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85-510: Cheddleton is an ancient parish and village in the Staffordshire Moorlands , near to the town of Leek , England. The village is divided into two distinct communities – the traditional village and the modern Redrow development located at St. Edward's Park, on the grounds of the old St. Edward's Psychiatric Hospital . This extensive site has been redeveloped and many of the old listed hospital buildings have been renovated, including

170-498: A dyeworks in Leek which specialised in silk. He was a friend of the architect George Gilbert Scott, Jr. and of the artist William Morris : in the 1860s there were additions to the church by Scott, and stained-glass windows in the church were created by artists associated with William Morris. The cross in the churchyard is an ancient monument . The base is medieval; the upper part is by George Gilbert Scott Jr. and features Instruments of

255-454: A community-based radio station that broadcasts from its studios in Leek . The Sentinel is the local newspaper that covers the area. The whole district is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Biddulph, Cheadle and Leek have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The small parish of Blore with Swinscoe has a parish meeting rather than

340-530: A converted hospital building on St Edwards Park. The old schoolhouse has been turned into a well established tea room, there is also a long-standing beauty room, you will also find the parish council committee room, just down the road from St. Edward's. On the St Edward's site, the former isolation hospital has been restored and converted into a children's day nursery. The North Staffordshire Railway opened its Churnet Valley Railway on 1 September 1849, and opened

425-418: A crimson shade called Madder Lake with yellow and vermilion lining. The knot emblem was replaced by the company coat of arms and the words North Stafford . The NSR coaching stock was, even until grouping, predominantly four and six wheeled vehicles. Four-wheeled carriages were the norm from the start and the last were constructed in the 1880s, although by then they had progressed from the unbraked coaches of

510-623: A description of a journey on a Burslem to Hanley train in Arnold Bennett's The Old Wives' Tale . Twentieth century construction included the Waterhouses branch line from Leekbrook Junction to Caldon Low quarries and Waterhouses from where the 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) narrow gauge Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (L&MV) was constructed through the Hamps and Manifold river valleys to Hulme End near Hartington . Although

595-661: A direct link between Manchester and Derby. The company was formally incorporated in April 1845 under the shorter name of the North Staffordshire Railway. As a way of eliminating opposition to the company's bills in Parliament, and to allow it to promote a line to Liverpool , the company made an agreement to take over the Trent & Mersey Canal Company. This was achieved by T&M shares being swapped for preference shares in

680-629: A junction with the Manchester & Birmingham railway at Congleton to the Grand Junction Railway at Colwich was promoted, as "giving the most ample accommodation to the towns of Tunstall , Burslem , Newcastle-under-Lyme , Hanley , Stoke , Fenton , Longton and Stone ". The Churnet Line was to run from Macclesfield though Leek , Cheadle and Uttoxeter to join the Midland Railway line between Burton-upon-Trent and Derby forming

765-568: A merger. To avoid this the NSR had to agree to the running powers outlined above. A further attempt in 1851 got as far as a parliamentary bill being submitted for amalgamation until the select committee appointed to look at the bill reported against the idea. The LNWR made a further attempt in 1855 which failed because of concerted opposition by the MR, MS&L and GWR. Less than twenty years later, in 1870, these four companies all combined to look at taking over

850-629: A parish council. The parishes are: Staffordshire Moorlands has twinning agreements with: 53°6′23.75″N 2°1′36.06″W  /  53.1065972°N 2.0266833°W  / 53.1065972; -2.0266833 North Staffordshire Railway The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire , Cheshire , Derbyshire and Shropshire . The company

935-411: A railway station at Cheddleton . Closed in 1963, today it is operated as part of a preserved railway . Cheddleton is home to Leek RUFC , who play their home games at Post & Times Park on St. Edward's Park. Cheddleton is also home to Ashcombe Park Cricket Club, who play their home games at Ashcombe Park Cricket Ground at the south end of the village. The John Pointon Sports And Recreation Facility

