Cheddleton, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Cheddleton is a large village in the Staffordshire Moorlands
, near to the town of Leek
. It is divided into two distinct communities - the traditional village
and the modern Redrow development located at St. Edward's Park, on the grounds of the old St. Edward's Psychiatric Hospital. This extensive site has been redeveloped and many of the old listed hospital buildings have been renovated, including the old hospital water tower, the highest building in the surrounding area, which now serves as an impressive private dwelling. The traditional village is served by a handful of shops, a post office
, 3 public house
s (the Boat Inn, the Black Lion and the Red Lion) and two churches: St Edward's (Anglican) and St Andrew's (Methodist). The modern development has limited amenities, although there is a Latin American cuisine
restaurant, Castro's, situated on the canal side, nearby.
The village is twinned
with Mitterteich in Germany
. The twinning association holds regular meetings and exchanges between the two villages.
Notable attractions include:
was opened September 1, 1849. Although not open as part of the national network
, it is operated by a private concern, the Churnet Valley Railway
. It regularly holds special fun day events both in the day and at night along the refurbished line between the Leek Brook
and Kingsley and Froghall
stations. It has reopened and expanded in stages, funded mainly through share issues
in the holding company
. Train enthusiast Pete Waterman
was a special guest invited to officially open the station
at Consall
, on the line between the Cheddleton and Kingsley & Froghall railway stations.
The railway was originally connected to the National Rail Network and was closed as part of the Rail Cuts made by Richard Beeching
in his controversial report in 1963.
However, a local consortium of residents, spearheaded by the late Norman Hacock (local resident and businessman) launched a campaign to keep the line open.
In 1976 the station was taken over by the NSRS (North Staffordshire Railway Society) - which became the North Staffordshire Railway Co (1978) Ltd who still run the CVR (Churnet Valley Railway) as a registered charity.
is a Grade II* listed building, situated along the Caldon Canal
. It is a prime example of Staffordshire
's industrial past – a flint grinding watermill
previously used for supplying the pottery
industry further along the canal in Stoke-on-Trent
. It is open to the public free of charge, and has been preserved, with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund
, by the Cheddleton Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust.
organised by the Cheddleton Carnival Committee
on the second Saturday in August, held on the Ashcombe Park Cricket Club car park. The committee also organises other events in the village throughout the rest of the year, most notably the Bonfire Night
fireworks display – held, again, in the car park, and the 'Duck Race', held annually at the Boat Inn and raced along the canal. The committee raises funds for Cancer Research UK
and to date have raised over £500,000.
run' which takes place every year on the final Saturday in November. It is a very popular event and attracts hundreds of visiting runners from surrounding running clubs, especially Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club runners. The event consist of the main 10K race (three laps of the course) and a fun run
(one lap).
Despite the size of the village it does have a fairly well known sporting hero, Lee Pearson. Lee is a paralympic horse riding champion, having won 9 Paralympic Gold medals, as well as an MBE
, an OBE and a CBE from the Queen. In 2004 he was awarded BBC Midlands
Sports Personality of the Year
.
Lee was born with Arthrogryposis
, leaving him severely disabled, but, with the help of over 15 operations, can now walk with the help of splints and crutches.
. Children attend the school from the beginning of their education up to Key Stage 2
(Reception
class to Year 4). The school is also home to a popular after-school club.
The old schoolhouse
has been turned into a well established tea room, just down the road from St. Edward's.
On the St Edward's site, the former isolation hospital has been restored and converted into a children's day nursery. Teddy's Garden Day Nursery was recently judged as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted
.
and eight months later a local man called Mark Goldstraw was found guilty on four counts of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum term of 35 years.
pit and was overcome by fumes at the Pointon's rendering plant. Glynn Thompson had been trying to rescue colleague Ivan Torr, who had become trapped. Pointon's were fined over £600,000 for breach of health and safety rules.
It should be noted, however that the current animal rendering plant has been operative at the Cheddleton site for over 50 years and that there has been a rendering plant on that site for over 80 years.
Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as...
