51 photos of villages near the Black Country from the past that'll make you long for a simpler time
Villages are a big part of our region – some are scattered around our towns and cities and some have been swallowed by them.
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But all are connected by a sense of community and tied by a proud history.
Today we look at seven villages that are a big part of our region, with pictures from the Express & Star archive.
Some are grainy black and white images from more than a century before, when horse-drawn travel was the norm.
Others reflect progress and modernisation – and many feature the faces of those who called their village home.
Wombourne
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Codsall
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