Rushall, West Midlands
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Rushall is a historic village in the
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston, Pelsal ...
in the West Midlands county of England. It is centred on the main road between
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
and
Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...
. It is mentioned in the ''
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
'' but has mostly developed since the 1920s. Rushall was historically a part of the county of
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
before it was incorporated with much of the old Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District into the modern-day Walsall district.


Heritage

The first record of Rushall occurs in ''Domesday Book'' (1086), where its total annual value to its
lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...
was assessed as 10 shillings, from a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
of eight households and a
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...
. The name means "a place in the marshy ground where rushes grow". Early settlement by the Saxons probably started to the north of Rushall Hall, where there are remains of a
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
ed
site Site most often refers to: * Archaeological site * Campsite, a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area * Construction site * Location, a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere * Website, a set of related web pages, typical ...
: 19th-century excavations found Saxon coins in earthworks in that area. The feudal lordship did not originally have a parish church. The first mention of a place of worship in 1220 describes it as a chapel of Walsall. However, the lords of Rushall secured the chapel's parish status, and in 1440, John Harpur rebuilt Rushall Church on the chapel site next to his
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
. This survived the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, to be rebuilt in 1854–1866. The old square tower of the house remained until 1867. The remains at Rushall Hall are a scheduled
ancient monument An ancient monument can refer to any early or historical manmade structure or architecture. Certain ancient monuments are of cultural importance for nations and become symbols of international recognition, including the Baalbek, ruins of Baalbek ...
. In 1951 the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
had a population of 4794. On 1 April 1966 the parish was abolished to form Aldridge Brownhills, part also went to Walsall.


Manors

in Rushall is the ruins of the ancient
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
, which during the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
and the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
was strongly fortified and defended by a numerous garrison. During the latter, a Mr Pitt of Wolverhampton attempted to bribe Captain Tuthill to betray the garrison of Rushall, but his treachery was discovered, and he suffered death for it in 1640. Rushall Hall, a modern house, has been built near the ruins. The manor anciently belonged to the family of Bowles and passed, via Sir William Grobbere, to the Harpurs, one of whom, John Harpur Esq, endowed the
vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or Minister (Christianity), ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of n ...
, and rebuilt the
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
in about 1444. Early in the 17th century, the manor devolved to the Leighs, from whom it passed to the Very Rev Edward Mellish,
Dean of Hereford The Dean of Hereford is the head (''primus inter pares'' – first among equals) and chair of the chapter of canons, the ruling body of Hereford Cathedral. The dean and chapter are based at the ''Cathedral Church of Blessed Virgin Mary and St Et ...
, whose executors, W. and G. Mellish, B. Gurdon and W. Tritton became the principal proprietors and lords of the manor. Rushall Hall today is mainly a 19th-century structure, incorporating walls from an earlier building. At the time the massive surviving, fortified gatehouse and walls were built in the 13th and 14th centuries, the house itself was probably made of timber. The Leigh family succeeded the Harpurs in the mid-16th century and took a lead in county politics. At the start of the Civil War in 1642, Sir Edward Leigh was an MP and an opponent of the King. He fortified Rushall Hall and joined the
Parliamentary Army The New Model Army or New Modelled Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to ...
, being appointed a
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
. His wife, left in command at Rushall, could not hold the Hall against the forces of Prince Rupert in 1643. The Royalists in their turn were ejected after a short siege in 1644. Sir Edward Leigh's younger son was the metaphysical poet Richard Leigh. During the 18th century, the Leighs became absentees, as were their successors, the Mellish and Buchanan families.
Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
of high quality lies near the surface at Rushall. It was exploited by the Romans and through the Middle Ages for building and agricultural purposes. The use of limestone as a flux for smelting iron caused great expansion in mining during the Industrial Revolution. A new settlement grew up at Daw End, and the Hay Head and Linley workings were both on a large scale. The quarries in Rushall Hall's park flooded to become the Park Lime Pits – today a nature reserve. The Arboretum lakes, then also in Rushall, were similarly formed by quarrying.


Demography

According to a population estimate which puts Rushall with nearby Shelfield, the population of the ward was 12,182 in a 2020-estimate. The statistics for which found Rushall-Shelfield to be 48.8% Male and 51.2% Female. The religious composition of both settlements was 71% Christian, 22.8% irreligious, 1.1% Muslim, 3% Sikh, 0.6% Hindu and 0.3% Buddhist. The ethnic makeup of the ward was 90% White, 5.4% Asian, 1.8% Black and 2.4% Mixed Race. There are a number of churches in the area and in other nearby settlements. The nearest mosques are in Walsall, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Birchills. As well as Sikh and Hindu Temples.


Amenities

Rushall's main
shopping centre A shopping center in American English, shopping centre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, spelling differences), shopping complex, shopping arcade, ...
is divided by a junction controlled by traffic lights on Lichfield Road, Station Road, Daw End Lane, Walsall Road, Pelsall Lane, and Springfields. It contains basic amenities but there is also a
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
, there was a library until its closure in 2017 as part of a council budget cut, there is a
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
on Daw End Lane, there is also a small church called "Christ The King Church", a Labour Club, Travis Perkins factory and
Community Centre A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...
. There is also a
methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
church on Daw End Lane, two
public houses A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
and a
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
called "Park Lime Pits Local Nature Reserve". There are also a few takeaways and off licenses in the area.
Rushall Olympic F.C. Rushall Olympic Football Club is an English Association football, football club based in Rushall, West Midlands, Rushall, a former Pit village, mining village that forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall. The team competes in the , the ...
play on a ground off Dales Lane, Daws End to the south of the village.


