Between the late 11th century and 1844, the English county of Shropshire (or Salop) possessed a large exclave within the present-day Black Country and surrounding area. This territory was gained from neighbouring Worcestershire, and the exclave's border corresponded with the medieval Manor of Hala (or Halas, Hales). Shropshire (Detached) contained the townships of (what are now known as) Halesowen, Oldbury, Warley Salop, Ridgacre, Hunnington, Romsley and Langley. The exceptions were Cradley, Lutley and Warley Wigorn, which were exclaves or enclaves still aligned with the original county. Bounded entirely by Staffordshire and Worcestershire, Hala was part of Brimstree hundred, and totally detached from the rest of Shropshire. Bridgnorth, the nearest town within the main body of Shropshire, is 16.8 miles (27.03 km) away from Halesowen, whilst the county town of Shrewsbury is 34.6 miles (55.62 km) away. In 1844, following enactment of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, Shropshire (Detached) was reunited with Worcestershire and remained within the original county until 1974. Halesowen and Oldbury are currently part of the metropolitan County of West Midlands, History Prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Manor of Hala formed a northerly arm of the fledgling county of Worcestershire, within the hundred of Clent. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the manor was listed as under the control of Roger de Montgomerie, first Earl of Shrewsbury and his ally 'Roger the Huntsman', although integration into Shropshire had not yet taken place. The Domesday Book also states that the Earl had an estate within the Manor, with "four ploughs at work on his home farm and 36 tenant farmers cultivating the remaining land with 41 ploughs between them. He also had a separate estate in Halesowen, leased to Roger the Huntsman, who had one plough on his own farm and six sub-tenants employing five more ploughs" As a close ally of the King, the Earl of Shrewsbury was granted most of Hala by William the Conqueror, although the remainder of the land was gifted to others, such as Ansculf de Picquigny (his son William Fitz-Ansculf inherited the land). De Picquigny was a French baron who became Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and founded the Barony of Dudley to administrate his lands across eleven counties of England. Warley was divided into two; the Barony of Dudley's lands were known as Warley Wigorn (Warley Worcestershire) and remained in Worcestershire, whilst Earl Roger's segments