- Essington
Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Essington
latitude= 52.62843
longitude= -2.05727
shire_district=South Staffordshire
region= West Midlands
shire_county =Staffordshire
constituency_westminster=
postcode_district = WV11
postcode_area= WV
dial_code= 01922
os_grid_reference= SJ962034Essington is a village and
civil parish nearWolverhampton inSouth Staffordshire ,England . It is considered by theOffice for National Statistics to be part of theWalsall Urban Sub-Area of theWest Midlands conurbation .It is near where the
M6 motorway joins theM54 motorway at Junction 10A. Despite its vicinity to the motorways, it is a fairly quiet village, surrounded by fields used for grazing, and for crops.Walk through History
The area around the village is criss-crossed with public footpaths around the countryside, which is a great escape for the local people living in the nearby built up areas. :In Cuttlestone Hundred::Roger holds 2 hides of land from William in Essington (Eseningtone).::Land for 6 ploughs. In Lordship 1;2 slaves.::15 villagers with 2 smallholders have 3 ploughs.::Woodland 1 league long and as wide.
There are some treasures to be found in the area, including a Medieval Moat possibly dating back 1321, a patch of
Bluebell Woodland called Sandy Flatts, a disusedwindmill dating back 1681, and a path leads to theMonarch's Way west of the village, which is the second longest long distance footpath in the United Kingdom, and follows the path of Charles II after theBattle of Worcester , the King stayed at the nearby National Trust property ofMoseley Old Hall . The area mainly grew up around the Collieries, where coal was mined to fuel the Industrial Revolution. Before this though, it is thought that areas nearby Essington, were extensively Coppiced for Charcoal.The Village
In the village of Essington, though small, and fairly recently built, there is one place, called Brownshore Lakes(known locally as the pools), which are two adjacent small quarry lakes, surrounded by woodland, it is a local meeting place, and home to
waterfowl , and other animals thrive which around the lakes and the woods. Also in the village, there is a public house, called the Minerva Inn, and a church, St Johns, built in 1932. A primary school also named St Johns, resides on the spot where the old church originally stood. Just outside the village is Essington Fruit Farm, the local farm where fresh fruit and vegetables, are sold. Much of the produce is locally grown in the fields around the farm, and during the summer it hosts a maize maze, taking its theme from Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre pantomime. A small mound near the farm shop, offers a great view of the West Midlands, and overlooking nearbyCannock Chase . Much of the village is over 600 feet above sea level, and to the east of the village lies the disused Essington branch of theWyrley and Essington Canal , at 533 feet, once the highest point on theBirmingham Canal Navigations . ["Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations", J. M. Pearson & Associates, 1989, ISBN 0-907864-49-X]Quite recently in the village, there have been several redevelopments on
brown belt land. The new developments of Houses and Flats are thought to be completed in sections from Late 2006 and mid 2007.Famous people from the village
*
Meera Syal - Comedian and Author
*Ealhswith , queen consort and wife ofAlfred the Great , the self-styled first King of England.References
External links
* [http://www.essingtonfarm.co.uk Essington Fruit Farm]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
