Gnosall
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2014) |
| Gnosall | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Gnosall Location withinStaffordshire | |
| Area | 37.77 km2(14.58 sq mi)[1] |
| Population | 4,736[1] |
| •Density | 125/km2(320/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SJ830208 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STAFFORD |
| Postcode district | ST20 |
| Dialling code | 01785 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Gnosall(/noʊsəl/) is a village andcivil parishin theBorough of Stafford,Staffordshire,England, with a population of 4,736 across 2,048 households (2011 census).[1]It lies on theA518,approximately halfway between the towns ofNewport(inShropshire) and the county town of Staffordshire,Stafford.Gnosall Heath lies immediately south-west of the main village, joined by Station Road and separated by Doley Brook. Other nearby villages includeWoodseaves,Knightley,Cowley,Ranton,Church Eaton,Bromstead Heath,Moreton,andHaughton.
History
[edit]The village was mentioned in theDomesday Book,in which it was namedGeneshale.It is listed there as having a population of 12 households.[2]According to research presented online by theUniversity of Nottingham,the nameGnosallderives from a combination of the Old WelshGenoumeaning 'mouth' and the Mercian wordhalhmeaning 'a nook of land' or 'a small valley' or 'dry ground in marsh.'[3]The Gnosall Parish Council also believes thatGnosallderives from bothGenouandhalh,however believes thathalhactually stands for 'low-lying land by a river' and states thatGnosalltranslates to a ‘narrow valley that suddenly opens out into a wider one’. That same site also states that there are at least 27 different spellings of the name, the oldest surviving record being forGeneshalein theDomesday Bookof 1086, and that it is only by chance thatGnosallis the current spelling.[4]
TheStafford to Shrewsbury railway lineonce ran through the village. Gnosall's railway station opened on 1 June 1849 and closed on 6 August 1966.[5]The line was built by theShropshire Union Railways and Canal Company,which also managed theShropshire Union Canalwhich runs through the village. A footpath, theWay for the Millennium,now follows its route.[6]
Landmarks of interest include:
- St. Lawrence's Church,which dates fromNormantimes and stands over the site of an earlierSaxonchurch.[7]
- Coton Mill, where local rumours suggestself-raising flourwas invented (despite strong evidence it was created in 1845, byHenry Jones,a baker inBristol).
- The lock-up, originally built on Station Road some time after 10 June 1820, when its construction was scheduled, and moved to its current site on Sellman Street in 1971.[8]
There are also several old, privately owned, buildings such as the Duke's Head on the High Street that was previously a public house. With a thatched roof, and herring-bone brick pattern between faded, unpainted wooden beams, it may be suggested that it forms one of the most picturesque scenes in the village.
A new primary school opened in 2016 replacing the building constructed as Heronbrook School. This building was unusual in that it was designed to appear attractive from the railway line passing behind it rather than from the front.
Amenities
[edit]Gnosall is fairly self-contained in terms of shops and amenities, with its own fire station, supermarket, doctor's surgery, one dental practice, petrol station, sports club, take-aways, five pubs and historic high street.
Gnosall Heath has two canalside pubs, The Boat and The Navigation. The Royal Oak is situated on the main A518. In Gnosall village centre may be found The Horns and George and the Dragon, the latter amicropubwhich opened in 2015. The Sports Club is situated in extensive grounds off the 1970s Brookhouse Estate.
Many of the village's ancient traditions are still honoured today, notably the carnival, where children dress up in themed costumes, and a parade complete with custom made floats and a brass band that runs to the Grosvener Centre field from the Royal Oak.
A large health centre was completed in 2006 at the opposite end of Gnosall from the old doctor's surgery which was situated by the fire station; tribute to the rapid increase in population of recent years.
The village has acommunity first respondergroup, a charity consisting of trained local people who provide emergency cover on behalf of West Midlands Ambulance Service in response to 999 calls and administer basic life support, oxygen therapy, defibrillation and first aid whilst an ambulance isen route.
The village's newspaper; "GPN" (Gnosall Parish News), is produced and sold in the village, and serves as a local advertiser of services and events, as well as publishing articles of interest to the local community.
Despite there being controversy over the legality,fishingis popular and fruitful on the canal.
Notable people
[edit]- The Rev.Adam Blakeman(1596–1665), thePuritanminister who founded the early American town ofStratford, Connecticut,in 1639, was born in Gnosall.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abc"Gnosall (Parish) 2011 Census: Key Statistics".Office for National Statistics.Retrieved2 April2014.
- ^"Gnosall".Open Domesday.Anna Powell-Smith/University of Hull.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^"The University of Nottingham".
- ^"Gnosall Parish Council".Retrieved17 May2021.
- ^"Gnosall".Staffordshire Places.Staffordshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2014.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^"Way for the Millennium".Staffordshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2014.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^"St Lawrence Church, Gnosall, Staffs UK: Historical background".The Staffordshire Border Group of Churches. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2014.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^"STAFFORDSHIRE. Lock-ups at Alton, Gnosall, Penkridge and Stafford."Roy Pledger.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^"Adam Blakeman".www.gnosallhistory.co.uk.Retrieved23 August2024.
External links
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