Biddulph

Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, 8.5 miles (14 km) north of Stoke-on-Trent and 4.5 miles (7 km) south-east of Congleton, Cheshire.

This article is about the town. For other uses, see Biddulph (disambiguation).

Biddulph

Biddulph High Street
Biddulph
Location within Staffordshire
Population19,892 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSJ8857
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townStoke-on-Trent
Postcode districtST8
Dialling code01782
PoliceStaffordshire
FireStaffordshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

Origin of the name

Biddulph's name may come from Anglo-Saxon/Old English bī dylfe = "beside the pit or quarry". It may also stem from a corruption of the Saxon/Old English Bidulfe, meaning "wolf slayer", and as a result the Biddulph family crest is a wolf rampant.

In the days of coal and iron, Biddulph was actually called Bradley Green, the original site of Biddulph being the area in which the parish church, Grange House, and the ruins of Biddulph Old Hall stand. It was not until 1930 that the town was marked on Ordnance Survey maps as 'Biddulph'.[2]

Geography

The hamlet of Brown Lees is located in the south of Biddulph civil parish.

Education

In common with other parts of the area administered by Staffordshire LEA, the Middle School system operates in Biddulph.

Biddulph has one high school (ages 13 to 16) with a sixth form (ages 16 to 18) called Biddulph High School,[3] it was awarded Sports College status in 2002. It has since gained Technology College status. Biddulph also has two middle schools: Woodhouse Middle School[4] (formerly Biddulph Grammar School), and James Bateman Junior High School[5] (formerly Park Middle School), serving pupils aged 9–13. These are fed by several first schools, such as Kingsfield First School, Knypersley First School, Squirrel Hayes First School, Oxhey First School, and several more.

Recent developments
Biddulph Community Fire Station in July 2011

The supermarket chain Sainsbury's opened a new store in Biddulph in November 2010.

JD Wetherspoons opened The Bradley Green on Biddulph High Street on 3 September 2001.

In addition to the supermarket development, a number of derelict and semi-derelict buildings were refurbished or rebuilt by the local Councils and private owners. These were in line with the intentions set out in the Town Centre Area Action Plan (2007),[6] which aimed to reverse the spiral of decline that had threatened the long-term viability of the town centre since the early 1990s.

A 3000 square metre primary health facility was built for the North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust in the town centre as part of the ongoing regeneration and investment programme.

A new cafe for youngsters, 'Biddulph Young People's Place' opened in March 2011 at Kingsfield First School after a year of planning and fund-raising.

In 2011 Biddulph, which has a population of approx. 20,000, was left without a post office for 4 months when the small supermarket in which it was situated closed down. A temporary Post Office was eventually set up in the town hall car park.[7] A new post office was opened in October 2013 at the northern end of Biddulph High Street.[8]

Transport

Biddulph had its railway station opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1864. The station was on the Biddulph Valley Line that ran from a junction just north of Congleton on the Stoke-on-Trent – Macclesfield line to a junction south of Stoke-on-Trent station. Passenger traffic was withdrawn from the station on 11 July 1927, but freight traffic continued until 5 October 1964. There was also a canal rail interchange at Congleton Junction. The remains of the small dock on the Macclesfield Canal can still be seen.

Buses

D&G Bus provides bus services [9] to Hanley (No.9) and to Leek (No.93) and the No. 94 goes north to Congleton and south to Tunstall and Newcastle-under-Lyme

First Potteries also provides a bus service [10] (No.7A) to Hanley.

Main sights
Biddulph Grange

Within the bowl created by the ridges of Mow Cop and Biddulph Moor, the main sights of note include; ancient burial mounds; evidence of the English Civil War; the bubonic plague; the site of the former Black Bull Colliery; tombs of possible Crusader knights; an Iron Age fort; and the site of a meeting of the Methodist movement with the Wesleys.

A dominant feature on hills above the village is Mow Cop Castle which is a folly of a ruined castle at the summit of the hill, built in the 1750s.

Biddulph is also home to Biddulph Grange, a house and landscaped gardens owned by the National Trust.

Notable people
James Bateman
James Wilson, 2015

Twin towns

See also

References
  1. "Town Population 2011". Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  2. "Bradley Green, Biddulph". jdwetherspoon.co.uk.
  3. "Home - Biddulph High School". biddulph.staffs.sch.uk.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "James Bateman Junior High School". jamesbateman.staffs.sch.uk.
  6. Biddulph Town Centre Area Action Plan, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (February 2007)
  7. "Temporary Post Office opens in Biddulph after four-month wait". This is Staffordshire. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  8. "Stamp of approval for new Post Office". The Sentinel Staffordshire. 10 October 2013.
  9. D&G Bus website, Route Maps retrieved 19 February 2018
  10. First Potteries website, Route Maps retrieved 19 February 2018
  11. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement, Bateman, James retrieved 19 February 2018
  12. Robert Bateman, The Three Ravens", Sotheby's retrieved 19 February 2018
  13. The Guardian, 31/05/2012, Jack Simcock obituary retrieved 19 February 2018
  14. Prof Brian Scarlett, Profile, World Congress in Particle Technology 2006 retrieved 19 February 2018
  15. Joan Walley, Former MP, Stoke-on-Trent North retrieved 19 February 2018
  16. "Biddulph". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  17. John Farmer, Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database retrieved 19 February 2018
  18. SoccerBase Database retrieved 19 February 2018
  19. ESPN cricinfo Database retrieved 19 February 2018
  20. SoccerBase Database retrieved 19 February 2018

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