Withington, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Withington is a village and parish
in Shropshire
, England
.
The parish is very small (both in area covered and population - 220 people) and is located on the Shropshire Council
/Telford and Wrekin
Council boundary.
The church that can be seen in the village today was completely rebuilt in 1874 by G.E. Streete, on the site of a much older building. It is built of sandstone with a tiled roof and low stone tower with spire to the West. This tower houses two bells from the 13th and 14th centuries in a frame circa 1800.
Remnants of the furnishings of the earlier church have also survived - the stone reredos depicting the crucifixion, the stone font, stone pulpit, chancel wall and the eagle lectern.
Withington Church is renowned for its 16th Century brasses, the oldest has effigies to John Onley, his wife and 7 children (1515) The other brass is of Adam Grafton(1530). He was a former vicar of Withington (among many parishes!) and one time chaplain to Edward V and Prince Arthur. Text extracted from the "Saint John the Baptist Church Visitor Guide", written by L.J.Stone and available from the church entrance.
Withington has sat on the sidelines of national history as important events happened nearby, these included the Battle of Shrewsbury
at Battlefield and an important civil war siege at High Ercall
. It must have seen changes as the Saxon settlement of Wietone, the village in the willows, became part of the lands of the Norman Roger de Montgomery, William 1’s cousin: later changes brought in land ownership by Haughmond Abbey, the Haughtons, the Corbet and the Tayleur estates. The earliest reference to a church here is 1160.
Little is known about these early times. In the church are brasses, transferred from the previous church, to the memory of John and Johanna Onley and their children. It is believed he was lord of the manor at the old manor at Hunkington. By the choir is a brass to Adam Grafton who was priest of Upton Magna
and of the Battlefield College as well as being vicar of Withington. He died in 1530. In 1480s he was the tutor to the young king Edward V and his brother in Ludlow castle.
The population of the village was 91 conforming Anglicans over 16 in 1676. That does not allow for any children or members of other denominations but there would have been few of them. Little remains of these times but scattered around the village are eight half timbered houses, most now beautifully restored and extended, which would have been in existence then. That they have survived and others have been demolished which were in better condition is one of the accidents of history. The blacksmith’s shop opposite the pub, featured on postcards in the early years of the 20th century, was demolished in the 1960s. In 1710 a new manor house was built for Illedge and Mary Maddox; following this all future buildings were built in brick. One of the most attractive is the Old Hall, once the Vicarage, and before that a Gentleman’s residence, built in the days of Queen Anne
.
Arrival of the Canal
Perhaps the biggest change was the coming of the canal, opened in 1797 and used mainly to carry coal from Ketley
to Shrewsbury
. Coal for Withington was unloaded at a wharf at the Old Post Office as well as farm foodstuffs, oil etc. It travelled alongside the churchyard wall where there was a big pool in front of Church Farm where the boats could turn. There were swing bridges there and by Canal Cottage and hump back bridges over the lanes to Walcot and Rodington where the lanes crossed the canal. Fishermen, skaters and walkers all used the canal and its towpaths. In 1944 the canal was closed and in the 1960s it was offered for sale to the landowners whose land adjoined it but if they did not want it, to the landowner on the other side, by the towpath.
The population of Withington in 1861 was 232; the village boasted a blacksmith, two wheelwrights, a shopkeeper and the landlord of the Hare and Hounds. The vicar’s salary was £107 per annum; fortunately the Rev Halke was a man of means. The majority worked in farming but a few worked on the railway.
After the Great War
A big change came after World War I
when Shropshire County Council bought 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the Manor, bringing its smallholdings scheme to Withington. The original manor was then split into two smallholdings and five new white houses were built for small-holders. There were also three cottage holdings owned by the council. This made the County Council the largest landowner in the village. In 1911 the sale of the Tayleur estate led to changes in the Walcot Lees to Rodington area of Withington. Three farmers operating on a larger scale emerged at this time. The population in 1926 was 235. Again there were craftsmen among the farmers -a blacksmith, a carpenter and a boot and shoe repairer. Village children travelled to Upton Magna
or Rodington for state schools but from the 1920s to 40s there was a small private school in the Shrubbery.
After 1945 for all secondary schools children travelled into Shrewsbury
and Wellington
but with a limited choice of schools. Children going to private or grammar schools took the train from Walcot
or Upton Magna
stations whilst students at the secondary modern at Harlescott
were bussed into Shrewsbury
. This state of affairs changed with the closing of the stations. As a result of a petition the daily bus service from Shrewsbury
to Upton Magna
was extended to Withington.
