Newcastle-under-Lyme, known simply as
Castle to many local people, is a
market townMarket 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
StaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
,
EnglandEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and is the principal town of the
Borough of Newcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-Lyme is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire, England.It is named after its main town of Newcastle-under-Lyme where the council is based, but also includes the town of Kidsgrove, the villages of Silverdale and Keele, and the rural area surrounding Audley...
. It is part of
The Potteries Urban AreaThe Potteries Urban Area is a conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.It includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove....
and
North StaffordshireNorth Staffordshire describes an area of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It contains the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke and Newcastle areas make up The Potteries Urban Area, whilst the Moorlands are largely...
. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944. It is not to be confused with the larger city of
Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England...
.
Geography and climate
Situated in a valley alongside the Lyme Brook, the town is immediately
westWest is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points...
of the neighbouring city of
Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent 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 and Kidsgrove, Stoke forms the The Potteries Urban Area...
, its
suburbSuburbs are defined in various different ways around the world. They can be the residential areas of a large city, or separate residential communities within commuting distance of a city. Some suburbs have a degree of political autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city...
s running into those of the city. Newcastle town centre is just 2 miles (3 km) from
Stoke-upon-TrentStoke-upon-Trent, commonly called Stoke, is a component town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England....
and less than 4 miles (6 km) from Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley). Newcastle-under-Lyme is about 17 miles (27 km) north of the
county townA county town is the 'capital' of a county in Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of
StaffordStafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway...
.
These are the average rainfall and temperatures from the
Met OfficeThe Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence. Part of the Met Office headquarters at Exeter in Devon is the Met Office College, which handles the training for internal personnel and many forecasters from around the world...
weather station at
PenkridgePenkridge is a market town in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . However Penkridge's status as a town is relatively new. Many locals will still refer to it as a village.- Location :...
, some 24 miles (39 km) to the south. They show the averages from 1971 to 2000.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Average max. temperature
°CCelsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(°FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
) |
6.5
(43.7) |
6.9
(44.42) |
9.5
(49.1) |
12.0
(56) |
15.7
(60.26) |
18.4
(65.12) |
21.1
(69.98) |
20.8
(69.44) |
17.5
(63.5) |
13.5
(56.3) |
9.5
(49.1) |
7.4
(45.32) |
13.3
(55.94) |
Average min. temperature
°C (°F) |
1.0
(33.8) |
1.0
(33.8) |
2.5
(36.5) |
3.5
(38.3) |
6.2
(43.16) |
8.9
(48.02) |
11.1
(51.98) |
10.9
(51.62) |
9.0
(48.2) |
6.4
(43.52) |
3.3
(37.94) |
1.8
(35.24) |
5.5
(41.9) |
Rainfall
mm (inches) |
62.7
(2.46) |
44.4
(1.75) |
51.2
(2.02) |
48.5
(1.91) |
52.7
(2.07) |
59.3
(2.33) |
46.7
(1.84) |
57.7
(2.27) |
63.6
(2.50) |
60.5
(2.38) |
62.0
(2.44) |
66.8
(2.63) |
676.0
(22.61) |
Sunshine
(hours per month) |
45.3 |
59.0 |
89.9 |
129.9 |
179.5 |
160.8 |
183.5 |
168.6 |
122.1 |
94.6 |
58.5 |
38.4 |
1330.1 |
| Source: Met Office |
Etymology
The Newcastle part of the name derives from being the location of a 'new'
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
, built in the 12th century. The
LymeLyme can refer to:In biology:* Lyme disease, an infectious disease carried by ticks caused by bacteria of genus BorreliaIn geography:*United States of America...
section could refer to the Lyme Brook or the extensive lime
forestA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on the various criteria. These plant communities presently cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators,...
s that covered the area in mediæval period.
Lyme is derived from the Latin "Limes", the ditch that the advancing Romans put across Britannia every time winter approached, to keep them protected from the undeveloped country further North.
1100s-1800s
Newcastle is not mentioned in the
Domesday BookThe Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror...
, as it grew up around the 12th century castle, but it must early have become a place of importance, for a
charterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
, known only through a reference in a charter to
PrestonPreston is a city and non-metropolitan district of Lancashire, in North West England. It is located on the north bank of the River Ribble, and was granted city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign...
, was given to the town by
Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
in 1173. The 'new' castle was built to supersede an older fortress at
ChestertonChesterton is a small, former mining village, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It sits near the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme....
about 2 miles to the north, the ruins of which were to be seen up to the end of the 16th century.
