Rugeley is a town in Staffordshire with a long industrial heritage. Noted in the Domesday Book in 1086, the town later became a market town in the 13th century.

Sitting on the banks of the River Trent, Rugeley was known in the medieval period for iron working and glass manufacture. During the Industrial Revolution, the Trent and Mersey Canal benefited the town, which was becoming known for its coal provision. Lea Hall Colliery began producing coal in the early 1960s and the town played host to two coal-fired power stations from the 1960s until their final demolition in July 2021.