Weston Coyney
Encyclopedia
Weston Coyney is a suburb of the City of Stoke-on-Trent
in Staffordshire
. It lies on the south eastern edge of the city and borders the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands
district.
Originally developed around a crossroads the area now also includes two major estates, Park Hall - developed in the 1970s, and Coalville - a 1950s estate built for the National Coal Board
(NCB) to house many of its miners.
Weston Coyney is almost entirely a residential area with little industry and most of the residents work elsewhere in the city.
as a manor
called Westone or West Town in lands belonging to Robert de Stafford
and held by Ernulf de Hesding. The land was recorded as being mostly woodland but with enough arable land to require three ploughs. At some time during 13th century, during the reign of Henry III
the manor of Westone had passed to the Coyney family who held the manor for several hundred years.
In the 17th century the Coyneys built Weston Coyney Hall as the family residence and continued to live there until 1910. The hall was eventually demolished in 1944. Another major family, the Parkers, built Park Hall also during the 17th century. One of the family, Sir Thomas Parker
, became Lord Macclesfield and was Lord Chancellor
between 1718–1725 before being convicted of corruption. Park Hall was not as fortunate as Weston Coyney Hall and had to be rebuilt following a fire in 1793. The last known owners of Park Hall were Joseph and Anne Jackson. The hall became known as the Safari Club under the ownership of Joseph, Stanford and Spencer Jackson. The rebuilt hall survived until the late 1960s when it was demolished.
Apart from the two halls, the area remained mostly farmland until the 20th century when residential development started along Leek Road. Post war development saw much more housing built until Weston Coyney now merge into Meir without a break.
The exception to the rural land use was at the western side of Weston Coyney where coal deposits existed. Mining started in the 18th century and continued until the 1960s. The last coal mine was Park Hall colliery which closed in 1962 when incorporated with the nearby Florence Pit. The site is now occupied by an industrial estate called Cinderhill after the most visible reminder of the colliery. A considerable amount of gravel extraction took place between 1930 and 1970 in the area that now forms Park Hall Country Park.
and one representing the Conservative and Independent Alliance. Prior to the 1960s Coalville was not within the boundaries of Stoke but was part of Cheadle Rural District.
off site. Designed with a life span of only 15 years, by the 1980s they were found to be unsellable as the reinforced concrete they were built of was disintegrating. Coupled with the closure of the local coal mines the estate entered a period of decline. Although about 150 homes were improved to make them more marketable, the rest continued to deteriorate and by the late 1990s the estate was collapsing into a state of near dereliction. A housing regeneration
partneship was setup and with the aid of European Union
money the estate is undergoing a transformation into a modern housing estate called Weston Heights.
in Stoke is Park Hall Country Park, and is part of Weston Coyney. Partly open heathland and partly redeveloped gravel quarry pits, an area of the park is a geological site of special scientific interest
.
in 2010, the nearest secondary schools in the city boundaries are Mitchell High School and Sandon Business and Enterprise College
although the Staffordshire County Council controlled Moorside High School
is closer than either Mitchell or Sandon.
in the Diocese of Lichfield
and parishioners had to travel to St Peter's in Caverswall. In 1984 Weston Coyney got its own church with the opening of St Andrew's church. This now forms part of the United Benefice of Caverswall with Dilhorne, with St Peter's and All Saints church in Dilhorne
.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
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...
. It lies on the south eastern edge of the city and borders the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as...
district.
Originally developed around a crossroads the area now also includes two major estates, Park Hall - developed in the 1970s, and Coalville - a 1950s estate built for the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
(NCB) to house many of its miners.
Weston Coyney is almost entirely a residential area with little industry and most of the residents work elsewhere in the city.
History
Weston Coyney is identified in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
as a manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
called Westone or West Town in lands belonging to Robert de Stafford
Robert de Stafford
Robert de Stafford was a Norman nobleman, the builder of Stafford Castle in England. He may or may not be the same as Robert de Tosny Lord of Belvoir or of the Robert de Tosny who was son of Raoul II of Tosny ; primary evidence is lacking to determine his parentage, according to Cawley...
and held by Ernulf de Hesding. The land was recorded as being mostly woodland but with enough arable land to require three ploughs. At some time during 13th century, during the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
the manor of Westone had passed to the Coyney family who held the manor for several hundred years.
In the 17th century the Coyneys built Weston Coyney Hall as the family residence and continued to live there until 1910. The hall was eventually demolished in 1944. Another major family, the Parkers, built Park Hall also during the 17th century. One of the family, Sir Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield
Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield PC, FRS was an English Whig politician.-Youth and early career:He was born in Staffordshire, the son of Thomas Parker, an attorney at Leek. He was educated at Adams' Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge...
