Chuckery is a small suburb of

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

located a mile from the town centre.

Name

The name "Chuckery" is believed to originate from the common medieval word to describe a poultry farming area.

Demographics

Chuckery has a diverse ethnic mix, with a large South Asian community; particularly first and second generation Pakistani immigrants. Comprising relatively inexpensive housing (predominantly Victorian and Edwardian terraces and five Tower Blocks), it is primarily a working class area. Since the

Enlargement of the European Union The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria ...

in 2004, a growing number of Eastern Europeans, particularly from Swidnica,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, have settled in the area, mostly attracted to the manual and semi-skilled jobs in local light industry.

Employment

Historically, the area was home to a large number of

saddlers Saddlers is a town in Saint John Capesterre Parish, on Saint Kitts island in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the co-capital of the parish along with Dieppe Bay Town. Originally the parish territory was partly ruled by France and partly by the Br ...

, with a number of the Victorian houses still having small workshops at the rear. One of the largest employers in Chuckery is the Chamberlin and Hill iron

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

. In recent years residents have complained about the emissions from the foundry's chimney, claiming that it is an irritant, and causes staining to paintwork on houses and cars. Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, working with Walsall Primary Care Trust are undertaking a detailed survey of

air quality Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...

in the area, combining analysis of the air quality with surveys of local residents.

Places of interest

It is the home of Chuckery Primary School, a number of Christian Churches and a Mosque. It is near to the established Mayfield Preparatory School and Hydesville Tower School. Queen Mary's Grammar School is also nearby. The Chuckery Green is a small park located on Walsingham Street where locals commonly meet, play sports such as football and where children may access the play area. As well as corner shops, the three main

Public House A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

s are the Spring Cottage and the Duke of York, (both built in the late 1930s) and the older Walsall Arms. There were two

working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class ...

s, known locally as "The Big Club" and "The Little Club". Only "The Little Club" currently survives. It is near to one of the main roads in Walsall, the Broadway, and is on the other side of the Broadway to a Victorian park,

Walsall Arboretum Walsall Arboretum is a Victorian public park located close to Walsall town centre in the West Midlands of England. Part of the park and surrounding housing are covered by the Arboretum conservation area. In the early 2010s, the park has undergo ...

. Walsall F.C. played at

the Chuckery The Chuckery was a cricket and football ground in the Chuckery area of Walsall, England. It was the home ground of the Walsall Swifts and Walsall Town football clubs until they merged in 1888, after which it was used by the new Walsall Town Swi ...

ground from their foundation in 1888 until 1893. The site is now covered in housing.Paul Smith & Shirley Smith (2005) ''The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds Second Edition 1888–2005'', Yore Publications, p35,

Transport

Bus route 74 - operated by Diamond Bus - provides a direct link from the suburb into the town centre, and also to the nearby Gillity Village. Bus route 22 - operated by Walsall Community Transport - provides a direct link from the suburb to

town centre via The Butts and Mellish Road.

Notable people

Bob Warman Robert Paul Warman (born 11 October 1946) is an English retired television presenter. Early life Warman was born on 11 October 1946 in the Chuckery district of Walsall, Staffordshire.Shropshire Star Weekend supplement article, by Simon Penfol ...

(born 1946-),

TV presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garner ...

, born here.Shropshire Star Weekend supplement article, by Simon Penfold.

References

{{reflist Walsall