Market Drayton
Encyclopedia
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" (c. 1868) and earlier simply as "Drayton" (c. 1695).
Market Drayton is on the Shropshire Union Canal
and on Regional Cycle Route 75. The A53 road
by-passes the town.
maker Palethorpe's built a new factory employing 400 people in the town. Purchased by Northern Foods
in 1990, the company was merged with Bowyers
of Trowbridge
, Wiltshire
and Pork Farms
of Nottingham
to form Pork Farms Bowyers. The sausage brand was sold in 2001 to Kerry Group
, but the factory remains open to this day as the town's largest employer. It produces various meat based and chilled food products, under both the Pork Farms brand and for third parties, including Asda
.
Müller Dairies
have a factory making yoghurt
s. The town is also the home of Tern Press, a highly respected and collectible small press
publisher of poetry. Image on Food also makes local gingerbread
.
Recent developments in the local service industry include the retailers Argos
, Wilkinsons
, Subway
and B & M
which have all brought new employment to the town.
, and quickly spread through the timber buildings. The Buttercross
in the centre of the town still has a bell at the top for people to ring if there was ever another fire.
Ancient local sites include: Audley's Cross
, Blore Heath
, and several Neolithic
standing stones, "The Devil's Ring and Finger", just three miles (5 km) from the town.
Other notable landmarks in the area include: Pell Wall Hall
, Adderley Hall
, Buntingsdale Hall
, Salisbury Hill, Tyrley Locks on the Shropshire Union Canal
and the Thomas Telford
designed aqueduct
. Fordhall Farm, consists of 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of community-owned organic
farmland located off of the A53
between the Müller and Tern Hill roundabouts. The farm trail is open to the public during farm shop opening hours, and included along the path is the site of an ancient motte and bailey structure which overlooks the River Tern
valley.
To the south-east near the A529
an eighteenth-century farmhouse stands on the site of Tyrley Castle, which was probably built soon after 1066 and later rebuilt in stone in the thirteenth century.
Many of the streets in the town are named after famous castle
s, such as Balmoral Drive, Caernavon Close, Windsor Drive, Warwick Close, and many others.
, first Lord Clive, "Clive of India", 1725–1774. The Georgian
house, designed by Sir William Chambers, the architect of Somerset House
, replaced the half-timbered house where Clive was born. It was built for his father and paid for by Clive from the income from his Indian career.
Amongst the many schools he attended is the town's old grammar school, next to St Mary's church. A school desk with the initials RC can still be seen in the town.
The town was the birthplace of pioneering photographer Samuel Bourne
(b. 1834). He is famous for having spent six years in India from 1862 to 1870; there he founded a major studio, Bourne & Shepherd
, trekked into and photographed many of India's remotest places and, with his printer Charles Shepherd
, became the most notable photographer of the Raj
.
The 1930s British fascist leader Oswald Mosley
was born nearby in 1896, at Betton Hall, the home of his mother's parents. On the separation of his parents, his mother, Oswald and his brother went to live in Smithfield Road. Mosley attended a dame school in Shropshire Street until he went to public school at the age of eight. Apart from holidays he never lived in Drayton again.
Mosley was deeply ashamed of their reduced circumstances and he did everything to hide the years in Drayton. Their middle class status contrasted with the huge estate of his paternal grandparents in Staffordshire
. Y ears later, following the death of their mother, he obtained her diaries from his brother and burned them.
In the 1930s at the height of his "fame", he returned to the town where he held a meeting in the square.
The most famous, recent inhabitant was a petty criminal (he admitted to being a poacher)called Derek "Poddy" Podmore. He had a fan club in Philadelphia called Pod's People, selling badges to Americans. Just before Christmas in 1977, dressed as Father Christmas
, and shouting "Merry Christmas", he sat on to the roof of Shrewsbury jail with a sack of cigarettes and tobacco for the inmates. He was arrested after an hour, by means of a Green Goddess
fire engine He also had himself nailed by the ear to a tree. He once appeared in court covered in manure wearing a dead pig as a hat. He also appeared in court dressed as a frogman - this followed his "warm-up" for a world frog swallowing record attempt in 1974 when he swallowed a live frog at a Market Drayton pub and washed it down with a pint of "black and tan". 'Poddy' is also said to have paid a substantial fine in 1 pence pieces, which he took to court in sacks (which, of course, meant the court had to count up every sack).
