Cheslyn Hay is a former mining village with a fascinating history.
The village centre is home to successful retail and hospitality venues.
Among these is widely-renowned garden centre The Hollybush, off the Wolverhampton Road, which has something to enjoy for all ages, no matter the weather.
A popular destination for families, it offers indoor soft play, pottery painting, plants, garden ornaments and furniture, independent retailers, an outdoor children’s play area, two cafes and more.
Hawkins Sports and Social Club in Coppice Lane is a popular meeting place for clubs and local football teams who play their games on the adjoining football pitches.
Other pitches can be found on Rosemary Road along with a building where scouts, baby and toddler groups, and others meet.
The village hall is also a valued venue and has a popular library next door.
Station Street playground for under-eights, meanwhile, provides youngsters with a modern place to play.
There is also a popular leisure centre on Saredon Road which caters for all levels of fitness and sports ability. Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre, run by South Staffordshire Council, boasts state-of-the-art gym, a 25-metre swimming pool, a 3G pitch, a range of exercise classes and more. Find out more about Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre via this link.
Nearby there is plenty for wildlife-lovers too. The ‘Curly Wyrley’ canal which twists between Great Wyrley and Essington creates problems for barges, but peace for wildfowl and walkers.
The disused section between Dundalk and Upper Ladywood Lanes in Cheslyn Hay boasts three pools popular with wild birds. The canal water itself is home to rare, protected plants - floating water plantain and grass wrack pondweed.
Residents are proud of their heritage; the Cheslyn Hay Local History Society has a strong membership and meets regularly to pool discoveries and the oral history of the area.
The village also boasts its own archives. Documents show Cheslyn Hay may have derived its name from a pre-historic druid burial chamber or ‘cest’ at Middle Hill on the outskirts of the village.
With Roman Watling Street running close to the boundary of Cheslyn Hay, historical finds suggest that druids encouraged the ancient Britons to attack the Romans during its construction.
Many skirmishes and encounters are thought to have taken place in the vicinity of Middle Hill.
It was in the 1800s that mining became the chief industry - laying the roots of the Cheslyn Hay community. Several of the colliers’ cottages are now listed buildings and date from that time.
Along with mining came Methodism and several chapels were built, culminating in the famous Salem Methodist Church in 1854, to accommodate the growing congregation.
Its classic Victorian exterior and light airy interior saw many famous Methodist circuit preachers give memorable performances – and make it an attractive spot for modern-day visitors.
The church remains a focal point of the community. A hall has been built on the side, which acts as a centre for all ages and activities - from the Boys’ Brigade to senior table tennis.
Though mining may have finished, Cheslyn Hay still thrives as a business community with a lively industrial park leading from Hawkins Drive and Lodge Lane.