- This article is about the town of Stafford, England. For the larger local government district see Borough of Stafford. Settlements and parishes of Stafford Adbaston Barlaston, Berkswich, Bradley, Brocton For other uses, see Stafford (disambiguation)
| Stafford | |
  Stafford shown within Staffordshire |
|
| Population | 63,681 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Stafford |
| Shire county | Staffordshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STAFFORD |
| Postcode district | ST16, ST17 |
| Dialling code | 01785 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| European Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Stafford |
| List of places: UK • England • Staffordshire | |
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire in England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Settlements and parishes of Stafford Adbaston Barlaston, Berkswich, Bradley, Brocton Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Stoke-on-Trent postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Leek, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Staffordshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WMAS is the second-largest ambulance service in the UK West Midlands is a Constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Stafford is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It lies in the north of the West Midlands region, between Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 The population of Stafford was given in the 2001 census as 63,681[1], with that of the wider borough of Stafford as 124,531. During 2001 population Censuses were conducted in Australia: See Census in Australia Austria: See Demographics of Austria Settlements and parishes of Stafford Adbaston Barlaston, Berkswich, Bradley, Brocton
Contents |
History
Stafford means 'ford' by a 'staithe' (landing place). A ford is a place in a Watercourse (most commonly a stream or River) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading on Horseback or in a wheeled A wharf is a landing place or Pier where ships may tie up and load or unload The town's location was the only feasible place for a large army to cross the River Trent, and so was strategically important in the wider region. The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. The original settlement was on an island in the middle of the marshes of the River Sow, a tributary of the Trent. The River Sow is a tributary of the River Trent in Staffordshire, England. There is still a large area of marshland just north of the town, which in 1947, 2000 and 2007 saw floods. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog
In the year 913 Stafford was fortified by Ethelfleda, Lady of Mercia and daughter of Alfred the Great, becoming the new capital of Mercia (the previous capital having been in or near Stone). Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven Miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the Queen Ethelfleda ruled Mercia from Stafford for five years as Queen of Mercia, after the death of her father and husband - at around this time the county of Staffordshire was first formed. King Alfred's son Edward, with the crucial aid of Ethelfleda, finally conquered and Christianised the Vikings who had settled in the east of England. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants
Stafford Castle was built by the Normans on a nearby hilltop in 1070, four years after the invasion of 1066. StaffordCastle2jpg|thumb|300px|Photo of Stafford Castle]] Stafford Castle is a building in the town of Stafford in England. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. It was first made of wood, and later rebuilt of stone. It has been rebuilt twice since, but now only 19th century ruins remain atop the impressive earthworks. Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving of massive quantities of Soil or unformed rock. Night-time illuminations create a landmark for motorists on the M6 motorway and train travellers on the West Coast Main Line. Originally a landmark literally meant a Geographic Feature used by explorers and This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. Stafford was considered part of the ancient Pyrehill hundred.
In 1206 King John granted a Royal Charter which created the Borough of Stafford. The Life and Death of King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatizes the reign of King John of England (ruled 1199&ndash1216 A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company Settlements and parishes of Stafford Adbaston Barlaston, Berkswich, Bradley, Brocton On the 31st March 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the town to join in the 800th anniversary civic celebrations. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II
A shoe making town
Stafford town has a long history of shoe making. It is "an ancient borough and market town, celebrated for the manufacture of shoes. "[2] Furthermore, "in the eighteenth century Stafford was represented (in Parliament) by the famous playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (30 October 1751 &ndash 7 July 1816 was an Irish playwright and Whig Statesman. When he was in Stafford he would stay with his friend William Horton. Horton was the founder of the Stafford Shoe Industry. A century after Horton began the early Factory System, Stafford was exporting some 5,000,000 pairs of shoes to South Africa alone. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The were a number of spin-off industries which prospered in Stafford, these including Venables Wood Yard, Spic and Span Polish later to become Dove then Evode(anagram of Dove). The shoe industry gradually died out in the town, with Lotus Shoes being the last manufacturers. "[3] The large red-brick Lotus Shoe factory on Sandon Road closed and was demolished about 2001 to be quickly replaced by modern housing.