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1020-445: A shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1999 have been: Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in May 2024, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since

1105-471: A small number of railmotors with three being purchased in 1905 from Beyer, Peacock and Company . They were used on routes such as the Stoke–Newcastle service but were not a success. The vehicles did survive until grouping but had been taken out of service for some time some years earlier. In addition to the NSR locomotives were the two engines of the Leek & Manifold and the three engines that worked

1190-413: A small number of tender engines were constructed. Most engines, whether tank or tender locomotives were built with either 2-4-0 or 0-6-0 wheel arrangements. An urgent need for heavier goods engines prompted the company to go to contractors and a small number of 0-6-0 designs were purchased from Nasmyth, Wilson and Company . In 1903 five 0-6-2T engines were purchased from Vulcan Foundry and with

1275-475: A type of valve gear , was unsuccessful. Dodds was dismissed in 1875 and a new post of locomotive superintendent created with a locomotive engineer, Angus, in charge. Although only in post for two years Angus replaced all the wedge motions with Stephenson valve gear . There followed a long period of locomotive construction internally with all locomotives between 1875 and 1900 coming from the company works. The vast majority of these being tank engines although

1360-765: Is also home to the highest village in Britain, Flash . The village stands at 463m (1,518 feet) above sea level. This record was confirmed in 2007 by the Ordnance Survey after Wanlockhead in Scotland also claimed the record. The BBC 's The One Show investigated the case in a bid to settle the argument and Flash turned out to be the higher of the two. The council maintains a number of local nature reserves including Biddulph Valley Way, Brough Park Fields, Cecilly Brook, Hales Hall Pool, Hoften's Cross Meadows, Ladderedge Country Park and Marshes Hill Common. In terms of television,

1445-511: Is mostly uplands to the north of the district and lower-lying to the south, with rolling hills, crags and valleys across forests and lakes. The upland terrain is divided into high gritstone moorlands of the Dark Peak in the northwest and limestone landscape of the White Peak in the northeast. The district is named after the moors in the northwest along with smaller patches of lowland heaths across

1530-549: Is within Staffordshire Moorlands District. The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 covering four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named Staffordshire Moorlands, reflecting the landscape of this sparsely populated and largely upland part of the county. In February 2008, the council formed a strategic alliance with

1615-523: The Churnet Valley and Willington lines had been opened. Work continued apace and by 3 April 1848 the first freight trains were run. Passenger services started on 17 April 1848 and the first passenger train left the temporary station at Wheildon Road, Stoke, hauled by locomotive No. 1 Dragon , heading for a temporary station at Norton Bridge on the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). The opening of

1700-479: The City of Stoke-on-Trent was already a thriving industrial area before the arrival of the railways. The establishment of the pottery industry and the development of coal and ironstone mines in the 18th century had provided a need for materials, most noticeably clay, to be brought into the area. A corresponding need also arose for the resulting fragile pottery goods to be taken away from the area. This need had given rise in

1785-585: The Great Western Railway ); Alsager to Audley , Leycett and Keele, and Rocester to Ashbourne . Also opened in the 19th century was the only NSR line to achieve any degree of fame, the Potteries Loop Line from Etruria via Hanley , Cobridge , Burslem , Tunstall , Pitts Hill , Newchapel and Goldenhill to Kidsgrove Liverpool Road. Authorised in stages in 1864–65, it opened to traffic in 1873. Its fame came from several mentions and

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1870-806: The Heritage Lottery Fund , by the Cheddleton Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust. Every year there is a carnival organised by the Cheddleton Carnival Committee on the second Saturday in August, held on the Ashcombe Park Cricket Club car park. The committee also organises other events in the village throughout the rest of the year, most notably the Bonfire Night fireworks display – held, again, in

