| Minton | |
|---|---|
 Minton, Shropshire | |
  Minton Location withinShropshire | |
| OS grid reference | SO429907 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHURCH STRETTON |
| Postcode district | SY6 |
| Dialling code | 01694 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Minton is ahamlet in Shropshire, England.
It is located in theparish ofChurch Stretton,[1]2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) southwest of the market town of Church Stretton. A historic settlement, it is situated on a foothill of theLong Mynd at around 240 m (790 ft)above sea level. As of 2010, there are around 12 dwellings in the hamlet.
Three lanes lead out from the hamlet: one to theA49 road, one mile southeast atMarshbrook; another lane leads to the hamlet ofHamperley, which is also in Church Stretton parish; andLittle Stretton is one mile to the northeast.
The place name is fromWelshmynydd meaning 'hill' andOld Englishtun meaning 'settlement', 'town'. The hamlet has largely retained itsAnglo-Saxon layout, with a patchwork of plots and haphazard narrow lanes. There are remains of amotte, which dates from either Anglo-Saxon orNorman times. It was a township and Royalmanor,[2] held byKing Edward prior to the Norman conquest. It is mentioned in theDomesday Book.[3]
Today the hamlet consists of farms and cottages and is agricultural in character. It is designated aconservation area[4] and there are 5Listed buildings in the hamlet – Long Mynd House, Ivanhoe, Manor Farmhouse, Well Cottage, and Minton House.[5]
There is an outdoors activity centre located on the lane between Minton and Hamperley, theLongmynd Adventure Camp, with overnight accommodation and camping ground.[6]
Minton Hill is to the northwest of the hamlet and rises to 453m. Abridleway leads up to its summit (and continues beyond onto the Long Mynd) from the hamlet of Minton. Another walking route up to the Long Mynd is via theMinton Batch, where a bridleway leads up from the lane to Hamperley.[7]
The Oscar-nominated actor,Pete Postlethwaite, lived at Yew Tree Cottage[8] in Minton for many years[9] before moving to the village ofMore nearBishop's Castle. "I do love Shropshire," he was quoted as saying. "Whenever I get home, my shoulders drop by two inches. The only reason I’ve been able to do the things I’ve done is because I have my family and Shropshire to come home to. They’ve made everything else possible."[10]
The Shropshire surname of Minton originates from the name of the hamlet although resources seem to disagree as to its earliest occurrence. Some point to Jordan de Minton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1169.[11] However, the RevR W Eyton in his book, 'The Antiquities of Shropshire'[12] identifies Walter de Miniton (later Walter de Muneton) as the first tenant of Minton or Muneton as the site was then known. Subsequent Mintons of note includeThomas Minton (English potter),John Minton (British artist),Yvonne Minton (Australian opera singer), Mary Minton (novelist) andSherman Minton (US Democratic senator).
The titular character of the movie, 'Big Stan' starringRob Schneider was named Stan Minton.[13] The characters of Conrad and Wilma Minton (played byLew Ayres and Herta Ware) also appeared in the episode, 'Old Flames' in 1980s crime drama, 'Cagney and Lacey'.[14]
The fictional town of Minton, New England also provided the setting for the 1860 novel, 'The Ebony Idol' by G M Flanders.[15]
A series of children's books called, 'Minton Goes...' has been written byAnna Fienberg and Kim Gamble.[16] A character called Sophia Minton also appeared inAgatha Christie's book, 'N or M?'.[17]
The fictional airfield of RAF Minton featured in 'The Shepherd' byFrederick Forsyth[18] while the village of Little Minton was invented byEnid Blyton for her book, 'The Mystery of the Secret Room'.[19]
