Plenty of areas in the West Midlands have their history dating back to the time of the Middle Ages.
We’ll take you a whizz around some of the locations, that many Brummies and West Midlands residents have and do call home.
For those, who may not have heard of the Domesday book, it was akin to what most households in today’s time fill out as a sort of a precursor to the census.
In this list you can explore the charm of West Midlands' ancient market towns, tracing back to the Domesday book, identified as some of the best places to live in 2026.
The Domesday book was known as a massive survey of England and some places in Wales, and was completed back in 1086.
As you can imagine, some places in the UK, have no doubt changed their names since then, but what parts still remain.
Take a look below:
1. Tipton
Tipton was a settlement in Domesday Book, located in the county of Staffordshire. At the time, It had a recorded population of 5.5 households in 1086. Now the town has a population of 44,125 according to the 2021 census. | Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Alderminster
The settlement had about 39 households in 1086. | JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3. Aston
Aston was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Estone. Almost 1000 years ago, the settlement had 44 households in the Domesday Book and was part of the Warwickshire county. Now, its a huge part of the city, boasting sites like Aston Hall, Aston Villa Football Club and being the birthplace of Ozzy Osbourne. | Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0
4. Cannock
In the Domesday book, the town had 14 households in 1086, and is listed under 2 owners. Now Cannock has a population of 100,000 and is a thriving town in Staffordshire. | Geoff Pick / CC BY-SA 2.0