1955-401: The London and North Western Railway (LNWR), the company operated a network of smaller lines although the total route mileage of the company never exceeded 221 miles (356 km). The majority of the passenger traffic was local although a number of LNWR services from Manchester to London were operated via Stoke. Freight traffic was mostly coal and other minerals but the line also carried

2040-561: The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company . The main routes of the NSR are still in use today; the routes connecting Stoke-on-Trent with Macclesfield, Crewe, Stafford and Colwich Junction remain in use as important parts of the West Coast Main Line , whilst the Stoke to Derby route also remains in use , however most of the less important lines built by the company have since been closed. The area of north Staffordshire known today as

2125-413: The Midland Railway (MR). For the NSR passenger traffic into Derby and Burton was authorised and good traffic as far afield as Wellingborough . The arrangements with these two companies allowed the NSR to run its longest passenger service, between Derby and Llandudno. These trains only ran 44 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (72 km) on NSR rails, with 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (10 km) over MR but with

2210-653: The National Trust property Biddulph Grange , the Churnet Valley Railway , the UK's largest theme park Alton Towers Resort , and the annual Leek Arts Festival. There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing ( The Roaches ), sailing ( Rudyard Lake ) and cycling ( Waterhouses ). The neighbouring districts are East Staffordshire , Stafford , Stoke-on-Trent , Newcastle-under-Lyme , Cheshire East , High Peak and Derbyshire Dales . Historically

2295-463: The North Staffordshire or Churnet Valley and Trent Junction Railway . This prospective company issued its prospectus on 30 April 1845 from offices at 1 Old Palace Yard, Westminster , London . There was to be a share capital of £2,350,000 (£294 million in 2023). in £20 shares (117,500 shares). The prospectus outlined the NSR's plans for two main lines. The Pottery Line running from

2380-751: The national collection at the National Railway Museum but in 2016 ownership of the New L class locomotive was transferred to the Foxfield Railway where the locomotive is now on display. The largest locomotive depot was at Stoke, with 125 engines at grouping. The next largest was Alsager with an allocation of 15 engines. Other NSR depots existed at Macclesfield, Derby, Uttoxeter, Burton and Crewe. Stoke also had sub-sheds at Market Drayton , Leekbrook and Ashbourne. NSR engines were also sub-shedded at other companies depots, with arrangements existing at

2465-629: The 1840s with the introduction of the communication cord in 1869 and the simple vacuum brake in 1883. The first bogie coaches were introduced in 1906 for use on the Derby–Llandudno service and these were followed by further examples until 1923. By 1919 all carriages, except 13 four-wheelers used on miners' trains, had been fitted with steam heating and a number of vehicles had been fitted with through pipes to allow use in trains equipped with Westinghouse brakes . Most carriages were constructed at Stoke but some were purchased from companies such as

2550-631: The Caldon Low quarries. The former were purchased from Kitson and Company and the latter from Henry Hughes and W. G. Bagnall . At grouping 196 steam locomotives including the L&;MV and Caldon Low engines were absorbed into the LMS along with the three railmotors and one battery electric locomotive. This last engine was built at Stoke in 1917 for shunting the copper works at Oakamoor . Four engines under construction at Stoke in 1923 were completed and also added to

2635-471: The L&MV was nominally independent the NSR both worked and operated the line. Finally in 1910, the short Trentham Park branch line was built from Stoke-on-Trent to Trentham Park. It was authorised as part of an alternative line to Newcastle-under-Lyme but construction work beyond Trentham was quickly abandoned owing to rising costs. The same act of Parliament also transferred the Cheadle Railway to

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2720-432: The LMS stock. Although many of the locomotives were not old, due to the LMS policy of standardisation all NSR engines had been withdrawn from service by 1939. The one exception was the battery electric shunting locomotive which remained in service until 1963. Two NSR locomotives are preserved. NSR No. 2, an 0-6-2T New L class (one of the four constructed in 1923) and the battery electric locomotive. Both formed part of

