Wootton, Staffordshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wootton | |
|---|---|
 Stone houses in Wootton | |
  Wootton Location within Staffordshire | |
| Population | 154 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SK1055345120 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ashbourne |
| Postcode district | DE6 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Wootton is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England.[2] The village is situated approximately 20 miles (30 km) east from Stoke-on-Trent and 20 miles (30 km) northwest from Derby.
Toponymy
The name Wootton is thought to come from the Old English wudu meaning wood and tūn meaning an enclosure; farmstead; village or estate. This translates to Wood Farm/Settlement. [3][4]
In Victorian times
In 1870-72 John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer described Wootton as
WOOTTON, a township in Ellastone parish, Stafford; 4½ miles W by S of Ashborne. Real property, £2,061. Pop., 185. Houses, 40. W. Hall was built by Inigo Jones; was the residence of Rousseau in 1766; and belongs now to the Bromleys.[5][6]
— John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, A. Fullarton, 1872
Industry
In early reports Wootton was predominantly a farming village, with over 60% of males engaged in agriculture.[7][8] Even to this day there remains a large farming culture, with still around 25% of the working population engaged in agriculture.[9] The rest of the population are spread out between working in service industries or in managerial/professional occupations.
Notable Establishments
- Wootton Hall, the house where Rousseau stayed, was demolished in the 1930s.[10]
- Wootton Lodge, the privately owned 17th century house, is a grade I listed building in the parish owned by the Bamford family. During the English Civil War the house was held for the Crown and was badly damaged during a Parliamentary siege. It was restored in about 1700 when a flight of balustraded entrance steps was added.[11]
- Alton Towers Resort is a popular holiday amusement park with hotels and an indoor water park, located 4 miles (6.5 km) away from Wootton. The resort attracts 2.7 million visitors annually.[12] The resort encloses an area known as "Slain Hollow", reputed to be the site of a battle between King Ceolred of Mercia and King Ina of Wessex in 716 AD.[13]