, became Lord Macclesfield and was Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
between 1718–1725 before being convicted of corruption. Park Hall was not as fortunate as Weston Coyney Hall and had to be rebuilt following a fire in 1793. The last known owners of Park Hall were Joseph and Anne Jackson. The hall became known as the Safari Club under the ownership of Joseph, Stanford and Spencer Jackson. The rebuilt hall survived until the late 1960s when it was demolished.
Apart from the two halls, the area remained mostly farmland until the 20th century when residential development started along Leek Road. Post war development saw much more housing built until Weston Coyney now merge into Meir without a break.
The exception to the rural land use was at the western side of Weston Coyney where coal deposits existed. Mining started in the 18th century and continued until the 1960s. The last coal mine was Park Hall colliery which closed in 1962 when incorporated with the nearby Florence Pit. The site is now occupied by an industrial estate called Cinderhill after the most visible reminder of the colliery. A considerable amount of gravel extraction took place between 1930 and 1970 in the area that now forms Park Hall Country Park.
Governance
Weston Coyney forms part of Weston and Meir North ward within Stoke City Council. the ward has three councillors, two representing the BNPBritish National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
and one representing the Conservative and Independent Alliance. Prior to the 1960s Coalville was not within the boundaries of Stoke but was part of Cheadle Rural District.
Economy
The area is almost entirely residential, with two small industrial estates on the edge of Longton. There is a small supermarket and other facilities based around New Kingsway.Coalville
Coalville is a former NCB housing estate now the subject of a regeneration scheme. Coalville was built in 1954 to provide cheap housing to attract more miners to work in the then thriving North Staffordshire coalfield. Over 400 homes were built in under a year, most being prefabricatedPrefabricated home
Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled....
off site. Designed with a life span of only 15 years, by the 1980s they were found to be unsellable as the reinforced concrete they were built of was disintegrating. Coupled with the closure of the local coal mines the estate entered a period of decline. Although about 150 homes were improved to make them more marketable, the rest continued to deteriorate and by the late 1990s the estate was collapsing into a state of near dereliction. A housing regeneration
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
partneship was setup and with the aid of European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
money the estate is undergoing a transformation into a modern housing estate called Weston Heights.
Geography
Like much of North Staffordshire, the area lies over coal measures, but the north and east areas sit mostly on sandstone and gravel. It was this latter resource that was extensively quarried in the mid 20th century. Most of the area is at an elevation of approximately 200 metres (656 ft). There are no major watercourses but the River Blithe forms the eastern boundary of the area and of the city.Landmarks
The only National Nature ReserveNational Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
in Stoke is Park Hall Country Park, and is part of Weston Coyney. Partly open heathland and partly redeveloped gravel quarry pits, an area of the park is a geological site of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Education
There are three schools within Weston Coyney; Weston Coyney Infant School (for children ages 3–7), Weston Coyney Junior School (for children ages 7–11) and Park Hall Primary School (for children ages 3–11). Children of secondary school age attend one of the city's high schools, none of which are in Weston Coyney. With the closure of Longton High SchoolLongton High School
-History:Before the school moved to a new site in Sandon Road, it was situated in Trentham Road and also used part of the Sutherland Institute.-Grammar school:...
in 2010, the nearest secondary schools in the city boundaries are Mitchell High School and Sandon Business and Enterprise College
Sandon High School
Sandon Business & Enterprise College is a co-educational comprehensive for ages 11-16, situated on the South Eastern outskirts of the City of Stoke-on-Trent...
although the Staffordshire County Council controlled Moorside High School
Moorside High School (Staffordshire)
Moorside High School is a secondary school located in Werrington, Staffordshire. It is one of the main feeder schools for Moorlands Sixth Form College, and has recently been named as one of the top 100 schools in the country.-External links:* * *...
is closer than either Mitchell or Sandon.
Church of England
Weston Coyney was traditionally in the parish of CaverswallCaverswall
Caverswall is a village and parish in Staffordshire, to the south west of Staffordshire Moorlands.- Etymology :The name Caverswall is thought to have its origins in the Saxon words Cafhere, a personal noun, and Waelle, which meant spring or well.By the time of the Domesday Book the village was...
in the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
and parishioners had to travel to St Peter's in Caverswall. In 1984 Weston Coyney got its own church with the opening of St Andrew's church. This now forms part of the United Benefice of Caverswall with Dilhorne, with St Peter's and All Saints church in Dilhorne
Dilhorne
Dilhorne is an ancient parish and village in Staffordshire, three miles from Cheadle and six miles from Stoke-on-Trent.The village is within the Staffordshire Moorlands area....
.