Swadlincote
Encyclopedia
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area
in South Derbyshire
, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Derby
. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council.
Swadlincote consists of the settlements of Swadlincote, Church Gresley
, Midway
and Newhall
. Their combined population is about 36,000.
is derived from the Old English "Swartlings Cottas", Swartling being a man's name and cottas meaning cottages. Past forms of the toponym include Sivardingescote and Swartlincote. Swadlincote residents often shorten its name to "Swad".
The Domesday Book
of 1086 recorded Swadlincote as a small manor
. It was part of the parish of Gresley (latterly Church Gresley
) until the 19th century.
The first record of mineral extraction in the area is from the end of the 13th century, but the area remained rural until the industrialisation
in the 18th century. The presence of coal and clay in the area led to urbanisation as colleries, brickworks and potteries came to dominate Swadlincote. These industries continued to expand until the Second World War. In Alexandra Road one traditional bottle-shaped kiln
survives.
Emmanuel Church of England parish church
is a Gothic Revival
building consecrated in 1846. It was designed by H. I. Stevens and completed in 1848. Swadlincote had a Wesleyan
chapel by 1848. Today the town has also the Roman Catholic church of Saints Peter and Paul
.
The town's first local government was formed in 1871 with the creation of Swadlincote District local board of health
. the board's district consisted of three civil parishes: Church Gresley, Sutton and Newhall and Swadlincote. Under the terms of the Local Government Act 1894
, this became Swadlincote and District Urban District, renamed Swadlincote Urban District in 1951. In 1974 the urban district
was merged with Repton Rural District
and part of South East Derbyshire Rural District
to form the present South Derbyshire District.
The urban district council was granted a coat of arms
in 1947. The design reflected the fact that Swadlincote was formed out of part of the ancient parish of Church Gresley
. Around the edge of the shield was a bordure or border in a "vair
y" pattern of red and ermine
, from the arms of the Gresley family, who took their name from the parish. The dedication of Grespel parish church to Saint George
and Saint Mary
was represented by their symbols: a cross and fleur de lys
respectively. The quartered ermine and red field of the shield was taken from the arms of the Stanhope family, Earls of Harrington
. The Tudor rose
s were taken from the arms of Derbyshire County Council. Above the arms was a crest depicting a human arm holding a billet or: a yellow brick for the local brick making industry. The arm rose from flames, indicative of mining of fireclay and coal
. The Latin
motto adopted: E Terra Divitiæ ("From the earth, riches") also referred to the mineral industries of Swadlincote. The current arms of the South Derbyshire District Council which bear the motto "The Earth Our Wealth" also reflect this heritage and are borne on local street-name signs.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the town's Rink venue (now demolished and the site of industrial units) hosted to major British and American pop stars and Gene Vincent
appeared in the town on 7 September 1963. Ringo Starr
appeared in 1962 while he was the drummer for Rory Storm
and the Hurricanes.
, and one is a Conservative
.
Swadlincote forms part of the South Derbyshire
Westminster parliamentary constituency. Between 1997 and 2010 its MP was Mark Todd
(Labour). In the 2010 General Election
, the seat was won by the Conservative Party candidate Heather Wheeler
, a former leader of the Conservative group on the South Derbyshire District Council. A notable previous MP is Edwina Currie
(Conservative). Until 1987 the area was part of the Belper constituency
.
Swadlincote has a moderate-sized town centre
, typical of those in the Midlands
, containing national chain store
s including Boots
and small local businesses. It had a branch of Somerfield
before the Co-operative Group
took over that chain in 2009. Swadlincote had a Woolworths
until the chain ceased trading in 2009. Alworths
took over Woolworths' former Swadlincote branch but this too subsequently closed. The opening of a large Morrisons
store on Coppice Side has been blamed for the closure of a number of small independent shops in the town. Shops that lined West Street and High Street from 1901 disappeared by the early 21st century.
Plans were announced in 2008 for the development of a retail complex consisting of a cinema, DIY store and a nationally recognised clothing store. A link road called Sir Herbert Wragg
Way has been built, named after the area's mid-20th century Member of Parliament
and pipe yard owner.