In 1235
Henry IIIHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to 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...
constituted it a free borough, granting a
guildA guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade.The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel and a secret society...
merchant and other privileges. In 1251 he leased it at fee-farm to the burgesses. In 1265 Newcastle was granted by the
CrownThe Crown is a corporation sole that in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as in any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof, represents the legal embodiment of executive government...
to
Simon de MontfortSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , was a French-English nobleman, notable as the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. After the rebellion of 1263 and 1264, de Montfort became de facto ruler of England and called the first directly elected parliament in...
, and subsequently to Edmund Crouchback, through whom it passed to
Henry IVHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, at that time, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke...
. In John Leland's time the castle had disappeared "save one great Toure".
Newcastle did not feature much in the
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
, save a
RoyalistCavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War . Prince Rupert, commander of much of Charles I's cavalry, is often considered an archetypical Cavalier.-Early usage:...
plundering. During the Civil War, Major Thomas Harrison a Cromwellian army officer and leader of the fanatical Fifth Monarchy Men, rose to prominence.
The governing charter in 1835 which created the Newcastle-under-Lyme Municipal Borough absorbed the previous borough created through the charters of 1590 and 1664, under which the title of the corporation, was the "
mayor, bailiffs and burgesses of Newcastle-under-Lyme."
Recent
When Stoke-on-Trent was formed by the 1910 amalgamation of the "six towns" (
StokeStoke-upon-Trent, commonly called Stoke, is a component town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England....
, Hanley,
FentonFenton is one of the six towns of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation which were federated in 1910. It is situated in the south-east of the city. Arnold Bennett called his fictionalised version of Stoke on Trent the "Five Towns", and Fenton has been dubbed the town Arnold Bennett...
,
LongtonLongton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city. Longton is one of the six towns of "the Potteries" which formed the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1925.-History:...
,
BurslemThe town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
and
TunstallTunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
) Newcastle remained separate. Despite its close proximity, it was not directly involved in the pottery industry, and it strongly opposed attempts to add it at a later date with a postcard poll showing residents opposing it by a majority of 97.4%. Although passed by the
House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
, it was rejected by the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
.
Newcastle sent two members to parliament from 1355 to 1885, when it lost one representative.
Following the
Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
it became the principal settlement of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Economy
Like neighbouring Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle's early economy was based around hatting trade, silk and
cotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s. Later
coal miningCoal mining is the extraction or removal of coal from the earth by mining. When coal is used for fuel in power generation it is referred to as steaming or thermal coal. Coal that is used to create coke for steel manufacturing is referred to as coking or metallurgical coal...
,
brickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using mortar.-History:The oldest shaped bricks found date back to 7,500 B.C. They have been found in Çayönü, in the upper Tigris region, and in south east Anatolia close to Diyarbakir. Other more recent findings,...
manufacture,
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
casting and
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical, scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or inventions.The American Engineers' Council...
rose to prominence. Very fine red earthenware and also
soft-paste porcelain"Soft-paste porcelain" is a type of a ceramic material, but it lacks a more specific, universally agreed definition. Some writers have used the term for body formulations that combine clay and glass frit, mainly in the production of decorative figures and domestic wares in eighteenth century...
tablewareTableware or Table Appointments includes the dishes, sauce boats, glassware, and cutlerys used to set a table for eating a meal. The nature, variety, and number of objects varies from culture to culture, and may vary from meal to meal....
(the first such production in Staffordshire) was produced in Newcastle at Samuel Bell's factory in Lower Street between 1724 and 1754 when all production ceased. With the exception of a failed enterprise between 1790 and 1797, which then switched to
brewingBrewing is the production of alcoholic beverages and alcohol fuel through fermentation. The term is used for the production of beer, although the word "brewing" is also used to describe the fermentation process used to create wine and mead. It can also refer to the process of producing sake and soy...
, there was no further commercial production of pottery within the town of Newcastle. Production of earthenware tiles however continued at several locations within the borough. Manufacture of fine
bone chinaBone china is a type of porcelain body first developed in Britain in which calcined cattle bone is a major component. It is characterised by high whiteness, translucency and strength...
was re-established in the borough in 1963 by Mayfair Pottery at
ChestertonChesterton is a small, former mining village, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It sits near the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme....
.
