Stanton, Staffordshire

Stanton is a small village situated at the eastern end of the Weaver Hills, Staffordshire (Population 187 in 2000). The landscape around the village is mainly pastureland bounded by dry stone walls.

History

Evidence of early human activity can be found at Stanton with three bronze age barrows on the hilltop of Thorswood. In 1953 a gold bracelet was found in the parish dated circa 800 BC, now housed in the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent. Stanton is listed in the Domesday Book as Stantone, the name means “Stone Farmstead” which could refer to its building material, some prominent stone or its site on stony ground. The stone itself is an excellent building material, mainly sandstone, being used to build the majority of farmhouses and cottages in the village. During the 19th century the stone was much prized for its quality and was quarried on a large scale, with many men employed in the several quarries. Nearby Ilam Hall was built largely of sandstone quarried in Stanton. Towards the Weaver Hills the stone turns to limestone, which is used to build walls on the Weaver Hills. Between 1729 and 1860 lead and copper was mined at Thorswood, with at least eight shafts sunk into the hilltop, some of which were 640ft (200m) deep. Much of Stanton was part of the Earl of Shrewsbury’s Alton Estate and the Duncombe Estate. St Mary’s church was built 1846 - 1847 by "W"."Evans" of Manchester. Before 1846 the Stanton villagers had to travel over convert|2|mi|km to St Peter's, Ellastone for worship. Stanton is the birthplace of Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury 1663 – 1677.

Like many villages it has lost many of it facilities in recent years; its pub in 1946, its school in 1983 and its Post Office in 2001. The school was converted to a village hall that opened 1993, called the 'Gilbert Sheldon Hall'. In 2004 Thorswood Nature Reserve was opened by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust which consists of convert|150|acre|km2 of flower rich unimproved pastures, upland heath and meadows.