2805-510: The LNWR sheds at Stafford, Liverpool Edge Hill and Manchester Longsight and the GNR shed at Nottingham Colwick. Up to 1882 locomotives were a bright green with black and white lining with a Staffordshire knot emblem on the tank or tender sides. Longbottom introduced a new livery of a red brown with black, yellow and vermilion lining. Longbottom was succeeded by Adams who changed the livery once more to

2890-466: The LNWR. In 1849 an agreement was reached where LNWR traffic could work over the NSR system but in exchange a certain amount of the LNWR London trains had to be routed via Stoke. These Manchester to London Euston restaurant car expresses were unique in often being hauled by NSR tank engines from Manchester to Stoke-on-Trent where the LNWR express engines took over for the run via Stone, Sandon, Colwich, and

2975-498: The MS&;L was no stronger financially than the NSR. Only two years later some NSR shareholders proposed a merger with the MR, the board dismissed the proposal with the chairman reminding shareholders that The NSR had a small mileage and had to collect traffic for the large companies which surrounded it. They made profits from good mileages while the NSR had to do a great deal for comparatively little return. The quote about little return

3060-594: The NSR Liverpool plan was the short branch to Sandbach from Harecastle. On 26 June 1846, the three NSR acts were passed with the total of £2,900,000 in share capital being shared amongst the three lines, with seven years allowed for the completion of each line. The North Staffordshire Railway (Pottery Line) Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxxv) provided for the construction of the line from Macclesfield to Colwich with branches to Norton Bridge , Newcastle, Silverdale and Crewe. Parliamentary approval for building railways

3145-421: The NSR and the Great Western Railway (GWR) expanding into Shropshire running rights were agreed for NSR trains to run to Hodnet and Wellington and in return GWR goods trains could run to Stoke. There were several proposals made either to the NSR or by it, to merge or lease or sell the company to other railway companies. The first was in 1849 when the LNWR, using its financial strength, made suggestions about

3230-460: The NSR consisted of 1,750,000 long tons (1,780,000 t) of goods, nearly 4,000,000 long tons (4,100,000 t) of coal and coke and over 2,000,000 long tons (2,000,000 t) of other minerals. Among the 1,750,000 long tons (1,780,000 t) of goods was 150,000 long tons (150,000 t) of pottery, over five-sixths of the entire production in Britain. Under the Railways Act 1921 , the NSR

3315-400: The NSR decided early on that it was advantageous to carry out its own maintenance work in all departments and also to undertake much of its own new construction work. Stoke railway works were opened in 1849, capable of producing carriages , wagons and other equipment. Construction of locomotives followed later, commencing in 1864. Ownership of the Trent & Mersey canal made the NSR

3400-401: The NSR following a decision by the NSR board to sell or lease the company. The four rival companies were unable to agree on who would take what share of the NSR and the proposal floundered. In 1875, the MS&L proposed an amalgamation which initially found favour with the NSR board and shareholders but eventually fell through when the MS&L finances were investigated and it was found that

3485-401: The NSR is given below . The Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway (MB&M) was a joint line which the NSR participated in. A short line of just under 11 miles (18 km) it was opened with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&L) in 1869 to give the NSR access to Manchester independently of the LNWR. As relationships between the NSR and the LNWR grew better

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3570-486: The NSR running rights to Nottingham , Colwick , Leicester and Peterborough . Apart from excursion trains to Nottingham and goods trains to Colwick, the NSR did not take advantage of these powers. Although the NSR had joint ownership of the MB&;M with the MS&L the NSR did not have running powers over the rest of the MS&L and was content to let the MS&L handle all traffic north of Middlewood. Finally with both

3655-559: The NSR. These preference shares paid a guaranteed annual dividend of 5% once the entire railway was open. The total purchase cost of the T&;M to the NSR £1,170,000. On 25 November 1845 the Derby and Crewe Railway was absorbed into the NSR scheme. This was a line that was being supported by the Grand Junction Railway (GJR) running between Derby and Crewe via Uttoxeter and Stoke. It

