Alton, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Alton is a village
in the county
of Staffordshire
, England
. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers
, built around the site of Alton Mansion (also named Alton Towers), which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury
and designed by Augustus Pugin
.
The village is located on the eastern side of the Churnet
valley. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
, and contains numerous buildings of architectural interest; the Round-House, Alton Castle
(now a Catholic
youth retreat centre), St Peter's Church, The Malt House, St John's Church and of course Alton Towers.
Alton was served by Alton railway station
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
on July 13, 1849 and closed in the 1960s.
The chained oak
in Alton has been made famous by the ride Hex at Alton Towers
and the legend involving the Earl of Shrewsbury
.
The village was home to seven public houses, including 'The Talbot', 'The Bulls Head', ' The Royal Oak', 'The Bridge House', 'The White Hart', 'The Blacksmiths Arms' and 'The Lord Shrewsbury' (formerly The Wild Duck, now wrongly named. Should have been the 'Earl of Shrewsbury'). The Talbot and The Lord Shrewsbury closed in 2008.
For those who believe in ghosts, Alton is also considered to be among the most haunted villages in Staffordshire. In particular, the ghost of a figure wearing a top hat and riding a horse has allegedly been sighted numerous times wandering through the fields around the village. During the lifetime of Pugin
the village was known as Alverton.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
, built around the site of Alton Mansion (also named Alton Towers), which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
and designed by Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
.
River Churnet
The River Churnet is a river that flows in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.- Etymology :The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river.- Course :...
valley. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, and contains numerous buildings of architectural interest; the Round-House, Alton Castle
Alton Castle
Alton Castle is in the village of Alton, Staffordshire. The castle is also known as or referred to in historical documents as Alverton or Aulton. The remains of the castle have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is also a scheduled ancient monument...
(now a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
youth retreat centre), St Peter's Church, The Malt House, St John's Church and of course Alton Towers.
Alton was served by Alton railway station
Alton railway station, Staffordshire
Alton Towers railway station is a disused railway station in the village of Alton, Staffordshire, England.The station was a stop on the North Staffordshire Railway's Churnet Valley Line from Macclesfield to Uttoxeter.-History:...
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
on July 13, 1849 and closed in the 1960s.
The chained oak
Chained oak
The Chained Oak is the local legend of Alton Village in Staffordshire, England.-Legend:The legend goes that on an autumn night in 1821, the Earl of Shrewsbury was returning to his home in Alton Towers when an old woman suddenly appeared in the road....
in Alton has been made famous by the ride Hex at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
and the legend involving the Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
.
The village was home to seven public houses, including 'The Talbot', 'The Bulls Head', ' The Royal Oak', 'The Bridge House', 'The White Hart', 'The Blacksmiths Arms' and 'The Lord Shrewsbury' (formerly The Wild Duck, now wrongly named. Should have been the 'Earl of Shrewsbury'). The Talbot and The Lord Shrewsbury closed in 2008.
For those who believe in ghosts, Alton is also considered to be among the most haunted villages in Staffordshire. In particular, the ghost of a figure wearing a top hat and riding a horse has allegedly been sighted numerous times wandering through the fields around the village. During the lifetime of Pugin
Pugin
Pugin most commonly refers to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin , English architect and designer.Other members of his family include:...
the village was known as Alverton.