Gnosall
Encyclopedia
Gnosall is a large village in the Borough of Stafford
, Staffordshire
, England
, with a population of approximately 5,000. It lies on the A518
, approximately half-way between the towns of Newport
(in Shropshire
) and the county town of Staffordshire, Stafford
. Other nearby villages include Woodseaves
, Knightley
, Cowley, Ranton and Haughton
.
The village was first mentioned in a Domesday Book
, in which it was named Geneshalle.
The Wellington to Stafford Railway line once ran through the village, but is now closed and dismantled and its route is a footpath.
Landmarks of interest include:
Nearby is Gnosall Heath.
The large primary school was previously Heron Brook High School, but is now St. Lawrence CE (C) Primary school. It was originally designed to look attractive from the railway that passes close by it; however the only people who see its intended front now are walkers, staff and students.
Gnosall is fairly self contained in terms of shops and amenities, with its own fire station, supermarket, Doctor's Surgery, Dental Practice, two fuel stations, police station, cricket club, take aways, pubs, post office and historic high street with barber.
A new large health centre has been completed (2006) at the opposite end of Gnosall from the old Doctor's Surgery by the fire station; tribute to the rapid increase in population of recent years.
The Village has a Community first responder
Group, 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, defibulation and first aid whilst an ambulance in en-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.
With the size and population of what was once a small community growing with such determination, Gnosall may achieve Town status in the near future.
Despite there being controversy over the legality, fishing is popular and fruitful on the Shropshire Union Canal that runs through the village. Many locals upon passing a fisherman, will reveal their personal secret to success - be it an unusual bait or specific time of day and stretch of water. In reality, the most easily accessible, comfortable and productive stretch lies between the Navigation Inn and the Boat Inn.
The village is also home to an old "Lock up". It is now situated between the Norman Church and the modern cemetery, and is visible from the A518, bound for Stafford. The purpose was as a mini prison, and it fits the bill with sinister efficiency visually, with its strong riveted and bolted door, no windows or other openings and thick sandstone walls. It was originally located nearer to where the mini round-about is now situated, but was carefully moved, brick by brick.
There are also several old, privately owned, buildings such as the building on the high street that was previously the Dukes Head, a public house. With a thatched roof, and herring-bone brick pattern between faded, unpainted wooden beams, it is generally regarded as one of the most picturesque scenes in the village, certainly on the High Street.
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 St Lawrence school field from the Royal Oak, another pub.
Stafford (borough)
Stafford is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire in England. It is named after and includes the town of Stafford. It also includes the smaller town of Stone and numerous villages....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with a population of approximately 5,000. It lies on the A518
A518 road
The A518 is a road in the United Kingdom which runs from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire to Telford, Shropshire via Stafford and Newport. Between Uttoxeter and Stafford it is a single carriageway, with a staggered junction with the dual carriageway A51...
, approximately half-way between the towns of Newport
Newport, Shropshire
Newport is a market town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies some north of Telford and some west of Stafford sitting on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border...
(in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
) and the county town of Staffordshire, Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
. Other nearby villages include Woodseaves
Woodseaves
Woodseaves is a village in Staffordshire, England.It lies in the civil parish of High Offley and is situated on the A519 road and lies at the south-west end of the B5405 road, which leads to Great Bridgeford. Nearby are the villages of Gnosall and Norbury, the hamlets of Knightley and High Offley,...
, Knightley
Knightley, Staffordshire
Knightley is a hamlet in Staffordshire, England. It is situated on the B5405 and is near the villages of Gnosall and Woodseaves.There is a church, an agricultural contractor, a cattery, an equine centre, along with a few farms and houses and an old blacksmiths....
, Cowley, Ranton and Haughton
Haughton, Staffordshire
Haughton is a village in Staffordshire, England, approximately 4 miles outside the county town of Stafford. It lies on the A518 between Stafford and Gnosall....
.
The village was first mentioned in a Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, in which it was named Geneshalle.
The Wellington to Stafford Railway line once ran through the village, but is now closed and dismantled and its route is a footpath.
Landmarks of interest include:
- St. Lawrence Church, which dates from NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
times and stands over the site of an earlier SaxonAnglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
church. - Coton Mill, where it is claimed self-raising flour was invented
- The Shropshire Union CanalShropshire Union CanalThe Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
- The Rev. Adam BlakemanAdam BlakemanRev. Adam Blakeman was born in Gnosall, Staffordshire, England, June 10, 1596. His birthplace is frequently misspelled in websites due to transcription errors from old records....
, the PuritanPuritanThe Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minister who founded the early American town of Stratford, ConnecticutStratford, ConnecticutStratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, was born in Gnosall in 1596.
Nearby is Gnosall Heath.
The large primary school was previously Heron Brook High School, but is now St. Lawrence CE (C) Primary school. It was originally designed to look attractive from the railway that passes close by it; however the only people who see its intended front now are walkers, staff and students.
Gnosall is fairly self contained in terms of shops and amenities, with its own fire station, supermarket, Doctor's Surgery, Dental Practice, two fuel stations, police station, cricket club, take aways, pubs, post office and historic high street with barber.
A new large health centre has been completed (2006) at the opposite end of Gnosall from the old Doctor's Surgery by the fire station; tribute to the rapid increase in population of recent years.
The Village has a Community first responder
Community first responder
A Community First Responder , is a person available to be dispatched by an ambulance control centre to attend medical emergencies in their local area...
Group, 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, defibulation and first aid whilst an ambulance in en-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.
With the size and population of what was once a small community growing with such determination, Gnosall may achieve Town status in the near future.
Despite there being controversy over the legality, fishing is popular and fruitful on the Shropshire Union Canal that runs through the village. Many locals upon passing a fisherman, will reveal their personal secret to success - be it an unusual bait or specific time of day and stretch of water. In reality, the most easily accessible, comfortable and productive stretch lies between the Navigation Inn and the Boat Inn.
The village is also home to an old "Lock up". It is now situated between the Norman Church and the modern cemetery, and is visible from the A518, bound for Stafford. The purpose was as a mini prison, and it fits the bill with sinister efficiency visually, with its strong riveted and bolted door, no windows or other openings and thick sandstone walls. It was originally located nearer to where the mini round-about is now situated, but was carefully moved, brick by brick.
There are also several old, privately owned, buildings such as the building on the high street that was previously the Dukes Head, a public house. With a thatched roof, and herring-bone brick pattern between faded, unpainted wooden beams, it is generally regarded as one of the most picturesque scenes in the village, certainly on the High Street.
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 St Lawrence school field from the Royal Oak, another pub.