Chesterton, Staffordshire

File:Chesterton Mileage Disc.jpg

Chesterton was the site of a Roman fort, built on an area now occupied by Chesterton Community Sports College. There is little indication of how long the fort was in use but it is believed to have been constructed in the late 1st Century AD.{{citation|title=Clash of Cultures?: The Romano-British Period in the West Midlands|editor-first1=Roger|editor-last1=White|editor-first2=Mike|editor-last2=Hodder|publisher=Oxbow|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1785709258|series=The Making of the West Midlands|date=21 February 2018 |volume=3|page=142}} A vicus was built at nearby Holditch, where it is believed that some inhabitants may have mined for coal.{{citation|title=Clash of Cultures?: The Romano-British Period in the West Midlands|editor-first1=Roger|editor-last1=White|editor-first2=Mike|editor-last2=Hodder|publisher=Oxbow|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1785709258|series=The Making of the West Midlands|date=21 February 2018 |volume=3|page=145}}

There have been various excavations at the site. Excavations in 1895 revealed the fort's vallum, fosse (moat) and parts of the east and west defensive structures. Later excavations in 1969 uncovered further sections of the eastern ramparts.{{cite report|last=Hunt|first=Leon|title=An archaeological desk-based assessment for land at Holditch House, London Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire|publisher=University of Leicester Archaeological Services|date=2012}}

Chesterton was formerly a township in Wolstanton parish and chapelry in Wolstanton and Audley parishes,{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/7999|title=History of Chesterton, in Newcastle under Lyme and Staffordshire|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 February 2023}} on 31 December Chesterton became a parish in its own right, it was in the Wolstanton Rural District from 1894 to 1904. Following that, it became part of the Wolstanton United Urban District until 1932, when it was added to the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished and merged with Newcastle-under-Lyme.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10276305|title=Relationships and changes Chesterton CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 February 2023}} In 1931 the parish had a population of 6861.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10276305/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Chesterton CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 February 2023}}

The main employer in Chesterton was Holditch Colliery. The colliery employed 1,500 men and mined ironstone in addition to coal. Despite heavy investment in the 1960s and 1970s the colliery closed down in 1988, just three years after the end of the year-long miners' strike. Many of the miners transferred to nearby Silverdale Colliery, which itself closed down on Christmas Eve 1998. The current site of Holditch Colliery is now a large business park.

{{Main|Holditch Colliery disaster}}

The Holditch Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident occurring on 2 July 1937 at the Holditch Colliery, which at one point was the main employer in the village. In total, 30 men died and eight were injured.{{Cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1937/jul/05/holditch-colliery-disaster|title=HOLDITCH COLLIERY DISASTER. (Hansard, 5 July 1937)|website=api.parliament.uk|access-date=2019-10-22}} An investigation was conducted into the incident. The original fire was concluded to have originated in the coal cutting machine and was due to frictional heat produced by the picks in the cut with subsequent explosions being caused by firedamp. The investigation concluded that the rescue plans were insufficient and adopted to save costs at the expense of lives.{{cite web|url=http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/cms/document/1935_38.pdf|title=HOLDITCH. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. 2nd. July, 1937.|work=cmhrc.co.uk|accessdate=31 August 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010184313/http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/cms/document/1935_38.pdf|archivedate=10 October 2010|df=dmy-all}} Today a memorial stands to the victims at Apedale Heritage Centre.

There are four primary schools in the village: Churchfields Primary, Chesterton Primary, Crackley Bank Primary and St. Chad's Primary; and one Secondary school: Chesterton Community Sports College.

Chesterton is home to five churches: Holy Trinity {{abbr|C of E|Church of England}} Church,[http://www.holytrinitychesterton.org.uk/ Holy Trinity Church, Chesterton website] retrieved 17 February 2019 Elim Pentecostal Church, St Johns the Evangelist Church,[http://catholicdirectory.org/Catholic_Information.asp?ID=34467 The Catholic Parish of St John the Evangelist in Chesterton website] retrieved 17 February 2019 Chesterton United Reform Church,[http://www.urcnorthstaffs.org.uk/chesterton.html The United Reformed Churches of North Staffordshire, Chesterton URC website] retrieved 17 February 2019 and St Chad's Church.[http://www.holytrinitychesterton.org.uk/st-chads/ St Chad's Church Red Street website] retrieved 17 February 2019

File:Train at Apedale Valley Light Railway station, Apedale Community Country Park, near Chesterton (geograph 3070620).jpg

• Apedale Community Country Park
• Apedale Heritage Centre
• Moseley Railway Trust
• Loomer Road Stadium

• Jackie Trent (1940–2015) singer & songwriter
• Roger Johnson (born 1969), TV journalist, newsreader and presenter on BBC North West Tonight

• Arthur Turner (1909–1994) football player and manager, played 357 games
• Ken Downing (1917–2004) motor racing driver
• Frank Bowyer (1922–1999) footballer, played 512 games
• Mike Pejic (born 1950) footballer, played 360 games and 4 for England
• Tony Loska (born 1950) footballer, played 372 games
• Ian Moores (1954–1998) footballer, played 359 games
• Mel Pejic (born 1959) footballer, played 518 games
• Aaron Ramsdale (born 1998) footballer, played 180 games and 4 for England

• Listed buildings in Newcastle-under-Lyme

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Chesterton, Staffordshire}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060430063631/http://www.roman-britain.org/places/chesterton.htm Roman Fort at Chesterton]
• [http://www.apedale.co.uk/ Apedale Heritage Centre and Country Park]
• [http://www.mrt.org.uk/ The Moseley Railway Trust website]

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Category:Tourist attractions in Staffordshire

Category:Villages in Staffordshire

Category:Former civil parishes in Staffordshire

Category:Newcastle-under-Lyme