Rugeley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rugeley
Upper Brook Street, leading into Rugeley town centre
Rugeley
Population	26,156 (2021 Census)
OS grid reference	SK042180
District	Cannock Chase
Shire county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	RUGELEY
Postcode district	WS15
Dialling code	01889
Police	Staffordshire
Fire	Staffordshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Cannock Chase
List of places UK England Staffordshire 52°45′36″N 1°56′20″W / 52.7599°N 1.9388°W / 52.7599; -1.9388

Rugeley (/ˈruːdʒli/ ROOJ-lee) is a busy market town in Staffordshire, England. It's located in the Cannock Chase District, right on the edge of the beautiful Cannock Chase area. The River Trent also flows nearby.

Rugeley is about 8 miles (13 km) north of Lichfield and 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Stafford. In 2021, about 26,156 people lived here.

Rugeley has a special connection with Western Springs, Illinois in the USA. They are "twin towns". In 1962, they made history! The leader of Rugeley made the first ever phone call using the new Telstar satellite to the mayor of Western Springs. This was shown on national television!

Rugeley's History and Growth

From Ancient Times to Industry

Rugeley has a long history. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. Its name probably comes from 'Ridge lee', meaning 'the hill over the field'.

In the Middle Ages, Rugeley was known for making iron. It also produced glass. Later, during the Industrial Revolution, the town grew even more. This happened because the Trent and Mersey Canal was built, and Rugeley became an important railway hub.

Coal Mining and Power Stations

From the 1950s, Rugeley became a major coal mining town. The Lea Hall Colliery opened in 1960. It was the first modern coal mine opened by the National Coal Board.

Close by, two large power stations were built: Rugeley A and Rugeley B. These stations made a lot of electricity. Rugeley A was special because it got its coal directly from Lea Hall mine using a conveyor belt. This was the first time this had happened in Britain!

These big projects helped Rugeley grow very quickly in the 1960s. Rugeley B power station still stands tall today. It has special equipment to help it produce electricity more cleanly.

Old Churches and Hospitals

St Augustine's Church is a very old church in Rugeley. It has memorials to the Levett family. This family helped start the Rugeley Home and Cottage Hospital in 1866.

Getting Around Rugeley

Train Travel

Rugeley has two train stations: Rugeley Trent Valley and Rugeley Town.

Rugeley Trent Valley is on the main line that connects many big cities. You can catch a train to London from here. There are also trains to Crewe via Stafford.

Rugeley Town station is on the Chase Line. This line connects Rugeley to Walsall and Birmingham New Street.

Bus Services

Buses are a great way to get around Rugeley and nearby areas. Services 826 and 828 connect Rugeley to Stafford and Lichfield. Service 63 goes to Hednesford and Uttoxeter.

These buses also link Rugeley to smaller villages like Colwich and Great Haywood. They also serve different parts of Rugeley, like Springfields and Brereton.

Canal Boats

The Trent and Mersey Canal runs along the eastern side of Rugeley. Today, many people enjoy using the canal for fun activities like boating. This brings more visitors to the town. The canal stretches a long way, through Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire.

Roads for Driving

The main roads into Rugeley are the A460 from Wolverhampton and the A51. The A51 connects Rugeley to places like Tamworth and Lichfield.

In 2007, a new eastern bypass road was opened. This helps reduce traffic in the town centre. It also helps new businesses develop on the land where the old coal mine used to be.

Media and News

Television Channels

Rugeley is covered by local news from BBC Midlands Today and ITV News Central. These shows are made in Birmingham. Most people get their TV signal from the Sutton Coldfield tower. Some parts of Rugeley use a smaller local relay station.

Radio Stations

You can listen to many radio stations in Rugeley. These include regional stations like Heart and Greatest Hits Radio.

For local news and music, you can tune into BBC Radio WM. There's also a local station called Cannock Chase Radio.

Newspapers

For many years, Rugeley had its own newspaper called the Rugeley Times. Today, the town's news is covered by the Express and Star. Students from The Hart School also write a local newspaper called The Hart of Rugeley.

People and Community

Population and Homes

In 2011, most people in Rugeley were White British. Many older residents and their families have links to the old mining communities. More young people are moving to the area now, often working in service jobs.