See for example: Staffordshire Industrial Archaeology Society, Journal No 10 (1981) including: A M Harrison, The Development of Boot and Shoe Manufacturing in Stafford 1850-1880; Staffordshire Industrial Archaeology Society, Journal 19 (2005), Shoemaking in Stafford, containing: The Development of Boot and Shoe Manufacturing in Stafford, 1850-1880, by Martin Harrison, Richard Podmore & Son, Shoe Manufacturers, by Martin Harrison, Stafford Box Factory in 2003, by Martin Harrison[4]
Buildings and the town centre
The oldest building in Stafford is St Chad's church.
Opened in 1908, Victoria Park is a 13 acre (53,000 m²) Edwardian riverside park with an open-air paddling pool, bowling green, bird cages, greenhouse and two play areas. Class and society Socially the Edwardian era was a period during which the British Class system was very rigid
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre is the town's main entertainment and cultural venue. An Arts centre has also been planned for the town to offer more culture and try and boost tourism in the town.
In the main shopping street, Greengate Street, lies the Elizabethan Ancient High House, the largest timber-framed town house in England. Romance and reality The Victorian era and the early twentieth century idealised the Elizabethan era The Ancient High House is an Elizabethan town house in Stafford. Timber framing (Fachwerk or Half-timbering, is the method of creating framed structures of heavy timber jointed together with pegged Mortise and tenon joints The Ancient High House is now a museum, with changing exhibitions.
The Shire Hall Gallery, found in the very centre of Stafford town, houses the Art Gallery, which shows changing exhibitions. It also contains a cafe and the town's Library.
The Shire Hall used to be the Court House for the town, and as a Grade 2 listed building, still retains two courtrooms. One of these is open to the general public and has a permanent exhibition showing the history of the building, some high profile cases that were heard there and guided tours are available. Part of the tour includes an old 'holding cell' which is open to public viewing.
The Apollo Cinema shows most big-budget films and has three screens.
The new £15 million Stafford Leisure Centre opened on 12 April 2008, adjacent to the ASDA superstore in Lammascote Road. It replaces the old Riverside Recreation Centre, which will be demolished to make way for a £50 million housing, leisure and retail complex along the River Sow. The former Tesco store and Bridge Street multi-storey car park will both be demolished as part of this development.
R. A. F Stafford was transformed into M. O. D Stafford in late 2007, after the R. A. F left the Town. It is now home to a Gurkha signals regiment and a RAF regiment contingent.
Staffordshire University has a large campus in the town focusing heavily on computing and teaching courses.
77,900 new homes are expected to be built in greenfield areas of Staffordshire, with 12,900 expected to be built in Stafford.
People
Famous people from Stafford include:
The 17th century author of The Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton, and the 18th century playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan was once the local MP. Izaak Walton ( August 9, 1593 - December 15, 1683) was an English writer, author of The Compleat Angler. Izaak Walton ( August 9, 1593 - December 15, 1683) was an English writer, author of The Compleat Angler. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (30 October 1751 &ndash 7 July 1816 was an Irish playwright and Whig Statesman. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Also, the 1853 Lord Mayor of London, Thomas Sidney, was born in the town. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
In the early 1900s, the village of Great Haywood near Stafford was home to the wife of famous The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien. Great Haywood (is a Village in central Staffordshire, England, just off the A51 about four miles from Rugeley. The Lord of the Rings is an epic He stayed with his wife, Edith, in her cottage in the village during the winter of 1916, and the surrounding areas were said to be an inspiration for some of his early works.
Climax Blues Band, initially, as their name suggests, a popular blues band but later to go more mainstream with 'Couldn't Get It Right', (a number 10 hit in the UK in October 1976, and number three in America the following year) also hailed from Stafford. The Climax Chicago Blues Band based in Stafford, England was formed in late 1968 Band leader Colin Cooper was born in the town in 1939, still lives locally, and is the only Staffordian in the current incarnation of the band. Colin Terence Cooper (born February 28, 1967 in Durham, England) is a former English footballer, who spent most of his career Former bass and guitar player Derek Holt until recently ran a public house in the town centre, and still plays there regularly.
Stafford was the birthplace of Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey, Freya Copeland, who plays Angela 'Angie' Reynolds in the soap Emmerdale and comedian Dave Gorman. Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy --created and written by Simon Nye--that follows the lives of beer-guzzling flatmates Gary Strang and Tony Smart Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July, 1962 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English Actor. Emmerdale, known as Emmerdale Farm until 1989 is a British Soap opera that has aired on ITV since 1972 David James Gorman (born March 2, 1971 in Stafford, Staffordshire) is an Author, documentary comedian and humorist Author Storm Constantine is a long-time resident. Storm Constantine is a British Science fiction and Fantasy author primarily known for her Wraeththu series
1970s hit duo Medicine Head hailed from nearby Tixall. Medicine Head was an English blues rock band, active in the 1970s
Anthony Gardner, first team defender for Tottenham Hotspur FC, is also from Stafford. Anthony Gardner (born 19 September 1980 in Stafford) is an English football player who currently plays as a defender for
Author Sue Rann was born in Stafford in 1964.
