There are a small number of predominantly older scattered houses in it, as well as a marina off the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

More built-up nearby areas include Kingswinford, Stourbridge, Kinver and Wolverhampton.

Ashwood was formerly an area of medieval woodland and later heathland, bounded by the Smestow Brook, the River Stour, and cultivated lands in Kingswinford.

It was managed by a bailiff, who had a small farm at Prestwood by the service of keeping the hay.

The hay stretched north to Wall Heath and east into what is now part of the built up area of Kingswinford and Wordsley.