56-561: Cannock ( / ˈ k æ n ə k / ) is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire , England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the towns of Walsall , Burntwood , Stafford and Telford . The cities of Lichfield and Wolverhampton are also nearby. Cannock lies to the north of the West Midlands conurbation on the M6 , A34 and A5 roads and to
112-518: A car or van, 76.1% of people in employment travelled to work by car or van. 75.5% of residents described their health as good or very good. The proportion who described themselves as White British was 95.6%, with all white ethnic groups making up 97.4% of the population. The ethnic make-up of the rest of the population was 1.0% mixed/multiple ethnic groups, 0.69% Indian /Pakistani/ Bangladeshi , 0.34% Chinese, 0.17% other Asian , 0.35% Black and 0.065% other. 3.1% of Cannock's residents were born outside
168-597: A cricket and hockey club called "The Stick and Wicket", located on the green behind the parish church, St. Mary's , and the Masonic Hall. Aldridge Hockey Club merged with Walsall Hockey Club in 2011; it is now known as Aldridge & Walsall Hockey Club. Aldridge Sailing Club was formed in 1967 and is RYA-affiliated. Aldridge Rugby Football Club was formed in 1998 from an amalgamation of two established rugby clubs based in Birmingham: Witton and Old Centrals. The club
224-514: A group of volunteers and puts on a variety of plays throughout the year. A pantomime is usually staged in January. 425 (Aldridge) Squadron, part of Staffordshire Wing of the Air Training Corps , was formed in 1941 and currently occupies a purpose-built HQ close to the village centre. The Squadron is run by uniformed RAFVR(T) officers and ATC SNCO adult staff, assisted by civilian instructors and
280-415: A mortgage or loan. Of the town's 23,717 residents in the 2011 census aged 16 and over, 33.5% were single (never married), 45.2% married, 0.15% in a registered same-sex civil partnership, 2.6% separated, 10.4% divorced and 8.2% widowed. 33.4% had no formal qualifications and 42.9% had level 2+ qualifications, meaning 5+ GCSEs (grades A*-C) or 1+ 'A' levels/ AS levels (A-E) or equivalent minimum. 72.7% of
336-417: A padre. The 36th Walsall 1st Aldridge scout group is located on Middlemore Lane, opposite Anchor Meadow, and runs Beaver, Cub, Scout, and Explorer sections for boys aged 6 and upwards. The beavers are aged 6–8, cubs are aged 8–10/11, scouts are aged 11–14 and explorers are aged 14–18. The Methodist church is used by 1st Aldridge Girl guides as well as two brownie groups and a rainbow group. The rainbows group
392-597: A shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 2005 have been: Following the 2024 election the composition of the council is: The next election is due in May 2026. Since the last boundary changes took effect in 2024, the council has comprised 36 councillors representing 12 wards , with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with
448-402: A single parish from a third, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named Cannock Chase after the landscape and former royal forest which covers much of the area. Cannock Chase District Council, which styles itself "Cannock Chase Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council . Much of the district
504-610: A small number of services while National Express West Midlands service X51 links Cannock with Birmingham via Walsall and Great Wyrley. No Chaserider buses operate on Sunday or bank holiday, however National Express service X51 does with funding from the McArthurGlen Designer outlet which the bus serves. Cannock Bus Station also has links to Hednesford, Rugeley, Stafford, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Brownhills in addition to smaller towns and villages like Great Wyrley, Chadsmoor and Norton Canes. Cannock Chase High School
560-525: A third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. Staffordshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections. The district covers the same area as the Cannock Chase (UK Parliament constituency) . Until the 2010 general election the constituency also included the adjacent village of Huntington in South Staffordshire. From 2010 onwards
616-601: A weekend away in February. The 33rd Walsall Scout group is based at Aldridge Methodist Church and holds Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts for boys and girls aged 6–14. The 49th Walsall Scout Group is the third Scout Group in Aldridge based at St Thomas's Church at the bottom of St Thomas Close, on the estate just off Lazy Hill Road and Greenwood Road. It also caters for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach , GBE , KCB , ADC , DL
SECTION 10
#1732844823641672-610: Is a safe seat for the Conservative Party . Re-elected at the 2024 general election , the Member of Parliament (MP) is Wendy Morton , first elected in 2015 . Her predecessor, Sir Richard Shepherd , had held the seat since 1979 . Aldridge is made up of two council wards: Aldridge Central & South, and Aldridge North & Walsall Wood. There are three Conservative Councillors for Aldridge Central & South: Pard Kaur, Bobby Bains, and Tim Wilson. Aldridge North & Walsall Wood