Market Drayton has always been a hotbed for musical 'talent' producing a number of bands who have progressed on to achieve regional acclaim. In the early 1980s the town boasted the 'best' School Rock Band in the country, TSB National School Band winners, Monovision. At the same time the local youth club were represented by the Platinum Needles in the NAYC Opportunity Rocks competition final. In early 1981 The Platinum Needles were also featured on the Stoke Musicians Collective album released on Slip Records "Cry Havoc". The Frolics, another band from the Grove School had success in the West Midlands area and generated a cult following locally. In more recent times Sonic State another local band have produced the theme music for a TV program while sharing their lead singer Jenny Z with the more famous Sigue Sigue Sputnik
(formed by former Generation X guitarist Tony James). During the late seventies and early eighties, Drayton also boasted one of the only recording studios in Shropshire, Redball Records.
The Grove School is a large secondary school
, of approximately 1100 students all of whom are located within 12 miles (19.3 km) of the town.
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 north 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. It is on the River Tern
River Tern
The River Tern is a river in Shropshire, England. It rises north-east of Market Drayton in the north of the county. The source of the Tern is considered to be the lake in the grounds of Maer Hall, Staffordshire...
, between 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...
and Stoke-on-Trent
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...
, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" (c. 1868) and earlier simply as "Drayton" (c. 1695).
Market Drayton is on the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The 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....
and on Regional Cycle Route 75. The A53 road
A53 road
The A53 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from Buxton in Derbyshire to Shrewsbury in Shropshire.-Route of Road:The A53 begins in the centre of Buxton off the A6 road, before meeting the A515 road at a roundabout. Out of the town, it has a junction with the A54 road before...
by-passes the town.
Industry
In 1965, sausageSausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
maker Palethorpe's built a new factory employing 400 people in the town. Purchased by Northern Foods
Northern Foods
Northern Foods Ltd is a British food manufacturer headquartered in Leeds, England. It was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. The company was scheduled to merge with Greencore Group in 2011 to form Essenta Foods, the group being...
in 1990, the company was merged with Bowyers
Bowyers
Bowyers was a large company based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, based manufacturer of meat products, with a particularly well known brand of sausages which are still produced today....
of Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and Pork Farms
Pork Farms
Pork Farms is a Nottingham-based British producer and distributor of mainly pork-based bakery products.-History:In the early 1940s, recently City and Guilds qualified baker Ken Parr took out a £9,000 loan to set up his own pie shop...
of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
to form Pork Farms Bowyers. The sausage brand was sold in 2001 to Kerry Group
Kerry Group
Kerry Group , is a public food company headquartered in Ireland. It is quoted on the Dublin ISEQ and London stock exchanges. It evolved initially from a local dairy co-op in the Munster region of Ireland...
, but the factory remains open to this day as the town's largest employer. It produces various meat based and chilled food products, under both the Pork Farms brand and for third parties, including Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
.
Müller Dairies
Müller (company)
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller is a multinational producer of dairy products, with a headquarters in Fischach in the German state of Bavaria. The group includes a number of companies operating under the Müller name, including the original Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG and Müller Dairy ...
have a factory making yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
s. The town is also the home of Tern Press, a highly respected and collectible small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
publisher of poetry. Image on Food also makes local gingerbread
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is a term used to describe a variety of sweet food products, which can range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger biscuit. What they have in common are the predominant flavors of ginger and a tendency to use honey or molasses rather than just sugar...
.
Recent developments in the local service industry include the retailers Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
, Wilkinsons
Wilkinsons
Wilkinsons could refer to:*The Wilkinsons, a country music group.*The Wilkinsons , a reality TV show following the group of the same name.*Wilkinson a British store....
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and B & M
B & M
B&M Retail Ltd is a retail chain of discount stores operating in the United Kingdom since 1976....
which have all brought new employment to the town.