The manufacture in the borough of clay tobacco
smoking pipeA smoking pipe for tobacco smoking typically consists of a small chamber for the combustion of the tobacco to be smoked and a thin stem that ends in a mouthpiece...
s started about 1637 and grew rapidly and was second only to hatting within the borough. Nationally, the town was ranked with
ChesterChester 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...
,
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence....
and
Kingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles from the North Sea on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary...
as the four major pipe producers. This industry continued until the mid-19th century when decline set in rapidly and by 1881 only one tobacco pipe maker was left.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries the town had a flourishing
feltFelt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any color, and made into any shape or size....
hat manufacturing industry, which was probably at its peak locally in the 1820s when a third of the town's population were involved in the industry in over 20 factories but by 1892 there was only one manufacturer still in production in the town.
In 1944, the
Rolls-Royce DerwentThe Rolls-Royce Derwent is a 1940s British centrifugal compressor turbojet engine, the second Rolls-Royce jet engine to enter production. Essentially an improved version of the Rolls-Royce Welland, itself a renamed version of Frank Whittle's Power Jets W.2B, Rolls inherited the design from Rover...
engine for the
Gloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, it first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
fighter was made in the borough.
Politics
The town has been the birthplace of several notable politicians and activists.
Fanny DeakinFanny 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....
was a campaigner for better nourishment for babies and young children and better maternity care for mothers. The former chairwoman of
Campaign for Nuclear DisarmamentThe Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an organization that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by Britain. It also campaigns for international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
(CND),
Janet BloomfieldJanet Bloomfield was a peace and disarmament campaigner who was chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament from 1993 to 1996....
(née Hood) is a peace and disarmament campaigner.
Vera BrittainVera Mary Brittain was an English writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.-Life:Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brittain was the...
writer, feminist (and mother of
Liberal DemocratThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
Shirley Williams) was born in the town.
There have been two particularly notable
Members of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
(MPs).
Josiah Wedgwood IVColonel Josiah Clement Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood, DSO sometimes referred to as Josiah Wedgwood IV was a British Liberal and Labour politician who served in government under Ramsay MacDonald...
was a
LiberalThe Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the mid 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become...
, Independent and
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
MP, who served as
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the government of the United Kingdom.-History:Originally he was the chief officer in the daily management of the Duchy of Lancaster , but that estate is now run by a deputy, leaving the position of Chancellor to...
in the
cabinetA Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of
Ramsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He rose from humble origins to become the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924....
, in the first ever Labour government. He was an MP from 1909 to 1942.
John GoldingJohn Golding may refer to:* John Golding , British politician & activist* Jon Golding , British rugby player...
was elected as a Labour MP for
Newcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-Lyme is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
at a by-election in 1969. He served in the governments of
Harold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC was a British Labour Party politician; one of the most prominent British politicians of the latter half of the 20th century, he served two terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, firstly from 1964 to 1970, and again from 1974...
and Jim Callaghan, as PPS to
Eric VarleyEric Graham Varley, Baron Varley, PC was a British politician and former Cabinet Minister on the right wing of the Labour Party....
as
Minister of TechnologyThe Minister of Technology was a position in the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as "MinTech". The Ministry of Technology was established by the incoming government of Harold Wilson in October 1964 as part of Wilson's ambition to modernise the state for what he perceived to...
, a Labour whip in opposition, and Minister for Employment, stepping down in 1986. The current MP is
Paul FarrellyChristopher Paul Farrelly is a British politician and journalist. He is the Labour Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme.-Early life:...
.
Transport
The town was once served by the
North Staffordshire RailwayThe 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....
, its station being on a branch line from
Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent 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 and Kidsgrove, Stoke forms the The Potteries Urban Area...
via Newcastle,
Silverdale-Introduction: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, except the northeast end, part of the Silverdale and Parksite ward....
and
KeeleKeele 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...
, to
Market DraytonMarket 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" ....
in
ShropshireShropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Wales to the west. Shropshire is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties with a population density of 91/km²...
.
Newcastle stationNewcastle-under-Lyme railway station was a railway station that served the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1852.The station was located on King Street opposite the Borough Arms Hotel...
opened in September, 1852 after numerous construction difficulties involving the two tunnels of 605 yards and 96 yards respectively at Hartshill. There were also two halts to the west of Newcastle station, located at
BramptonBrampton Halt railway station was a railway station located in the Brampton area of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1905 but was short-lived, closing in 1923..-References:...
and
Liverpool RoadLiverpool Road Halt railway station was a railway station located in the north of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It was opened in 1905 by the North Staffordshire Railway in connection with the introduction of railmotor services.....