728-648: Is a non-denominational mixed comprehensive with just over 1000 pupils aged 11–18. Cardinal Griffin Catholic College is a voluntary aided Roman Catholic secondary school with around 950 pupils aged 11–18. Chase Grammar School (called Lyncroft House School 1980–1996 then Chase Academy until January 2013) is an independent co-educational boarding school with a day nursery and over 200 pupils up to age 19 including many international students. South Staffordshire College closed its Cannock Campus in July 2017, but reopened it
784-633: Is a paid-for local newspaper, published in Wolverhampton on weekdays. Regional TV news is provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals can be received from either the Sutton Coldfield or The Wrekin TV transmitters. Cannock is served by the national radio stations, and West Midlands "regional" licences Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands , Smooth West Midlands , Heart West Midlands and Capital Midlands . The town
840-577: Is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands , England. It is historically , a village that was part of Staffordshire until 1974. The town is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Brownhills , 5 miles (8 km) from Walsall , 6 miles (9.7 km) from Sutton Coldfield and 7 miles (11 km) from Lichfield . The town is also the second-largest town in the Walsall Borough (by population, after Walsall). The name "Aldridge"
896-544: Is also covered by Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire on 97.2 and BBC Radio WM on 95.6 FM. Cannock is served by its own community radio station, called Cannock Chase Radio FM , based in Wynns Venture Centre.The FM frequencies are 94fm for the Cannock and Hednesford area. 89.6 for Rugeley and Trent Valley and 89.8 For Lichfield and beyond. People can also listen back on their digital streaming devices. Cannock
952-442: Is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council's logo is a deer , referencing the area's past as a royal hunting forest and the fact that deer are common in the area. A survey in 2022 found that the deer population was growing. The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2024 election . The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as
1008-561: Is also covered by three Conservative councilors: Keith Sears, Anthony Harris and Gary Clarke. Aldridge has several primary and secondary schools. The primary schools are Cooper and Jordan Church of England Primary School, Leighswood, St Mary of the Angels (Roman Catholic), and Whetstone Field. Redhouse Primary School closed in 2006. The secondary schools are Aldridge School and St Francis of Assisi Catholic College . In Aldridge, there are several factories with several large industrial estates in
1064-507: Is based on the former Old Centrals sports ground at Bourne Vale in Aldridge and plays in Midlands 5 West (North), fielding three senior sides. Aldridge Compass Suites (based at the Masonic Hall on the Green) is a venue for wedding receptions, christenings and other functions. The Aldridge Youth Theatre was officially opened by the actor Bernard Hepton and is located on Noddy Park Road. It is run by
1120-489: Is covered by eight civil parishes . The exception is certain parts of Cannock, which are unparished . The parish councils for Hednesford and Rugeley have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". When the district was created in 1974 it only contained one parish, being Brindley Heath; the former Rugeley Urban District and Cannock Urban District were both unparished. In 1988 two parishes called Rugeley and Brereton were created covering
1176-622: Is derived from the Anglo-Saxon alr or alre + wīc meaning 'alder (tree) + village'. Another suggestion is that the name "Aldridge" means "outlying farm among alder-trees", from the Old English alor and wīc . It was recorded as Alrewic in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was valued at 15 shillings and had a population of seven households; the Lord was Robert (d'Oilly) and the tenant-in-chief
SECTION 20
#17328448236411232-470: Is economically active, 11.2% above the West Midlands regional average. In terms of television, the area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central (West) broadcasting from Birmingham . Television signals are received the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter. Radio stations for the area are: The Express & Star is the local newspaper that cover the district. Much of the district
1288-411: Is especially useful in the manufacture of blue bricks. The 1881 census shows that the mines and brickworks were major employers. Because the coal and clay beneath the eastern side of Aldridge (towards Stonnall ) is located much deeper under the surface, extraction of this coal and clay would not have been economically viable. As a result, farms continued to dominate the eastern part, though a sand quarry
1344-460: Is for girls aged 5–7, the brownies for girls aged 7–10, and guides aged 10–14. Older girls also take part and are known as the senior section. St. Mary's Parish Church has one of the largest church youth groups in the area. Around 90 young people, between the ages of 13 and 18, attend the group. The group also hosts an annual summer camp in Wales (in recent years attracting over 100 teenagers), as well as