Footballer Christopher Birchall, who plays for Championship side Coventry City, was born in Stafford on 5 May 1984. For the Scottish rugby league footballer see Chris Birchall (rugby league Christopher Birchall CM (born May 5, 1984 Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Despite this, he plays his international football for Trinidad & Tobago, gaining qualification because his mother - although of English stock - was born there. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Birchall is the first white player to represent Trinidad & Tobago for 60 years, and played for them in the World Cup in Germany in 2006. Birchall was playing for Port Vale at the time, and was transferred to Coventry City at the start of the 2006-2007 season.
Fran Healey, lead singer of rock band Travis, was born in Stafford on 23 July 1973 but moved to Scotland shortly afterwards. Francis "Fran" Healy (born July 23 1973 is a Berlin -based Scottish Musician. Travis are a Scottish Alternative rock band from Glasgow, comprising Fran Healy ( lead vocals, Guitar, Piano, Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France.
Dave Follows (3 October 1941 — 17 October 2003) was a prolific cartoonist. Dave Follows born Stafford (1941 &ndash 17 October 2003) was a British Cartoonist. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Follows' cartoons include: The Creature Feature in The Sunday Times for sixteen years; and strips for over twenty local newspapers including The Stafford Newsletter for over twenty years. The Creature Feature is an animal gag cartoon strip which appeared weekly in the Sunday Times supplement Funday Times, for over 15 Dave's first published cartoon was printed in the Staffordshire Advertiser & Chronicle 1971. The iconic May un Mar Lady strip appeared daily for over 20 years in the North Staffordshire edition of The Evening Sentinel and is currently enjoying a full re-run. May un Mar lady is a cartoon strip written in Potteries dialect, which first appeared on July 8, 1986 in the North Staffordshire The Many of Follows' cartoons are currently being syndicated in newspapers and magazines throughout the world. The co-creator of animated comedy series Hungry Hamsters, Dave was born in and lived in Stafford all his life.
Photographer Paul Pickard was born in Stafford and went on to become National Press Photographer of the Year in the 1990s before going on to be a successful advertising and portrait photographer.
Rave acts Altern-8 and Bizarre Inc were also from the town. Altern-8 is a Breakbeat hardcore duo band featuring Mark Archer and Chris Peat. Bizarre Inc was a Dance-pop / house / club/dance band from Stafford, England that formed in 1989 as a duo of English
Former Aston Villa, Derby County and Watford winger Nigel Callaghan lives and DJs in the town. Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. Watford (ˈwɒtfəd) is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 19 miles (30 km northwest of London Nigel Callaghan (born 12 September, 1962, Singapore) is a former Professional footballer.
Economy
A major activity in the town since 1903 has been heavy electrical engineering, particularly producing power station transformers, exported around the world. Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of A transformer is a device that transfers Electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled Electrical conductors The works have been successively owned by Siemens, English Electric, GEC, GEC Alsthom, Alstom and most recently Areva. English Electric (EE was a British industrial manufacturer Founded in 1918 it initially specialised in industrial Electric motors and Transformers Its The General Electric Company or GEC was a major UK company involved in consumer and defence electronics communications and engineering Alstom ( is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and Transport markets AREVA ( is a French public Multinational industrial conglomerate that is mainly known for Nuclear power; it also has interests in other Every so often a delivery takes to the road. Each transformer weighs several hundred tons and so a sort of road train is used. Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United A road train or roadtrain is a Trucking concept used in remote areas of Australia, the United States, and Western Canada to move The weight is spread by a 160-wheel cradle, pulled by an 8-wheel drive Faun Goliath tractor unit and pushed by two more. Faun GmbH is a German engineering firm They make mobile cranes and Waste collection vehicles Goliath ( גָּלְיָת, Standard Hebrew Golyat, Tiberian Hebrew Golyāṯ, Arabic: جالوت Jalut (Muslim In the 1968 Hixon rail crash, one such road train was struck by an express train when it was crossing the railway at a level crossing. The Hixon rail crash occurred on 6 January 1968 when a Low-loader transporter carrying a 120-ton electrical Transformer was struck by an The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, road through railroad, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing
Bostik, the adhesives manufacturer, has a large factory in the town. Bostik (formerly Bostik-Findley is a world-wide operating Adhesive company a Subsidiary of French mineral oil company Total S
Local employment is also provided by Stafford Prison, close to the town centre. HM Prison Stafford is a current operational prison based in the town of Stafford in the United Kingdom.
