Interesting Facts About Walsall

Walsall is a town known for re-inventing itself. Not only does it have a world famous art gallery and bus station, an arboretum (or big park), countless new pubs and clubs, a variety of cuisines from around the world but also possibly the country's friendliest people.

Walsall is an industrial town in the West Midlands. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Walsall is a part of the West Midlands Conurbation and a part of the Black Country.

The first mention of Walsall is in a will dated 1002; overall there are around fifty forms of the name including 'Walesho', meaning 'abode of the woods' or 'Wales'; and 'Wealhs halh' which may refer to an ancient chieftain. However, the name Walsall is thought to have derived from the words "Walh halh", meaning "valley of the foreigners" (referring to the Celts).

Walsall has had many industries, from coal mining to metal working, but in the late 19th century the coal mines ran dry, and Walsall became internationally famous for the leather trade. Walsall still manufactures the Queen’s handbags and is the traditional home of the English saddle manufacture industry, thus the nickname of Walsall FC: The Saddlers. Apart from leather goods, other industries in Walsall include iron and brass founding, limestone quarrying, small hardware, plastics, electronics, chemicals, and aircraft parts.  St Matthews Church in Walsall has one of the country's best examples of Georgian "gothic" ceilings.  It is a miniature gothic cathedral as if built by the fairies.

Some famous people that Walsall has produced include:  Meera Syal (actress), Jerome K. Jerome (author of ‘Three Men in a Boat’ fame), Sister Dora (pioneering work in Nursing in the 1800’s), Noddy Holder (lead singer of the rock band Slade), Sue Nicholls (Deidre in Coronation Street!), Nick Gillingham (Olympic Swimmer)

Local Attractions

The New Art Gallery

The New Art Gallery in Walsall opened in the year 2000 and was built with £21 million of public funding. It contains a large number of works by Jacob Epstein as well as works by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Lenny Henry and Constable and has won several architectural awards since its opening.

The Arboretum
The Walsall Memorial Gardens and Arboretum opened in 1952 and annually holds the single largest illuminations held anywhere in the country.

Barr Beacon
Barr Beacon is a hill on the edge of Walsall and is a renowned local landmark. It is reportedly the highest point following its lattitude Eastwards until the Ural Mountains of Russia.

Walsall F.C
Walsall's football club, Walsall F.C, The Saddlers, was founded in 1888 when Walsall Town F.C and Walsall Swifts F.C merged. The club currently play in Football League One and for the next season will be playing in League 2, and are temporarily coached by former Austrailian international and West Bromwich Albion player Mark Bosnich.

Walsall Leather Museum
The museum documents the towns famous leather industry.