| Brocton | |
|---|---|
 The Parish Church of All Saints | |
  Brocton Location withinStaffordshire | |
| Population | 1,082 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STAFFORD |
| Postcode district | ST17 |
| Dialling code | 01785 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | https://broctonpc.co.uk |
| |
Brocton is a village andcivil parish in theBorough of Stafford inStaffordshire, England. The village describes itself as theGateway to Cannock Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[1] It is located about four miles (6 km) south-east ofStafford.
The 2011 census recorded a population of 1,082[2] in 445 Households.
The village is just outside the built-up area of Stafford, on the edge ofCannock Chase. The parish is one of the most affluent areas in Staffordshire and is anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There is a single shop/post office and some of the most beautiful timber-framed houses in Staffordshire. Good examples can be seen in Park Lane and The Green. The parish has a football club,Brocton F.C., (formed in 1937), though they currently play in Stafford.
Near Brocton isBrocton Hall an early 19th-century Georgian mansion built in 1801 for Sir George Chetwynd. It now serves as a golf clubhouse
Brocton was once well known to servicemen as aWorld War I Military Training Camp, remnants of which can still be seen up at the top of Chase Road.[3]J.R.R. Tolkien came toStaffordshire in August 1915 when he served his military training at anArmy camp on the ancient forest and Royal hunting ground ofCannock Chase,Stafford. The military camp near Brocton was situated on the high ground of the 100 square miles (260 km2) of the chase, with its rolling moorland, unusual rock formations, and far-reaching views leading to dense forest all around. In March 1916 Tolkien married Edith Bratt and they moved into accommodation inGreat Haywood, a small village on the edge of the Chase. Walking from the camp to his wife's house at thePresbytery in Great Haywood, Tolkien would have passed through the many-changing wild landscapes of the chase and past the greatsessile oaks of Brocton Coppice, many of which still stand at over 1000 years old.
As well as a centre where soldiers completed their basic training in the First World War, Brocton Camp also acted as a Prisoner of War Camp from 1917 until the end of the War.[4] The prisoners were separated from the basic training area by barbed wire and fencing. It is estimated that by the time the war ended Brocton Camp housed estimates of between 5,000 and 6,500 prisoners which placed it on the more expansive end of Britain's POW camps in the First World War.[5]
In September 2013 it was reported thatStaffordshire County Council would excavate theWorld War I model battlefield near Brocton, which had been constructed by GermanPrisoners of War held in a camp on nearbyCannock Chase and guarded by soldiers of theNew Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own). The model of the village and surrounding area ofMessines in Belgium, which included replica trenches and dugouts, railway lines, roads, and accurate contours of the surrounding terrain, would be open to public view for a few weeks before being buried over again to ensure its preservation.[6][7][8] The excavation is revealing amazing details of the 40 metre square battlefield, which is said to be perfectly preserved. "Staffordshire County Council will be using laser-scanning technology to re-create the site as a 3D interactive model that can be explored online."[9]