| Swynnerton | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's Church | |
  Swynnerton Location withinStaffordshire | |
| Population | 4,453 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ8535 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STONE |
| Postcode district | ST15 |
| Dialling code | 01782 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
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Swynnerton is a village andcivil parish inStaffordshire, England. It lies in theBorough of Stafford, and at the 2001 census had a population of 4,233,[2] increasing to 4,453 at the 2011 Census.
Swynnerton is listed in theDomesday Book identifying the lord in 1066 as Brothir (of Oaken) and in 1086, Edelo (of Rauceby), who was in service toRobert de Stafford, the tenant-in-chief. The record shows the settlement consisted of ten villagers' households, and five smallholders. Property consisted of eight ploughlands suitable for one lord's plough teams, and six men's plough teams. Other resources are listed as ten acres of meadow, and one league of woodland. The owner's value was estimated at £2.[3]
St Mary's Church dates back to at least the 13th century, and as far back as the 11th century.[4][5] Swynnerton received its charter fromEdward I in 1306. During the 14th century a market used to be held every Wednesday and an annual fair was held on 15 August each year.
A grand manor house used to exist until its destruction in theEnglish Civil War byCromwell's men, its replacement beingSwynnerton Hall, built in 1725 byFrancis Smith of Warwick, which still dominates the Swynnerton skyline today. The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady[6] adjoins the hall, which was built in 1868 byGilbert Blount. Most of the houses in the village are postWorld War II.
NearbyCold Meece houses aBritish Army training area that used to be aRoyal Ordnance Factory,ROF Swynnerton. It is often used by theAir Training Corps and theArmy Cadet Force, but is also a regular training area for theBritish Army. During the war, the factory was served byCold Meece railway station.
Yarnfield and Cold Meececivil parish and parish council came into being in April 2019, with two wards,Yarnfield andCold Meece.[7][8] It is included in theBorough of Stafford, and was previously the southern part of Swynnerton parish.
The village pub, the Fitzherbert Arms,[9] has three bars, two dining areas and accommodation. The nearbySwynnerton village hall is a popular venue for social and sports activities with capacity for around a 100 people.
Swynnerton is directly connected to Eccleshall by the Swynnerton Road. It is also a 10 minute drive from Stone andMeaford via theA51. The nearest city isStoke-on-Trent, a 15 minute drive via the A51 andA34 roads.
The village is poorly served by public transport. TheD&G Bus service number 14[10] previously called at the church bus stop five times a day on its way to and fromHanley,Trentham,Barlaston,Stone,Eccleshall andStafford in 2017, however as of 2023 only a bus to Stone viaYarnfield operates. This is 5 times a day Monday - Friday,[11] twice on Saturdays[11] with no service on Sundays.[11]
The nearest train station isStone railway station, known officially as Stone (Staffs)[12] and by railway code SNE[13] 4.3 miles away.
Government plans for a new high speed rail line (part of what was known asHS2) to pass directly to the north of the village were first confirmed in 2013.[14]
It immediately provoked controversy, with the nearest station intended forCrewe railway station over 20 miles away, due to local impact and lack of considered benefits toStaffordshire including from current resident ofSwynnerton Hall,Lord Stafford.[15]
When theact of parliament for HS2a (West Midlands -Crewe) receivedRoyal Assent[16] works by HS2 Ltd intensified, the compulsory land purchase process began[17] which included a small number of properties, farmland and woodland on the edge of the village.
In late 2021 eco campaigners opposed to the destruction of specificancient woodlands along the route arrived outside the village and set up encampments within local woodlands earmarked for demolition. They sought the support of the local community through flyering and Facebook via what was called the 'Bluebell Wood HS2 Resistance Camp'.[18] The group grew to over 1,000 members suggesting either strong local environmental concern orNIMBYism. Despite being served an eviction notice in March 2022[19] were only removed after exhausting supplies in tunnels[20] in July.
Work then continued with updates from hs2 to residents,[21] with security to prevent return of protestors and early earth works related to gas pipelines.
In March 2023 theTransport SecretaryMark Harper announced a two year 'phased delay' toHS2 due to spiraling costs.[22] As a result of this, the encampments outside the village were largely abandoned and leaflets issued to residents advised 90% of works intended to be progressed were being put on hold.
In September 2023 at theConservative Party Conference in Manchester,Prime MinisterRishi Sunak announced thatHS2 north of Birmingham was being scrapped.[23] It was now expected the local land will be resold and the project will not be renewed, as theLabour Party had not recommitted to the project should it win the next general election.[24]
Authority control databases: National |
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