Cannock forest stretched down through Wolverhampton[3] and would have encompassed the Oxley area – so the name means a clearing in the woodland with the presence of oxen.

After allocation to British Railways London Midland Region in January 1963, it closed the dilapidated Wolverhampton (Stafford Road) TMD, and moved all locomotives to Oxley from September 1963.

This enabled electric locomotives to work empty coaching stock on West Coast Main Line services from London Euston that terminated at Wolverhampton.

Today Oxley TRSMD is operated by Alstom to maintain Class 390 Pendolinos for Avanti West Coast.

The focal point of Oxley is the Three Tuns Parade, a shopping area on the A449 Stafford Road, adjacent to the boundary with Bushbury North.

Wolverhampton Science Park is situated near Oxley's south border, on the site of the old Gas Works at Gorsebrook.