Barracuda Group opened a bar and restaurant at the former Empire Cinema site in April 2007. It e is one of the chain's "Smith & Jones" branded pubs and is named 'The Paramount' after Paramount Cars
, a bespoke car manufacturer that was based in the town in the 1950s. Local resident Joanne Clamp won a competition to name the pub. The Paramount competes with J D Wetherspoon's 'Sir Nigel Gresley' and long time public houses, the Bear and the Forester's Arms.
(Burton-upon-Trent to Ashby-de-la-Zouch
) roads.
In 1804 the Ashby Canal was opened. Its northern terminus was at Moira, Leicestershire
and it built tramways to carry coal and ceramics from Swadlincote and elsewhere to the canal for shipment.
The Midland Railway
opened its Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line
through Gresley in 1845 and opened Gresley railway station
to serve the area. The company later built a branch line through Swadlincote itself and neighbouring Woodville
. In the 20th century passenger services were withdrawn from both lines, and British Railways closed Gresley station in 1964.
Today the nearest railway station is , about 4 miles (6.4 km) away. The Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line remains open for goods traffic and in the 1990s there was a plan to restart the passenger service as the second phase of Leicestershire's Ivanhoe Line. However, the plan was discontinued after the privatisation of British Rail
and has not been revived.
Swadlincote is served by the Arriva Midlands
and Midland Classic bus companies.
on Coronation Street; which with 1,500 pupils is Swadlincote's largest secondary school.
The main attractions within the boundaries of Swadlincote are the local parks such as Maurice Lea at Church Gresley and Eureka, the Green Bank Leisure Centre, the large dry ski slope and The 50s American Diner, the largest American diner in the UK, all within reach of the town centre. The town has one museum: Sharpe's Pottery Centre, a visitor centre that tells people of the town's pottery heritage. Gresley F.C., formerly Gresley Rovers, is a semi-professional football team based at Moat Street, Church Gresley
.
Local youth organisations include No 1211 (Swadlincote) Squadron of the Air Training Corps
on Eureka Park.
The creation of the Swadlincote Woodlands Forest Park has introduced a recreational area with forest trails and more than 22,000 trees.
The accent, rather like that of Burton-upon-Trent, is akin to that of Derby, and the terms of endearment "Duck" and "Ay up me duck" (Hello, my dear) are in common use in the Swadlincote area, as they are throughout some parts of Derbyshire and much of north Staffordshire
. Presumably it was initially the miners who used the term in this particular context. For example, an inhabitant enquiring about your well-being may ask "How are you, (me) duck?". This can be likened to the Geordie
use of "pet", which is interesting as both use the analogy of an animal. (Query: "mi'duck" may come from the Old English mi duka ("my lord"). Although "duck" can be used to converse 'male to male', it is now more commonly used when talking to a member of the opposite sex only.
The word "youth" is commonly used to describe any person. Unlike "duck", however – which is always a term of endearment – the word is sometimes used for scorn as well as endearment.
One example of the dialect is the pronunciation of the word "tree", which is pronounced as "tray", and "tray" – which is pronounced as "Tree". "Saturday" is "Satdee" ,"Tuesday" is "Toozdee" and "three" is "threy". "Mardy" means soft or crybaby and "jitty" is a passage or alley. "Ah" is "yes" and "can't/wouldn't/shan't" are "canna/wunna/shunna". "Something" is "summat".
Recently, people have been moving to the town from South Staffordshire e.g. Tamworth
and Lichfield
, who use Swadlincote as a dormitory site, working elsewhere. This dialect can be heard alongside the traditional one.
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
in South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote....
, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council.
Swadlincote consists of the settlements of Swadlincote, Church Gresley
Church Gresley
Church Gresley is a village and former civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The village is very close to the town of Swadlincote, between the town and Castle Gresley. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,805.The toponym "Gresley" is derived...
, Midway
Midway, Derbyshire
Midway is a suburb of Swadlincote, South Derbyshire and is north of the centre of the town. Nearby villages include Newhall, Church Gresley and Hartshorne, which is further east.-Transport:...
and Newhall
Newhall, Derbyshire
Newhall is a town located in South Derbyshire, England. The village of Stanton is nearby and in the same parish.-Newhall village:The village lies between the A444 to its south and the A511 to its north. To its east is the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, very close to the M42 linking Nottingham ...
. Their combined population is about 36,000.
