Butterton

Last updated

Butterton
Butterton Village Ford - geograph.org.uk - 139952.jpg
The ford, Butterton
Staffordshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Butterton
Location within Staffordshire
Population213 
OS grid reference SK073566
Civil parish
  • Butterton
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LEEK
Postcode district ST13
Police Staffordshire
Fire Staffordshire
Ambulance West Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Staffordshire
53°06′26″N1°53′33″W / 53.1073°N 1.8924°W / 53.1073; -1.8924

Butterton is a small village in the Staffordshire Peak District of England (grid reference SK075565 ). It overlooks the Manifold Valley and Ecton Hill, which rises 1,212 feet above sea level. Butterton lies 5 miles east of Leek and roughly 8 miles from Alton Towers theme park. The village is just west of the limestone area, and so is mainly built of local sandstone. It contains a Grade II listed church. [1] In the centre of Butterton there is an unusual ford where the Hoo Brook runs along the village street. [2]

Contents

Butterton was served by a railway station which was opened by the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway on 27 June 1904. The line closed in 1934, and the route of the railway past the station is now designated the Manifold Way, a footpath and cycle route. Butterton is one of 17 doubly Thankful Villages that suffered no fatalities in both the Great War of 1914–1918 and in the Second World War.

Demography

According to the 2001 census, the population of Butterton was 213, with a near equal number of males and females. [3] This was lower than in 1841, where the population was 388. [4] In modern times, most of the houses in Butterton are detached or semi-detached and owner-occupied, [5] with the largest age category being 45 to 64. [6]

History

The name ‘Buterdon’ or ‘Butterton’ comes from ‘butere’, meaning butter, and ‘dun’ meaning hill, and was given this name as the area had good pasture. [7] Butterton is also known as Butterton-in-the-Peak to differentiate it from Butterton in Trentham parish, near Newcastle-under-Lyme. In the 1850s, a small brook at the foot of the village was a sulphurous spring which was said to be beneficial in scorbutic cases. [4] Although Butterton was in Mayfield parish it was physically separated from the remainder of the parish by nine miles. [4] The parish was enlarged on 1 April 1934 by 205 acres to include part of Bradnop and Cawdry. [8] In 1966, however, the parish broke up into smaller segments, and so now Butterton is a parish of its own. [9]

Economy

Ecton Hill, near Butterton, is embedded with the remains of copper and lead mining. It was first used extensively in the mid 17th century; however, there is evidence that mining of the area took place centuries earlier. [4] As a result of the history of mining, there are numerous packhorse routes around Butterton and Ecton Hill which were used to transport copper and lead ore from Ecton to smelting works. [2] In 1881, the main employment was agriculture, with 51 out of 124 inhabitants in this sector (all males). The main employment for women was domestic service. [10]

Although Butterton is a commuter village, [11] in 1986 there were a few shops, such as a butcher's, a general store and a small shop and tea room. [12] There is also an old traditional pub in the centre of the village, The Black Lion Inn, which offers food and accommodation. [13]

The first mention of a post office in the village is in 1892, when a rubber datestamp was issued. [14]

Landmarks

The Hillocks

On Ecton hillside is the unusual copper-topped house known as The Hillocks which was built in 1933 by Arthur Ratcliffe, the MP for Leek. When first constructed the property had two storeys with a flat roof, but this leaked water badly and so another storey was added. [2]

St Bartholomew's Church

Education

The small village primary school closed in 1979, as there were too few pupils to attend. The nearest primary school today is in Warslow (3 miles away); public transport is funded by the county education committee. There is a secondary school in nearby Leek, to which transport is also provided. [15] The former primary school building has now become the village hall.

Culture and community

The Butterton Wakes takes place every August bank holiday Monday to celebrate the birth of St Bartholomew. It has been running for 100 years and is organised by the Butterton Wakes Committee. It takes place in St Bartholomew's Church and the Village Hall, and all the money raised goes towards upkeep of the village hall and church. [16] The village also has regular events such as the Christmas Silver Band concerts, the Harvest Supper and afternoon teas in the church. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Manifold</span> River in Staffordshire, England

The River Manifold is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire Moorlands</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council is based in Leek, the district's largest town. The district also contains the towns of Biddulph and Cheadle, along with a large rural area containing many villages. North-eastern parts of the district lie within the Peak District National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartington, Derbyshire</span> Human settlement in England

Hartington is a village in the centre of the White Peak area of the Derbyshire Peak District, England, lying on the River Dove which is the Staffordshire border. According to the 2001 census, the parish of Hartington Town Quarter, which also includes Pilsbury, had a population of 345 reducing to 332 at the 2011 Census. Formerly known for cheese-making and the mining of ironstone, limestone and lead, the village is now popular with tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longnor, Staffordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Longnor is a village in the Staffordshire Peak District, England. The settlement dates from early times, the first recorded church building being in the Middle Ages. The village was named Longenalre in the Domesday Book. Located on a major crossroads, Longnor was a significant market town in the 18th century. It lies on the north bank of the River Manifold, on a limestone ridge between the Manifold and the River Dove.