Sites of Interest
The great fire of Drayton destroyed almost 70% of the town in the 17th century. It was started at a bakeryBakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
, and quickly spread through the timber buildings. The Buttercross
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where people from neighbouring villages would gather to buy locally produced...
in the centre of the town still has a bell at the top for people to ring if there was ever another fire.
Ancient local sites include: Audley's Cross
Audley's Cross
A cross sited in Blore Heath, Staffordshire to mark the spot on which James Touchet, Lord Audley was killed at the battle of Blore Heath in 1459.A cross was erected on the spot where Audley was reported to have been killed after the battle, and replaced with the current stone cross in 1765, which...
, Blore Heath
Blore Heath
Blore Heath is a sparsely populated area of farmland in Staffordshire, England.Close to the towns of Market Drayton and Loggerheads.Site of the Battle of Blore Heath, in 1459....
, and several Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
standing stones, "The Devil's Ring and Finger", just three miles (5 km) from the town.
Other notable landmarks in the area include: Pell Wall Hall
Pell Wall Hall
Pell Wall Hall is a neo-classical country house on the outskirts of Market Drayton in Shropshire. Faced in Grinshill sandstone, Pell Wall is the last completed domestic house designed by Sir John Soane and was constructed 1822–1828 for local iron merchant Purney Sillitoe at a total cost of...
, Adderley Hall
Adderley Hall
Adderley Hall was a historic country house in Adderley, near Market Drayton in Shropshire, England. The first house was burned down in 1877 and a new Victorian house was built and completed in 1881. It was demolished in 1955....
, Buntingsdale Hall
Buntingsdale Hall
Buntingsdale Hall is a historic country house in the parish of Sutton upon Tern, to the southwest of Market Drayton in Shropshire, England. It became a Grade II* listed building on 14 February 1979.-History:...
, Salisbury Hill, Tyrley Locks on the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The 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....
and the Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
designed aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
. Fordhall Farm, consists of 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of community-owned organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
farmland located off of the A53
A53 road
The A53 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from Buxton in Derbyshire to Shrewsbury in Shropshire.-Route of Road:The A53 begins in the centre of Buxton off the A6 road, before meeting the A515 road at a roundabout. Out of the town, it has a junction with the A54 road before...
between the Müller and Tern Hill roundabouts. The farm trail is open to the public during farm shop opening hours, and included along the path is the site of an ancient motte and bailey structure which overlooks the River Tern
River Tern
The River Tern is a river in Shropshire, England. It rises north-east of Market Drayton in the north of the county. The source of the Tern is considered to be the lake in the grounds of Maer Hall, Staffordshire...
valley.
To the south-east near the A529
A529 road
The A529 is a non-primary road in England that runs from the A41 at Hinstock in Shropshire to the A530 in Nantwich, Cheshire. ....
an eighteenth-century farmhouse stands on the site of Tyrley Castle, which was probably built soon after 1066 and later rebuilt in stone in the thirteenth century.
Many of the streets in the town are named after famous castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s, such as Balmoral Drive, Caernavon Close, Windsor Drive, Warwick Close, and many others.
Notable residents
Nearby at Styche Hall is the birthplace of Robert CliveRobert Clive, 1st Baron Clive
Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, KB , also known as Clive of India, was a British officer who established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in Bengal. He is credited with securing India, and the wealth that followed, for the British crown...
, first Lord Clive, "Clive of India", 1725–1774. The Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house, designed by Sir William Chambers, the architect of Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
, replaced the half-timbered house where Clive was born. It was built for his father and paid for by Clive from the income from his Indian career.
Amongst the many schools he attended is the town's old grammar school, next to St Mary's church. A school desk with the initials RC can still be seen in the town.
The town was the birthplace of pioneering photographer Samuel Bourne
Samuel Bourne
Samuel Bourne was a British photographer known for his prolific seven years' work in India, from 1863 to 1870...
(b. 1834). He is famous for having spent six years in India from 1862 to 1870; there he founded a major studio, Bourne & Shepherd
Bourne & Shepherd
Bourne & Shepherd established in 1863 , is the oldest photographic studio still in operation, and one of the oldest established photographic businesses in the world...
