Alton Castle and the Lock Up

We ventured into Staffordshire this week, the intention was to have a look at Wooton Hall (or Lodge) but when we got there we couldn't find a place to park anywhere near it. The Lodge appears to be on a long and narrow track, more like a private drive with nowhere convenient to park. We decided to have a look around the local village of Alton (Alton Towers is close by). We first stopped at the outskirts of the village with a grand view of the castle up on the hill. We then parked up in the village and headed for the castle.

The "New " Castle

This looks like a lodge house into the Alton estate

The Disused Alton Towers railway station in the village of Alton, Staffordshire, England. The station was opened in 1849 and was originally on the North Staffordshire Railway's Churnet Valley line. Later it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and later still, it became part of the London Midland Region of British Railways. It was finally closed in 1964. The buildings, which are grade II listed, are now in private ownership and they are made available for holiday rental.

The mill building was turned into a cafe some time after the mill closed c1932. The premises was also used as a petrol station for many years, which meant it was a convenient stop-off place for visitors to Alton Towers.
Alton Mill was originally one of three working mills within Alton and Farley. It operated from the late 12th century until 1708 as a corn mill belonging to Croxden Abbey, after which time it was bought by the Earl of Shrewsbury. The mill was then sub-let between 1734-1828 to Thomas Patten and partners, who made brass wire and "Golden Guineas" (brass coins used in the slave trade). During the period c1841-1867 a paper manufacturer was proprietor of the mill, and after this time it was used variously by a building contractor, wheelwright, and stone and timber merchant, before it was sold in 1932. In the distance on top of the hill is Alton Castle, which was re-built for the sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury in the 19th century to a design by the renowned architect Pugin.

This small carved head is set into the wall on the cottages shown below

This Lynch gate leads up to a small cemetery

The top of this gate has a roller with what looks like nails sticking out of it.

Ruins of the old castle on the left and the new castle on the right.

The sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury known as the "good Earl John" cared for the welfare of the poor of the district and it is he who employed the famous architect Augustus Welby Pugin to design and build St John’s Church a hospice, a school and sheltered housing for the poor in the form of a quadrangle in the area known as "Castle Hill".

The sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury known as the "good Earl John" cared for the welfare of the poor of the district and it is he who employed the famous architect Augustus Welby Pugin to design and build St John’s Church a hospice, a school and sheltered housing for the poor in the form of a quadrangle in the area known as "Castle Hill".

Alton Castle is a Gothic-revival castle, located on a hill above the Churnet Valley, in the village of Alton, Staffordshire. The site has been fortified since Saxon times, with the original castle dating from the 12th-century.

This used to be the chapel

Inside St John the Baptist Church

This window shows a lady playing some sort of miniature organ

A very unusual door knocker

Geoff

Rob, Geoff and Ike

Geoff messing about with Ike's hat

Centre of the village

This house is called Stumps and has cricket connections all over it

Alton Staffordshire the village lock-up, built in 1819 and renovated in 1977.

As in the past there are still many Hostelries evident in the village although they have slowly diminished from the heady days when the High Street alone hosted four Public Houses.  It is also evident that because of this there was obviously a need to prevent over-indulgence and for this reason the "Round House" or "Lockup" was built.

This cross was at the bottom of the cemetery.

This was another good morning around the village, we were made most welcome in St. John's church where we had a good look around. The day was a  bit dull but guess what it didn't start raining until we got back into Ike's car.
See you next week.