Willenhall

 town, urban/built-up area, town district

Willenhall is a town and former urban district in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It was situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire, but today the surviving town disrict lies on the western extremity of Walsall Metropolitan Borough. It lies upon the River Tame.

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 the City of Wolverhampton).Today the people of Wilenhall are represented on Walsall MBC via the Borough electoral wards of Wilenhall North, Wilenhall South & Short Heath (see outline map above).

The northern border of Willenhall has always been adjoining green belt 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. As a town it is historically famous for the manufacture of locks and keys. As early as 1770 Willenhall contained 148 skilled locksmiths and its coat of arms reflects the importance of this industry to its growth (see picture above). Its motto is "Salus Populi Suprema Lex" - The welfare of the people is the highest law.

The principal neighbourhoods in the district include : Short Heath, New Invention, Lodge Farm, Poet's Estate, Rough Wood, Coppice Farm, Portobello, Fibbersley, Allens Rough, Little London, The Crescent, The Summers, St Anne's, Manor Farm, County Bridge, Summer Hayes, Sneyd, Scholars Heath, Rose Hill, Lakeside, Park Side, St Giles, Lane Head, Neachells.

for more on the history of Wilenhall see Wilenhall History Society @ :
www.shercliff.demon.co.uk/whs2008/aboutwhs.htm
cms.walsall.gov.uk/localhistorycentre/

for detailed large scale on-line map consulted in drawing attached polygon see @:
cms.walsall.gov.uk/walsallmaps.htm