History
Swadlincote's toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
is derived from the Old English "Swartlings Cottas", Swartling being a man's name and cottas meaning cottages. Past forms of the toponym include Sivardingescote and Swartlincote. Swadlincote residents often shorten its name to "Swad".
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...
of 1086 recorded Swadlincote as a small manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
. It was part of the parish of Gresley (latterly Church Gresley
Church Gresley
Church Gresley is a village and former civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The village is very close to the town of Swadlincote, between the town and Castle Gresley. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,805.The toponym "Gresley" is derived...
) until the 19th century.
The first record of mineral extraction in the area is from the end of the 13th century, but the area remained rural until the industrialisation
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the 18th century. The presence of coal and clay in the area led to urbanisation as colleries, brickworks and potteries came to dominate Swadlincote. These industries continued to expand until the Second World War. In Alexandra Road one traditional bottle-shaped kiln
Bottle oven
A bottle oven is a type of kiln. The word 'bottle' refers to the shape of the structure and not to the kiln's products which were pottery not glass....
survives.
Emmanuel Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
is a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building consecrated in 1846. It was designed by H. I. Stevens and completed in 1848. Swadlincote had a Wesleyan
Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the name used by the major Methodist movement in Great Britain following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements...
chapel by 1848. Today the town has also the Roman Catholic church of Saints Peter and Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
.
The town's first local government was formed in 1871 with the creation of Swadlincote District local board of health
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
. the board's district consisted of three civil parishes: Church Gresley, Sutton and Newhall and Swadlincote. Under the terms of the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, this became Swadlincote and District Urban District, renamed Swadlincote Urban District in 1951. In 1974 the urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
was merged with Repton Rural District
Repton Rural District
Repton was a rural district in Derbyshire, England from 1894 to 1974.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 from the part of the Burton upon Trent rural sanitary district which was in Derbyshire .In 1934, under a County Review Order, it was expanded somewhat by taking in the disbanded...
and part of South East Derbyshire Rural District
South East Derbyshire Rural District
South East Derbyshire was a rural district in Derbyshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It covered an area to the south-east of Derby.It was formed as Shardlow rural district under the Local Government Act 1894, mainly from the Derbyshire part of the Shardlow rural sanitary district South East...
to form the present South Derbyshire District.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
in 1947. The design reflected the fact that Swadlincote was formed out of part of the ancient parish of Church Gresley
Church Gresley
Church Gresley is a village and former civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The village is very close to the town of Swadlincote, between the town and Castle Gresley. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,805.The toponym "Gresley" is derived...
. Around the edge of the shield was a bordure or border in a "vair
Vair
Vair is the heraldic representation of patches of squirrel fur in an alternating pattern of blue and white. As a tincture, vair is considered a fur and is therefore exempted from the Rule of tincture . Variations of vair are laid out in different patterns, each with their own name...
y" pattern of red and ermine
Ermine (heraldry)
Ermine is a heraldic fur representing the winter coat of the stoat . Many skins would be sewn together to make a luxurious garment, producing a pattern of small black spots on a white field...
, from the arms of the Gresley family, who took their name from the parish. The dedication of Grespel parish church to Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
and Saint Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
was represented by their symbols: a cross and fleur de lys
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
respectively. The quartered ermine and red field of the shield was taken from the arms of the Stanhope family, Earls of Harrington
Earl of Harrington
Earl of Harrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1742 for the former Secretary of State and then Lord President of the Council, William Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington. He had already been created Baron Harrington, of Harrington in the County of Northampton, in 1730,...
. The Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
s were taken from the arms of Derbyshire County Council. Above the arms was a crest depicting a human arm holding a billet or: a yellow brick for the local brick making industry. The arm rose from flames, indicative of mining of fireclay and 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...
. The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto adopted: E Terra Divitiæ ("From the earth, riches") also referred to the mineral industries of Swadlincote. The current arms of the South Derbyshire District Council which bear the motto "The Earth Our Wealth" also reflect this heritage and are borne on local street-name signs.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the town's Rink venue (now demolished and the site of industrial units) hosted to major British and American pop stars and Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
appeared in the town on 7 September 1963. Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
appeared in 1962 while he was the drummer for Rory Storm
Rory Storm
Rory Storm was an English singer and musician. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles in the late 1950s, and early 1960s...
and the Hurricanes.
