Norton le Moors


The ecclesiastical parish of Norton le Moors is located in the north-east of the city of Stoke-On-Trent, in the county of Staffordshire. The majority of the parish is in the city however some lies in the Staffordshire Moorlands district. Approximately 3.4 miles north of Hanley, one of six major towns that joined together to form the city of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910. Norton le Moors borders Ball Green in the north, Stockton Brook in the east, Milton in the south, and Bradeley in the west, making it one of a number of small villages in the Stoke area.

History

The civil parish of Norton le Moors was established in 1837 until it was abolished in 1965 and incorporated into the parishes of Bagnall, Brown Edge and Stoke-on-Trent. Two years later Norton Parish Council obtained permission to change its name to Brown Edge Parish Council. Norton le Moors appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Nortone, meaning North town. At the time of the Domesday Survey the village was held by Robert de Stafford. During the Middle Ages the area developed due to its location on the road from Leek to Burslem, later turned turnpiked as the Leek to Newcastle road.

Population

In 2001, the population for the ward of Norton and Bradeley stood at 11,157. However, the population for Norton le Moors itself has significantly changed over time. The UK national census revealed that in 1801 the total population for the parish was 1,480 and up until 1891 the population continued to increase. In 1901 the population of the parish had dropped from 9,919 in 1891 to 4,600, a drop of 5,319 people. The population started to increase again for the next 20 years until there was a decline in 1931. Since then the population has been steadily increasing.
YearPopulation 20 years earlierPopulation 10 years earlierCurrent Total Population
1801––1480
1811–14801761
1821–17611983
1831–19832407
1841–24072891
1851–28913327
1881–69028870
1891–88709919
1901–36924600
1911–46005299
1921–52995910
1931–39034462
19514462–6132
1961–61329000

Figures from the 2001 census show that the ward for Norton and Bradeley have 38.89% of economically active between the ages of 16–74 in full-time employment, 10.83% in part-time employment and 17.37% are retired.

Occupations

Statistics from the 1881 census data shows that the vast majority of employment and industry was in various mineral substances, which mainly employed men, however women were also employed although in small numbers. Although occupation figures for women were mainly unknown in 1881, the top occupation was in the domestic service or offices sector.

Church of St Bartholomew

Norton le Moors' most noticeable landmark is the Church of St Bartholomew situated on Norton Lane. Built in 1737 the brick and stone parish church was built by Richard Trubshaw. The church of 1737 forms the western end of the present building. The building was doubled in size when the eastern half was added in 1915. To this day it remains as one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Staffordshire Potteries. The church's location perched on top of a hill makes for expansive views out towards neighbouring areas such as Smallthorne and Burslem to the west as well as views to the Staffordshire Moorlands in the south and the Peak District beyond to the east making for an attractive location.

Education

Location in the north of Stoke-on-Trent Excel Academy has a catchment from the neighbourhoods of Norton-le-Moors, Sneyd Green, Milton, Baddeley Green and Ball Green. Established in 1963 to accommodate 450 pupils the school has enlarged and established over the years and now accommodates over 1200 pupils aged 11–16.

Transport

Norton le Moors is accessible through a range of lanes such as Norton Lane, Endon Road and Knypersley Road. The main road that runs parallel to the village is Leek New Road which leads to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Leek.

Sport

The local Football League team is Port Vale F.C. but a minority support their arch rivals Stoke City who got promoted to the Premier League in 2008 and have remained in the top division for the last few years. The area is represented in non-league football by Norton United F.C., although the club's ground is in fact located in the neighbouring suburb of Smallthorne.