. The section from Silverdale to Market Drayton closed to passengers in May, 1956 and the rest of the line in March, 1964. Only a small section remained from Madeley to Silverdale, and from Silverdale to Holditch and this was for coal traffic from the local collieries. The line from Newcastle Junction to Silverdale has been removed, with the site of Newcastle station and the Hartshill tunnels being filled in.
Newcastle was on the national
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
network, but the
canalThe Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal was a 3 mile 6 furlongs level canal from the Trent & Mersey Canal at Stoke-upon-Trent to Newcastle-under-Lyme...
, running from the
Trent and Mersey CanalThe Trent and Mersey Canal is a 93.5 miles long canal in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is mostly a "narrow canal" but east of Burton upon Trent, it is a wide canal .-History:As its name implies, the Trent and Mersey...
at Stoke-on-Trent to
Sir Nigel Gresley's CanalSir Nigel Gresley's Canal was a private canal between Apedale and Newcastle-under-Lyme both in Staffordshire, England. It was used to transport coal from Sir Nigel Gresley's mines. It opened in 1776 after being approved by Act of Parliament in 1775...
has been disused since 1935 and most of it filled in.
Demographics
| Comparative Census Information |
| 2001 UK Census A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
|
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
Borough |
England |
| Total population |
73,944 |
122,030 |
49,138,831 |
| White |
97.8% |
98% |
91% |
| Asian |
0.6% |
0.6% |
4.6% |
| Black |
0.2% |
0.2% |
2.3% |
| Christian |
78.2% |
78.5% |
72% |
| Muslim |
0.7% |
0.5% |
3.1% |
| Hindu |
0.2% |
0.2% |
1.1% |
| No religion |
14% |
13.1% |
15% |
| Unemployed |
2.3% |
2% |
3.3% |
Of the 73,944 residents recorded in the 2001 census, 51.7% (38,210) were female and 48.3% (35,734) male. 78.2% (57,819) stated their religion was
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
, with 12.9% (9,570) saying they had no religion.
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
, Jewish, Buddhist and
SikhSikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit term , meaning "disciple, learner" or , meaning "instruction"....
all recorded less than 1% of the population. 97.8% of the population defined themselves as
whiteWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, with the balance being
mixed raceThe terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races.-Definitions of multiraciality:While defining race is controversial and rejected by some specialists in human genetics,...
(0.6%),
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n (0.4%),
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
i (0.2%),
blackThe term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with skin colors that range from light brown to nearly black. It also has been used to categorize a number of diverse populations into a common group. Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan...
(0.2%),
ChineseThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People who reside in and hold citizenship of the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China . This definition stems from a legal perspective...
(0.2%) with other ethnic groups forming 0.4%.
62.2% (21,586) of the population work
full timeA permanent full-time job has benefits , while temporary full-time jobs usually do not have benefits. Full-time jobs are often considered careers. They usually pay more than part-time jobs, and always carry more hours per week. The most common full-time workweek in the U.S. is between 32-40...
and 19.4% (6,746)
part timeA part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part-time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...
. The largest employment types are
manufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
with 7,058 (21.5%),
wholesaleWholesaling, jobbing, or distributing the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services....
and retail 6,157 (18.7%),
healthAt the of the creation of the World Health Organization , in 1948, Health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"....
and
social workSocial Work is both a profession and social science. It involves the application of social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people, groups, and societies...
4,097 (12.5%) and
financialFINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
,
real estateReal estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location.
"Real estate" The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin...
&
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
activity 3,823 (11.6%).
Jewish residency of the area stretches back into the 19th century. In 1873 they purchased an old
WelshWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
chapelA chapel is a building used as a place for fellowship and of worship for Christians. It may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a college, a hospital, a palace, a prison or a cemetery, or may be an entirely free-standing building, sometimes with its own grounds...
to be used as a
synagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer....
. In 1923 a new synagogue was built in Hanley. This was closed in 2004 and the congregation moved to a smaller synagogue in Newcastle.
Economy
Newcastle's 20th century industries include: iron working, construction materials, clothing (especially military, police and transport uniforms), computers, publishing, electric motors, and machinery.
Near the turn of 21st century, the town received a major redevelopment to incorporate a new street (Castle Walk) in to the town centre, providing Newcastle with a new
bus stationA bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the sidewalk, where buses can stop...
and bringing in more companies.
