Chuckery is a small suburb 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 ...

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 state of the European Union, member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political condit ...

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 extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, 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, 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 presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

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 in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

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, Northern Ireland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education ...

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 F.C. played at the Chuckery 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 (born 1946-), TV presenter, born here.Shropshire Star Weekend supplement article, by Simon Penfold.

References

{{reflist Walsall