Governance
Swadlincote comprises four of the seventeen wards of the district of South Derbyshire. Between them the four wards return 11 out of the 36 district councillors. The wards are: Church Gresley (two councillors), Newhall and Stanton (three), Midway (three) and Swadlincote (three). Of the eleven councillors elected in 2007, ten are members of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, and one is a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Swadlincote forms part of the South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:"-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1940s:-References:...
Westminster parliamentary constituency. Between 1997 and 2010 its MP was Mark Todd
Mark Todd (politician)
Mark Wainwright Todd is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
(Labour). In the 2010 General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, the seat was won by the Conservative Party candidate Heather Wheeler
Heather Wheeler
Heather Kay Wheeler is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire, taking the seat from the Labour Party after 13 years....
, a former leader of the Conservative group on the South Derbyshire District Council. A notable previous MP is Edwina Currie
Edwina Currie
Edwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
(Conservative). Until 1987 the area was part of the Belper constituency
Belper (UK Parliament constituency)
Belper is a former constituency in the UK Parliament. It was created at the 1918 general election as a county division of Derbyshire, comprising the area in the centre of the county and surrounding Derby, and named after the market town of Belper although this was in the north of the constituency....
.
Economy
The town originally had a prominent manufacturing heritage that made pipes and earthenware etc. It was the centre of the South Derbyshire coalfield but mining ceased in the early 1990s when Rawdon Colliery closed in 1993. Light manufacturing and service companies are sited on industrial estates.Swadlincote has a moderate-sized town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
, typical of those in the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, containing national chain store
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
s including Boots
Boots UK
Boots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
and small local businesses. It had a branch of Somerfield
Somerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
before the Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
took over that chain in 2009. Swadlincote had a Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
until the chain ceased trading in 2009. Alworths
Alworths
Alworths was a chain of British high-street retail stores created out of the remains of some of the former stores of Woolworths Plc. When the company fell into administration 15 branches were acquired by Poundstretcher.- History :...
took over Woolworths' former Swadlincote branch but this too subsequently closed. The opening of a large 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...
store on Coppice Side has been blamed for the closure of a number of small independent shops in the town. Shops that lined West Street and High Street from 1901 disappeared by the early 21st century.
Plans were announced in 2008 for the development of a retail complex consisting of a cinema, DIY store and a nationally recognised clothing store. A link road called Sir Herbert Wragg
Herbert Wragg
Sir Herbert Wragg was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Belper in Derbyshire from 1923 to 1929 and from 1931 to 1945....
Way has been built, named after the area's mid-20th century Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and pipe yard owner.
Barracuda Group opened a bar and restaurant at the former Empire Cinema site in April 2007. It e is one of the chain's "Smith & Jones" branded pubs and is named 'The Paramount' after Paramount Cars
Paramount Cars
Paramount Cars was a British car made between 1950 and 1956. It was initially manufactured in Swadlincote, moving shortly after to Melbourne and then to Leighton Buzzard.- Paramount Cars History :...
, a bespoke car manufacturer that was based in the town in the 1950s. Local resident Joanne Clamp won a competition to name the pub. The Paramount competes with J D Wetherspoon's 'Sir Nigel Gresley' and long time public houses, the Bear and the Forester's Arms.
Transport
Swadlincote is near the junction of the A514 (Derby to A444) and A511A511 road
The A511 road is a stretch of mainly single-carriageway road which runs northwest from junction 22 of the M1 motorway in Leicestershire, England to join the A50 between Uttoxeter and Derby....
(Burton-upon-Trent to Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
) roads.
In 1804 the Ashby Canal was opened. Its northern terminus was at Moira, Leicestershire
Moira, Leicestershire
Moira is a former mining village about west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in North West Leicestershire, England. The village is about miles south of the Derbyshire town of Swadlincote and is close to the county boundary....
and it built tramways to carry coal and ceramics from Swadlincote and elsewhere to the canal for shipment.
The Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
opened its Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line
Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line
The Leicester to Burton-Upon-Trent Line is a freight-only railway line in England linking the Midland Main Line south of to the Cross Country Route at...
through Gresley in 1845 and opened Gresley railway station
Gresley railway station
Gresley railway station was a railway station at Castle Gresley, Derbyshire on the Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line. The line was built for the Midland Railway and opened in 1849...
to serve the area. The company later built a branch line through Swadlincote itself and neighbouring Woodville
Woodville, Derbyshire
Woodville is a village and civil parish just outside Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, England. The centre of the village, known as the Tollgate, is a busy traffic island on the A511.-History:...