A large number of pubs, clubs and bars provide Newcastle with a relatively strong nightlife, with students' night being on Wednesdays.
Transport
Newcastle-under-Lyme is served by the
M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs from junction 19 of the M1 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent...
to the south and west of Newcastle and by the
A500 roadThe A500 is a major primary A road in Staffordshire and Cheshire, England. It is dual carriageway for most of its length and connects Nantwich, junctions 16 and 15 of the M6 motorway with the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Because of its shape between the motorway junctions, it is known locally as the...
to the north and east. There are access points from the M6 at junctions 15 and 16, to the south and north respectively. The A34
trunk roadA trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, etc.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
runs through Newcastle from north to south and was the main road between
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
and
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
until the M6 motorway opened. There is a large bus station in the town centre.
Newcastle does not have a railway station within the town, however
Stoke-on-Trent railway stationStoke-on-Trent railway station is a main-line railway station in central England. It is located on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line and serves the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent...
is located in-between Newcastle and Stoke, serving the Potteries as a whole. It is located on the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. It provides fast, long-distance Intercity passenger services between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and southern Scotland....
.
Education
The town has an extensive number of both primary and
secondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
s in the
state sectorState school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately run schools.- United Kingdom :...
. There is also Newcastle-under-Lyme School, an
independent schoolAn independent school is a school which is independent in terms of its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some...
established in the 17th century whose alumni includes
T. E. HulmeThomas Ernest Hulme was an English writer who, during his informal tenure from 1909 as critic for The New Age, edited by A. R. Orage, had a notable influence upon modernism.-Early life:...
,
John WainJohn Wain was an English poet, novelist, and critic, associated with the literary group The Movement...
and
William Watkiss LloydWilliam Watkiss Lloyd , was an English writer.He was born at Homerton, Middlesex, and educated at Newcastle-under-Lyme independent school. At the age of fifteen he entered a family business in London, with which he was connected for thirty-five years...
. The town has a
furtherFurther education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
and
tertiary educationTertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, or gymnasium...
Newcastle-under-Lyme College established in the 1966. There is also a special school located in the town called Blackfriars School.
Sport
The town is home to a wide range of sports clubs and associations.
Newcastle Town F.C.Newcastle Town F.C. are an English football club based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. They play in the Premier Division of the North West Counties Football League. They are full members of the Staffordshire Football Association.-History:...
, an association football club currently play in the
North West Counties Football LeagueThe North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2008, the league covers the whole of the North West England region, and part of the West Midlands region, from Stoke-on-Trent, the Peak District in Northern Derbyshire up to the Lake District...
Division OneThe North West Counties Football League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. It sits at step 5 of the National League System. The top club gets promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One North or Northern Premier League Division One South. The bottom club will get...
. The Lyme Valley area is home to
Newcastle & Hartshill Cricket Club. The largest Rugby Union club is Newcastle, Staffs Rugby Union Club.
Cycle Staffordshire organises many local cycling events as does the Newcastle
Track CyclingTrack cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
Association. The town has its own
velodromeA velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
.
Lyme Racing Club is a popular local cycle club with over 150 members with and increasing junior membership. The club is active in many areas of cycling including time trials, track racing, road racing, Audax riding, mountain biking as well as regular Sunday club runs and general leisure cycling. [Newcastle Athletic Club] is based at the Ashfield Road track, next to Newcastle College, it was built in 1964 and is an ash track. Although the local councils refuse to fund the club or a new track, and the lease of the clubs grounds look unlikley.The Club competes every where in North Staffs XC League, Local, National and Heart of England League 3. There are various golf courses at Kidsgrove, Wolstanton, Keele, Westlands.
Dominic CorkDominic Gerald Cork is an English cricketer who bowls swing and seam, and is an aggressive lower-order batsman...
, the
cricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the term "cricket player"....
and
Robbie EarleRobert Fitzgerald "Robbie" Earle MBE is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and played approximately 600 games in senior club football, scoring around 150 goals...
a former footballer were both born in the town.
Parks and gardens
Newcastle excels in the
Royal Horticultural SocietyThe Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert. It is a charity and exists to promote gardening and horticulture in Britain and Europe...
Britain in BloomBritain in Bloom is a horticultural competition in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society since 2002 and is currently sponsored by Shredded...
competition. In 2005 it was the national winner in the ‘small city/large town’ category (35K-100K). The town features several parks including the
Queen’s Gardens, at the eastern end of Ironmarket, was awarded the Britain in Bloom Judges’ Award for Horticultural Excellence in 2003 and is the only park within the
ring roadRing road is another term for beltway. It may also refer to:* Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring road of Iceland* Ring Road * "Ring Road", a song by the electronic band, Underworld....
