Blithfield Reservoir - Geograph
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Blithfield is a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the
East Staffordshire East Staffordshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Staffordshire, England. The council is based in Burton upon Trent. The borough also contains the town of Ut ...
district of
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
, England. It includes the settlements of Admaston (a small
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
in Staffordshire),
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
along with
Blithfield Hall Blithfield Hall (pronounced locally as Bliffield), is a privately owned Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house in Staffordshire, England, situated some east of Stafford, southwest of Uttoxeter and north of ...
, home of the Bagot family since 1360. It is situated south-west of
Uttoxeter Uttoxeter ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in the East Staffordshire borough of Staffordshire, England. It is near to the Derbyshire county border. The town is from Burton upon Trent via the A50 and the A38, from Stafford via the A51 ...
and north of
Rugeley Rugeley ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cannock Chase District, in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase next to the River Trent; it is north of Lichfield, southeast of Stafford, northeast of ...
. Blithfield and Admaston comprise of land, with Newton occupying . The nearest railway stations are Rugeley Trent Valley and
Rugeley Town Rugeley Town railway station serves the market town of Rugeley, Staffordshire, England. The station is operated by West Midlands Railway, with services operated by West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway. The station is situated ...
.


History

A parish like Blithfield is normally formed around a small settlement. Blithfield used to be centered around the Parish Church. At the end of the 1800s Church and State divided and this area is now represented as "a local authority by the Blithfield Parish Council and the Church of England by the Parochial Church Council". The population in Blithfield decreased from 439 people in 1801 to 262 people in 1961. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 225, situated within 96 households. The number of houses has stayed relatively stable since 1830, fluctuating from 81 houses in 1830, dropping to 65 in 1920 and then steadily increasing until 2001. One hundred and seventy-three of the 225 people in 2001 were between the ages of 16 and 74.
Blithfield Reservoir Blithfield Reservoir is a large raw water reservoir in Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water. Some 800 acres (324 hectares) of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Works (SSWW) i ...
takes up much of the parish and the area is home to the
Bagot goat The Bagot goat is a breed of goat which for several hundred years has lived semi-wild at Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire, England. It is a small goat, with a black head and neck and the remainder of the body white. In 2010 it was considered "cri ...
.


Etymology

The first part of the name "Blithfield" is simply an alternative spelling of the word "Blythe", which originates from Old English word "blitha" meaning 'gentle'. The second part stems from the Old English "feld", which meant 'open or accessible land'. However, by the time Blithfield became its name, it might "just as well be interpreted in the modern sense of 'field'".


Domesday Book

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
, commissioned by
William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
, is a land survey, which was completed in 1086. Its purpose was to assess the extent of the land and of resources owned in England, and the amount of the taxes that could be raised at the time.


Church

St Leonard's Church dates from the 13th century, it is set away from the modern village of Admaston, and lies just west of the modern
Blithfield Hall Blithfield Hall (pronounced locally as Bliffield), is a privately owned Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house in Staffordshire, England, situated some east of Stafford, southwest of Uttoxeter and north of ...
. The church was built between the 13th and 19th centuries. In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, four "bay arcades" were built. The base of the western tower and the windows were constructed in the 14th century, and the "
clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...
above the nave" was added in the 15th century. The upper part of the tower, with stained glass in the west window is thought to date back to 1525. The rest of the church dates to the 19th century. The remains of a 13th- or 14th-century cross can still be seen in the churchyard. The church contains tombs of the Bagot family as well as an original helmet, ancient stained glass windows and a floor paved in Minton tiles. Parish registers of the church begin in 1538. The churchyard contains a
war grave A war grave is a burial place for members of the armed forces or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. Definition The term "war grave" does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to b ...
of a
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
officer of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
CWGC Casualty Record.


Medieval Blithfield

The "late-Saxon" settlement of Blithfield, which appears in
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
did not last, and the last documented evidence of the village was in 1334. This site of the original village is now defined as a "
Deserted Medieval Village In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the conve ...
(DMV)" with hardly any visible remnants. However, the site is strongly thought to have been located within the grounds of
Blithfield Hall Blithfield Hall (pronounced locally as Bliffield), is a privately owned Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house in Staffordshire, England, situated some east of Stafford, southwest of Uttoxeter and north of ...
. The original mansion of
Blithfield Hall Blithfield Hall (pronounced locally as Bliffield), is a privately owned Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house in Staffordshire, England, situated some east of Stafford, southwest of Uttoxeter and north of ...
, was built with a moat in the 1390s by Sir John Bagot. It is thought, however, that the Lord of Blithfield was unhappy with some of the work done on the hall, so in 1398 the carpenter, Robert Stanlowe, was sued. The present hall is now largely 16th century, with additions of 1740 and of the later 18th century, and is Grade I listed.


Modern Blithfield


Blithfield reservoir

Blithfield Reservoir Blithfield Reservoir is a large raw water reservoir in Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water. Some 800 acres (324 hectares) of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Works (SSWW) i ...
is the most apparent modern construction. It was opened by
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...
in October 1953 after six years of building. The project was proposed by the "
South Staffordshire Water South Staffordshire Water plc known as South Staffs Water is a United Kingdom, UK water industry, water supply company owned by a privately owned utilities company serving parts of Staffordshire, the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, as well ...
PLC" who, during the 1930s and 1940s purchased of land in the Blythe Valley, to put into action their plan, much of this land () was bought from Lord Bagot, the owner of Blithfield Hall. The reservoir itself covers a smaller area of land, approximately . Ownership of the farmland bordering the reservoir allowed control over farming methods and thus minimised any risk of water pollution. It was originally planned to start building the reservoir in 1939, but this was postponed until 1947, due to the onset of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. A bridge, now carrying the B5013 road, separates the water of the reservoir into two unequal parts, the shallower section is used mainly for fishing and the deeper section, close to the dam, is for the sailing boats. Before the
Blithfield Reservoir Blithfield Reservoir is a large raw water reservoir in Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water. Some 800 acres (324 hectares) of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Works (SSWW) i ...
was built, the land consisted mostly of fields with small areas of woodland. The land was predominantly used by farmers for rearing animals and growing crops.


South Staffordshire Water PLC

The
South Staffordshire Water South Staffordshire Water plc known as South Staffs Water is a United Kingdom, UK water industry, water supply company owned by a privately owned utilities company serving parts of Staffordshire, the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, as well ...
PLC have granted a lease to the West Midland Bird Club for the purpose of observing and recording birds. It is one of the most important sites for wetland birds in the Midlands. The site was first opened in the 1970s and this continues, ensuring that the changes in the birdlife of the site are able to be observed and recorded.


See also

* Listed buildings in Blithfield


References


External links


Blithfield Parish CouncilOS map link
{{authority control Villages in Staffordshire Borough of East Staffordshire