Bells will ring out in remembrance of Stourbridge philanthropist 125 years after his death

History fans and local residents in Amblecote have been busy planning a celebration in honour of the late benefactor, who was dubbed the Salt King due to his involvement in the salt industry.

He may have passed away almost 125 years ago but the Corbett name lives on in the very fabric of Amblecote and even further afield.

John Corbett’s enduring legacy includes Corbett Outpatient Centre in Vicarage Road (formerly Corbett Hospital) and Corbett Meadow at the rear which has hit the headlines in recent years as campaigners have battled to see it preserved as a green space for the benefit of the people of Stourbridge.

Lance Cartwright, a spokesperson for the Corbett Meadow Action Group, said: “The historic building is no longer standing and perhaps the most evocative symbol of his philanthropy is the Corbett Meadow which he intended should be public grounds. It remains a living testament to his vision and generosity and its protection continues to be fought for by a determined community.”

John Corbett also left his mark in the seaside town of Tywyn in Wales, having purchased the Grade II listed Corbett Arms Hotel in 1878. The grand-looking Georgian style hotel reportedly played host to Beatle John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the 1960s but is now derelict and crumbling with scaffolding around it - much to the sadness of heritage groups. Gwynedd Council said an application for listed building consent has been submitted for the partial deconstruction and demolition of the building, plus support works to stabilise remaining structure, and the council’s planning planning committee is expected to decide on this on Monday April 27.

John Corbett’s legacy also includes the Grade II listed Chateau Impney - a Victorian mansion near Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, which was built between 1869 and 1875 as a home for the wealthy industrialist who made his fortune with the Stoke Prior Salt Works. It later became a hotel but closed when the pandemic hit in 2020. In March this year, however, plans were approved to renovate the building to reopen it as a hotel and restaurant - alongside plans to build 127 homes on the estate.

Mr Cartwright described John Corbett as “a man of vision, determination and one of the great Victorian philanthropists whose legacy still shapes our communities today” and he said he hopes the celebration will remind the community to “think fondly of John Corbett and what he did for the local area”.

The bells will ring in honour of Mr Corbett from 4pm on Wednesday April 22 at Holy Trinity Church in Amblecote - just opposite the hospital that still bears his name.

A simultaneous ringing will also take place in some of the churches he was strongly associated with, namely Saint Michael’s in Brierley Hill where he gifted the bells and a tower clock; St Michael’s and all Angels in Stoke Prior where he is buried; and St Cadfan’s Church Tywyn in Gwynedd where he funded a market hall, assembly room, improved water and sewerage systems, constructed the promenade in addition to purchasing and rebuilding the Corbett Arms Hotel.

As well as the bell ringing, there will also be a small display in the church at Amblecote which will be attended on the day by members of Amblecote History Society, John Corbett’s descendants, and the Mayor of Dudley - Amblecote councillor Pete Lee.

Amblecote historians Helen Cook and Robert Bevan Jones have been working on the remembrance event and said they hoped it would help to highlight the legacy left by John Corbett. Mr Bevan Jones said: “He contributed significantly to the industry and culture of the West Midlands.”

Lyndsey Millington, lead nurse at Corbett Outpatient Centre, has also organised a ‘silence’ for staff and patients at 4pm so they can hear the bells ring out.

She said: “We are all proud to work at Corbett, and I for one worked at the original site and have the pleasure to lead the current one.”

The celebration comes just a few months after the Corbett Meadow Action Group learned it had been successful in its bid to see John Corbett’s meadow designated as a Local Green Space, to give it greater protection from development.

Their wish is to preserve the land, the last parcel of untouched meadowland in Amblecote, in perpetuity for the benefit of the community.