Whitchurch, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Whitchurch is a market town
in Shropshire
, England
on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire
. According to the 2001 Census
, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934. The town is located in the Whitchurch Urban civil parish, and is twinned
with the French
town of Neufchâtel-en-Bray
.
around AD 52 or 70, it was called Mediolanum
, meaning The place in the middle of the plain. The settlement was located on a major Roman route between Chester and Wroxeter
and Roman artifacts can be seen at the Whitchurch Heritage Centre.
The current name comes from 'White Church' which refers to a church from Norman times made from white stone. As might be expected, there are other towns of the same name Whitchurch in England
. The current impressive church is the church of St Alkmund, Church of England (Anglican). Dispensing with the colour tradition it was built in 1712 of red sandstone and stands on the site of the earlier Norman church. It is an important Listed Grade One building.
, Chester
and Shrewsbury
with the A41
/A49
bypass opening in 1992.
Whitchurch railway station is on the former London and North Western
(later part of the LMS
) line from Crewe
down the English side of the Welsh border (the Welsh Marches Line
) toward Cardiff
. However, Whitchurch was once the junction for the main line of the Cambrian Railways
, but the section from Whitchurch to Welshpool
(Buttington Junction), via Ellesmere
, Whittington
, Oswestry
and Llanymynech
, closed on 18 January 1965 in favour of the more viable alternative route via Shrewsbury
.
Whitchurch was also junction for the Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway
or Chester to Whitchurch branch line, another part of the London and North Western, and running via Malpas
. As well as its own passenger and freight services, this line was a useful short cut for freight traffic to and from Chester and North Wales
avoiding Crewe, and some long-distance passenger services were occasionally diverted this way. Although the line closed to regular services on 16 September 1957, the diverted passenger trains continued until 8 December 1963.
Whitchurch has its own short arm of the Llangollen Canal
but is not a key stopping place for boaters as the arm ends about a mile from the town centre.
tower clocks
company, established in 1690, the oldest tower-clock making company in the world, earning Whitchurch the reputation as the Home of tower clocks. Joyce's timepieces can be found as far afield as Singapore
and Kabul
; and helped to build Big Ben
in London
.
Famous residents of the town include composer Sir Edward German, who was born in the town in what is now a pub - The Old Town Hall Vaults. He is buried in the local cemetery and commemorated in the naming of a local street. Locally a televised festival - the Sir Edward German Music Festival - is hosted by St Alkmund's and St John's churches, and is held additionally, at Sir John Talbot's Technology College. The first festival was held in 2006 and the second was held in April 2009. Participants include local choirs alongside participants from local primary schools including Prees, Lower Heath and White House, as well as internationally acclaimed musicians and orchestras. Former NBA star Daniel Franey now resides in the town. He is well know with the locals for his eccentric hairstyles as well as his popular home made jam. Victorian illustrator Randolph Caldecott
lived in the town for several years and many of the town buildings feature in his work. Best selling author Kate Long
moved to Whitchurch in 1990.
Sir Henry Percy
- aka Sir Harry Hotspur - the inspiration for the naming of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club - was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
and buried in Whitchurch; only for his body to be later exhumed and quartered. Also buried in Whitchurch is Sir John Talbot
, a military commander who fought Joan of Arc
. His remains are buried under the porch of St Alkmund's church. Talbot is a major character in William Shakespeare
's Henry VI, Part I, and the local secondary school " Sir John Talbot's" is named after him.
Owen Paterson
, the current Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
and Member of Parliament
(MP) for North Shropshire
under the Conservative Party
, was born in Whitchurch.
currently competes in the Midlands 2 (West) league. Founded in 1936, Whitchurch RUFC plays at Edgeley Park and has a full complement of mini and junior teams as well as under-19s (Colts), a ladies team and four senior teams. In 1998/99, Whitchurch RUFC were promoted to National Division Three North, a position which was maintained until the 2002/3 season.
The local football club, Whitchurch Alport F.C., affectionally known as the Allbran Allstars, is one of the founder members of the Cheshire Football League and currently plays in Division Two of that league. Whitchurch Alport Reserves play in the Shropshire County Premier Football League
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
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...
, 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...
on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town 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...
. According to the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934. The town is located in the Whitchurch Urban civil parish, and is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
town of Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Neufchâtel-en-Bray is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small town of farming and associated light industry situated by the banks of the river Bethune in the Pays de Bray, some southeast of Dieppe at the junction of the D1, the...
.
History
Originally a settlement founded by the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
around AD 52 or 70, it was called Mediolanum
Mediolanum (Whitchurch)
Mediolanum was a fort and small town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Whitchurch, located in the English county of Shropshire....
, meaning The place in the middle of the plain. The settlement was located on a major Roman route between Chester and Wroxeter
Wroxeter
Wroxeter is a village in Shropshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington and is located in the Severn Valley about south-east of Shrewsbury.-History:...
and Roman artifacts can be seen at the Whitchurch Heritage Centre.
The current name comes from 'White Church' which refers to a church from Norman times made from white stone. As might be expected, there are other towns of the same name Whitchurch in 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...
. The current impressive church is the church of St Alkmund, Church of England (Anglican). Dispensing with the colour tradition it was built in 1712 of red sandstone and stands on the site of the earlier Norman church. It is an important Listed Grade One building.
Transport
Whitchurch is a crossroads for roads from NantwichNantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
with the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
/A49
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
bypass opening in 1992.
