Willenhall is a market town in the Walsall district, in the county of the West Midlands, England, with a population taken at the 2021 Census of 49,587.

As early as 1770, Willenhall contained 148 skilled locksmiths and its coat of arms reflects the importance of this industry to its growth.

Willenhall has been described as "undoubtedly a place of great antiquity, on the evidence of its name it manifestly had its origins in an early Saxon settlement.

[2] In 996 the town was referred to as Willenhale, and as Winenhale it was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086)[3] as a very small settlement, and it remained so until the growth of industry in the 18th century.

During the 10th century, Willenhall was in the Shire of Stafford and The Hundred of Offlow (unit of a 100 villages), consisting of 30 households and a population of around 120.

From Tudor times, the natural mineral wealth began to be exploited with ore being sent out to charcoal furnaces in nearby Cannock Chase.

Nails were a common product and by the end of 17th century Willenhall had a healthy hand trade, making grid irons, curry combs, bolts, latches and coffin handles.

Most common homes at this time were still made of wattle and daub with glassless wind-eyes (windows), properties easily razed by fire.

Willenhall's first workhouse opened in 1741 adjacent to what is now Upper Lichfield Street; it was in operation for 100 years before merging with Wolverhampton.

A commemorative plaque at the site reads:THE PARISH OF WILLENHALL WAS VISITED BY CHOLERA IN 1849.THE FIRST DEATH BY THAT DISEASE TOOK PLACE ON THE 17TH AUGUST, THE LAST ON 4TH OCTOBER.

IN 49 DAYS 292 PERSONS DIED, THE CHURCHYARD OF ST GILES BEING TOO CROWDED FOR FURTHER INTERMENT, THIS GROUND, A PORTION OF THE CHURCH ESTATE WAS (WHILE YET UNCONSECRATED) FIRST USED FOR BURIALS ON THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER.

[6]The epidemic shocked the town into improving conditions, and in 1854 the Willenhall Local Board of Health was founded: to reflect a growth in civic pride, it established a library building in Clemson Street in 1866.

[7] The clock in the Market Place was erected in 1892 by public subscription to the memory of Joseph Tonks, who was a doctor working in the town post-cholera.

About the clock, Hackwood writes: This was erected, as an inscription upon it testifies, as a memorial to the late Joseph Tonks, surgeon.

Over the next 50 years or so, thousands of new private and council houses were built, mostly expanding on developments up to three miles north of the town centre.

St. Giles' did not originally have its own ecclesiastical district: before 1846 it was a Chapel of Ease to the mother church of St. Peter's, Wolverhampton.

"In the 1970s the church interior was turned around by 90degrees, a raised dais being built on the south wall, with a new altar, the old Sanctuary becoming the Lady Chapel."

The parish of Holy Trinity had been established in 1846, and services were held in rooms in the area until the church, a sandstone building designed by W. Horton, was built.

It was financed mostly by Daniel Bagnall, owner of the Coltham Iron and Coal Company, Mr Barnabas and Sons, and Joseph Samuel Junior.

The area around Lane Head and Sandbeds had a thriving mining community and Portobello grew around the brickmaking industry.

The Bell Inn in Market Street is an example of such a pub with curved holes in the walls to allow hump backed drinkers to sit up straight.

In the early 1960s, the Spring Vale Tavern in St Anne's Road was renamed The Rushbrook Farthing in remembrance of this unusual practice.

[35] Other local bus routes link the town to Ashmore Park, Wednesfield, Wednesbury, Darlaston, Bilston and Bloxwich as well as the local areas of Coppice Farm, Pool Hayes, Short Heath, Lodge Farm, New Invention, Bentley, Portobello and Lane Head.

The station at Bilston Street was set to reopen by the end of 2021 after securing funding in March 2018, and will be the first time Willenhall has had a rail connection since 1965.

Willenhall is currently not served by the West Midlands Metro light rail network, but one of the numerous expansion plans for the system is the 5 W's Route, which would link Willenhall with Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, Wednesbury and Walsall and via Darlaston, Bentley, Reedswood, Birchills, New Cross Hospital, Walsall Manor Hospital and Heath Town.

Due to its central location, Willenhall is home to the main hubs of Poundland as well as transport companies Aspray and DX Freight.

Additionally, dairy firm Müller Milk & Ingredients has a depot in the Ashmore Lake area of the town.

The main landmarks include The Locksmith's House museum in New Road; the cholera burial ground in Doctors Piece; St Giles Church; the bandstand in Willenhall Park; the Clock Tower, The Bell Inn, the malthouse (now Davey's Locker shop), and the Lock and Key sculptures in the market place; Dale House (now a restaurant) and the Dale cinema (now a Wetherspoon's pub); the Toll House (now a restaurant), and the old Town Hall (now the library) in Walsall Street.

For younger students in Willenhall there are numerous primary schools, these are: Local news and television programs are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central.

Sporting Kalsha won the West Midland Premier League in 2014–15 and reached the 4th Qualifying round of the FA Cup, losing 3–1 at home to F.C.