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26-618: Holden Viaduct , in Sneyd Green , Stoke-on-Trent , carries the A5272 , here called Hanley Road. It spans a cutting through which runs Leek New Road, the A53 . On each side of the viaduct is a ramp leading down to the A53. Although it is officially a viaduct , it is quite short and has only one span. It is usually known as "Holden Bridge". It is a notable feature for motorists travelling along Leek New Road, which

52-554: A much needed conceptual clarity to the notion of club work. He was also an important advocate for the extension of working class political rights and helped to set up the Charity Organisation Society . The CIU as a national body is non- political , but individual clubs can be affiliated to political parties. Originally, it was a middle class -led philanthropic organisation aimed at education and non- alcoholic recreation. However, working men themselves soon took over

78-511: A significantly below average proportion of residents in terraced housing. According to the Council's 'Neighbourhood Area Profile', Sneyd Green is "typified by privately owned semi-detached housing and pockets of semi-detached council-housing". Predictably, the average gross household income of Sneyd Green residents is higher than the City's average and the crime rate is below the City average. The hub of

104-539: Is an area in the city of Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire , England, in the north-east of the city, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Hanley . Sneyd Green borders Smallthorne in the north, Milton in the east, Birches Head in the south, and Cobridge in the west. Most of Sneyd Green falls within Stoke-on-Trent North , the remainder is in Stoke Central. For local government purposes the greater part of Sneyd Green

130-461: Is entitled to use the facilities of all other CIU clubs, although they will only be entitled to vote in committee elections in clubs where they are full members. The CIU has two main purposes: to provide a voice at national level for working men's clubs and social clubs, and to provide discounted products and services for its members. The Club and Institute Union was founded by The Rev. Henry Solly in 1862. A great propagandist for clubs, he provided

156-567: Is in the East Valley electoral ward. Those parts not in East Valley are split between Northwood & Birches Head and Burslem South. That part of Sneyd Green that falls within Burslem South is sometimes referred to as Old Sneyd Green. Despite having a sizeable council estate, Sneyd Green only has an average number of council tenants for a neighbourhood in Stoke-on-Trent. Also, Sneyd Green has

182-403: Is perfectly straight here. A plaque on the balustrade reads: City of Stoke-on-Trent, Holden Viaduct. This bridge was opened by Mrs J W Oakes on the 14th July 1930, and was erected to replace the original structure built in 1844. Major J Kent DSO Chairman, Councillor J W Oakes Vice-Chairman, Highways Committee. A short way north-east along Leek New Road, at the junction with Berwick Road, there

208-620: Is tree lined around most of its perimeter. The Ford Green Brook , a tributary of the River Trent , flows through a conservation area where angling is not permitted. Some remains of a disused branch of the Caldon Canal (‘The Foxley') can also be found on the site. There is also a footpath, along the trackbed of the former Biddulph Valley railway line (of the North Staffordshire Railway ), to Ford Green Hall. The Pools can be found in

234-560: The Pennines , the A52 reaches an altitude of over 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level. Not surprisingly, the road is often blocked by snow in the winter. In better weather, keen ramblers and campers from all over North Staffordshire pass through Sneyd Green in their cars on their way to the Peak District . Sneyd Green is named after the prominent local Sneyd family. Keele University was built on

260-715: The Royal British Legion , the Association of Conservative Clubs , the National Union of Liberal Clubs and the National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs , the CIU is part of CORCA (Confederation of Registered Club Associations) which lobbies Parliament on behalf of clubs. This group was active in the debate about smoking : as most clubs are known for working men who like to drink and smoke (in many cases without any women in

286-402: The bar ), there is some concern about the future prospects of clubs. The CIU holds a national congress every year and as part of its activities runs convalescent homes. In many ways, it could be said to be the oldest surviving friendly society still run by its members, and continues to play a part in the cultural life of working-class families. The Working Men's Club and Institute Union is now

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312-507: The Federation brewery in Dunston, Tyne and Wear . Although CIU-affiliated clubs do still receive discounted beer , these discounts are largely passed on to the members, and Federation beer will generally be cheaper than beer available in local pubs . The brewery was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle in 2004 and now brews Newcastle Brown Ale . Together with other club organisations such as

338-723: The Sneyd Arms – a third, the Holden Bridge being recently demolished). There was also a Workingmen's Club that was demolished in 2023 (Holden Lane WMC on Ralph Drive – member of the Working Men's Club and Institute Union ). The huge Central Forest Park can be found on the south-west fringe of Sneyd Green. In the early 1970s Central Forest Park was created by the City Council from three enormous coal spoil heaps, deep mine shafts, water-filled marl pits, disused railways and decaying buildings. At