The 1960s and modernisation
Withington remained an agricultural community on this scale until the late 1960s when changes began to occur. The population had become rather elderly, children moved away out of agriculture and, as houses came up for sale, they were bought by people who wanted to live in the country and had the means to modernise them. At the same time agricultural changes meant it was more viable to create bigger holdings. The council began consolidating its holdings into bigger units as tenants retired and later began the process of selling them to the tenants if they wished or to the public. Only two holdings remained in 2003 as council holdings but three former council holdings, which were sold, were still farming.
Services came to Withington slowly. Electricity was pre-World War II
, Water in the late 1950s, Sewerage in the early 1970s and Gas in the early 1990s. These services were a necessary precursor to development. In the 1970s new building took place in gardens along Caernarvon Lane and Sunnyfields was sold to a builder. This eventually resulted in development along Caernarvon Lane. The Woodlands land was sold in the early 1960s and building commenced in Woodlands Close in 1985. The style of houses built reflected the different lifestyles of the new residents and the advances of our expectations. Three Withington house owners had built swimming pools by 1990.
Withington today
Although Withington is a more affluent community than in the 1960s it still retains its village pattern developed around a green central field; this is clearly seen on aerial photos. From the 1960s onwards there were gains and losses in terms of rural life. On the retirement of the last vicar of Withington the parish was joined to the parish of Upton Magna
, then to Uffington
and is now part of a team ministry. Although these changes work well, it has meant several adjustments for longer stay residents.
In 1982 the shop and post office closed and there have been problems maintaining a bus service to both Shrewsbury
and Telford
. However newer residents continue to give new life to the church and take leading roles in it and the wider community through the Parish Council and local societies. They have helped to keep the school open at Upton Magna
.
The pub, the church and Parish Room still survive and there are local shopping and post office facilities in neighbouring villages.
A major achievement in 2007 was the Parish Council's acquisition of the land in the centre of the village to develop into a village green
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 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...
, 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...
.
The parish is very small (both in area covered and population - 220 people) and is located on the Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
/Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
Council boundary.
Saint John the Baptist Church
Remnants of the furnishings of the earlier church have also survived - the stone reredos depicting the crucifixion, the stone font, stone pulpit, chancel wall and the eagle lectern.
Withington Church is renowned for its 16th Century brasses, the oldest has effigies to John Onley, his wife and 7 children (1515) The other brass is of Adam Grafton(1530). He was a former vicar of Withington (among many parishes!) and one time chaplain to Edward V and Prince Arthur. Text extracted from the "Saint John the Baptist Church Visitor Guide", written by L.J.Stone and available from the church entrance.
Hare and Hounds Public House
The Hare and Hounds is Withington's public house. Located in the centre of the village, the pub serves cooked food on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as a roast at Sunday lunchtimes.History of the village
The following history of Withington, by Mary Macpherson, was first published in the 2003 Withington Parish Plan and updated for the 2008 Parish Plan.Withington has sat on the sidelines of national history as important events happened nearby, these included the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
at Battlefield and an important civil war siege at High Ercall
High Ercall
High Ercall, also known in the past as Ercall Magna, is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. The civil parish is still called Ercall Magna, and had a total population of 1,679 at the 2001 census. The parish also includes the villages of...
. It must have seen changes as the Saxon settlement of Wietone, the village in the willows, became part of the lands of the Norman Roger de Montgomery, William 1’s cousin: later changes brought in land ownership by Haughmond Abbey, the Haughtons, the Corbet and the Tayleur estates. The earliest reference to a church here is 1160.
Little is known about these early times. In the church are brasses, transferred from the previous church, to the memory of John and Johanna Onley and their children. It is believed he was lord of the manor at the old manor at Hunkington. By the choir is a brass to Adam Grafton who was priest of Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
and of the Battlefield College as well as being vicar of Withington. He died in 1530. In 1480s he was the tutor to the young king Edward V and his brother in Ludlow castle.
The population of the village was 91 conforming Anglicans over 16 in 1676. That does not allow for any children or members of other denominations but there would have been few of them. Little remains of these times but scattered around the village are eight half timbered houses, most now beautifully restored and extended, which would have been in existence then. That they have survived and others have been demolished which were in better condition is one of the accidents of history. The blacksmith’s shop opposite the pub, featured on postcards in the early years of the 20th century, was demolished in the 1960s. In 1710 a new manor house was built for Illedge and Mary Maddox; following this all future buildings were built in brick. One of the most attractive is the Old Hall, once the Vicarage, and before that a Gentleman’s residence, built in the days of Queen Anne
Queen Anne
"Queen Anne" generally refers to Anne, Queen of Great Britain , Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1702, and of Great Britain from 1707.Queen Anne may also refer to:-Uses relating to Queen Anne of Great Britain:...
.