, trekked into and photographed many of India's remotest places and, with his printer Charles Shepherd
Charles Shepherd (photographer)
Charles Shepherd was an English photographer and printer who worked in India in the latter part of the 19th century. In 1862, Shepherd and Arthur Robertson established a photographic studio called Shepherd & Robertson in Agra. The firm moved to Simla in 1864, at which point Samuel Bourne joined...
, became the most notable photographer of the Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
The 1930s British fascist leader Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
was born nearby in 1896, at Betton Hall, the home of his mother's parents. On the separation of his parents, his mother, Oswald and his brother went to live in Smithfield Road. Mosley attended a dame school in Shropshire Street until he went to public school at the age of eight. Apart from holidays he never lived in Drayton again.
Mosley was deeply ashamed of their reduced circumstances and he did everything to hide the years in Drayton. Their middle class status contrasted with the huge estate of his paternal grandparents 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...
. Y ears later, following the death of their mother, he obtained her diaries from his brother and burned them.
In the 1930s at the height of his "fame", he returned to the town where he held a meeting in the square.
The most famous, recent inhabitant was a petty criminal (he admitted to being a poacher)called Derek "Poddy" Podmore. He had a fan club in Philadelphia called Pod's People, selling badges to Americans. Just before Christmas in 1977, dressed as Father Christmas
Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
, and shouting "Merry Christmas", he sat on to the roof of Shrewsbury jail with a sack of cigarettes and tobacco for the inmates. He was arrested after an hour, by means of a Green Goddess
Green Goddess
The Green Goddess is the colloquial name for the Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pump, a fire engine used originally by the Auxiliary Fire Service , and latterly by the British Armed Forces. These green-painted vehicles were built between 1953 and 1956 for the Auxiliary Fire Service...
fire engine He also had himself nailed by the ear to a tree. He once appeared in court covered in manure wearing a dead pig as a hat. He also appeared in court dressed as a frogman - this followed his "warm-up" for a world frog swallowing record attempt in 1974 when he swallowed a live frog at a Market Drayton pub and washed it down with a pint of "black and tan". 'Poddy' is also said to have paid a substantial fine in 1 pence pieces, which he took to court in sacks (which, of course, meant the court had to count up every sack).
Market Drayton has always been a hotbed for musical 'talent' producing a number of bands who have progressed on to achieve regional acclaim. In the early 1980s the town boasted the 'best' School Rock Band in the country, TSB National School Band winners, Monovision. At the same time the local youth club were represented by the Platinum Needles in the NAYC Opportunity Rocks competition final. In early 1981 The Platinum Needles were also featured on the Stoke Musicians Collective album released on Slip Records "Cry Havoc". The Frolics, another band from the Grove School had success in the West Midlands area and generated a cult following locally. In more recent times Sonic State another local band have produced the theme music for a TV program while sharing their lead singer Jenny Z with the more famous Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
(formed by former Generation X guitarist Tony James). During the late seventies and early eighties, Drayton also boasted one of the only recording studios in Shropshire, Redball Records.
Education
Market Drayton has 4 schools:- Longlands Primary School
- Market Drayton Infant SchoolInfant schoolAn Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
- Market Drayton Junior SchoolJunior schoolA junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
- Grove School (Market Drayton)Grove School (Market Drayton)Grove School is a Comprehensive High School in Market Drayton, Shropshire, England. The school has gained specialist Language College status. There are over 1000 students all of which are aged between 11-18 and of mixed gender....
(and sixth form college)
The Grove School is a large secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, of approximately 1100 students all of whom are located within 12 miles (19.3 km) of the town.
External links
- Shropshire Tourism The official tourism website for Shropshire
- Market Drayton Council
- The Grove School
- Market Drayton Tigers Junior Football Club
- TF9 Online - Community site for the Market Drayton area
- The Phoenix Badminton Club
- The Platinum Needles - a local punk rock group who enjoyed moderate national acclaim in the early 1980s
- Early 80s Drayton Youth Market Drayton Youth Club activities in the early 1980s
- St. Mary's Church
- Market Drayton Methodist Church
- http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Shropshire/Market_Drayton/pictures/10209