, ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁C ann ock ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁compr ises ▁three ▁district ▁council ▁elect oral ▁w ards ▁whose ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census ▁total led ▁ 1 7 , 3 4 3 . ▁It ▁also ▁compr ises ▁the ▁civil ▁parish ▁of ▁Hed nes ford ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁parish ▁of ▁Br ind ley ▁He ath . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Hed nes ford ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁coal ▁min ing ▁community ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁century . ▁This ▁is ▁comm emor ated ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁centre , ▁where ▁a ▁Min er ' s ▁L amp ▁has ▁been ▁ere cted , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁a ▁wall ▁with ▁individual ▁br icks ▁giving ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁former ▁min ers . ▁The ▁oldest ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁surr ound ▁the ▁hill top ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁town ; ▁however , ▁the ▁lower ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁became ▁the ▁foc al ▁point ▁as ▁the ▁community ▁grew ▁with ▁the ▁min ing ▁industry . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁two ▁huge ▁army ▁training ▁cam ps ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁over ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁British ▁and ▁Commonwealth ▁troops ▁passed ▁through ▁dest ined ▁for ▁the ▁Western ▁Front . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁a ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁training ▁camp ▁was ▁established ▁to ▁train ▁techn icians ▁in ▁maintenance ▁and ▁repair ▁of ▁air frames ▁and ▁engines . ▁No . ▁ 6 ▁School ▁of ▁Techn ical ▁training ▁became ▁better ▁known ▁as ▁R AF ▁Hed