The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (L&MVLR) was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, England that operated between 1904 and 1934. The line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge system. It also provided passenger services to the small villages and beauty spots along its route. The line was built to a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge and to the light rail standards provided by the Light Railways Act 1896 to reduce construction costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterhouses, Staffordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Waterhouses is a village in the south of the Staffordshire Peak District in England. It is around 8 miles from Leek and Ashbourne, being nearly the halfway point between the two towns on the A523 road, which roughly follows the southern boundary of the Peak District National Park. Waterhouses is also a civil parish, created in 1934 when the parishes of Calton, Cauldon, Waterfall and part of Ilam were merged; previously the village of Waterhouses was on the boundary of Waterfall and Cauldon parishes. The hamlet of Winkhill is also in the parish. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,134.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecton, Staffordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Ecton is a hamlet in the Staffordshire Peak District. It is on the Manifold Way, an 8-mile (13 km) walk and cycle path that follows the line of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. Population details as at the 2011 census can be found under Ilam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manifold Way</span> Bridlepath in the English Peak District

The Manifold Way is a footpath and cycle way in Staffordshire, England. Some 8 miles (13 km) in length, it runs from Hulme End (53.1307°N 1.8480°W) in the north to Waterhouses (53.0480°N 1.8654°W) in the south, mostly through the Manifold Valley and the valley of its only tributary, the River Hamps, following the route of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, a 2 ft 6 in gauge line which closed in 1934 after a short life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grindon, Staffordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Grindon is a small village in the Staffordshire Peak District of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Froghall</span> Human settlement in England

Froghall is a village situated approximately ten miles to the east of Stoke-on-Trent and two miles north of Cheadle in Staffordshire, England. Population details as taken at the 2011 Census can be found under Kingsley. Froghall sits in the Churnet Valley, a beautiful and relatively unspoilt part of Staffordshire. There are some excellent and challenging walks in the area, many of which encompass the area's historic development by the coal, ironstone, copper and limestone industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warslow</span> Human settlement in England

Warslow is a small village in Staffordshire, England. It is located in the Peak District National Park about 10 miles (16 km) north of Ashbourne. Although in the county of Staffordshire, the village lies close to the Derbyshire border, and has a Stockport postal code (SK), but the address is Warslow, Buxton, Derbyshire.

The tiny hamlet of Ramsor in North Staffordshire played a significant part in the origins of Primitive Methodism. Listed in the Domesday Book as Ramshorn, this ancient hamlet is a typical example of the depopulation of the countryside. Very little now remains of this village apart from a few farms and cottages. The Primitive Methodist Chapel is the only surviving public building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norton le Moors</span> Human settlement in England

Norton le Moors is in the north-east of the city of Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England, mostly within the city boundary, with the rest in the Staffordshire Moorlands district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetton, Staffordshire</span> Village in Staffordshire, England

Wetton is a village in the Peak District National Park, North Staffordshire, at the top of the east side of the Manifold Valley. The population recorded in the 2001 Census was 157. At the time of the 2011 Census the population was recorded under Ilam. This article describes the location, some of the main features of the village, and a number of places of historical or general interest in or near the village. These include Long Low, Wetton, a prehistoric burial site unique to England.

Waterhouses railway station was a railway station that served the village of Waterhouses, Staffordshire. It was opened jointly by the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) and the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (L&MVLR) in 1905 and closed in 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecton Mines</span> Copper mines in Staffordshire, England

A group of mines on Ecton Hill, Staffordshire, are unusual for the Peak District in producing predominantly copper rather than lead and zinc. The most important, Deep Ecton mine, has been mined since the Bronze Age, and in the 18th century was a major producer of copper, and the deepest mine in Britain. Mining below river level ceased in the 1850s, and all production stopped in the 1890s. The mine is now a significant educational resource, managed by the Ecton Mine Educational Trust, and with teaching provided by the Ecton Hill Field Studies Association.

Butterton is a civil parish in the district of Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire, England. It contains nine listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. All the listed buildings are designated at Grade II, the lowest of the three grades, which is applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest". The parish contains the village of Butterton and the surrounding countryside. The listed buildings consist of farmhouses and farm buildings, cottages, a church, a bridge, and two mileposts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swainsley Tunnel</span>

Swainsley Tunnel is a tunnel on the route of the former Leek and Manifold Light Railway, which connected the market town of Leek with Hulme End, via Waterhouses, in Staffordshire, England. The tunnel is located between Ecton and Butterton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heathylee</span> Human settlement in England

Heathylee is a civil parish in the district of Staffordshire Moorlands in north-east Staffordshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warslow and Elkstones</span> Human settlement in England

Warslow and Elkstones is a civil parish in the district of Staffordshire Moorlands in north-east Staffordshire, England. It includes the village of Warslow and the hamlets of Lower Elkstone and Uppoer Elkstone. There is a boundary with Wetton in the east at the River Manifold. To the south is Butterton; the River Hamps forms the western boundary with Onecote.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Bartholomew (Grade II) (1374586)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Cooper, J.; Dodson, J.; Stewak, S.; Wilson, M. (2010). "Butterton". Peak District Online. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "Parish Headcounts". Office for National Statistics. 2001. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Harbach, Mike (2003). "Butterton" . Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Accommodation and Tenure". Office for National Statistics. 2001. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "People". Office for National Statistics. 2001. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Mills, A. (2003). Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN   0191578479.
  8. ↑ University of Portsmouth et al. (2009). Staffordshire Place Guide: Butterton. Retrieved on 13.02.12 from http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=7976&st=BUTTERTON
  9. ↑ "Butterton". Staffordshire County Council. 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "Staffordshire Place Guide: Butterton". University of Portsmouth et al. 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "Work and Qualifications". Office for National Statistics. 2001. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "Shops in Butterton". BBC. 1986. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "The Black Lion Inn". The Black Lion Inn. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  14. ↑ Mackay, James A. (1986). Sub Office Rubber Datestamps of England & Wales. James A. Mackay. p. 87. ISBN   0906440394.
  15. ↑ "Closure of Buildings". BBC. 1986. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "Butterton Wakes". BBC. 1986. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  17. ↑ Mursell, G. (2008). "St Bartholomew's Church, Butterton" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2012.[ dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.