Codsall

Codsall was first mentioned in the Domesday book in 1086 and was recorded as a settlement containing just six people. Codsall itself is a site of historic interest and like much of Staffordshire is full of ancient buildings and architecture that are of interest to scholars and tourists alike. The Church of St Nicholas is the oldest building in Codsall, it contains an original Norman doorway that dates from the 11th century, and for much of the villages life served as the centre of the community along with the windmill, village pond, forge, bakery and public house.

It is believed that Codsall was actually administered as a settlement through the church and originally it was ran by the Vestry. Historically Codsall has always been a farming community with the ancient strip-field of farming and cultivation still in evidence in various areas around the church itself. In recent years Codsall has been developed into something of an affluent area for settlers, after the Codsall railway station opened connecting the village via the Shrewsbury and Birmingham railway in 1849 the commercial hub of the village shifted away from the church to the railway station and along with a large amount of housing other structures were created close by such as a goods yard, coal storage depot and cattle pens. Many wealthy businessmen moved into the area and began to erect houses along Station Road.

Codsall again saw a shift when the railways fell out of favour and what is now known as the "Square" became the focal point of the village. With the advent of major farming on an industrial scale Codsall could not compete on such a grand scale and began to function more as a commuter settlement for Wolvermapton and other locations in the Black Country. Since World War II Codsall has expanded greatly and is now twinned with the French villages of St Pryve and St Mesmin.