1400-797: Is located close to the M6 , M6 Toll and M54 motorways. The main A roads are the A5 (east-west) and A34 (north-south). Cannock railway station closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts but reopened in 1989. It is part of the Rugeley ;– Cannock – Walsall – Birmingham line operated by West Midlands Trains . Over the years, usage of this station, and the line overall, have increased to unprecedented levels. Services initially were hourly services between Birmingham New Street and Stafford (cut back to Rugeley Trent Valley in 2008). By 2013, usage had become significant enough to warrant electrification of
1456-550: Is probably Old English cnocc meaning ' hillock ', modified by Norman pronunciation by the insertion of a vowel to Canoc. The name may refer to Shoal Hill, north-west of the town. Cannock was a small rural community until mining increased heavily during the mid-to-late 19th century. The area then continued to grow rapidly with many industries coming to the area because of its proximity to the Black Country and its coal reserves. Cannock's population continued to increase steadily in
1512-567: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission . Cannock is on a south-west facing slope, falling from the highest point on Cannock Chase (244 m) at Castle Ring , to about 148 m in the town centre and 111 m near Wedges Mills. The soil is light with a gravel and clay subsoil , and there are extensive coal measures. Cannock has a moderate, temperate climate. See Penkridge weather station for details of average temperature and rainfall figures taken between 1981 and 2010 at
1568-499: The County Borough of West Bromwich , Lichfield Rural District , Cannock Urban District, the County Borough of Walsall and the County Borough of Birmingham . On 1 April 1966 the parish was also abolished to form "Aldridge Brownhills", parts also went to Birmingham, Shenstone , Walsall and West Bromwich. In 1961 the parish had a population of 51,046. It then became part of an expanded Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in 1974. At
1624-770: The Met Office weather station in Penkridge (around 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Cannock). Cannock is about 20 miles (30 km) by road north-north-west of Birmingham , 80 miles (130 km) south-south-east of Manchester and 130 miles (210 km) north-west of London. It is 9 to 10 miles (14 to 16 km) by road from many of the nearest towns and cities ( Aldridge , Lichfield , Stafford , Walsall , Willenhall and Wolverhampton ), but Hednesford (2 miles (3 km)), Burntwood and Penkridge (5 miles (8 km)), Bloxwich and Brownhills (6 miles (10 km)) and Rugeley (7 miles (11 km)) are nearer. In
1680-437: The 10,509 men aged 16 to 74 were economically active, including 45.1% working full-time, 5.6% working part-time and 12.6% self-employed. The male unemployment rate ( Male unemployment )(of those economically active) was 9.9%. 60.7% of the 10,724 women aged 16 to 74 were economically active, including 26.8% working full-time, 23.5% working part-time and 3.1% self-employed. The female unemployment rate (of those economically active)
1736-409: The 2021 census, both wards of Aldridge North & Walsall Wood and Aldridge Central & South populations were both 13,157 and 13,739. When combined, that gives Aldridge a total population of 26,896. Of the findings, the ethnicity and religious composition of the wards separately were: The religious composition of both wards at the 2021 Census was recorded as: The Aldridge-Brownhills constituency
Cannock - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-516: The 20th century and its slight fall since the 1981 census has been more than compensated for by house-building in the adjoining village of Heath Hayes. The last colliery to close in the town was Mid Cannock in 1967, and the last remaining colliery to close in the Cannock Chase area was Littleton (in Huntington ) in 1993. The total population of the built-up area defined in 2011 was 86,121, making it
1848-788: The United Kingdom. Cannock had a free weekly local newspaper, the Cannock & Rugeley Chronicle (an edition of the Cannock & Lichfield Chronicle ). It ceased as a physical publication in October 2018 although it is still available as a paid-for subscription via the Express & Star website (see below) Another free weekly, the Chase Post (an edition of the Cannock Chase & Burntwood Post ), ceased publication in November 2011. The Express & Star
1904-942: The area is a Wetherspoons Public House, in the former Avion cinema, latterly a bingo hall. Many of its original features have been retained including the protected facade. Aldridge is served by local bus services. Many of the buses in Aldridge were renumbered in April 2010 as part of Centro's attempt to simplify bus services in and around the Walsall area. Some subsidised services have changed operators over time, such as 25 previously operated by Arriva , iGo, and Diamond . As of July 2024 operating services through Aldridge include - Walsall Community Transport (25), Chaserider (36, 36A), and National Express West Midlands (6, 7, 937, 937A, 997). These services operate to surrounding estates each terminating at Walsall, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Brownhills, Kingstanding, and Lichfield. Aldridge railway station
