Wootton, Staffordshire Explained
| Static Image Name: | Stone houses in Wootton village - geograph.org.uk - 366158.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | Stone houses in Wootton |
| Official Name: | Wootton |
| Os Grid Reference: | SK1055345120 |
| Country: | England |
| Region: | West Midlands |
| Constituency Westminster: | Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Shire County: | Staffordshire |
| Coordinates: | 53.0033°N -1.8442°W |
| Population: | 154 |
| Population Ref: | (2011)[1] |
| Post Town: | Ashbourne |
| Postcode District: | DE6 |
| Postcode Area: | DE |
Wootton is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England.[2] The village is situated approximately 20 miles (30 km) east from Stoke-on-Trent and 20 miles (30 km) northwest from Derby.
History
Toponymy
The name Wootton is thought to come from the Old English wudu meaning wood and tūn meaning an enclosure; farmstead; village or estate. This translates to Wood Farm/Settlement.[3] [4]
In Victorian times
In 1870-72 John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer described Wootton as
Industry
In early reports Wootton was predominantly a farming village, with over 60% of males engaged in agriculture.[5] [6] Even to this day there remains a large farming culture, with still around 25% of the working population engaged in agriculture.[7] The rest of the population are spread out between working in service industries or in managerial/professional occupations.
Notable Establishments
- Wootton Hall, the house where Rousseau stayed, was demolished in the 1930s.[8]
- Wootton Lodge, the privately owned 17th century house, is a grade I listed building in the parish owned by the Bamford family. During the English Civil War the house was held for the Crown and was badly damaged during a Parliamentary siege. It was restored in about 1700 when a flight of balustraded entrance steps was added.
- Alton Towers Resort is a popular holiday amusement park with hotels and an indoor water park, located 4 miles (6.5 km) away from Wootton. The resort attracts 2.7 million visitors annually.[9] The resort encloses an area known as "Slain Hollow", reputed to be the site of a battle between King Ceolred of Mercia and King Ina of Wessex in 716 AD.[10]
In poetry
A rich poetic description of the area around Wootton is The vales of Wever, a loco-descriptive poem (1797) by John Gisborne, written as a present to his host after staying at Wootton Hall. It shows the influence of Erasmus Darwin, who also wrote similar topographic poetry on the district, and it was admired by many poets including Wordsworth.
Transport
Wootton is located about 1.5 miles off the B5032 Uttoxeter to Ashbourne road, and is served by the 409 bus service between those two towns, which stops at Ellastone village.[11] The nearest railway station is in Uttoxeter around 8 miles (12.5 km) away which has regular trains to Crewe and Derby.[12]
Notes and References
- Web site: Civil Parish population 2011. 13 December 2015.
- Web site: Wootton. Staffordshire Place Guide. Staffordshire County Council. 12 April 2011.
- Book: Watts . Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-names . 2004. Cambridge University Press . 669 . 9780521168557 . 24 April 2012.
- Web site: Key to English Place-names . . 24 April 2012.
- Web site: Vision of Britain 1881 Census Reports . . 27 April 2012.
- Book: 1881 Census of England and Wales . 1883 . Tables: Ages, Condition as to Marriage, Occupations and Birthplaces of people, Table 10: " Occupations of Males and Females in the Division and its Registration Counties". . 27 April 2012.
- Web site: 2001 Census: Key Statistics - Parish Profile - Work and Qualifications . . 27 April 2007.
- Web site: Wootton Hall . 2018-03-27.
- . Economics Research Associates . Attraction Attendance Report . Park World . 2011 . 2 May 2012.
- Web site: Anglo-Saxon Mercia: some facts and some legends. BBC. 16 April 2011. 2 May 2012.
- Web site: Arrive Bus timetable - service 409 . . 13 January 2013.
- Web site: Departure Boards at Uttoxeter Station . National Rail Enquiries . 13 January 2013.