Education

Rushall had two secondary schools – Pelsall and Manor Farm – both now closed. There remain two primary schools and a
Key Stage 4 Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31 ...
centre. It also has a
pre-school A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an educational establishment or learning space Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical s ...
at Manor Farm, called ''Piccolo Bambini''. Walsall College is also near to Rushall.


Geography

Rushall is north of
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
, west of Aldridge, southwest of
Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...
, north-northwest of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, east of
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...
and southeast of Bloxwich. It forms part of a residential area with the nearby villages and areas of Shelfield, Pelsall, Ryecroft, Walsall Wood, Blakenall Heath, Pool Green and Leamore which act as suburbs of nearby Walsall, Bloxwich, Aldridge and Brownhills. Rushall has certain areas which are still rural but it is mostly urban, especially with nearby Shelfield, Walsall, Harden, Ryecroft, Pelsall, and Walsall Wood. There is a small patch of greenbelt on Daw End Lane near Pool Green, Winterley Lane and Walsall Arboretum. The village is between Walsall, Bloxwich, Aldridge, Brownhills, and Lichfield.


Transport


Buses

Rushall is served primarily by
National Express West Midlands National Express West Midlands (NXWM) is bus operator in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. It is a subsidiary of Mobico Group (formerly National Express Group) and is the largest bus operator in the region, as well as one of ...
and Chaserider with the following services : *8 (National Express West Midlands) - Walsall to Lichfield via Rushall, Pelsall, Brownhills and
Burntwood Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District of Staffordshire, England. It is approximately west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills, with a population of 26,049 and forming part of Lichfield district. T ...
. *9/9A (National Express West Midlands) - Walsall to Wolverhampton via Rushall, Pelsall, Bloxwich,
Wednesfield Wednesfield () is a town and historic village in the City of Wolverhampton, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England; it was historically within the county of Staffordshire. It is east-north-east of Wolverhampton cit ...
and
Heath Town Heath Town is a suburban area of Wolverhampton, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England, to the east of the city centre. It is also a Ward (politics), ward of City of Wolverhampton Council. The ward forms part of t ...
. *10 (National Express West Midlands) - Walsall to Brownhills West via Rushall, Walsall Wood and Brownhills. *35 (National Express West Midlands) - Walsall to Aldridge via Rushall (Sundays only). *35A (Chaserider) - Walsall to Leighswood via Rushall and Aldridge. *36 (Chaserider) - Walsall - Lichfield via Rushall, Aldridge, Lazy Hill and Shenstone. *997 (National Express West Midlands) - Walsall to Birmingham via Rushall, Aldridge, Pheasey, Old Osscot and
Perry Barr Perry Barr is a suburban area in north Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is also the name of a Government of Birmingham, England#Council constituencies, council constituency, managed by its own ...
. There are additional services which serve other areas of the village and surrounding settlements.


Railways

Rushall railway station Rushall railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Fitzroy North, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It opened on 1 January 1927. H ...
was open from 1849 to 1909, on the former South Staffordshire Line between
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
and Lichfield City. The station was located off Station Road between Harden, Ryecroft, Goscote, and Rushall. The site is now part of the McClean Way Greenway but is protected for any future use for rail use. The village was and is served by several other nearby railway stations including:


Former

* Aldridge on the Sutton Park Line between Water Orton and
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
. The line is still in use for freight and a new Aldridge station is due to be built in the future as well as the possible reopening of the line to Water Orton. *Birchills Halt on the Chase Line in nearby Leamore and around 2 miles away. * North Walsall on the former Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway in nearby Birchills and Leamore which was located around 2 miles away. * Pelsall on the former South Staffordshire Line between
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
and Lichfield City. The site is now part of the McClean Way Greenway but is protected for any future use for rail use. * Walsall Wood on the former Aldridge-Brownhills Branch between Brownhills Watling Street and Aldridge. Now occupied by Oak Park Leisure Centre and a park.


Current

* Blake Street on the Cross-City Line between Lichfield Trent Valley and Birmingham New Street. * Bloxwich on the Chase Line between Birmingham, Walsall, Cannock and Rugeley Trent Valley. * Shenstone on the Cross-City Line between Lichfield and Birmingham. *
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
, a junction for the Chase Line, Walsall-Wolverhampton Line and former
Grand Junction Railway The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846. The line built by the company, which opened in 1837, linked the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham via Warri ...
.


Airports

The nearest airport is
Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Bor ...
as well as
Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2024, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passengers (the busiest outside of London) ...
, John Lennon Airport, and East Midlands Airport. Private airports nearby are both Aldridge Airport and
Wolverhampton Airport Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport , formerly Halfpenny Green Airport and Wolverhampton Business Airport, locally Bobbington Airport, is a small, airport situated near the village of Bobbington, South Staffordshire. The airport is situated ...
.


References

{{Reflist, 30em Populated places in the West Midlands (county) Former civil parishes in the West Midlands (county) Metropolitan Borough of Walsall History of mining in the United Kingdom Walsall Aldridge Bloxwich Rushall - Shelfield