Whitchurch railway station is on the former London and North Western
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(later part of the LMS
LMS
LMS may refer to:* Lady Manners School, a seventeenth century comprehensive school in Bakewell, England.* Lancaster Mennonite School, a school located in Lancaster, PA.* Last man standing , a gametype featured in several computer and video games...
) line from Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
down the English side of the Welsh border (the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
) toward Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. However, Whitchurch was once the junction for the main line of the Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
, but the section from Whitchurch to Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
(Buttington Junction), via Ellesmere
Ellesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.-History:...
, Whittington
Whittington, Shropshire
Whittington is a village in north west Shropshire, England.The civil parish of Whittington has a population of 2,490 as of the 2001 census. The village of Whittington is in the centre of the parish, and two smaller villages, Hindford to the north-east and Babbinswood to the south, are also within...
, Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
and Llanymynech
Llanymynech
Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England about 9 miles north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks"....
, closed on 18 January 1965 in favour of the more viable alternative route via Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
.
Whitchurch was also junction for the Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway
Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway
The Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway was a railway line in Cheshire, which ran between Whitchurch and Tattenhall, where it joined the North Wales Coast Line at Tattenhall to terminate in Chester. The line connected the small Cheshire Villages of Malpas, Hampton, Edge, Duckington, Broxton, and...
or Chester to Whitchurch branch line, another part of the London and North Western, and running via Malpas
Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
. As well as its own passenger and freight services, this line was a useful short cut for freight traffic to and from Chester and North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
avoiding Crewe, and some long-distance passenger services were occasionally diverted this way. Although the line closed to regular services on 16 September 1957, the diverted passenger trains continued until 8 December 1963.
Whitchurch has its own short arm of the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
but is not a key stopping place for boaters as the arm ends about a mile from the town centre.
Notable people
Whitchurch is the home of the JB JoyceJB Joyce & Co
JB Joyce & Co, clockmakers, were founded in Shropshire in England. The company claim to be the oldest clock manufacturer in the world, originally established in 1690, and has been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965...
tower clocks
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
company, established in 1690, the oldest tower-clock making company in the world, earning Whitchurch the reputation as the Home of tower clocks. Joyce's timepieces can be found as far afield as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
; and helped to build Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Famous residents of the town include composer Sir Edward German, who was born in the town in what is now a pub - The Old Town Hall Vaults. He is buried in the local cemetery and commemorated in the naming of a local street. Locally a televised festival - the Sir Edward German Music Festival - is hosted by St Alkmund's and St John's churches, and is held additionally, at Sir John Talbot's Technology College. The first festival was held in 2006 and the second was held in April 2009. Participants include local choirs alongside participants from local primary schools including Prees, Lower Heath and White House, as well as internationally acclaimed musicians and orchestras. Former NBA star Daniel Franey now resides in the town. He is well know with the locals for his eccentric hairstyles as well as his popular home made jam. Victorian illustrator Randolph Caldecott
Randolph Caldecott
Randolph Caldecott was a British artist and illustrator, born in Chester. The Caldecott Medal was named in his honor. He exercised his art chiefly in book illustrations. His abilities as an artist were promptly and generously recognized by the Royal Academy. Caldecott greatly influenced...
lived in the town for several years and many of the town buildings feature in his work. Best selling author Kate Long
Kate Long
Kate Long, author of the number one bestselling novel The Bad Mother's Handbook lives in Whitchurch in Shropshire, UK.She was raised in Lancashire in a small village half-way between Wigan and Bolton. At 18 she left home to study English at Bristol University, where she gained a First, and then ...
moved to Whitchurch in 1990.
Sir Henry Percy
Henry Percy
Sir Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur KG was the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Lord Percy of Alnwick. His mother was Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby and Alice de Audley. His nickname, 'Hotspur', is suggestive of his impulsive...
- aka Sir Harry Hotspur - the inspiration for the naming of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club - was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
and buried in Whitchurch; only for his body to be later exhumed and quartered. Also buried in Whitchurch is Sir John Talbot
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
, a military commander who fought Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
. His remains are buried under the porch of St Alkmund's church. Talbot is a major character in William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Henry VI, Part I, and the local secondary school " Sir John Talbot's" is named after him.
Owen Paterson
Owen Paterson
Owen William Paterson is a British Conservative Party politician and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He is the Member of Parliament for North Shropshire.-Early life and career:Paterson was born in Whitchurch, Shropshire...
, the current Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for North Shropshire
North Shropshire
North Shropshire was a local government district in Shropshire, England. The district council was based at Edinburgh House, in Wem. Other settlements included the towns of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem and Whitchurch, as well as the large villages of Shawbury and Baschurch...
under the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, was born in Whitchurch.
Sport
Whitchurch Rugby ClubWhitchurch Rugby Club
Whitchurch RUFC is an amateur rugby union club in Whitchurch, Shropshire. The club was formed in 1936 and until the early 1970s relied mainly on the facilities at the local Grammar School.-Club history:...
currently competes in the Midlands 2 (West) league. Founded in 1936, Whitchurch RUFC plays at Edgeley Park and has a full complement of mini and junior teams as well as under-19s (Colts), a ladies team and four senior teams. In 1998/99, Whitchurch RUFC were promoted to National Division Three North, a position which was maintained until the 2002/3 season.
The local football club, Whitchurch Alport F.C., affectionally known as the Allbran Allstars, is one of the founder members of the Cheshire Football League and currently plays in Division Two of that league. Whitchurch Alport Reserves play in the Shropshire County Premier Football League
Shropshire County Premier Football League
The Shropshire County Premier Football League is an English association football league based in the county of Shropshire...
.