The Walsall Leather Museum tells the story of the town's centuries-old leather trade. Walsall was for two hundred years the most important centre of saddlery and leatherwork in Britain, and the museum occupies a Victorian factory building that was itself once a working saddlery. Demonstrations by working craftspeople are part of the experience — you can watch saddles and bags being hand-stitched using traditional methods.
The displays cover the full range of Walsall's leather output: saddlery, military equipment, bags, belts, and small leather goods. The trade has shrunk dramatically since the 1970s, but a few workshops survive in the town and some of their products are on sale in the museum shop. Entry is free.