1960-460: The area. Some of the most notable factories include the large Ibstock and Weinberger brickworks, and the GKN Driveshafts factory, although the latter company closed in recent years due to relocation and cheaper imports. Birlec , a manufacturer of industrial furnaces relocated to Aldridge in the late 1950s, but has since closed. Aldridge Plastics Ltd, a plastics injection moulder, was set up in
2016-480: The constituency has exactly the same boundaries as the district. The council is based at the Civic Centre on Beecroft Road in Cannock. The building was purpose-built for the council between 1978 and 1981. According to data from the 2011 United Kingdom census , Cannock Chase has a population of 100,600, with 49,500 males and 51,100 females. 62.5% of the population is between the ages of 16–64, of which 88.7%
2072-574: The decade to 2011 the number of dwellings rose by 7.8% to 13,152. The ward with the biggest increase (16.1%) was Cannock South. Of the town's 12,690 households in the 2011 census, 31.5% were one-person households including 13.9% where that person was 65 or over. 63.6% were one family with no others (9.0% all pensioners, 30.9% married or same-sex civil partnership couples, 12.3% cohabiting couples and 11.3% lone parents). 27.7% of households had dependent children including 5.5% with no adults in employment. 59.3% of households owned their homes outright or with
2128-666: The first man to cross Norway and Wales in a straight line. He attended Aldridge School . Lee Sinnott (born 12 July 1965 in Aldridge) is an English ex-professional footballer and was the manager of Farsley Celtic , whom he led to promotion three times in four years. He went on to manage Port Vale for a short period. He began his career at Walsall as an apprentice and played in the 1984 FA Cup final for his next club Watford in 1984. He captained Huddersfield Town to Division Two playoff glory in 1995. Colin Charvis , former captain of
2184-488: The following summer as the new Cannock Chase Skills and Innovation Hub with courses starting there from September 2018. Cannock is twinned with: Cannock Chase District Cannock Chase is a local government district in Staffordshire , England. It is named after and covers a large part of Cannock Chase , a designated National Landscape . The council is based in the town of Cannock . The district also contains
2240-511: The former Rugeley Urban District, and four parishes called Bridgtown, Cannock Wood, Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, and Norton Canes were created covering parts of the former Cannock Urban District. The parish of Hednesford was subsequently created in 2000 from another part of the former Cannock Urban District. The parishes are: Other areas and settlements include: 52°43′50″N 1°58′13″W / 52.73056°N 1.97028°W / 52.73056; -1.97028 Aldridge Aldridge
2296-535: The line has been used only for freight. Ongoing speculation about returning passenger services to Aldridge, which would require a new station to be built, has continued with the apparent inclusion of Aldridge and Streetly stations on a map in the 2016 West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan. In February 2021, the West Midlands Combined Authority announced that the land needed for the station to be rebuilt had been acquired for £400,000. Aldridge has
Cannock - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-566: The north, southbound trains operate to Birmingham International and London Euston . The journey time to Birmingham is around 36 minutes. On Sundays, trains operate as far south as Coventry . D&G Bus operate the majority of bus services around Cannock from a depot at Delta Way under the Chaserider brand. Arriva Midlands were previously the main operator around Cannock but their operations based at their Cannock depot were sold to D&G Bus during 2020. Select Bus Services also operate
2408-424: The parishes of Great Barr , Pelsall and Rushall . Other villages within the district included Walsall Wood , Clayhanger and Streetly . These areas began to grow substantially with private house buildings from the 1930s, mostly bought by families relocating from the central areas of Walsall. The urban district of Aldridge merged with Brownhills on 1 April 1966 to form Aldridge-Brownhills , parts also went to
2464-657: The railway line, which was completed in 2019. The Rugeley - Hednesford - Cannock - Walsall - Birmingham line operated by West Midlands Trains serves the three railway stations in the conurbation. These are at Hednesford , Cannock , and Landywood . There was also a service to Stafford on the Chase Line but this was cut back to Rugeley due to congestion on the West Coast Main Line. In May 2019, West Midlands Trains began operating electric trains from this station. The vast majority of services are to Rugeley Trent Valley in
