What it's like to live in Burntwood

Families are well served for schools. Fulfen Primary School and Highfields Primary School are both around a third of a mile from the centre, with Springhill Primary Academy, Ridgeway Primary Academy and Chase Terrace Primary School all within just over a mile.

For older children, Chase Terrace Academy is under a mile away and Erasmus Darwin Academy about a mile and a half. Brownhills Ormiston Academy and The Friary School in Lichfield are both within three miles, so there is real choice at secondary level, which is unusual for a town this size.

Outside school, Prince's Park, Coppynook Park & Fields, Ryecroft Park and The Triangle give children somewhere to run about, and Burntwood Library is a mile or so out for free indoor days. Under-16s make up 16.7% of the wider council area.

Burntwood is a spread-out town, so how you get about matters. If you drive, you are well placed for Lichfield, Cannock, Brownhills and Walsall, and the wider motorway network is within easy reach of the area.

There is no railway station in Burntwood itself. The nearest bus stations are around two miles away at Hednesford Road, Rising Sun Island, Barracks Lane and Brickiln Street, which means bus journeys often involve a change or a short hop first. If you rely on public transport, check the specific routes from the street you are considering before you commit to a swap.

On foot, individual neighbourhoods work well. Schools, parks and pharmacies are often within half a mile, and the canal path at Summerhill gives a flat, pleasant walk away from traffic.

Green space is Burntwood's strong suit. Between Prince's Park, Ryecroft Park, Coppynook Park & Fields, The Triangle and the canal at Summerhill, there is plenty of walking and kickabout space without needing a car.

For exercise indoors, Burntwood Leisure Centre is about a mile away, with Snap Fitness, MiNDFiT Movement and Platinum Boxing Burntwood nearby, plus Walsall Wood boxing club a little further out. That is a decent spread for a town of this size.

Socially, there are traditional locals like the White Swan, The Star Hotel and The Trident, along with Grangemoor Working Men's Club. Community life runs through Spark Burntwood, the Old Mining College Centre, Chase Terrace Community Centre and Hammerwich Community Centre, which are worth a look if you want to meet people quickly after a move.

Employment in the wider Lichfield council area looks steady. About 57% of adults are in work, close to the England figure, while unemployment sits at 2.4%, below the England average of 3.5%. Benefit claims tied to unemployment were also 2.4% of working-age people in August 2026, against 4% nationally.

Burntwood itself is mainly residential, so plenty of people travel out to work. Lichfield, Cannock, Brownhills and Walsall are all within a short drive, and the West Midlands job market is within commuting range for those with a car.

Locally, the shops, schools, leisure centre and care and community services provide jobs on the doorstep. If your work depends on buses or trains, plan the journey carefully before agreeing a swap.

Burntwood is dominated by owner-occupiers. Across the Lichfield council area, 73.3% of homes are owned and 13% are socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Almost all of that social housing is with housing associations rather than the council, at 11.4% against 1.6%.

Bromford Housing Association is by far the biggest landlord in the area with over 5,000 homes, followed by Midland Heart, Platform Housing, Walsall Housing Group and Orbit. So a swap here will most likely mean a housing association tenancy.

Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were £95 for a one bed, £111 for two beds and £123 for three beds. Housing is mostly houses and low-rise estates, which suits families, though it does mean flats come up less often.