Woodville, Derbyshire
Encyclopedia
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
.
of Saint Stephen
was laid on 7 November 1845. St. Stephen's is a Norman
revival building designed by H.I. Stevens and completed in 1846.
The Woodville area is rich in industrial heritage with a wide variety of industries such as potteries, crate-making, pipe works, breweries, rope-making and railways all having had a presence in the area which is now either totally gone or extremely diminished.
One of the most famous Woodville potteries was Bretby Art Pottery founded in 1882 by Henry Tooth and William Ault.
of the surrounding towns and villages, including Midway
and Swadlincote
.
On the northern edge of Woodville is the Goseley Estate, which was constructed during the 1950s. There has been much development of the surrounding area with large private estates of new homes having been constructed.
To the south of Woodville, along the county border with Leicestershire
, a large community of new houses is being developed (unofficially referred to as Woodville Woodlands) by the developers Bloor Homes and Bryant Homes
. This development is built on the land of the former Woodville Pipe Works and incorporates the planting of new trees on the former fire clay
pit as part of the National Forest
scheme.
The Mount Pleasant works operated by John Knowles & Company, demolished in 1993, produced pottery and has been replaced by a housing development. A discovery by archaeologists led to the preservation of some of its records.
) has a small shopping area incorporating a convenience store
, a pharmacy and a fish and chip shop. Also located on the High Street side of the road are additional food outlets, including a Chinese takeaway, a further fish and chip shop, and Indian and Chinese restaurants.
There is a village post office
together with further shops and light industrial and commercial units.
Woodville has a 24 hour petrol station, incorporating a convenience store
, and a tyre and exhaust centre which is located on the Tollgate roundabout.
Woodville has a Scout Group.
Woodville has an Infant school and a Church of England Junior School. Both schools are off the High Street.
Woodville Rangers Football Club was founded in 2005 and caters for all age groups from four to adult. Their nickname is The Tollers after the famous toll gate which was situated in Woodville for many years. The club badge shows the toll house.
Woodville Rangers gained FA Charter Standard status early in 2008.
Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
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....
, England. The centre of the village, known as the Tollgate, is a busy traffic island on the A511
A511 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....
.
History
Formerly known as Wooden Box, named after the wooden toll booth on the toll road between Ashby de la Zouch and Burton-upon-Trent. The area around the roundabout, which is the modern equivalent of the toll booth, is still known as 'Tollgate'. The name Woodville first appeared in a leaflet issued when the foundation stone of the Church of England parish churchChurch 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:...
of Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
was laid on 7 November 1845. St. Stephen's is a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
revival building designed by H.I. Stevens and completed in 1846.
The Woodville area is rich in industrial heritage with a wide variety of industries such as potteries, crate-making, pipe works, breweries, rope-making and railways all having had a presence in the area which is now either totally gone or extremely diminished.
One of the most famous Woodville potteries was Bretby Art Pottery founded in 1882 by Henry Tooth and William Ault.
Local Geography
On some approaches it is difficult to tell where the village starts and ends as it is well incorporated into the urban sprawlUrban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
of the surrounding towns and villages, including 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 Swadlincote
Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
.
On the northern edge of Woodville is the Goseley Estate, which was constructed during the 1950s. There has been much development of the surrounding area with large private estates of new homes having been constructed.
To the south of Woodville, along the county border with Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, a large community of new houses is being developed (unofficially referred to as Woodville Woodlands) by the developers Bloor Homes and Bryant Homes
Bryant Homes
Bryant Homes was one of the larger UK housebuilders when it was acquired by Taylor Woodrow in 2001; Bryant then became the principal housebuilding operation of the enlarged group. Taylor Woodrow merged with Wimpey in 2007 and during 2010 the Bryant brand was phased out...
. This development is built on the land of the former Woodville Pipe Works and incorporates the planting of new trees on the former fire clay
Fire clay
Fire clay is a term applied to a range of refractory clays used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick.High grade fire clays can withstand temperatures of 1775°C , but to be referred to as a "fire clay" the material must withstand a minimum temperature of 1515°C...
pit as part of the National Forest
National Forest, England
The National Forest is one of England’s most ambitious environmental projects. Across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, are being transformed, blending ancient woodland with new planting to create a new national forest...
scheme.
The Mount Pleasant works operated by John Knowles & Company, demolished in 1993, produced pottery and has been replaced by a housing development. A discovery by archaeologists led to the preservation of some of its records.
Amenities
Woodville High Street (which is part of the A511 roadA511 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....
) has a small shopping area incorporating a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
, a pharmacy and a fish and chip shop. Also located on the High Street side of the road are additional food outlets, including a Chinese takeaway, a further fish and chip shop, and Indian and Chinese restaurants.
There is a village post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
together with further shops and light industrial and commercial units.
Woodville has a 24 hour petrol station, incorporating a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
, and a tyre and exhaust centre which is located on the Tollgate roundabout.
Woodville has a Scout Group.
Woodville has an Infant school and a Church of England Junior School. Both schools are off the High Street.
Woodville Rangers Football Club was founded in 2005 and caters for all age groups from four to adult. Their nickname is The Tollers after the famous toll gate which was situated in Woodville for many years. The club badge shows the toll house.
Woodville Rangers gained FA Charter Standard status early in 2008.
Notable residents
- John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
, the actor, lived in Woodville from the ages of five to thirteen. His father was the vicar of St. Stephen's parish church.