3740-435: The NSR. The Cheadle Railway was a small local company constructed with NSR's backing, built at great cost over a period of twelve years. It was a short line from Cresswell to Cheadle , this line, only 4 miles (6 km) long, included a very difficult tunnel. The line was opened from Cresswell to Totmonslow on 7 November 1892 and to Cheadle on 1 January 1901. A full list of authorisation and opening dates for sections of

3825-571: The North Staffordshire Railway Act 1847 ( 10 & 11 Vict. c. cviii) was passed. This act was necessary was because of problems encountered with the construction of the Crewe branch. The opportunity was taken to authorise several other deviations and small branches. It also consolidated the previous acts and importantly, forced the NSR to ensure that all lines were completed by specifying that ordinary dividends were not to exceed 5% until

3910-563: The Passion designed by William Morris. Cheddleton Flint Mill is a Grade II* listed building, situated along the Caldon Canal . It is a prime example of Staffordshire 's industrial past – a flint grinding watermill previously used for supplying the pottery industry further along the canal in Stoke-on-Trent . It is open to the public free of charge, and has been preserved, with help from

3995-474: The Uttoxeter–Ashbourne line to run through coaches from Buxton to London via Nuneaton. As well as the running power agreements with the LNWR there was a very short joint line of 32 chains (644 m) at Middlewood and three jointly owned stations; Ashbourne, Colwich and Macclesfield Goods. Equally important in terms of traffic but not as extensive in terms of route were the running power agreements with

4080-663: The area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central broadcasting from Birmingham . Television signals are received the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter. However, Biddulph is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada , broadcast from Salford . Television signals for the town are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter. Radio stations for the area are BBC Radio Stoke , Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire , Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire and Moorlands Radio ,

4165-626: The area was contained in the Hundred of Totmonslow , except for the parish of Biddulph , which was in Pirehill Hundred . The district makes up the majority of the area of the now obsolete Totmonslow Hundred, with the remaining area of the Hundred now falling in East Staffordshire District. The Hundred was named after a small hamlet of Totmonslow in the parish of Draycott in the Moors , which

4250-432: The biggest canal owning railway with 130 miles (209 km) of waterways owned. The T&M owned Rudyard Lake which the NSR made use of as a leisure complex, building a golf course, in 1905, on land adjoining the lake. A further area of interest, again via ownership of the T&M, was the lease on Caldon Low quarries. Associated with the quarry was the 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) tramway that ran from

4335-593: The canal side, nearby. The village hit the headlines in March 2006 when a fire at a house on Hillside Road killed four people. The cause of the fire was quickly established as arson and eight months later a local man called Mark Goldstraw was found guilty on four counts of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum term of 35 years. The village is twinned with Mitterteich in Germany. The twinning association holds regular meetings and exchanges between

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4420-637: The car park, and the 'Duck Race', held annually at the Boat Inn and raced along the canal. The committee raises funds for Cancer Research UK and to date have raised over £ 750,000. Cheddleton is served by St. Edward's CE (c) First School, close to St. Edward's Church and the local community centre . Children attend the school from the beginning of their education up to Key Stage 2 ( Reception class to Year 4 ). The school has an additional nursery provision and before / after school clubs provided on-site by Early Stages Ltd who also run Teddy's Garden Day nursery from

4505-531: The ceremony was a field in Etruria . A roped off enclosure for directors was created and the remainder of the field was reserved for invited guests. A mile-long procession headed by John Lewis Ricardo , Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent and chairman of the NSR Company, formed. On Ricardo's arrival, the crowds broke through the roped off area and Ricardo was pushed and shoved. During the actual cutting he buckled

4590-605: The district are within the Peak District National Park . In those areas, town planning is the responsibility of the Peak District National Park Authority . The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 30-person National Park Authority. The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election , being led by a Labour minority administration. The first elections were held in 1973, initially operating as

