Silverdale, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Silverdale is a suburban village
and civil parish
in Staffordshire
, west of Newcastle-under-Lyme
. In 1932 it became part of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme and is now, with the exception of the north-eastern end, part of the Silverdale and Parksite ward.
Historically the village has been dominated by the coal
industry and records indicate coal was mined in the area as long ago as the 13th century. The last colliery, Silverdale, closed in 1998.
The colliery was completely rebuilt during the 1970s when three new drifts were sunk to exploit new reserves in the Keele
area. Production increased and the pit mined over one million tonnes annually but was closed in 1998, the last deep mine in North Staffordshire to close.
GCMG
(1860-1947), Australia
n politician and sixth Prime Minister of Australia
, was born in the village as Joseph Cooke.
Fanny Deakin
(1883-1968) was born in Silverdale, as were footballers Keith Broomhall
, Ian Moores & Adrian Heath.
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
in May 1863. The station was on the NSR Newcastle to Market Drayton
line and was closed in the 1960s. The station buildings remained for a number of years as train crew accommodation for British Rail
staff who worked the coal trains to Silverdale Colliery. The Rapid Loader was located adjacent to the old station.
The track was recently removed (2009) from the station to the Silverdale tunnel, however the two short station platforms still exist, although continued redevelopment of the site may result in the remaining brickwork being demolished.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 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...
, west of Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. In 1932 it became part of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme and is now, with the exception of the north-eastern end, part of the Silverdale and Parksite ward.
Historically the village has been dominated by the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
industry and records indicate coal was mined in the area as long ago as the 13th century. The last colliery, Silverdale, closed in 1998.
Silverdale Colliery
The main employer in Siverdale for well over 100 years was Silverdale Colliery, also known locally as Kent's Lane. The first shafts were sunk in the 1830s and the colliery initially mined ironstone as well as coal. The main user of both the minerals was the nearby Silverdale Forge.The colliery was completely rebuilt during the 1970s when three new drifts were sunk to exploit new reserves in the Keele
Keele
Keele is a village and civil parish in northern Staffordshire, England. It is approximately three miles west of Newcastle-under-Lyme, and is close to the village of Silverdale...
area. Production increased and the pit mined over one million tonnes annually but was closed in 1998, the last deep mine in North Staffordshire to close.
Notable residents
Sir Joseph CookJoseph Cook
Sir Joseph Cook, GCMG was an Australian politician and the sixth Prime Minister of Australia. Born as Joseph Cooke and working in the coal mines of Silverdale, Staffordshire during his early life, he emigrated to Lithgow, New South Wales during the late 1880s, and became General-Secretary of the...
GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1860-1947), Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and sixth Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, was born in the village as Joseph Cooke.
Fanny Deakin
Fanny Deakin
Fanny Deakin was a politician from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, noted for her campaigns for better nourishment of young children and maternity care for mothers....
(1883-1968) was born in Silverdale, as were footballers Keith Broomhall
Keith Broomhall
Keith Leslie Broomhall is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Broomhall joined Port Vale as an apprentice in October 1967. He made a substitute appearance in a 1–0 home win over Grimsby Town on 21 April 1969, before making his full debut a week later as right-back in a 2–0 defeat at Wrexham...
, Ian Moores & Adrian Heath.
Transport
Silverdale was served by a railway stationSilverdale (Staffordshire) railway station
Silverdale railway station was a railway station that served the village of Silverdale, Staffordshire, England. It was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1863 and closed to passengers in 1964.....
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
in May 1863. The station was on the NSR Newcastle to Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
line and was closed in the 1960s. The station buildings remained for a number of years as train crew accommodation for British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
staff who worked the coal trains to Silverdale Colliery. The Rapid Loader was located adjacent to the old station.
The track was recently removed (2009) from the station to the Silverdale tunnel, however the two short station platforms still exist, although continued redevelopment of the site may result in the remaining brickwork being demolished.