Stafford is home to the computing and IT campus of Staffordshire University, specifically the Beaconside Campus houses the Faculty of Computing Engineering and Technology, it also houses part of the Business School, and the adjacent Blackheath Lane campus (ten minutes walk from Beaconside) houses the School of Health, which teaches nursing. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Staffordshire University is a University with its main Campus based in the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford The main campus being in Stoke-on-Trent about 18 miles away to the North. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19
Business news in Stafford is covered by The Stafford Post.
Transport
Stafford railway station is a stop for many inter-city trains on the West Coast Main Line; enabling easy commuting to the cities of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Liverpool and Manchester. Stafford railway station ( Ordnance Survey grid reference) is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary
Junctions 13 (Stafford South) and 14 (Stafford North) of the M6 motorway provide access to the town. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway
Local bus travel within the town is provided by Arriva Midlands while services to Stone and Stoke-on-Trent are handled by First PMT. Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators First Potteries Limited (Also known as First PMT Ltd and Formerly Potteries Motor Traction) is a company based in Stoke-on-Trent that operates
Stafford is served by four large taxi companies: Aerobrights, Anthony's AJ's, Kaminski Hire and Westside. A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride There are also a large number of independent operators who work from the ranks at the station, Bridge Street, Broad Street and Salter Street. Stafford railway station ( Ordnance Survey grid reference) is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom.
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal runs close to the Baswich and Wildwood areas, and was previously linked to the River Sow by the River Sow Navigation. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable Canal in the Midlands of England, passing through the counties of Staffordshire Berkswich (or Baswich) is a Civil parish in the borough of Stafford in Staffordshire, England. The River Sow is a tributary of the River Trent in Staffordshire, England.
Healthcare
The town is supplied with primary care by the South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust. A Primary Care Trust (PCT is a type of NHS Trust, part of the National Health Service in England, that provides some primary and community services or [1]
The town's main hospital is Staffordshire General Hospital, formally known as Stafford District General Hospital, this provides a wide range of non-specialist medical and surgical services. Staffordshire General Hospital's Accident and Emergency unit is the only such facility in the town. Wards at SGH are numbered, with the exception of the Children's wards (known as the "Anson Suite") which are named after local towns and landmarked (e. g. Shugborough ward). This hospital is built on the site of Coton Hill private psychiatric hospital which opend in 1851 and closed c1975 and was demolished with only the old chapel and gate house still visible.
The St. George's Hospital is actually a combination of two historical hospitals - the Kingsmead Hospital (previously an Elderly Care facility) and the St. George's psychiatric hospital. This hospital provides mental health services, including an Intensive care unit, Secure units, an Eating disorder unit, an EMI unit, Drug and Alcohol Addiction services and open wards. An intensive care unit (ICU critical care unit (CCU intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU is a specialized department used in An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat or avoid eating that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in There is a small outpatient facility, and this is the location of the town's AA meeting. Wards a the St. George's hospital are named after local villages are termed "houses" (e. g. Brocton House, Chebsey House, Coton House, etc).
Education
Primary and Secondary education are provided by various different schools in the town. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution
The Chetwynd Centre also provides Higher Education in the town. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges It normally teaches specialised A-levels, some vocational qualifications and subjects taught by teachers with no school base. The centre has joined up with all the town's secondary schools, except the grammar school, to provide better resources for students. The schools are:
- Stafford Sports College
- Walton High School
- Blessed William Howard RC High School and Performing Arts College
- King Edward VI High School
- Sir Graham Balfour School
- Weston Road High School
- Stafford Grammar School
Stafford College is a large College of Further Education. Walton High School is a large comprehensive school serving a community in the southern part of Stafford. King Edward VI High School, is a High school located in the Highfields area of Stafford England. Sir Graham Balfour School is a secondary school in Stafford, England. Weston Road High School is a comprehensive school providing secondary and further education for pupils aged 11- 18 of the community in the east side of the market town Stafford Stafford Grammar School is a mixed independent day school located on the outskirts of Stafford, the county town of Staffordshire. Stafford College is a large provider of further and higher education based in Stafford. College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from Stafford College also provides some Higher Education courses on behalf of Staffordshire University and focuses heavily on computing and engineering. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Staffordshire University is a University with its main Campus based in the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford
Rodbaston College is based in the village of Rodbaston, on the edge of Stafford. Rodbaston College is an agricultural college based in Rodbaston, near to Stafford that provides Further education and Higher education. Rodbaston is a Village in Staffordshire, England. It is home to Rodbaston College. It is an agricultural college and provides most of it's training in this sector.