4675-538: The district, such as Wetley Moor near Werrington . The highest point in both the district and Staffordshire is Cheeks Hill , rising up to 520m (1,710 feet) on Axe Edge Moor . The area approximately between Axe Edge Moor and the Churnet Valley is in the Dark Peak and includes the Roaches , a series of gritstone outcrops which rises to 505m (1,657 feet) and where several red-necked wallabies roamed free for many years. On

4760-501: The exception of two locomotives for shunting purchased from Kerr Stuart in 1919 these were the last engines not to be built by the company at Stoke. Apart from engine No 1 of 1848 being named Dragon only two other NSR engines were ever named, in 1882 Class C 2-4-0 No. 55 was named Colin Minton Campbell and Class C No. 54 John Bramley Moore after the chairman and deputy chairman of the company, respectively. The NSR also used

4845-558: The last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 56 councillors representing 27 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. Staffordshire Moorlands is the local UK Parliament constituency. Its boundaries do not match up with the District Council area. The MP since 2010 has been Karen Bradley , a Conservative. She served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 14 July 2016 until 8 January 2018, when she

4930-482: The line or firms such as Sharp Brothers and Company , B. Hick and Son , Kitson, Thompson and Hewitson , the Vulcan Foundry or Jones and Potts . Originally the resident engineers were responsible for the locomotive stock and the first four holders of this post were all primarily civil engineers. In 1863 the new general manager, Morris, commissioned an outside report on the NSR locomotive fleet which recommended

5015-457: The line gave the Potteries a railway link with Birmingham and London which made it an instant success with the public. Profits for the first two months were £1,668, "exceeding expectations". The remaining lines under the original acts were opened in stages but all were completed and open by the end of 1852 when the Stoke to Newcastle and Newcastle to Knutton sections opened. A few months after

5100-557: The main line to London Euston . The NSR received a payment for every through passenger on these trains and employed a small army of ticket inspectors to examine and clip (with its distinctive 'P' clip) every ticket during the Stoke-on-Trent station stop. The agreement did give the NSR access to destinations such as Llandudno , Manchester, Stafford, Wolverhampton and Buxton . NSR goods trains were able to run to places such as Liverpool and Rugby . The LNWR also used running rights over

5185-580: The majority, 67 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (109 km) over the LNWR. In 1867, an independent local company built the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway , later incorporated into the Great Northern Railway (GNR). The GNR built its GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension from Nottingham and Derby Friargate via Mickleover to Egginton Junction with running powers over the NSR from Etwall, through Uttoxeter , to Bromshall Junction. The GNR granted

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5270-549: The mid to late 18th century of the construction of the Trent & Mersey Canal (T&M) and its various branches. Opened in 1777 it was a spectacular success and paid dividends reaching 75% in 1822. By 1845 this had fallen to a still impressive 30% despite the onset of railway development in the northwest England. In 1836 the canal carried 184,500 long tons (187,461  t ; 206,640 short tons ) of goods away and brought in 143,610 long tons (145,914 t; 160,843 short tons). It

5355-479: The necessary powers to build the lines, Parliament suggested a pause of a year "to afford time for consideration and for maturing some more complete scheme for the accommodation of that important district". The two companies decided to join forces to make a new approach to Parliament. They also incorporated in the scheme a proposal to join the Trent Valley Railway into the Potteries. To do this they promoted

5440-448: The neighbouring High Peak Borough Council to share a number of services and staff as a way of reducing costs, including a shared chief executive and senior management team. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council . The whole district is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. Large parts of

5525-473: The old hospital water tower, the highest building in the surrounding area, which now serves as an impressive private dwelling. The traditional village is served by one shop, three public houses , a veterinary surgery, an off licence and two churches: St Edward's (Anglican) and St Andrew's (Methodist). The modern development has limited amenities, although there is a Latin American cuisine restaurant situated on

