Originally a farming community consisting of a few scattered farms, it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and was owned by the clergy of Wolverhampton Church. It is possible that the population numbers were fairly static until the opening of a new mine, Hilton Main, in the 1920s, it closed in 1969. The Duke of Cleveland was lord of the manor of this small township of 550 acres and just 34 souls in 1851. This was once the residence of John Huntbach, the noted antiquary. The principal inhabitants were Joshua Price and Edward Tunycliffe, farmers, John Perry the lock manufacturer and Thomas Hill a vermin killer. The village's population at the time of the 1851 census was 35. By 1921 this had risen to 39. By the time of the 2001 census it was 3,948.
Today
The village has one primary school, Featherstone Academy and a pub, the Red, White and Blue. Recently controversy was sparked over the proposed building of 1,500 houses on green belt land, although many people believed the extra facilities proposed would make the village a better place to live. After much public opposition, this plan was rejected in early 2009. Featherstone also has a Methodist church and some small shops. There are three off licences a hairdresser and a chemist. In 2008 there was some concern over the future of the post office, but it was not one of those closed. On the outskirts of the village are three prisons; HM Prison Featherstone, HM Prison Oakwood and HM Prison Brinsford, which is also a Youth Offender Institution. Nearby is the site of the former Brinsford Lodge Teachers' Training College and Polytechnic Hall of Residence. The site of the old college, which stood near Oakwood Prison, is rich in history. There are traces of several old Second World War shelters and tiles from the kitchens.
Schools
Featherstone Academy, the Avenue
Churches
Featherstone is part of the ecclesiastical Parish of Shareshill, where the Parish Church of St Mary & St Luke is situated. There is a Methodist chapel sited at the junction of the Avenue and the A460.
Shops and pubs
The Red, White and Blue public house was built in the 1920s to replace a much older building nearby.
Transport links
The village has regular services to Wolverhampton and Cannock. With the first bus being at 6.03am to Wolverhampton and the first bus to Cannock at 6.52am. The bus frequency then is 30 minutes both ways until the last bus to Wolverhampton runs through Featherstone at 17:43pm and to Cannock at 18.32pm. The bus service is run by Arriva Midlands. The nearest active railway station to Featherstone is Landywood on the Chase Line and Wolverhampton.