Arrival of the Canal
Perhaps the biggest change was the coming of the canal, opened in 1797 and used mainly to carry coal from Ketley
Ketley
Ketley is a suburb of the new town of Telford in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It is a civil parish. East Ketley is currently being re-developed as part of the Telford Millennium Community, part of the Millennium Communities Programme...
to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. Coal for Withington was unloaded at a wharf at the Old Post Office as well as farm foodstuffs, oil etc. It travelled alongside the churchyard wall where there was a big pool in front of Church Farm where the boats could turn. There were swing bridges there and by Canal Cottage and hump back bridges over the lanes to Walcot and Rodington where the lanes crossed the canal. Fishermen, skaters and walkers all used the canal and its towpaths. In 1944 the canal was closed and in the 1960s it was offered for sale to the landowners whose land adjoined it but if they did not want it, to the landowner on the other side, by the towpath.
The population of Withington in 1861 was 232; the village boasted a blacksmith, two wheelwrights, a shopkeeper and the landlord of the Hare and Hounds. The vicar’s salary was £107 per annum; fortunately the Rev Halke was a man of means. The majority worked in farming but a few worked on the railway.
After the Great War
A big change came after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when Shropshire County Council bought 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the Manor, bringing its smallholdings scheme to Withington. The original manor was then split into two smallholdings and five new white houses were built for small-holders. There were also three cottage holdings owned by the council. This made the County Council the largest landowner in the village. In 1911 the sale of the Tayleur estate led to changes in the Walcot Lees to Rodington area of Withington. Three farmers operating on a larger scale emerged at this time. The population in 1926 was 235. Again there were craftsmen among the farmers -a blacksmith, a carpenter and a boot and shoe repairer. Village children travelled to Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
or Rodington for state schools but from the 1920s to 40s there was a small private school in the Shrubbery.
After 1945 for all secondary schools children travelled into Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and Wellington
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
but with a limited choice of schools. Children going to private or grammar schools took the train from Walcot
Walcot
Walcot may refer to:* Walcot, Shropshire, a small village in the county of Shropshire, England* Walcot, Bath, a suburb of the city of Bath, England* Walcot, North Kesteven in Lincolnshire* Walcot, Lydbury North in Shropshire...
or Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
stations whilst students at the secondary modern at Harlescott
Harlescott
Harlescott is a suburb of the town of Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire. It is one of the most industrial parts of the town, and is the 5th most deprived ward in non-metropolitan Shropshire Neighbouring suburbs include Sundorne to the east and Ditherington to the south...
were bussed into Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. This state of affairs changed with the closing of the stations. As a result of a petition the daily bus service from Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
to Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
was extended to Withington.
The 1960s and modernisation
Withington remained an agricultural community on this scale until the late 1960s when changes began to occur. The population had become rather elderly, children moved away out of agriculture and, as houses came up for sale, they were bought by people who wanted to live in the country and had the means to modernise them. At the same time agricultural changes meant it was more viable to create bigger holdings. The council began consolidating its holdings into bigger units as tenants retired and later began the process of selling them to the tenants if they wished or to the public. Only two holdings remained in 2003 as council holdings but three former council holdings, which were sold, were still farming.
Services came to Withington slowly. Electricity was pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Water in the late 1950s, Sewerage in the early 1970s and Gas in the early 1990s. These services were a necessary precursor to development. In the 1970s new building took place in gardens along Caernarvon Lane and Sunnyfields was sold to a builder. This eventually resulted in development along Caernarvon Lane. The Woodlands land was sold in the early 1960s and building commenced in Woodlands Close in 1985. The style of houses built reflected the different lifestyles of the new residents and the advances of our expectations. Three Withington house owners had built swimming pools by 1990.
Withington today
Although Withington is a more affluent community than in the 1960s it still retains its village pattern developed around a green central field; this is clearly seen on aerial photos. From the 1960s onwards there were gains and losses in terms of rural life. On the retirement of the last vicar of Withington the parish was joined to the parish of Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
, then to Uffington
Uffington
Uffington is the name of several places in England:*Uffington, Lincolnshire*Uffington, Oxfordshire*Uffington, Shropshire...
and is now part of a team ministry. Although these changes work well, it has meant several adjustments for longer stay residents.
In 1982 the shop and post office closed and there have been problems maintaining a bus service to both Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
. However newer residents continue to give new life to the church and take leading roles in it and the wider community through the Parish Council and local societies. They have helped to keep the school open at Upton Magna
Upton Magna
Upton Magna is a village in Shropshire, England.Magna is latin meaning "great". Therefore the translation of Upton Magna is "Great Upton".Nearby are the villages of Uffington, Rodington, Withington and the wooded Haughmond Hill....
.
The pub, the church and Parish Room still survive and there are local shopping and post office facilities in neighbouring villages.
A major achievement in 2007 was the Parish Council's acquisition of the land in the centre of the village to develop into a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
.
External links
- Withington Community Website
- On-line photographic Archive Includes historic photographs and maps