5610-465: The opening of the first line, the imposing permanent station in Winton Square, Stoke was opened on 9 October 1848. Stoke station then became the headquarters of the NSR. Later branches constructed in the nineteenth century included lines from Stoke-on-Trent to Congleton via Smallthorne and Biddulph ; Stoke-on-Trent to Leek ; Newcastle to Silverdale , Keele and Market Drayton (junction with

5695-519: The other hand, the western half of Dovedale and the Manifold Valley , including Thor's Cave , Wetton Mill , Longnor and Butterton , are in the White Peak. The Churnet Valley is a steep-sided, wooded valley in the south of the district, running between Cheddleton and Rocester , also known as "The Rhineland of Staffordshire" or Staffordshire's "Little Switzerland". The Staffordshire Moorlands

5780-525: The preparations for the local government reorganisation later that year. A large extension including a new main entrance was added to the rear of the building in 1986, after which the building was renamed Moorlands House. The Staffordshire Moorlands district is in the southern end and foothills of the Pennines , with some of the northern parts lying in the Peak District National Park. The terrain

5865-415: The quarries to Froghall making the NSR the operator of lines of three different gauges. Although the NSR principally served the urban areas of the Potteries, it did promote the area for tourism, especially the Churnet Valley which local hoteliers had labelled as "Staffordshire's little Switzerland". The company issued a 150-page guide called Picturesque Staffordshire to support this promotion and dispel

5950-542: The reason for the line lessened as the MB&M route to Manchester was 5 miles (8 km) longer than the LNWR route. Both passenger and freight traffic was handled by the MS&L (or, as it later became, the Great Central Railway ) with the buildings maintained by the NSR. As a company with only a small route mileage the NSR made extensive use of running powers and in exchange granted running powers to other companies. The earliest agreements were reached with

6035-461: The rebuilding of 50 engines. By the time this report was produced a new engineer, Johnson, had been appointed. He undertook the improvements but the results were unsatisfactory and Johnson left in 1870 after only five years in post. The only significant event of Johnson's tenure was the building of the first engines at Stoke works when three 0-6-0T engines were built in 1868. Johnson's successor, Dodds, fared no better as his patented wedge motion,

6120-477: The silver spade and had difficulty removing the sod. Finally, his hat blew away. Construction work went ahead under the supervision of the consulting engineer, George Parker Bidder . By February 1847 there were 1,318 men and 60 horses working between Macclesfield and Colwich and they had removed 80,000 cubic yards (61,000 m ) of earth, driven 843 yards (771 m) of tunnel heading and erected 12,000 yards (10,973 m) yards of fencing. On 2 July 1847

6205-435: The surrounding towns of Stafford , Crewe , Derby and Macclesfield were all connected to the fledgling railway system. The Staffordshire Potteries Railway promoted a route from Macclesfield to the Grand Junction Railway mainline at Norton Bridge plus a spur to Crewe. At the same time the Churnet Valley Railway promoted a line from Macclesfield to Derby with a branch to Stoke . After these two companies applied for

6290-599: The two villages. Ashcombe Park in Cheadle Road is a Grade II* listed stately house built by James Trubshaw between 1807 and 1811. The 2011 census records a total population for Cheddleton of 5,444 persons and 2,267 households. The parish church of St Edward the Confessor is on Hollow Lane; it is a Grade II* listed building . It was built from the 13th to 15th century. In the churchyard are buried Sir Thomas Wardle (1831–1909) and his wife Elizabeth . Thomas Wardle owned

6375-486: The vast majority of china and other pottery goods manufactured in England. As the NSR was surrounded by other larger railway companies, there were in the 19th century several attempts emanating from other companies or proposals from NSR shareholders to amalgamate with one or more of the other companies that adjoined it. None of these came to fruition and the NSR remained an independent company up to 1923 when it became part of

