Audley, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Audley is a rural
village
approximately four miles north west of the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme
in Staffordshire
, England. It is the centre of Audley Rural
parish
.
The first mention of Audley is in the Domesday Book
of 1086, when it was called Aldidelege, when the lands were held by a Saxon called Gamel. At this time, the area was very sparsely populated, and because of its distance from the major towns of Stafford
and Chester
there was little outside contact. There was a medieval castle at Audley Castle Hill during the late 13th century; only a low earthwork remains of the former motte
. Excavations have yielded some stonework.
James Audley
, a founding member of the order of the Garter
, was the illegitimate son of Thomas Audley, whose commemorative brass is in St James Church in Audley. Thomas was the son of the second Lord Audley, James.
Audley is located on the B5500, the former A52 road
. Just south of the A500
, the village is approximately five minutes from the M6 motorway
. The village was served by a railway station
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
on 28 June 1880.
.
Audley Cricket club play in the North Staffs South Cheshire Premier League North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League
, which they won in 2007. Audley's Kent Hills ground has hosted 3 Minor counties games; v shropshire in 2010 and v suffolk in 2009 and 2006.
At the Wolverhampton Girls' High School
one of the four houses is named after Audley, the others being Ferrers, Paget and Stafford. Its colour is yellow
.
(deceased), Pepys Librarian at Magdalen College, Cambridge
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
village
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...
approximately four miles north west of the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
in 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. It is the centre of Audley Rural
Audley Rural
Audley Rural is a parish of Staffordshire, England, located four miles to the north-west of the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is predominantly a rural area, of which Audley is the centre....
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
.
The first mention of Audley is 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...
of 1086, when it was called Aldidelege, when the lands were held by a Saxon called Gamel. At this time, the area was very sparsely populated, and because of its distance from the major towns of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
and Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
there was little outside contact. There was a medieval castle at Audley Castle Hill during the late 13th century; only a low earthwork remains of the former motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
. Excavations have yielded some stonework.
James Audley
James Audley
Sir James Audley KG was one of the original knights, or founders, of the Order of the Garter. He was the eldest son of Sir James Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire.-Biography:...
, a founding member of the order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, was the illegitimate son of Thomas Audley, whose commemorative brass is in St James Church in Audley. Thomas was the son of the second Lord Audley, James.
Audley is located on the B5500, the former A52 road
A52 road
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
. Just south of the A500
A500 road
The A500 is a major primary A road in Staffordshire and Cheshire, England. It is dual carriageway for most of its length and connects Nantwich, junctions 16 and 15 of the M6 motorway with the city of Stoke-on-Trent...
, the village is approximately five minutes from the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
. The village was served by a railway station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
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 28 June 1880.
Sport
Audley has Football, cricket and bowling clubs within the village. For the 2010/2011 season the football club played in Division 1 of the Staffordshire County League Staffordshire County Senior LeagueStaffordshire County Senior League
The Staffordshire County Senior League is a football competition based in Staffordshire, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of the Midland League and the Staffordshire County League....
.
Audley Cricket club play in the North Staffs South Cheshire Premier League North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League
North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League
The North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire area of England. Since 2001 it has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:...
, which they won in 2007. Audley's Kent Hills ground has hosted 3 Minor counties games; v shropshire in 2010 and v suffolk in 2009 and 2006.
Schools
At the Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton Girls' High School is a selective, single-sex school for girls at Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.-Overview:Wolverhampton Girls' High School, founded in 1911, educates girls from the age of 11 to 18. Its students are led by a headmistress along with a Board of Governors....
one of the four houses is named after Audley, the others being Ferrers, Paget and Stafford. Its colour is yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
.
Notable residents
Robert LathamRobert Latham (editor)
Robert Clifford Latham, CBE , MA, FBA was Fellow and Pepys Librarian of Magdalene College, Cambridge and joint author of the The Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1970-83....
(deceased), Pepys Librarian at Magdalen College, Cambridge