.
Grosvenor Gardens in the centre of one of the town’s roundabouts, hidden away below road level. The
Queen Elizabeth Garden is located outside the town centre and is to undergo refurbishment using
National Lottery Heritage FundThe National Lottery is the largest lottery in the United Kingdom. It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by The National Lottery Commission. The National Lottery undertook a major rebranding programme in 2002...
money.
To the north west of the town centre is
Brampton Park, home to the museum and art gallery.
Traditional market
Dating back to 1173 Newcastle’s
marketA market is any one of a variety of different systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby persons trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy. It is an arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things...
known as
The Stones operates on High Street. The market was originally held on Sunday; in the reign of
JohnJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
it was changed to Saturday; by the charter of
ElizabethElizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
it was fixed on Monday. Grants of fairs were given by
Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
,
Edward IIIEdward III was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe...
and
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
. Today the market is open six-days a week, there are over 80 stalls on this open-air market. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays see a general market, on Tuesdays there is an antiques market and Thursdays are for the sale of bric-a-brac.
A
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and
livestockLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
market was held on Mondays until the mid-1980s.
Culture
The
New Vic TheatreThe New Vic Theatre is situated in the Staffordshire market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It was purpose-built as a theatre in the round and opened in 1986, replacing a converted cinema, the Victoria Theatre, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent....
was Europe’s first purpose-built
theatre in the roundTheatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area. In 1947, Margo Jones established America's first professional theatre-in-the-round company when she opened her Theatre ’47 in Dallas....
. It is just outside the town centre and offers a full programme of entertainment, whether modern or classic plays or impressive concert performances.
The Borough Museum and Art Gallery depicts the civic history of the Borough of Newcastle under Lyme and an authentic, life-size
VictorianThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
street-scene whilst the art gallery hosts work by local and national artists as well as ‘travelling’ exhibitions. Until 2005, there was an annual carnival held on the
Spring Bank HolidayA bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is some automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population not employed in essential services A bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is some...
but this has been cancelled due to rising policing costs.
Notable residents who contributed to the arts and entertainment include
Philip AstleyPhilip Astley is regarded as the "father of the modern circus."He was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme in England and his father was a cabinetmaker...
, founder of the ‘modern’ circus.
Jackie TrentJackie Trent is an English singer, songwriter, and actress.-Career:Trent's first stage appearance was as a ten-year-old ingenue in the pantomime Babes In The Wood, but her primary interest was a career in pop music...
singer and songwriter was born in the town.
Arnold BennettEnoch Arnold Bennett was an English novelist.- Early life :Bennett was born in a modest house in Hanley in the Potteries district of Staffordshire. Hanley is one of a conurbation of six towns which joined together at the beginning of the twentieth century as Stoke-on-Trent...
the novelist, playwright, and essayist completed his schooling at the Middle School and called the town Oldcastle in his novels. Dinah Maria Mulock who wrote under her married name of Mrs. Craik, lived in the town in Lower Street and Mount Pleasant and attended Brampton House Academy. E S Turner, the social commentator was educated in the town.
Religion
The town has a long religious history. It was the birthplace of
John James BluntJohn James Blunt was an English divine and Anglican priest. His writings included studies of the early Church.-Life:Blunt was born at Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, where he took his degree as fifteenth wrangler in 1816 and obtained a...
, a divine and Anglican priest.
Josiah WedgwoodJosiah Wedgwood was an English potter, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin-Wedgwood family...
was a
UnitarianUnitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity ....
and he and his family attended meetings at the 'Old Meeting House', connected to St. Giles' Church, which is still in use for this purpose.
The town itself has a large number of Anglican churches including St. Giles' Church, the mediæval parish church dating from 1290, as well as several
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
churches, most notably
Holy Trinity, whose style is
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
in blue engineering bricks, described as... "the finest modern specimen of ornamental brickwork in the kingdom" at the time.
In the 18th century
John WesleyJohn Wesley was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, with founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
made repeated visits to the area which was becoming more industrialised. He recruited many residents to
MethodismMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to Reverend John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement in the Anglican Church. His younger brother...
. This is reflected in the large number of Methodist churches. The largest
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
church in North Staffordshire is in Newcastle.
Of interest also is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (
Mormon