Staffordshire University has a large campus in the East of the town and focuses heavily on computing, engineering and media technologies (Film, Music and Computer Games). Staffordshire University is a University with its main Campus based in the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford The University has 2 halls of residence opposite the campus, the smaller Yarlet with 51 rooms and the larger Stafford Court with 554 Rooms. Stafford court is divided into 13 'houses' named after local villages.
Sport
Stafford is home to three association football clubs; Stafford Rangers F.C., Brocton F. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Stafford Rangers Football Club are a semi-professional English football team from Stafford who play in the Conference North. C. and Stafford Town F.C., none of which play at a fully professional level. Stafford Town Football Club is an English Football (soccer club founded in the mid 1970s and based in Stafford.
The town also has a Rugby Union club, though again it does not play at a high level. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short
There is also a local Hockey team. . . with 4 adult teams playing most Saturday Afternoons. http://www.staffordhc.co.uk
The Stafford knot
The arms of Staffordshire show a distinctive three looped knot and the county motto is the knot unites. However this is properly called the Stafford knot since it was the badge of the de Stafford family. The fanciful legend is that three convicted felons who had committed a crime together were due to be executed in Stafford gaol. There was argument over who should be hanged first but the hangman solved the problem by devising this knot (although it is in fact a simple overhand knot, the most basic knot of all) and hanging the three simultaneously. However; the knot can be seen on a 4 ft (1. 2 m) high carved Anglo-Saxon cross in a Stoke churchyard. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire This strongly suggests it pre-dates the Norman and medieval period, being probably either i) a heraldic symbol of early Mercia or ii) a Celtic Christian symbol brought to Staffordshire by missionary monks from Lindisfarne (commemorated in the arms of Stafford). Lindisfarne () (variant spelling Lindesfarne is a Tidal island off the north-east coast of England.
The North Staffordshire Railway was referred to as the Knotty after the knot. The North Staffordshire Railway was a British Railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries
RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford was a non-flying Royal Air Force station. RAF Stafford was a non-flying Royal Air Force station in Stafford Staffordshire, England. In March 2006, RAF Stafford was redesignated as MOD Stafford. The event was marked by a fly past and a flag lowering ceremony. For many years the site provided employment for civilians and military personnel. RAF Stafford though was handed over by the RAF in accordance with the defence strategy and streamlining that has become commonplace. A small element of TSW still operate from MOD Stafford
Areas
- An estate which is next to Weeping Cross, and many people get confused between these two estates. Berkswich (or Baswich) is a Civil parish in the borough of Stafford in Staffordshire, England. It is also found by heading towards Rugeley and Cannock, or from Uttoxeter past Weston Road School and through the lanes. It has a Co-Op as a convenience store, and a hairdressers. It also has a church with a graveyard.
- Beaconside
- Castlefields
- Coppenhall
- Coton Fields
- Doxey
- Forebridge
- Highfields
- A large council estate with Wolverhampton Road at one end and Newport Road at the other. Beaconside is a area in Stafford, Staffordshire, England. It is also the name of a major road in the area Coppenhall is a small settlement in Staffordshire, England. Coppenhall lies southwest of Stafford and 4 miles NNW of Penkridge with Baron Doxey is a village and Civil parish in the borough of Stafford in Staffordshire, England. The first houses in Highfields were built c. 1955, with substantial additions (Highfields number two estate, as it was then known) in 1963/4. West Way is the longest street in Highfields, carving its way through the entire estate. Many of the streets in the sixties expansion of Highfields were named after poets and playwrights (Shakespeare Road, Masefield Drive, Coleridge Drive, Keats Avenue, Tennyson Road, Binyon Court (now renamed "The Keep"), etc). Of the older roads, the longest is Bagot's Oak, so called because of a large old tree that was in the road. Much of the original estate was built on Preston's Farm land.