Some parts of Rugeley have council houses or former National Coal Board homes. These areas include the Springfield Estate and Pear Tree Estate. However, other parts of Rugeley are more wealthy. You can find older Georgian houses and homes along the Trent and Mersey Canal. Many new houses were also built in the early 2000s.

Places of Worship

Church of England Churches

The main church for Rugeley is St Augustine's Church. It was built in 1822–23. Part of the older, medieval church, like the tower, still stands. It's called the 'Old Chancel'.

Other Church of England churches in the area include The Church of the Good Shepherd and St Michael's Church.

Roman Catholic Church

St Joseph and St Etheldreda is the Roman Catholic church in Rugeley. It was built between 1849 and 1851 using local stone. There is also a Catholic primary school in the town named after Saint Joseph.

Methodist Churches

The Methodist church in Rugeley is called St Paul's. It's near the town centre. There is also another Methodist church in the Brereton area of Rugeley.

Sports and Activities

Rugeley has many sports clubs for young people to join.

• Cricket: Rugeley C.C. and Trent Valley C.C.
• Football: Several local football clubs.
• Rugby: Rugeley Rugby Club and Staffordshire Quantums Rugby League.
• Snooker: Rugeley Snooker Club.
• Rifle Shooting: Rugeley Rifle Club. A member, Victoria Bradbury, won a bronze medal in a world championship!
• Tennis: Etching Hill Tennis Club has been around since 1952.
• Golf: Hawkesyard Golf course is just east of the town.

The Lea Hall Social Club offers many facilities. These include cricket and football pitches, and a bowling green.

Fun Events in Rugeley

Annual Celebrations

The town council organizes a fireworks display at the end of the summer holidays. It's called "Back to School with a Bang". In December, there's a Christmas lights switch-on event. It includes a market and shops stay open late.

Unique Gatherings

A Pagan conference happens every May bank holiday. It started in 2015 and brings over 250 people to Rugeley. They have even donated money to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

Quidditch Tournaments

In 2016 and 2017, Rugeley Leisure Centre hosted the British Quidditch Cup! This is a real-life sport inspired by the Harry Potter books. Many teams competed, and it was a very exciting event.

Music Concerts

Cannock Chase is a venue for the Forest Live music series. Big bands like Paul Weller, UB40, and Kaiser Chiefs have played concerts here.

Rugeley's Future

Rugeley has changed a lot over the years. When the Lea Hall Colliery closed in 1990, many people lost their jobs. But now, the land has been redeveloped.

New Businesses and Jobs

Large industrial buildings have been built at the Towers Business Park. In 2011, Amazon.co.uk opened a huge fulfillment centre there. This created hundreds of full-time jobs and many seasonal jobs around Christmas.

Exciting New Developments

The old power station has now been closed and taken down. This large area will be developed into something new and exciting! Plans include:

• 2,300 new homes, including housing for older people.
• A new "All through school" for 1,400 pupils. This will be the first of its kind in Staffordshire.
• Over 12 acres of land for new businesses.
• A riverside country park.
• A new water sports centre at Borrow Pit Lake.

This new development will be a big boost for Rugeley. It will also be designed to be very eco-friendly and low carbon.

Famous People from Rugeley

Many interesting people have come from Rugeley:

• William Palmer (1824–1856) – A surgeon who became known as "The Prince of Poisons".
• Thomas George Bonney (1833–1923) – A famous geologist.
• John Porter (1838–1922) – A well-known horse racing trainer.
• Paul Davies-Hale (born 1962) – A long-distance runner who competed in the Olympics.
• Scout Niblett (born 1973) – A talented singer-songwriter.
• Robert Rock (born 1977) – A professional golfer.

Nearby Places to Explore

Towns and Cities Nearby

Villages Close By

Other Interesting Places

Directions to Towns & Cities close to Rugeley

	Stafford, Eccleshall, Nantwich	Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme	Uttoxeter, Derby, Nottingham
	Penkridge, Telford, Shrewsbury		Burton upon Trent, Loughborough, Coalville
		Rugeley
	Wolverhampton, Dudley, Kidderminster	Birmingham, Burntwood, Walsall	Lichfield, Tamworth, Nuneaton

Twin Town

Rugeley is twinned with:

• Western Springs, Illinois, USA

See also

In Spanish: Rugeley para niños