30 Facts About Walsall

1.

Walsall is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England.

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2.

Walsall is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.

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3.

Name Walsall is derived from "Walh halh", meaning "valley of the Welsh", referring to the British who first lived in the area.

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4.

Manor of Walsall was held by the Crown and given as a reward to royal proteges.

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5.

Walsall's stayed in the town for one night at a building named the 'White Hart' in the area of Caldmore.

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6.

Manor of Walsall was later sold to the Wilbrahim and Newport families, and passed by inheritance to the Earls of Bradford.

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7.

The family's connection with Walsall is reflected in local placenames, including Bridgeman Street, Bradford Lane, Bradford Street and Mountrath Street.

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8.

In 1824, the Walsall Corporation received an Act of Parliament to improve the town by providing lighting and a gasworks.

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9.

Over 2000 men from Walsall were killed in fighting during the First World War.

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10.

The current Metropolitan Borough of Walsall was formed in 1974 when Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District was incorporated into Walsall.

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11.

Walsall underwent modernisation in the 1970s with a new town centre being built at the expense of some medieval properties.

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12.

In 1974, Walsall was transferred from the county of Staffordshire to form the metropolitan county of the West Midlands.

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13.

Walsall has had many industries, from coal mining to metal working.

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14.

Walsall is the traditional home of the English saddle manufacturing industry, hence the nickname of Walsall Football Club, "the Saddlers".

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15.

Apart from leather goods, other industries in Walsall include iron and brass founding, limestone quarrying, small hardware, plastics, electronics, chemicals and aircraft parts.

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16.

Between Bloxwich and Walsall there is a business corridor where TK Maxx has recently opened a regional depot.

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17.

Walsall is home to the University of Wolverhampton's Sports and Art Campus and School of Education, all part of the Walsall Campus in Gorway Road, which includes a student village.

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18.

Walsall College provides further education, and is based around three sites across Walsall.

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19.

Services from St Paul's bus station leave Walsall serving Birmingham; Wolverhampton and Willenhall; north to Bloxwich, Cannock and Brownhills; and east to Sutton Coldfield and Aldridge.

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20.

Walsall is extremely well connected within the UK road network, as it is served by the M6 which connects the M1 motorway towards London and M74 motorway towards Glasgow.

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21.

Walsall was to be part of the former 5 Ws scheme which would have connected it to Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Willenhall and Wednesbury.

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22.

Walsall Council decided to pull Walsall and Willenhall out of the scheme in favour of reopening the line to Wolverhampton to passengers via Darlaston and Willenhall.

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23.

The nearest airport to Walsall is Birmingham Airport, which is located within 30 minutes' drive.

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24.

Walsall Arboretum was officially opened on 4 May 1874 by the wealthy Hatherton family.

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25.

Walsall Museum featured local history objects primarily from the manufacturing trades and had a space for temporary exhibitions, while the leather museum displays a mixture of leather goods and has recreations of leatherworkers workshops.

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26.

Some writers have, including the Walsall born John Petty who set a number of his books in Walsall, most famously Five Fags a Day .

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27.

Walsall has a cricket club, Walsall Cricket Club who won Birmingham League Premier Division in 2006.

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28.

Walsall RUFC is Walsall's rugby union team which is currently competing in Midlands 1 West.

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29.

Walsall was once home to Formula 1 constructor Ensign Racing, in Walsall Wood from 1973 to 1980, before moving to Chasetown.

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30.

Walsall town centre is a popular shopping destination in the Black Country.

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