|
Cannock
lies to the north of the Black Country and south of Cannock
Chase.
In the
Middle Ages Cannock was an agricultural town and a weekly
market has been held here since 1259. Coal mining and iron
smelting first developed here in Tudor times but the massive
exploitation of the local coal seams began in the mid-19th
century.New
canal and railway links helped the rapid growth of Cannock's
mining industry.
Other
industries, such as edge-tool manufacture, also developed
here because of the area's coal reserves and its proximity
to the Black Country.
Coal
mining reached at peak in Cannock in the 1920's but by the
end of the 20th century the industry had vanished. Littleton,
the last deep-mined colliery on Cannock Chase, closed in 1993.
The facinating
history of the local coal mining industry is illustrated at
the Museum
of Cannock Chase in Hednesford.
Since
World War II Cannock has grown rapidly as a residential area.
Cannock's excellent transport links, and the beautiful surrounding
countryside, have meant that the town has become an attractive
commuter area for the urban areas of Stafford, Birmingham,
Walsall and Wolverhampton.
|
the internet holiday and travel guide to the UK
Cannock