, near to the town of Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
. It is divided into two distinct communities - the traditional 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...
and the modern Redrow development located at St. Edward's Park, on the grounds of the old St. Edward's Psychiatric Hospital. This extensive site has been redeveloped and many of the old listed hospital buildings have been renovated, including the old hospital water tower, the highest building in the surrounding area, which now serves as an impressive private dwelling. The traditional village is served by a handful of shops, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, 3 public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s (the Boat Inn, the Black Lion and the Red Lion) and two churches: St Edward's (Anglican) and St Andrew's (Methodist). The modern development has limited amenities, although there is a Latin American cuisine
Latin American cuisine
Latin American Cuisine refers to typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America...
restaurant, Castro's, situated on the canal side, nearby.
The village is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Mitterteich in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The twinning association holds regular meetings and exchanges between the two villages.
Tourist attractions
An information page and forum with all Cheddleton's info and pictures at http://www.cheddletonvillage.co.ukNotable attractions include:
Churnet Valley Railway
Cheddleton railway stationCheddleton railway station
Cheddleton railway station is a passenger railway station on the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, England.-History:Cheddleton station, situated on the Churnet Valley Line of the North Staffordshire Railway, was opened to both passengers and goods on September 1, 1849.The station was a...
was opened September 1, 1849. Although not open as part of the national network
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
, it is operated by a private concern, the Churnet Valley Railway
Churnet Valley Railway
The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where...
. It regularly holds special fun day events both in the day and at night along the refurbished line between the Leek Brook
Leek Brook railway station
Leek Brook railway station is a closed passenger station in Staffordshire, Great Britain.-History:Leek Brook railway station was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1904. It consisted of a island platform with two faces on the line from and and a single platform on the down Leek Brook...
and Kingsley and Froghall
Kingsley and Froghall railway station
Kingsley and Froghall railway station is a passenger railway station on the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, England.-History:Kingsley and Froghall station, situated on the Churnet Valley Line of the North Staffordshire Railway, was opened to both passengers and goods on 1 September...
stations. It has reopened and expanded in stages, funded mainly through share issues
Issued share capital
The issued share capital of a company is the total nominal value of the shares of a company which have been issued to shareholders and which remain outstanding . These shares, along with the share premium account, represent the capital invested by the shareholders in the company...
in the holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
. Train enthusiast Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
was a special guest invited to officially open the station
Consall railway station
Consall railway station is a passenger railway station on the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, England.-History:Consall station, situated on the Churnet Valley Line of the North Staffordshire Railway, was opened to both passengers and goods on 3 March 1902...
at Consall
Consall
Consall is a small village situated in the Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire, England. Home of Consall Forge Pottery where a craftsman potter makes and sells hand-thrown domestic stoneware ceramics. It is approximately 6 miles south of the market town of Leek and 8 miles east of Stoke-on-Trent...
, on the line between the Cheddleton and Kingsley & Froghall railway stations.
The railway was originally connected to the National Rail Network and was closed as part of the Rail Cuts made by Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
in his controversial report in 1963.
However, a local consortium of residents, spearheaded by the late Norman Hacock (local resident and businessman) launched a campaign to keep the line open.
In 1976 the station was taken over by the NSRS (North Staffordshire Railway Society) - which became the North Staffordshire Railway Co (1978) Ltd who still run the CVR (Churnet Valley Railway) as a registered charity.
Cheddleton Flint Mill
Cheddleton Flint MillCheddleton Flint Mill
Cheddleton Flint Mill is a water mill situated in the village of Cheddleton in the English county of Staffordshire. The mill was built to grind flint for use in the pottery industry. The mill complex includes two separate water mills, a miller's cottage, two flint kilns, a drying kiln and...
is a Grade II* listed building, situated along the Caldon Canal
Caldon Canal
The Caldon Canal , opened in 1779, runs 18 miles from Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent where it leaves the Trent and Mersey Canal at the summit level, to Froghall, Staffordshire...
. It is a prime example 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...
's industrial past – a flint grinding watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
previously used for supplying the pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
industry further along the canal in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. It is open to the public free of charge, and has been preserved, with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, by the Cheddleton Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust.
