Atcham
Encyclopedia
Atcham is a village, ecclesiastical parish and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
. It is situated on the B4380 (the old A5), 5 miles south east of Shrewsbury
. The River Severn
flows around the village. To the south is the village of Cross Houses, and to the northwest the hamlet of Emstrey
.
Borough Council. From 2009, Shrewsbury & Atcham was merged with the other districts of non-metropolitan Shropshire to form Shropshire Council
. The Parliamentary
constituency which covers the borough remains as Shrewsbury and Atcham
.
, bishop of Hexham
, can be found in the village. Just why St Eata should have this one church bearing his name so far away from the area of his ministry is something of a mystery. There is no written record suggesting that he ever came so far south. There is, however, a crop photograph from the 1970s of a field in Attingham Park showing the ground-plan of a Saxon palace identical to one excavated near Hexham. Did a noble's daughter from Hexham move to Atcham to be married, bringing with her architect's plans and the memory of a favourite saint? 'Atcham' is a contraction of 'Attingham' which means 'the home of Eata's people.' The church dates back to the 11th century.
Ordericus Vitalis, the historian, was born in the village in 1075.
The local airfield RAF Atcham
(now returned to agriculture and light industry) was home to an American
training unit for much of World War II
. They used P-47 Thunderbolt
s and, later, P-38 Lightning
s for operational training for new fighter pilots posted in from the USA. Almost 50 pilots were lost in accidents flying from here.
The A5 London
-Holyhead
road once ran through the village, but now runs to the north on a new dual-carriageway.
, the seat of the Barons Berwick
until that title became extinct in 1953. The hall at Attingham Park is now the regional headquarters of the National Trust
and also on the estate is the Shropshire office of Natural England
.
There are two bridges at Atcham, the older one, built in 1774, is commonly known as Atcham Bridge, while the newer one, which was opened in 1929, carries the Old A5 (B4380) road over the River Severn
.
Nearby is the village of Wroxeter
, formerly a Roman
city, and the site of one of Shropshire's commercial vineyard
s.
There is a public house in the village called the Mytton & Mermaid but the school, Post Office and petrol station have all closed. The former garage remains as a small car sales and vehicle repair business.
Nearby is Atcham Business Park/Industrial Estate, on the site of the old airfield of RAF Atcham
. Despite its name, it is in fact in the neighbouring civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington
, although, since the Diocese of Lichfield made some parish boundary changes, it is now in the ecclesiastical parish of Atcham.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
, 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 situated on the B4380 (the old A5), 5 miles south east of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. The River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
flows around the village. To the south is the village of Cross Houses, and to the northwest the hamlet of Emstrey
Emstrey
Emstrey is a dispersed hamlet on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, in the English county of Shropshire. The hamlet is located south-east of the town, on the B4380 road to Atcham....
.
Local governance
It was once part of, and gave its name to, Atcham Rural District, before that district merged with the Borough of Shrewsbury in 1974, and the village came under the control of Shrewsbury and AtchamShrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England.Shrewsbury was the only town in the borough; Atcham, although itself only a village, was included in the name as a reflection of the incorporation into the borough of the former...
Borough Council. From 2009, Shrewsbury & Atcham was merged with the other districts of non-metropolitan Shropshire to form Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
. The Parliamentary
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
constituency which covers the borough remains as Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury and Atcham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
.
History
The only church in England to be dedicated to Saint EataEata of Hexham
Eata , also known as Eata of Lindisfarne, was bishop of Lindisfarne from 678 until 685, and of Hexham from then until his death...
, bishop of Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, can be found in the village. Just why St Eata should have this one church bearing his name so far away from the area of his ministry is something of a mystery. There is no written record suggesting that he ever came so far south. There is, however, a crop photograph from the 1970s of a field in Attingham Park showing the ground-plan of a Saxon palace identical to one excavated near Hexham. Did a noble's daughter from Hexham move to Atcham to be married, bringing with her architect's plans and the memory of a favourite saint? 'Atcham' is a contraction of 'Attingham' which means 'the home of Eata's people.' The church dates back to the 11th century.
Ordericus Vitalis, the historian, was born in the village in 1075.
The local airfield RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
(now returned to agriculture and light industry) was home to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
training unit for much of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They used P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s and, later, P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s for operational training for new fighter pilots posted in from the USA. Almost 50 pilots were lost in accidents flying from here.
The A5 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
road once ran through the village, but now runs to the north on a new dual-carriageway.
Features
Famous landmarks of Atcham include Attingham ParkAttingham Park
Attingham Park is a country house in Shropshire, England, which is owned by the National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building.- Location :It is located near to the village of Atcham, on the B4380 Shrewsbury to Wellington road.- History :...
, the seat of the Barons Berwick
Baron Berwick
Baron Berwick, of Attingham in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1784 Noel Hill, who had earlier represented Shrewsbury and Shropshire in Parliament. He was the son of Thomas Hill , son of Thomas Harwood, a draper, of Shrewsbury, Shropshire...
until that title became extinct in 1953. The hall at Attingham Park is now the regional headquarters of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and also on the estate is the Shropshire office of Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
.
There are two bridges at Atcham, the older one, built in 1774, is commonly known as Atcham Bridge, while the newer one, which was opened in 1929, carries the Old A5 (B4380) road over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
.
Nearby is the village of Wroxeter
Wroxeter
Wroxeter is a village in Shropshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington and is located in the Severn Valley about south-east of Shrewsbury.-History:...
, formerly a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
city, and the site of one of Shropshire's commercial vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s.
There is a public house in the village called the Mytton & Mermaid but the school, Post Office and petrol station have all closed. The former garage remains as a small car sales and vehicle repair business.
Nearby is Atcham Business Park/Industrial Estate, on the site of the old airfield of RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
. Despite its name, it is in fact in the neighbouring civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington
Wroxeter and Uppington
Wroxeter and Uppington is a civil parish in the English county of Shropshire. It lies mainly between the River Severn and the old A5 and stretches from Atcham to The Wrekin.The main villages are Wroxeter and Uppington...
, although, since the Diocese of Lichfield made some parish boundary changes, it is now in the ecclesiastical parish of Atcham.