Willenhall

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Map sources for Willenhall at grid reference SO9698

This article is about the town located between Wolverhampton and Walsall. For the suburb of Coventry, see Willenhall, Coventry.

Willenhall is a small town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire.

The urban district of Willenhall (established by the Local Government Act 1894) was partitioned in 1966 between the county boroughs of Walsall and Wolverhampton (since 1974 the metropolitan boroughs of Walsall and Wolverhampton).

The northern border of Willenhall has always been adjoining greenbelt land, although Willenhall has expanded so much in the last 100 years that its northern border has been moved by about two miles. This is mostly due to housing developments in the Short Heath and New Invention areas.

1 Industry
2 Sport
3 Neighbourhoods
4 Twin Towns
5 External links

[edit] Industry

Willenhall is famous for the manufacture of locks, and the UK's National Lock Museum is situated within the town.

Lock making began as a 'cottage industry' with many families producing locks and parts for locks in sheds or outhouses at the rear of their homes. The men developed 'hump backs' through constant bending over work benches, filing etc. The town became known locally as 'Humpshire' and is still regarded with affection by many locals. As late as 1956 there were still local men who had humps. Some public houses even had holes in the wall behind the wooden bench seats to allow their patrons to sit comfortably with their hump in the hole. The last example of such a 'pub' was demolished in the early 1950's. The Bell Inn in Market Street was an example of such a pub with curved holes in the walls to allow hump backed drinkers to sit up straight. Willenhall is still known locally as 'Humpshire' to many people.

Rushbrook's was a bakery in Market Street Willenhall and following the withdrawal of the farthing (1/4 penny) as legal tender in the mid 1950s, Rushbrook's stuck their own "Rushbrook Farthing" in order to continue to price their bread and cakes competitively and still give change. In the early 1960s the Spring Vale Tavern in St Anne's Road was renamed The Rushbrook Farthing in rememberence of this unusual practice.

Recently there has been plans to re-open one of Willenhall's two railway station. This is part of plans to save the services between Wolverhampton and Walsall. The other station is due to be used as part an extension to the Midland Metro.

Willenhall is also home of Poundland headquarters.

[edit] Sport

The town has a football club Willenhall Town F.C. who play in the Southern League Division 1 West. In the 2005/06 season the club won the Birmingham Senior Cup with a 1-0 win over Stourbridge. Their most successful period was in the early 1980s, when they reached the First Round of the FA Cup in the 1981-82 season and were FA Vase runners-up in 1981.

Willenhall also has its own Rugby Union football club, formed by some employees of Rubery Owen in 1966. They are based in nearby Essington.