Cheddleton Carnival
Every year there is a carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
organised by the Cheddleton Carnival Committee
Cheddleton carnival
Cheddleton Carnival is an event held annually on the second Saturday of August at Ashcombe Park Cricket Club and all the proceeds from fundraising go to Cancer Research UK. It was founded by Ruth Wood, licensee of The Boat Inn, Basford Bridge Lane and some of her customers who thought it would be a...
on the second Saturday in August, held on the Ashcombe Park Cricket Club car park. The committee also organises other events in the village throughout the rest of the year, most notably the Bonfire Night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
fireworks display – held, again, in the car park, and the 'Duck Race', held annually at the Boat Inn and raced along the canal. The committee raises funds for Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
and to date have raised over £500,000.
Christmas Pudding 10K
Also organised by the Carnival Committee, principally committee member Stan Winterton, is the 'puddingChristmas pudding
Christmas pudding is a pudding traditionally served on Christmas Day . It has its origins in medieval England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or plum duff, though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit.-Basics:Many households have their own recipe for...
run' which takes place every year on the final Saturday in November. It is a very popular event and attracts hundreds of visiting runners from surrounding running clubs, especially Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club runners. The event consist of the main 10K race (three laps of the course) and a fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
(one lap).
Cheddleton in Bloom
Over two days in July villagers put their gardens on show in the Cheddleton in Bloom event, organised by St. Edward's Church.Notable residents
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, an OBE and a CBE from the Queen. In 2004 he was awarded BBC Midlands
BBC West Midlands
BBC West Midlands is the BBC English Region producing local television, radio, web and teletext content for West Midlands metropolitan county, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and parts of Northern Gloucestershire - although the county as part of the south west...
Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
.
Lee was born with Arthrogryposis
Arthrogryposis
Arthrogryposis, also known as Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, is a rare congenital disorder that is characterized by multiple joint contractures and can include muscle weakness and fibrosis. It is a non-progressive disease...
, leaving him severely disabled, but, with the help of over 15 operations, can now walk with the help of splints and crutches.
Schools
Cheddleton is served by St. Edward's CE (c) First School, close to St. Edward's Church and the local community centreCommunity centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
. Children attend the school from the beginning of their education up to Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
(Reception
Reception (school)
Reception or Primary 1 or FS2 is the first year of primary school in the United Kingdom and South Australia. It is preceded by nursery and is followed by Year One in England and Wales or Primary 2 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.Pupils in Reception are usually aged between four and five...
class to Year 4). The school is also home to a popular after-school club.
The old schoolhouse
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
has been turned into a well established tea room, just down the road from St. Edward's.
On the St Edward's site, the former isolation hospital has been restored and converted into a children's day nursery. Teddy's Garden Day Nursery was recently judged as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
.
House fire
The village hit the headlines in March 2006 when a fire at a house on Hillside Road killed four people. The cause of the fire was quickly established as arsonArson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and eight months later a local man called Mark Goldstraw was found guilty on four counts of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum term of 35 years.
Pointon's accident
An employee was crushed when he fell into the offalOffal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
pit and was overcome by fumes at the Pointon's rendering plant. Glynn Thompson had been trying to rescue colleague Ivan Torr, who had become trapped. Pointon's were fined over £600,000 for breach of health and safety rules.
Other information
- Cheddleton is home to Leek RUFC, who play their home games at Post & Times Park on St. Edward's Park. The club moved to their (relatively) new home having formerly played their home games at Birchall Playing Fields on the outskirts of Leek.
- Cheddleton is also home to Ashcombe Park Cricket Club, who play their home games at Ashcombe Park Cricket Ground at the south end of the village. Over recent years it has become a thriving social venue amongst locals.
- On the outskirts of the village, on the Wetley Rocks road to the south, is the Pointon's Animal Rendering Plant. Many villagers oppose this plant, due to its fumes and unsuitable access roads for traffic, notably large lorries, accessing the plant.
It should be noted, however that the current animal rendering plant has been operative at the Cheddleton site for over 50 years and that there has been a rendering plant on that site for over 80 years.