Cheswardine is a rural village and civil parish in north east Shropshire, England. The village lies close to the border with Staffordshire and is about 8 miles north of Newport and 5 miles south east of Market Drayton. At the 2001 Census, the parish (which also includes the villages of Chipnall and Soudley as well as several small hamlets such as Goldstone and Ellerton), had a population of 991 people.[1]
| Cheswardine, Shropshire | |
|---|---|
 Cheswardine, High Street | |
| Population | 991 (2001 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ720299 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MARKET DRAYTON |
| Postcode district | TF9 |
| Dialling code | 01630 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
History and architecture
The name Cheswardine, recorded in 1086 as Ciseworde and in 1189 as Chesewordin, is probably derived from the Old English for "cheese-producing settlement".[2]
Cheswardine was mentioned in the Domesday book, when the manor was held by Robert of Stafford, but is probably a much older settlement, with the church likely being built on an ancient fortified site.[3] There was once a castle here, probably built for the Anglo-Norman Lestrange family, who had considerable land holdings in the area; only the moat now remains.[3]
The parish church, dedicated to St Swithun, overlooks Cheswardine from the hill at the top of the village. This is at least the third church on this site, and was rebuilt in 1887 - 1889 under the direction of the esteemed architect John Loughborough Pearson, who died before the work was completed. The work was completed with the assistance of funding by the then squire of the Cheswardine Estate, Charles Donaldson-Hudson, who evidently provided half of the estimated cost of £8,500.
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Church of St. Swithun
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The Old School and School House
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The Red Lion public house
Public bus services
The 323 Market Drayton - Telford bus used to run through the village but was discontinued in May 2010, due to poor usage, resulting in subsidy being dropped by the council. School busses still operate to Grove School, using Happy Days coaches and Bennetts.
Local amenities
Local amenities include a primary school, St Swithun's Church, as well as two village pubs, the Red Lion, with its own brewery, and the Fox and Hounds, which serves food. There is also a village hall, bowling green and playing fields. However, the local post office was closed down in 2006 and turned into a residential building. A new community village shop opened in its place in 2010.
People and Awards
Conservative MP and former minister Sir Peter Bottomley was baptized at St Swithun's Church, where his parents had married, his mother being a member of the Vardon family of Goldstone Hall. The ashes of his father (Sir James Bottomley) and mother are buried in the churchyard.[4]
Cheswardine was also home to the late MBE award winner Winnie Goodwin, who also starred in a Müller advertisement.[citation needed]
The village has been runner up in Britain in Bloom several times.
References
- ^ a b "2001 Census: Cheswardine". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ Gelling and Foxall, The place-names of Shropshire, Volume 1, EPNS, 1990, p.78
- ^ a b Raven, M. A Guide to Shropshire, 2005, p.46
- ^ "Devoted couple buried side by side. Village link went back for 70 years". Shropshire Star. 12 July 2013. p. 43.
External links
St Edward's College, Cheswardine Hall (Former juniorate of La Mennais brothers)
External links
Media related to Cheswardine at Wikimedia Commons