Description:Hednesford is situated two miles north-east of the town of Cannock. There have been a number of historical variations on the name but locally it is often known as Hedgford.
In 1666 there were 53 households recorded at Hednesford and by 1851 the population was 304. This figure more than doubled between 1851 and 1861. There are references to coal mining in the area as early as 1603, but it was after 1852 that Hednesford was transformed from a small hamlet as a result of the opening of coal pits in the area. The Cannock Chase Coal Company was established by the Marquess of Anglesey, the local landowner, in 1850. By 1852 the company had opened the Uxbridge Colliery. Much housing was built in the later 19th century to accommodate the influx of miners to the town.
Hednesford’s other claims to fame are largely associated with sport. The training of racehorses on Hednesford Hills, noted for its excellent turf, was already known at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1839 it was the most noted place for training in the Midlands. At least four Grand National winners have been trained from stables at Hednesford. In 1997 Hednesford Town, a long established football club, reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Cross Keys Inn dates from1746. The Anglesey Hotel, formerly called Hednesford Lodge, was built in 1831 by Edmund Peel of Fazeley, near Tamworth. He used it as stabling for his racehorses as well as his summer residence. It became a hotel during the 1860s.
St Peter’s church was built originally in 1868 on land donated by the Marquess of Anglesey to the design of T.H. Rushworth and at a cost of about £3,000. It was rebuilt in 1987 having suffered considerably from subsidence damage but the original east end was retained next to the new building. The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Lourdes was built between 1927-1933 in a 13th century style with French overtones. Protestant nonconformity has also been well-represented over the years. John Wesley preached at Hednesford in 1738 and three Wesleyan chapels have been built in the town at various times. The Primitive Methodists’ Bethesda Chapel opened in Station Street in 1870. The Congregational chapel in Mount Street was opened in 1898, replacing an earlier chapel. Hednesford’s first school was opened in 1864 in response to the needs of the growing population .
For more information about Hednesford, see the Victoria County History Staffordshire, Volume V, pp 49-75.