Hednesford

The first recorded mention of Hednesford dates back to 1153, when King Stephen granted an exemption of pannage dues to the small hamlet of Hedenedford. The town can be found on William Yates' 1775 map of Staffordshire (pictured), showing it as a small village with 13 buildings. The Valley Pit (first called the Pool Pit) in Hednesford town centre opened in the 1870s. To prevent this pit from flooding, the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Company diverted the brook that fed Hednesford Pool (pictured on the 1775 map). This led to the pool drying up by 1900. In 1931, the site was reopened as Hednesford Park. Between 1914 and 1918 two army training camps were built in the area, and over half a million…