Branston, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Branston is a village in Staffordshire
, England
.
Branston was originally a small village beside the River Trent and lies to the south of Burton upon Trent
. It spread in the 19th century along the main Burton to Lichfield road, which is now the dual carriageway A38
. There is much 19th- and 20th-century housing along Clays Lane, north of the village, and along Burton Road to the east. Elsewhere, the land is mainly farmland, with the former Sinai Park in the northern part of the township.
Nowadays, Branston has seen many housing developments such as Regents Park and Fairway estate next to Branston Golf Course.
There are two schools in Branston, Rykneld Primary School and Paget High School.
Also a major part of Branston these days is the Centrum 100 Retail/Business Park, home to businesses such as Punch Taverns, Currys, McDonalds and shops such as Morrisons
and the Bannatyne Health Club.
Branston was the original home of Branston Pickle
, before production moved to Bury St. Edmunds
in 2004.
The parish church in Branston is St Saviour's
, part of the Diocese of Lichfield
.
The name Branston is Old English and means an estate belonging to a man called Brant, a personal name of Scandinavian origin. The medieval village stood near the river, its position decided by its proximity to a ford
In 942 King Edmund
granted an estate at Branston to Wulfsige the Black, possibly an ancestor of Wulfric Spot
, the founder of Burton Abbey, and in 1066 it was held by Godgifu (Lady Godiva
), the widow of Leofric, Earl of Mercia
.
By the later 18th century the village stood at the east end of Old Road, which with Warren Lane formed the line of the medieval road between Burton and Lichfield
before Main Street was laid out to the north in the early 19th century. A new village
centre then developed along Main Street. A Congregational chapel was opened in 1834, and there was a post office by 1871.
A public house mentioned in 1789 was by 1818 called the Gate inn. It presumably stood on the site of the present inn of that name at the southern end of the modern
village, and took its name from the nearby toll-gate set up after the Burton-Lichfield road was turn-piked in 1729. By 1818 there was another inn a short distance to the north. Then called the White Hart, it was known as the Anglesey Arms by the earlier 1830s and still existed in 1918. A third inn, the present Blacksmiths Arms at the junction of Main Street and Old Road, existed as a beer house called the Smiths Arms in 1851.
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...
.
Branston was originally a small village beside the River Trent and lies to the south of Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
. It spread in the 19th century along the main Burton to Lichfield road, which is now the dual carriageway A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
. There is much 19th- and 20th-century housing along Clays Lane, north of the village, and along Burton Road to the east. Elsewhere, the land is mainly farmland, with the former Sinai Park in the northern part of the township.
Nowadays, Branston has seen many housing developments such as Regents Park and Fairway estate next to Branston Golf Course.
There are two schools in Branston, Rykneld Primary School and Paget High School.
Also a major part of Branston these days is the Centrum 100 Retail/Business Park, home to businesses such as Punch Taverns, Currys, McDonalds and shops such as Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
and the Bannatyne Health Club.
Branston was the original home of Branston Pickle
Branston Pickle
Branston is a British food brand. It is best known for the original Branston Pickle, a jarred pickled relish first made in 1922 in the Branston suburb of Burton upon Trent by Crosse & Blackwell....
, before production moved to Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
in 2004.
The parish church in Branston is St Saviour's
St Saviour's, Branston
Saint Saviour's is the Church of England parish church for the village of Branston, south of Burton upon Trent. It is part of the Diocese of Lichfield.The church was built in 1864, designed by the architect, Vincent Cook....
, part of the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
.
The name Branston is Old English and means an estate belonging to a man called Brant, a personal name of Scandinavian origin. The medieval village stood near the river, its position decided by its proximity to a ford
In 942 King Edmund
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
granted an estate at Branston to Wulfsige the Black, possibly an ancestor of Wulfric Spot
Wulfric Spot
Wulfric , called Wulfric Spot or Spott, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. His will is an important document from the reign of King Æthelred the Unready...
, the founder of Burton Abbey, and in 1066 it was held by Godgifu (Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
), the widow of Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
.
By the later 18th century the village stood at the east end of Old Road, which with Warren Lane formed the line of the medieval road between Burton and Lichfield
before Main Street was laid out to the north in the early 19th century. A new village
centre then developed along Main Street. A Congregational chapel was opened in 1834, and there was a post office by 1871.
A public house mentioned in 1789 was by 1818 called the Gate inn. It presumably stood on the site of the present inn of that name at the southern end of the modern
village, and took its name from the nearby toll-gate set up after the Burton-Lichfield road was turn-piked in 1729. By 1818 there was another inn a short distance to the north. Then called the White Hart, it was known as the Anglesey Arms by the earlier 1830s and still existed in 1918. A third inn, the present Blacksmiths Arms at the junction of Main Street and Old Road, existed as a beer house called the Smiths Arms in 1851.