. In the 20th century passenger services were withdrawn from both lines, and British Railways closed Gresley station in 1964.
Today the nearest railway station is , about 4 miles (6.4 km) away. The Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line remains open for goods traffic and in the 1990s there was a plan to restart the passenger service as the second phase of Leicestershire's Ivanhoe Line. However, the plan was discontinued after the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
and has not been revived.
Swadlincote is served by the Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators.-Arriva Midlands North:...
and Midland Classic bus companies.
Education
Schools in Swadlincote include Granville Community School at Woodville, William Allitt School at Newhall, Pennine Way Junior School in Church Gresley, Belmont and Springfield Junior Schools and The Pingle SchoolThe Pingle School
The Pingle School is a state comprehensive school located at Coronation Street in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, England. The name comes from the former Pingle Farm; Pingle being a Midlands term for a small field or allotment.-Overview:...
on Coronation Street; which with 1,500 pupils is Swadlincote's largest secondary school.
Amenities
Church Gresley
Church Gresley is a village and former civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The village is very close to the town of Swadlincote, between the town and Castle Gresley. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,805.The toponym "Gresley" is derived...
.
Local youth organisations include No 1211 (Swadlincote) Squadron of the Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
on Eureka Park.
The creation of the Swadlincote Woodlands Forest Park has introduced a recreational area with forest trails and more than 22,000 trees.
Accent and dialect
The area around Swadlincote has historically had a distinct dialect.The accent, rather like that of Burton-upon-Trent, is akin to that of Derby, and the terms of endearment "Duck" and "Ay up me duck" (Hello, my dear) are in common use in the Swadlincote area, as they are throughout some parts of Derbyshire and much of north 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...
. Presumably it was initially the miners who used the term in this particular context. For example, an inhabitant enquiring about your well-being may ask "How are you, (me) duck?". This can be likened to the Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
use of "pet", which is interesting as both use the analogy of an animal. (Query: "mi'duck" may come from the Old English mi duka ("my lord"). Although "duck" can be used to converse 'male to male', it is now more commonly used when talking to a member of the opposite sex only.
The word "youth" is commonly used to describe any person. Unlike "duck", however – which is always a term of endearment – the word is sometimes used for scorn as well as endearment.
One example of the dialect is the pronunciation of the word "tree", which is pronounced as "tray", and "tray" – which is pronounced as "Tree". "Saturday" is "Satdee" ,"Tuesday" is "Toozdee" and "three" is "threy". "Mardy" means soft or crybaby and "jitty" is a passage or alley. "Ah" is "yes" and "can't/wouldn't/shan't" are "canna/wunna/shunna". "Something" is "summat".
Recently, people have been moving to the town from South Staffordshire e.g. Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
and 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...
, who use Swadlincote as a dormitory site, working elsewhere. This dialect can be heard alongside the traditional one.
Notable residents
- Jack BodellJack BodellJack Bodell is a retired English professional boxer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s....
, former British Heavyweight Champion, born 11 August 1940 in Swadlincote. - Carl DickinsonCarl DickinsonCarl Matthew Dickinson is an English footballer who currently plays for Watford. He is a left back.-Stoke City:...
, born 31 March 1987 in Swadlincote, footballer who plays for English Championship club Watford F.C.Watford F.C.Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... - Jean (Emmeline) Hanson, (1919–1973), Professor of Biology at the University of LondonUniversity of London-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, born in Newhall. - Joe JacksonJoe Jackson (musician)Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, born 11 August 1954, musician and singer-songwriter, lived for the first year of his life in Swadlincote. - J. Thomas LooneyJ. Thomas LooneyJohn Thomas Looney . was an English school teacher who is best known for having originated the Oxfordian theory, which claims that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was the true author of Shakespeare's plays.-Life:Looney was born in South Shields...
, (1870–1944), died in Swadlincote - Patricia R. Olds, novelist, author of 1831 - Charlotte Treleaven Comes of Age.
- Ben WarrenBen WarrenBenjamin Warren was an England international footballer who played as a half-back for Derby County and Chelsea....
, (1879–1917), England international footballer, born in Newhall.