- Holmcroft
- Hyde Lea
- Littleworth
- Manor Estate
- Meadowcroft Park
- Moss Pit
- Mirkwood
- Parkside
- Parkside is a housing estate at the extreme north of the town. Holmcroft is a village in Staffordshire, close to Stafford town centre Littleworth is a former village now forming part of the eastern end of the County town of Stafford. Manor Estate, Rising Brook can be found in the Manor Ward of Stafford. Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J It has two entrances from the A513 Beaconside Road, forming a U-shape. The estate has access to many green areas, including 3 parks, a 'green' and access to Stafford Common. There is also a primary school on the estate and access to Sir Graham Balfour School. The estate also has a pub (The Staffordshire Bull) and a precinct of shops that form the northern terminus of the number 8 bus route through the town.
- Queensville
- Rising Brook
- Rickerscote
- Rickerscote many of years ago used to have a lane running from the now Silkmore estate heading towards the area where the bridge to Argos is. This area is known to many as 'the village', and there is a local shop that serves the people. Rickerscote is home to a large area of grassland know locally as the 'green'.
- Other locally well known areas of here are 'The Conker Tree', Boultons Farm, Devils Triangle and 'The Metal Bridge'. The local drinking houses are the Rickerscote Arms, known to the old school as the Alpine, and further into the estate there is the Post Office Social Club.
- Silkmore is an area situated between Rickerscote and Meadowcroft, with the distant Rising Brook to its side. Silkmore is an area in Stafford, England. The local primary school is Silkmore and the area has a selection of shops, ranging from the local butchers to a Chinese. Over the years the area has been under a small facelift in order to brighten up and change the image of the place.
- An area of Silkmore is renowned for flooding, namely the area where the 'Southend Club' used to stand. This has now been replaced with new homes. Other areas of the estate that no longer exist are 'The Pioneer', 'The Garage' and 'Finney's Farm'. These have all now been replaced by homes or the Co-op.
- Trinity Fields
- Walton on the Hill
- Walton on the Hill is at the extreme south of Stafford bordering Milford and is the most select and exclusive residential area in the Borough with the highest average house prices. Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, is a small Village in England, situated midway between Reigate and Epsom, just inside the M25 Walton High School is one of the top state schools in the Midlands and as such, places are much sought after.
- Weeping Cross
- Weeping Cross is an estate on the east side of Stafford, named because of an old tree which was used for hanging people. It is easily found by heading up Radford Bank, and towards Rugeley and Cannock. It also holds Leasowes Primary School and St Annes Catholic Primary School. Weeping Cross also has a local pub, the Lynton Tavern, a clinic with nearby Pharmacy, a library and a row of convenient shops. The number one bus runs every 20 minutes around the estate.
- Western Downs
- An estate on the edge of Stafford that borders on Highfields and the M6 Motorway. A large green area with two football pitches and a basketball court known as 'The Bottom Pitches' or 'BP' can be found in Western Downs along with 'The Rainbow Park' on Clarendon Drive, and the 'Dome Park' or "Pome Dark" on Torridge Drive. Until the council built a play area on 'The Pome Dark' they were the main footballing locations on the estate. The number nine bus route also covers Western Downs and the area is known by locals as "Junction 13A".
- Wildwood
Nearby Places
- Birmingham
- Cannock Chase
- Hixon
- Lichfield
- Rugeley
- Shugborough Hall
- Stone
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Uttoxeter
- Wolverhampton
See also
- Stafford railway station
- Stafford rail crash
- HMP Stafford
- Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom
References
Notes
- ^ Office for National Statistics
- ^ http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Stafford/ History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851
- ^ Stafford Borough Council - History of Stafford
- ^ Sias Journal Index
Bibliography
- (11th century and earlier) Staffordshire Newsletter 1994 Guide
External links
- Stafford Borough Council
- Stafford Tourism Bureau http://www.visitstafford.org
- Ancient High House
- Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
- http://www.stchadsstafford.co.uk
- Legionnaires' Disease, General Hospital Legionellosis
- Lyrics and a live performance video of the Stafford Song
- Stafford Now and Then, Antique Picture Postcards
- Pictures & stories about the shoe industry in Stafford
- History of Doxey
- Stafford Borough Council site re a short history of the town
- an illustrated history of the town
- Stafford, a visitors guide
- William Horton's 1801 penny token
Dictionary
Stafford
-proper noun
- The county town of Staffordshire; several other places of the same name
- An English habitational surname from the placename
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