Kingswinford, a historic town on the edge of the Black Country, has been described by residents as a 'beautiful' place with a 'village feel' despite its size. Located on the main road between Wolverhampton and Stourbridge, the town sits on the leafy border with rural Staffordshire. Its history dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 AD, and its name is believed to derive from a ford used by royal pigs.
Community and Market Day
On a sunny Thursday afternoon, BlackCountryLive visited Kingswinford during its weekly market at the corner of Summer Hill and Market Street. Stallholders and shoppers alike praised the town's friendly atmosphere.
Kayleigh Wood, 37, from nearby Upper Gornal, runs Kayleigh Sweet Treats. She said: 'It's beautiful here, the people and community. There's every shop you can think of, it gets really busy when the sun is out. You're a bit more on the edge of the countryside here.'
Andrew Blackburn, 40, who runs BB's sweets and goodies, added: 'It has a nice village life, a nice atmosphere. Our little girl goes to school here in Wall Heath.'
Claire Burgess, 51, from South Staffordshire, who runs a stall called ClaireaBella Fashion, said: 'I only live up the road, I've been here for 18 years. Personally, I'm doing really well, I do local Facebook which helps. Everybody is nice here, you feel safe. There's a lot of community events, there's one coming up called K-Fest. There's the market held on a Thursday, Friday and a Saturday.'
High Street and Local Businesses
The town centre features a crossroads with a Wetherspoons pub, a Turkish restaurant, and a small shopping precinct where the market is held. Other businesses include Greggs, Boots, Heron Foods, an ale house, a butchers, a florist, and an antique shop.
Deborah Lester, 58, from Kingswinford, who runs Old Curiosity Shop, said: 'It's quiet, footfall isn't there anymore. It never used to be, but it's been like that since Covid. I think the government tried to get a lot of elderly people online which has affected the high street.'
Challenges: Anti-Social Behaviour and Green Belt Plans
Peter Workman, 64, who took over Ale Hub on Market Street, grew up in nearby Wall Heath and now lives near The Triangle, where controversial plans have been made to build 557 new homes on green belt land. He said: 'It's a really nice place to be fair. I mean, it's the same as everywhere else, it has its good and bad points. You get a lot of kids riding around on electric bikes that sooner or later are going to get themselves killed, the way they ride around on the pavements and roads. It's the same as most places, you've got an issue with drugs. You can see it going on and nothing seems to happen about it, to be fair. But it happens everywhere, it's not just here, I've lived and worked down in London, you see some sights down there.'
Regarding green belt development, he added: 'My home backs onto fields and that, so it is nice. The downside, I think, yes, it's okay having the houses there, but it's what goes with it. It's the infrastructure, it's the doctors, the schools, the traffic. All they're going to do is clonk a load of houses there and expect the roads to be more clogged up than they are already. You need houses, affordable housing, but the infrastructure has got to go with it.'
Community Spirit
Former councillor and community activist Shaz Saleem said: 'The community vibe in Kingswinford is incredible, I absolutely love how community groups, residents and businesses all come together to support one another, making Kingswinford a lovely place to live. I think groups such as Kingswinford In Bloom and the Kingswinford Wall Heath litter pick group are amazing. Sadly, in any town, issues will arise, and this includes anti-social behaviour, potholes and so on. However, what separates Kingswinford is having an active voice. When I was a councillor, I was able to be that voice, and I'm pleased to see we do have active councillors like Patrick Harley who do work hard.'
Regarding the green belt plans, he added: 'It's crazy to be building on the green belt, I'm in favour of more homes but not at the expense of our green belt. It's important that the local infrastructure is considered. Our roads, schools, and doctors are all overstretched, and adding hundreds more homes will ruin our village.'