2520-675: The second largest in Staffordshire if Swadlincote in Derbyshire is excluded from the Burton upon Trent Built-up Area (BUA). There is some green belt, particularly between the Cannock BUA and the much larger West Midlands BUA to the south. As well as the Lichfield , Stafford , East Staffordshire , and South Staffordshire Districts. A house known as The Green, which dated from the 1730s and which
2576-572: The shopping area known as "The Parade". Well-known shops here include WH Smith , Iceland supermarket, Home Bargains , and Boots The Chemist . A purpose-built Safeway (UK) opened in 1992 and started operating as a Morrisons in 2004. B & M took over the former Focus DIY in Coppice Lane and opened its doors for the first time on 1 August 2015. One of the oldest traders in Aldridge is R.H.N. Riley Insurances on Anchor Road, they have been trading since 1957 and in Aldridge since about 1970. Also in
2632-564: The south of Hednesford and the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . Cannock is served by a railway station on the Chase Line . The town comprises four district council electoral wards and the Cannock South ward includes the civil parish of Bridgtown , but the rest of Cannock is unparished . Cannock was in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was called Chnoc c.1130, Cnot in 1156, Canot in 1157, and Canoc in 1198. Cannock
2688-416: The town in 1968 and continued trading for almost 40 years before ceasing production in 2007. From January 2011 , GFP Engineering Ltd, a Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) moulding company, will commence trading after relocating from nearby Lichfield . There is also a marina, Aldridge Marina, offering facilities for canal boat moorers. Most of the town's shops are located either on High Street, Anchor Road, or in
2744-517: The towns of Hednesford and Rugeley , as well as a number of villages and surrounding rural areas. The district borders South Staffordshire to the west, the Borough of Stafford to the north, Lichfield District to the east, and the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall to the south. The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering two former districts plus
2800-413: Was William son of Ansculf . The name was recorded as Alrewich and Allerwych in the 12th century. Aldridge began as a small agricultural settlement, with farming being the most common occupation up until the 19th century. In the 1800s, Aldridge became an industrial town with coal mines and lime kilns . The coal and clay in the area prompted many to set up collieries and brickworks. Aldridge clay
2856-550: Was 7.5%. Of people in employment aged 16 to 74, 13.5% worked in basic industries (ONS categories A, B, and D-F including 11.1% in construction), 14.2% in manufacturing, and 72.2% in service industries (ONS categories G-U including 19.5% in wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair, 11.6% in health and social work, 7.4% in education, 6.2% in transport and storage, 5.8% in public administration, 5.6% in accommodation and catering, and 4.7% in administrative and support service activities). While 27.7% of households did not have access to
SECTION 50
#17328448236412912-576: Was a road bicycle racer, and one of the first two Britons to ride the Tour de France . Rode in Olympic Games: Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936 . Vic Milne had a doctor's surgery in Portland Road, Aldridge. Played football for Aston Villa , including an appearance in the 1924 FA Cup Final where his team were defeated 2-0 by Newcastle United . Tom Davies (GeoWizard) , a YouTuber and
2968-458: Was educated at Aldridge Grammar School. Charles George Bonner VC, DSC, born in Aldridge, was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Bonner Grove, a neighborhood of social housing flats and privately owned houses, remembers his name. Charles Holland
3024-459: Was on the Sutton Park Line running from Walsall to Birmingham via Sutton Coldfield. It also had a direct link to Wolverhampton on the now defunct Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway as well as a direct link to Brownhills via Walsall Wood although this closed in the 1960s. The station had passenger services to Walsall, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Brownhills. It closed in 1966 and since then
3080-483: Was set up and remains on Birch Lane. During the 20th century, modern shops were built in the centre of Aldridge, as well as council buildings. During the Second World War , the small Aldridge Airport was used for military planes. It was subsequently used for passenger services for a time. Aldridge became an urban district in Staffordshire in 1934. As well as the parish of Aldridge the urban district contained
3136-456: Was the home of Sir Robert Fisher, 4th Baronet , became the headquarters of Cannock Urban District Council in 1927. It was converted into offices in the 1980s, initially for Cannock Chase Technical College but, in 2016, it was refurbished for private use. Cannock Chase German war cemetery is located nearby containing 4,885 German military dead from the First and Second World Wars. It is managed by
#640359