Chesterton, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Chesterton is a small, former mining village
, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
, England
. It sits near the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme
.
Chesterton is the second largest individual ward in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, of which Kidsgrove
is the largest. In the 2001 census, Chesterton's population stood at 7,111.
Chesterton was a parish in the Wolstanton Rural District
from 1894 to 1904. Following that, it became part of the Wolstanton United Urban District
until 1932, when it was added to the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The main employer in Chesterton was Holditch Colliery. The colliery employed 1,500 men and mined ironstone
in addition to coal
. Despite heavy investment in the 1960s and 1970s the colliery closed down in 1988, just three years after the end of the year long miners' strike
. Many of the miners transferred to nearby Silvedale Colliery, which itself closed down on Christmas Eve 1998.
The current site of Holditch Colliery is now a large business park with warehouses and was where a large Vodafone
call centre stood until the building was vacated in November 2009.
, Chesterton Community Sports College
, that has just under 500 pupils, and four primary schools
, Churchfields Primary, Chesterton Primary, Crackley Bank Primary and St.Chads Primary.
Pit village
A pit village is a term used in the UK for the village serving a deep coal mine.Many of the workers lived in houses that were provided by the colliery. Many villages have experienced depopulation after colliery closures forced people to move to other towns and cities where there are jobs for them...
, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, 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 sits near the market 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...
.
Chesterton is the second largest individual ward in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, of which Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove is a town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It has a population of 24,112...
is the largest. In the 2001 census, Chesterton's population stood at 7,111.
History
Wolstanton Rural District
Wolstanton was a rural district in Staffordshire, England from 1894 to 1904. It was created by the Local Government Act 1894 based on Wolstanton rural sanitary district....
from 1894 to 1904. Following that, it became part of the Wolstanton United Urban District
Wolstanton United Urban District
Wolstanton United Urban District was an urban district in the county of Staffordshire. It was formed in 1904 with the civil parishes of Chesterton, Silverdale and Wolstanton. It was abolished in 1932, when it was absorbed into the Newcastle-under-Lyme Municipal Borough.-References:*...
until 1932, when it was added to the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The main employer in Chesterton was Holditch Colliery. The colliery employed 1,500 men and mined ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
in addition to coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Despite heavy investment in the 1960s and 1970s the colliery closed down in 1988, just three years after the end of the year long miners' strike
UK miners' strike (1984–1985)
The UK miners' strike was a major industrial action affecting the British coal industry. It was a defining moment in British industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the British trades union movement...
. Many of the miners transferred to nearby Silvedale Colliery, which itself closed down on Christmas Eve 1998.
The current site of Holditch Colliery is now a large business park with warehouses and was where a large Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
call centre stood until the building was vacated in November 2009.
Education
It has a small secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, Chesterton Community Sports College
Chesterton Community Sports College
Chesterton Community Sports College is a specialist sports college in xxxx with under 500 pupils.Many Students from Chesterton Primary, Crackley Bank and St Chads attend this school after leaving.As from 2006 they brought music and drama into the curriculum...
, that has just under 500 pupils, and four primary schools
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, Churchfields Primary, Chesterton Primary, Crackley Bank Primary and St.Chads Primary.
Religion
Chesterton is home to six churches, Chesterton Holy Trinity Church, Elim Pentecostal Church, St Johns the Evangelist Church, Holy Trinity C of E Church, Chesterton URC and St Chads Church.Places of interest
- Apedale Community Country ParkApedale Community Country ParkApedale Community Country Park is a 454 [154ha] acre country park in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....
- Apedale Heritage CentreApedale Heritage CentreThe Apedale Heritage Centre was created at the site of Staffordshire's Apedale Mine and is run by volunteers. It is located just outside the village of Chesterton near Newcastle-under-Lyme in the Apedale Community Country Park....
- Moseley Railway TrustMoseley Railway TrustThe Moseley Railway Trust is a major British collection of industrial narrow gauge locomotives and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester, but has completely relocated to the Apedale Country Park near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire where a passenger railway is now open...
- Loomer Road StadiumLoomer Road StadiumLoomer Road Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Chesterton, Staffordshire. Today, it hosts mainly motorcycle speedway and occasionally stock car racing, but in the past it has been the venue for greyhound racing...
Notable people
- Frank BowyerFrank BowyerFrank Bowyer was an English footballer.-Career:He joined Stoke City in June, 1937, soon after leaving school. World War II disrupted his career, and it was not until February 1948, at the age of 26, that he finally played in the Football League and FA Cup competitions...
, footballer - Ken DowningKen DowningKenneth Henry Downing was a racing driver from England. He participated in 2 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on July 19, 1952. He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races-Complete World Championship Formula One results:...
, motor racing driver - Tony LoskaTony LoskaAnthony Stephen Patrick "Tony" Loska is a retired English footballer who played as a full back. He played in The Football League for four clubs.-Playing career:...
, footballer - Ian MooresIan MooresIan Richard Moores was an English footballer, at 6 foot 2 inches, the bearded blonde striker was an imposing figure on the pitch.-Playing career:...
, footballer - Mike (Mick) PejicMike PejicMike Pejic , is a retired English-Serbian footballer. His father was Serbian and his mother was English.-Career:...
, Stoke City and England International Footballer