Rugeley guidebook

  pic: Market Square
Since the 13th century, Rugeley has been known as a bustling market town, later becoming recognised as a prosperous mining area, too.

In the 1990s, however, the town's traditional industries suffered vast setbacks when the nearby Lea Hall colliery closed, and there was a shortfall in funding to the vital indoor market.

But resilient Rugeley has bounced back, with regeneration schemes and an influx of new industries such as IT and commercial development.

A pedestrian-friendly town centre, new leisure centre with soon-to-be-completed swimming pool, plus a boom in development are all helping to take Rugeley onto its next phase, whatever that may be.

Two train stations and good bus links keep the town well-connected with its neighbours, and Birmingham city centre is just an hour away by train.

The countryside surrounding the town is stunning, with numerous picturesque parks and open spaces, and Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is literally on its doorstep.

Rugeley's most famous - or infamous - son was the poisoner, Dr William Palmer, who brought notoriety to the town in the 1880s when he was the first person in Britain to be convicted for murder by strychnine, and subsequently hanged.
 
Fortunately, you'll find the locals of modern-day Rugeley a lot friendlier, and this sociable town has a great mix of traditional and family pubs, late-night bars and cafes.

Areas in and around Rugeley

1. Rugeley town

  pic: Market Street
Where is it? The centre of the town, roughly bordered by the A51 Western Springs Road to the west and the Trent and Mersey Canal to the east.

What's there? The area mainly offers two- and three-bedroom terrace properties and some flats, but as you move out from the centre, there are some more modern semi-detached houses.

Buyers: Popular with families and older couples who are downsizing.

Pros: Some attractive properties set close to the town's shops and infrastructure. There are some good primary schools here.

Cons: The homes may not be suitable for large families, and parking could be an issue in some of the more central streets – although, being so close to the town centre, you may not need a car.

2. Western Springs

Where is it? The area to the west of the A51 bordered by Green Lane to the south and Crabtree Way on the far western side.

What's there? The Western Springs estate itself is a mix of council owned and private properties. Recent regeneration and a crop of newly-built townhouses have made the area attractive to investors.

There is also a good mix of semis, terraced homes and some detached properties.

Buyers: Mainly families but also popular with young, single people and couples.

Pros: Close to a doctors' surgery and community centre, and well-served by local shops and a supermarket. There are also a couple of good-sized play areas for children.

Cons: The area has been neglected in the past, but there have been some improvements in recent years.

3. Etching Hill

Where is it? On the outskirts of town just beyond Western Springs.

What's there? A range of more upmarket and larger homes, both semi-detached and detached. Many properties have generous gardens and some have views over Cannock Chase.

Buyers: Popular with families and older couples.

Pros: There's a fair bit of open space and some good recreation grounds here. It's close to a number of primary schools and one of the town's two main high schools.

Cons: Although it is a few miles away from the town centre, this area is not so well served by local buses.

4. Brereton (and Ravenhill)

Where is it? To the south of Rugeley, spreading westwards.

What's there? A lot of terraced properties suitable for families, flats and some bungalows. There is also some social housing here.

Buyers: There will be something to suit most buyers in Brereton.

Pros: A good community feel, open parks for sports, a library and lots of smaller shops to save you going into town.

Cons: Some may find it is too far from the centre of town, but it is well-served by local bus routes.

Living Here

Transport:

Trains: Train stations at Rugeley Town and Rugeley Trent Valley link it with nearby Stafford, and with Walsall and Birmingham.

The journey to the city takes around one hour depending on the time of day.

Road: Rugeley is located next to the A51. The M6 is easily accessed at Cannock, Lichfield or Stone, each around 25 minutes drive away.

Buses: There are half-hourly buses travelling through Rugeley between Lichfield and Stafford.

Buses to neighbouring Cannock run roughly every half hour during the day.

There are also circular services around the town and a limited bus service to Wolverhampton.

Shopping:

  pic: Lower Brook Street

There are some big-name stores in Rugeley's town centre including New Look, Superdrug, Boots and W H Smith.

There's also the Brewery Street Shopping Centre and a selection of independent shops, as well as banks, a post office and two supermarkets.
 
There are two lively markets in the town which are open three days a week.

Eating & Drinking:

You'll find lots of traditional cafes in the town centre.

There are a few places to enjoy a meal out in Rugeley with varied cuisines, including Indian, Italian and Chinese, and many pubs serve food.

As a former mining town, there are plenty of traditional style pubs in which to wet your whistle, and in recent years there has been a growth in the number of bars opening around the town centre.

Entertainment:

There is no longer a cinema in Rugeley so most people head to nearby Stafford to see films.

The Red Rose Theatre is based in the town, while the popular Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock and the Garrick in Lichfield are just a short drive away.

Sport and Leisure:

Rugeley Leisure Centre has a fitness suite, badminton and squash courts, an astro turf pitch and a busy aerobics programme.

Refurbishment work is taking place and is due to be completed in March 2008 – this will provide an extension to the fitness suite, a new multi-purpose room, and a 25-metres six-lane swimming pool.

Cannock Park Golf Course is a municipal course in nearby Cannock.  Although it is open to everyone, there are also memberships available.

Hagley Field is a generous area for sporting activities like rugby and football. It also has a skating ramp and is very popular with dog walkers.

Green Lane playing field is also a well-used area for sports and dog walking.

Parks and Open Spaces:

  pic: St Paul's Methodist and United Reform Church
Elmore Park is an attractive lake complete with ducks, a green for ball games, a children's play area, and animals such as rabbits and birds.

Ravenhill Park has a kids' play area and a large paddling pool which is popular in the summer months.

Cannock Chase, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has extensive areas of forest, parkland and woodland. Its visitor centre is located just two miles from Rugeley.