364-619: The city. Today, many of these Halls, including Sneyd Green's, are social enterprises owned by a local Trust. The Holden Lane Residents Association is one of a sizeable number of voluntary bodies that utilise the hall's facilities. Sneyd Green has two primary schools (Holden Lane and Sneyd Green), a large secondary school ( Excel Academy ) and two churches (St. Andrews Church of England Parish and Wesley Hall Methodist Church on Noblett Road). There are two public houses in Sneyd Green (the Berwick and

390-443: The community is around the crossroad junction of Hanley Road (B5049), Milton Road and Sneyd Street. Here can be found: a busy ‘Late Shop’ convenience store (A Consumers' cooperative ), a doctor's surgery – now closed, a dentist, a chemist, a sub-post office, a small number of other shops, a Chinese take-away, and an Oatcake shop. Sneyd Green's community hall on Noblett Road was one of only twelve council-owned, community-run halls in

416-512: The establishment of the Labour Party . Labour Clubs were founded as that party grew in size in the 1920s. Generally, Conservative Clubs did not join, as they formed their own federation (though there are some such venues still in existence). Servicemen returning from the Great War would also found clubs, and Roman Catholic parishes had clubs. The only stipulation demanded for membership of the CIU

442-532: The former estate of the Sneyd family. There are a number of prominent historical Sneyds of Keele Hall, such as Ralph Sneyd and William Sneyd . There are number of pubs in the area called the Sneyd Arms. Working Men%27s Club and Institute Union They do not have to be working men's clubs , although most are. There are many village clubs, Royal British Legions , Labour Clubs, Liberal Clubs, and various other clubs involved. A member of one CIU-affiliated club

468-587: The largest non-profit-making social entertainment and leisure organisation in the UK, representing the interests and views of six million club members. The Working Men's Club and Institute has come a long way since 1862. However, it could be said that working men's clubs have suffered from an old-fashioned image among young people, and have found it hard to compete with modern trends, resulting in many closures of clubs in recent years. The problem has recently become acute, particularly in relation to anti-smoking legislation, which

494-674: The north-east of Sneyd Green, nestled between the A53 on one side and Holden Lane High School on the other. The main Hanley to Leek bus service passes the site. The Friends of Holden Lane Pools were established in January 2004. They work with the City Council's Environment Team to manage the site for wildlife and people. According to the Environment team, the site currently supports "a wide variety of birds including great crested and little grebes, swans, coots and moorhens. A range of small birds can be seen in

520-522: The previous structure built in 1844. There were a number of improvements made to what is now the A53 between Stoke and Leek in the 1920s, the current Holden Viaduct being one. Holden was the name of a farm in this part of Sneyd Green, which had been in existence since at least 1611. In the late nineteenth century the bridge was known as Holden Hill Viaduct. 53°2.6180′N 2°10.3429′W  /  53.0436333°N 2.1723817°W  / 53.0436333; -2.1723817 Sneyd Green Sneyd Green

546-684: The running of the CIU and drinks were allowed. In the Victorian era , the Liberal Working Men's Clubs were prominent in increasing the Union's membership. Sometimes Liberal Clubs were called Gladstone Clubs in honour of the Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone . In some working-class areas, local landowners and business owners would contribute to the cost: however, as land was relatively cheaper in those days, it

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572-424: The time it won conservation awards for land reclamation. Today it is a very pleasant park allowing for a variety of recreational pastimes including angling, cycling, and skate-boarding. The Holden Lane Pools is a local nature reserve covering an area of eight and a half hectares. There is young woodland, marshy reed beds, grassland and the main pool, popular with anglers, covers approximately four acres of water and

598-554: The woodland and reed beds. Other wildlife includes grass snakes, which shelter and hunt for frogs in the grassland and marshy areas, plus dragonflies and butterflies". Anglers come seeking one of the several carp over 25 lb (11 kg) that the main pool holds. Leek New Road, which goes through Sneyd Green passing under the Holden Viaduct , forms part of the A53 that stretches from Shrewsbury (Shropshire) to Buxton (Derbyshire) via Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, and Leek. In

624-543: Was fairly easy for groups of men to buy the land and establish the clubs using their own skills and labour. In the pre- and post- World War I era, these clubs were often associated with trade societies and trade union branches. In the miners' strike of the early 1980s, the Miners' Welfare Clubs played a key role in their support of the strike. Other such clubs can still be recognised by their name, e.g. Engineers or Railwaymen's Clubs. There were also Socialist Clubs, built before

650-473: Was that clubs be owned by the members and accept the standards of membership, as they were often subject to inspection. The wealthier clubs have sports pitches and dining facilities, as well as indoor games and entertainment. Many entertainers developed their skills in them over the years, as depicted in the ITV series The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club . Until 2004, the CIU had its own beer brewed by

676-419: Was until recently a pub called The Holden Bridge; it closed in 2007, and has since been demolished. The Leek New Road, which runs in an almost straight line between Endon and Cobridge , first appeared on the one-inch Ordnance Survey maps in the 1850s, so the road and bridge may have been parts of the same building project. As the plaque on the bridge tells us, the present bridge was opened in 1930, replacing

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