6460-586: The widespread held idea that the county was dull and bleak In addition to the tourist traffic generated the NSR owned three hotels; the North Stafford in Stoke (opposite Stoke station), the Churnet Valley in Leek and the Hotel Rudyard at Rudyard. NSR motive power came from a mixture of sources. Before the establishment of Stoke works there was a complete reliance on outside contractors. The first locomotives were either purchased from contractors building

6545-529: Was accurate. In 1877 the NSR dividend was only 2% compared with the dividend of 6% paid by the LNWR to its shareholders. A year later the dividend fell to its lowest ever point of only 1.625%. However it recovered and after 1881 never fell below 3%. In 1891 the NSR paid a 5% dividend for the first time, a level not to be reached again until 1913. In 1913 the NSR ranked as the eighteenth largest company by route mileage with 216 miles (348 km). Passenger numbers stood at 7,200,000 and goods traffic handled by

6630-415: Was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . The council is based at Moorlands House on Stockwell Street in Leek. The front part of the building facing Stockwell Street was formerly called New Stockwell House and had been built in 1937 as the headquarters of the Leek and Moorlands Building Society (later the Leek and Westbourne Building Society). The building was acquired in early 1974 as part of

6715-526: Was based in Stoke-on-Trent and was nicknamed The Knotty ; its lines were built to the standard gauge of 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ). The main routes were constructed between 1846 and 1852 and ran from Macclesfield via Stoke to Colwich Junction joining the Trent Valley Railway , with another branch to Norton Bridge , just north of Stafford , and from Crewe to Egginton Junction, west of Derby . Within these main connections with other railway companies, most notably

6800-413: Was needed to allow for compulsory purchase of the land needed for construction. This act also vested the Trent & Mersey Canal in the NSR. Allocated capital for this work was £1,500,000. The second act, the North Staffordshire Railway (Harecastle and Sandbach) Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxxiv) provided for the construction of the line from Harecastle to Sandbach , allocated capital for these works

6885-567: Was one of the eight major companies designated to form the North Western, Midland and West Scottish Group. This group became the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The act came into force on 1 January 1923 but along with the Caledonian Railway , the NSR amalgamation into the LMS was delayed until 1 July 1923 due to certain legal requirements not being completed by the due date. In common with most other British railway companies,

6970-613: Was opened at Windy Arbour, Cheddleton on the ground of the old Berresford Bus site. Cheddleton was also home to one of the best loved MotoX tracks in the UK, the steep, mostly natural sand track hosted numerous rounds of various local and national championships. Over the years many riders who have moved on to race at an international level have competed at Cheddleton including the son of Ron Haslam , current World Superbike rider and former Moto GP rider Leon Haslam . Staffordshire Moorlands The area's principal industries are agriculture, fashion and tourism. Visitor attractions include

7055-400: Was the Trent and Mersey Canal Company that built the first railway in north Staffordshire when in 1776 it was granted powers in the Trent and Mersey Canal Act 1776 ( 16 Geo. 3 . c. 32) to build a railway, or plateway , from Caldon Low limestone quarries to the canal basin at Froghall in the Churnet Valley . The Railway Mania of 1845 found the Potteries still without a railway, although

7140-573: Was to eliminate the opposition of the Grand Junction company to the other NSR proposals that the NSR agreed to absorb the Derby and Crewe . However part of the deal was that the proposed line from Harecastle to Liverpool was abandoned. Despite having arranged to purchase the T&M canal for a considerable sum, to obtain support for the Liverpool extension the NSR agreed to the GJR demand. All that survived of

7225-579: Was £200,000. Finally the North Staffordshire Railway (Churnet Valley) Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxxvi) authorised the construction of the line from North Rode to Burton, a branch from Tutbury to Willington Junction near Derby, and the line between Uttoxeter and Stoke; £1,200,000 of capital was allocated to this. To start the construction work, there was an official sod-cutting ceremony. This took place in September 1846 The site chosen for

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