Our History

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Cradley Heath High Street

The town of Cradley Heath is at the heart of the Black Country, the “Workshop of the World”. In its heyday it was world famous as the centre of Britain’s chainmaking industry, providing the chain which was attached to the anchor of The Titanic.

Cradley Heath High Street today

Five Ways, Cradley Heath

The town grew rapidly throughout the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s. For the best part of 150 years Cradley Heath retained its reliance on the iron-working tradition.

Five Ways, Cradley Heath today

Cradley Heath Railway Station

Cradley Heath Railway Station today

Today there is still and iron- and metal-working industry; it is still possible to hear the crash of a forge hammer, the smell of a foundry or engineering works. But on the site of some former ironworks or coal waste mounds you will also find large and small industrial sites, and as they were 170 years ago, small firms starting up.

Cradley Heath Market

Cradley Heath quickly gained a reputation in the Black Country for having the best market, with food and clothing much cheaper than anywhere else in the district. Today it still thrives as a local shopping area, despite the competition from out-of-town shopping complexes such as Merry Hill, just a stone’s throw away.

Cradley Heath Market today

The old Salvation Army Fort

The Salvation Army arrived in the town in 1881 and for the past 128 years has been living out its mission:

- to proclaim the gospel
- to persuade the people of Cradley Heath, regardless of their age, to become disciples of Jesus
- to carry out a social programme to meet the practical needs of our community gallery

In 2006, a new chapter in our history began. The old Salvation Army Fort building was demolished to make way for part of the Cradley Heath bypass, and our church moved into a new purpose-built building in Meredith Street. The new building houses state-of-the-art facilities including a worship hall for 300 people, a number of multi-purpose rooms, a fully-fitted commercial-standard kitchen, a conservatory, children’s play area and offices.