Newchapel
Encyclopedia
Newchapel is a hamlet
in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, close to Kidsgrove
in Staffordshire
, England
.
Newchapel was originally named Thursfield. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book
in 1086 as Turvoldesfeld. After the Reformation in the 17th century the land reverted to private ownership, the new owner built a stone Chapel and the village was renamed Newchapel.
From 1894 to 1904 Newchapel formed part of Wolstanton Rural District
. After re-organisation of boundaries, from 1904 to 1974 it was part of Kidsgrove Urban District
; following the Local Government Act 1972
, it was absorbed into the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Newchapel was served by a railway station (shared with Goldenhill), Newchapel and Goldenhill
on the Potteries Loop, which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
on 1 October 1874 and closed on 2 March 1964.
The canal engineer James Brindley
(1716 – 27 September 1772) died at his Turnhurst
estate in Newchapel, within sight of his unfinished Harecastle Tunnel
. On 30 September 1772, just nine days after the completion of his Birmingham Canal
, he was buried in the churchyard of Newchapel; the present church, St. James, is dedicated to his memory. The grave is marked by a bronze plaque.
During the excavation work for the first Harecastle Tunnel
, large amounts of coal were discovered underground. This led to the development, initially by the Duke of Bridgewater and then by Robert Heath and Sons of a significant mining and coal by-products works known as Birchenwood. Growing from the Birchenwood Colliery Company founded in 1893, this was the largest industrial site that the Newchapel area has ever known and provided employment for several thousand people in its heyday. Newchapel as seen today was born as a result of the success of Birchenwood, and the first houses built were to provide homes for the workers and their families.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, close to 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...
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
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...
.
Newchapel was originally named Thursfield. It was mentioned 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...
in 1086 as Turvoldesfeld. After the Reformation in the 17th century the land reverted to private ownership, the new owner built a stone Chapel and the village was renamed Newchapel.
From 1894 to 1904 Newchapel formed part of Wolstanton Rural District
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....
. After re-organisation of boundaries, from 1904 to 1974 it was part of Kidsgrove Urban District
Kidsgrove Urban District
Kidsgrove Urban District was an urban district in the county of Staffordshire. It was formed in 1894 with the civil parishes of Hardings Wood, Kidsgrove, Newchapel and Talke. It was abolished in 1974, by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, when it was absorbed into the Borough of...
; following the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, it was absorbed into the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Newchapel was served by a railway station (shared with Goldenhill), Newchapel and Goldenhill
Newchapel and Goldenhill railway station
Newchapel and Goldenhill railway station was a station on the Potteries Loop Line located between the villages of Newchapel and Goldenhill in Staffordshire, England....
on the Potteries Loop, 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 1 October 1874 and closed on 2 March 1964.
The canal engineer James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
(1716 – 27 September 1772) died at his Turnhurst
Turnhurst
Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in an area of what is now Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, near to the hamlet of Newchapel in Newcastle-under-Lyme...
estate in Newchapel, within sight of his unfinished Harecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. It is made up of two separate, parallel, tunnels described as Brindley and the later Telford after the engineers that constructed them. Today only the Telford tunnel is navigable...
. On 30 September 1772, just nine days after the completion of his Birmingham Canal
BCN Main Line
The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England....
, he was buried in the churchyard of Newchapel; the present church, St. James, is dedicated to his memory. The grave is marked by a bronze plaque.
During the excavation work for the first Harecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. It is made up of two separate, parallel, tunnels described as Brindley and the later Telford after the engineers that constructed them. Today only the Telford tunnel is navigable...
, large amounts of coal were discovered underground. This led to the development, initially by the Duke of Bridgewater and then by Robert Heath and Sons of a significant mining and coal by-products works known as Birchenwood. Growing from the Birchenwood Colliery Company founded in 1893, this was the largest industrial site that the Newchapel area has ever known and provided employment for several thousand people in its heyday. Newchapel as seen today was born as a result of the success of Birchenwood, and the first houses built were to provide homes for the workers and their families.
External links
- Newchapel Village Newchapel Village History and photo gallery
- Harriseahead and Newchapel: a brief moment in time A brief History of Harriseahead and Newchapel
- Thursfield History History of Newchapel and the Thursfield family 1500-2000.