as measured in the 2001 Census as 3,225 of which 49 per cent were male and 51 per cent were female. Dordon also has an expanding area originally a Coal Board estate however new housing, shops, a school and other new facilities have been created such as the old surgery being destroyed and a new residential being built on it. The new surgery is now on Long Street.

But happily, it still remains of its original characteristics as a village community.

The following photos were sent in by a parishioner. They show the building of the (Alfred Walker) houses on Bardon View Road (numbers 3-11) & St. Leonards View (numbers 172 & 170) which were shown after the recent death of George Banner (who lived at 13 Bardon View Road), who was one of the men who built the houses - he is actually the man shown sitting in the van on the third photo.

We believe they were taken in 1964 or 1965 (if you know more details about the date these photographs might have been taken, please email us). The photographer must have stood outside what is now 18 Bardon View Road to take these photos.

The following photograph is taken on Long Street facing towards Polesworth at the junction with Church Road. Thank you to Andy Codling for providing it!

"It shows Skudder's (wooden) fish and chip shop on the right on what was once known as 'The Paddock'. The Paddock is where many cars were once parked to ease congestion on Long Street.

On the left is the old Gate Inn (which can't really be seen) and on the right is Hiron's grocery shop (with the bay window).  Further up from the shop is another drinking establishment (name unknown)." - Andy Codling

If you have any old photographs of the village then please email them to us and we'll upload them for everybody else to enjoy!