Hednesford
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Coordinates: 52°42′41″N 2°00′02″W / 52.7115°N 2.0006°W
| Hednesford | |
 Hednesford
Hednesford shown within Staffordshire |
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| Population | 16,928 (mid-2010 estimate) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SK000126 |
| District | Cannock Chase |
| Shire county | Staffordshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CANNOCK |
| Postcode district | WS12 |
| Dialling code | 01543 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Cannock Chase |
| List of places: UK • England • Staffordshire | |
Hednesford (pronounced "Hensford") is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.[1]
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[edit] History
Hednesford was an important coal mining community for over a century. This is commemorated in the town centre, where a Miner's Lamp has been erected, surrounded by a wall with individual bricks giving the names of former miners. The oldest sections of the town surround the hilltop areas of the existing town; however, the lower part of the town became the focal point as the community grew with the mining industry.
Between 1914 and 1918 two huge army training camps were built in the area and over a quarter of a million British and Commonwealth troops passed through destined for the Western Front. In 1938 a Royal Air Force training camp was established to train technicians in maintenance and repair of airframes and engines. No. 6 School of Technical training became better known as RAF Hednesford. The camp was later used for resettlement of Hungarian refugees fleeing from the Russian invasion of Budapest, in 1956. The site is now a part of Cannock Chase Country Park.
The urban area of Hednesford now spreads across a swathe of the northern fringe of Cannock, from Pye Green across to Heath Hayes, and is the southern gateway to Cannock Chase AONB. Economically Hednesford has suffered since the 1980s as more people travel to the larger towns and cities nearby and due to the absence of redevelopment it retains a traditional street scene with many sole traders operating speciality shops. However, the area around Anglesey Square has been landscaped to provide a pleasant public space with a public clock as a central feature. There are plans currently[when?] in the pipeline to carry out a major £5 million redevelopment of the town.
[edit] Transport
Hednesford railway station re-opened in April 1989. It is on the Chase Line.
[edit] Education
Kingsmead Technology College is a specialist school in technology, with around 1300 pupils aged 11–18.
Blake Valley Technology College is also a specialist school in technology, with around 750 pupils aged 11–18.
[edit] Sport
The town is best known for Hednesford Hills Raceway, the stock car track built on the site of a disused reservoir, which has brought tens of thousands of race fans to the area since the mid 1950s and still attracts crowds of several thousand to its major events.
The town's semi-professional football team, Hednesford Town F.C., currently play in the Southern League Premier Division and won the FA Trophy in 2004.
The town's most prominent sportsperson is that of former footballer Brian Horton, who played for the Pitmen in the late sixties and early seventies. After a long professional career, he went on to manage Manchester City, Macclesfield Town and Port Vale amongst others, and is currently assistant manager of Championship side Preston North End
[edit] Notable people
Television
- Kate Walsh (born 1982), runner-up in BBC's 'The Apprentice' (2009), co-presenter of Five's 'Live From Studio Five' (from 14 September 2009)[2]
Sport See also Category:Hednesford Town F.C. players.
- Joe Birch (1904–1980), professional footballer
- George Forrester (1927–1981), professional footballer
- Tom Galley (1915–2000), professional and England international footballer
- Brian Horton (born 1949), football manager (former professional player)
- Harry Lane (1909–1977), professional footballer
- Tom Lyons (1885–1938), professional footballer
- Jack Miller (1875–1944), professional footballer
- Harry Rogers (1889–1956), cricketer who played for Worcestershire
- Harry Shaw (born 1905), footballer who played for Sunderland
- Mark Smith, racecar driver
- Les Talbot (born 1910), professional footballer
- Tony Turner (born 1953), semi-professional and England international footballer
[edit] References
- ^ Quinary age groups, Persons (lines 6125-6127) at "Ward Level Mid Year Population Estimates (experimental) - 2010 Wards - Mid 2010 Release". Office for National Statistics. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-230924. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
- ^ http://biogs.com/apprentice/kate.html
[edit] External links
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