Pattingham
Encyclopedia
Pattingham is a village in South Staffordshire
, close to the border with Shropshire
. The village is seven miles to the west of Wolverhampton
and seven and a half miles east of Bridgnorth
.
Pattingham was originally a farming community but expanded housing in the mid- to late-20th century has led to it becoming a dormitory village for West Midlands conurbation
. The population of the village is around 2,500.
The village centre consists of a parish church and primary school (both St Chad’s), a village hall, and several shops. The village has two public houses and a workingmen’s club, and now has The Cowshed Restaurant. The oldest extant portion of St Chad’s Church dates from the late 12th century. The church was rebuilt in the mid-17th century following a devastating fire. George Gilbert Scott
extensively remodelled the church in the late 19th century. The parish of Pattingham and Patshull in the diocese of Lichfield
straddles the Staffordshire
/Shropshire
border.
Patshull Hall is a mid-18th century Baroque
house whose estate was landscaped by Capability Brown
. St Mary's
, Patshull estate’s church, was built at the same time as the Hall. It was formerly the Staffordshire seat of the Earls of Dartmouth
. A hotel is situated in the grounds of the Hall and features a golf course and trout fishing lakes.
Pattingham House was designed by William Baker of Audlem about 1760, and was formerly known as The Torque House after an iron age
gold torc
which was discovered in the grounds.
Many of the more modern houses in the village were designed by Richard Hughes, a late 19th century architect who gained inspiration from the works of Thomas Telford and William Morris.
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
, close to the border with Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
. The village is seven miles to the west of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and seven and a half miles east of Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
.
Pattingham was originally a farming community but expanded housing in the mid- to late-20th century has led to it becoming a dormitory village for West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
. The population of the village is around 2,500.
The village centre consists of a parish church and primary school (both St Chad’s), a village hall, and several shops. The village has two public houses and a workingmen’s club, and now has The Cowshed Restaurant. The oldest extant portion of St Chad’s Church dates from the late 12th century. The church was rebuilt in the mid-17th century following a devastating fire. George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
extensively remodelled the church in the late 19th century. The parish of Pattingham and Patshull in the diocese of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
straddles the 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...
/Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
border.
Patshull Hall is a mid-18th century Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
house whose estate was landscaped by Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
. St Mary's
St Mary's Church, Patshull
St Mary's Church, Patshull, is a redundant Anglican church near the village of Pattingham, Staffordshire, England, near Patshull Hall. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
, Patshull estate’s church, was built at the same time as the Hall. It was formerly the Staffordshire seat of the Earls of Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth. The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a Royalist army officer and close associate of Prince Rupert of the...
. A hotel is situated in the grounds of the Hall and features a golf course and trout fishing lakes.
Pattingham House was designed by William Baker of Audlem about 1760, and was formerly known as The Torque House after an iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
gold torc
Torc
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large, usually rigid, neck ring typically made from strands of metal twisted together. The great majority are open-ended at the front, although many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove. Smaller torcs worn around...
which was discovered in the grounds.
Many of the more modern houses in the village were designed by Richard Hughes, a late 19th century architect who gained inspiration from the works of Thomas Telford and William Morris.
Further reading
- May Griffiths. Around Pattingham & Wombourne in Old Photographs. 1992
- Alex Brew. Tettenhall & Pattingham (The Archive Photograph Series). 1997