SPIRichard
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Registered: 07-2006
Location: Swadlincote
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A History of Swadlincote - By David Caulton
Swadlincote, a small but expanding industrial town situated at the southern edge of the beautiful Peak National Park in the glorious county of Derbyshire, England. The town owes its existence to the fact that it is sited upon considerable mineral deposits of coal and clay and the subsequent industries that developed from the extraction of these minerals. Several coal mines were operated in the area for many years much of the coal being used to fire the local power stations of Drakelow and Willington as well as others around the U.K. Many other companies grew and prospered in the town from the clay deposits, some becoming world famous. The company of Hepworths for its earthenware drainage pipes, Bretby Art Pottery for its distinctive designs and T.G.Green for its iconic blue and white Cornish ware , to name a few.
A little known fact is that Swadlincote can be credited with the creation of something that changed the world and made life healthier and more pleasant the entire civilized world. The first flushing toilet. Yes the very first white salt-glazed lavatory pan was made here. Sadly though the large scale production of these did not develop here but moved to the nearby village of Armitage. Armitage Shanks as the company became known still exists and its name can be seen on sanitary ware the world over. The evidence of the pottery industry is still to be seen in the area though, as three of the old potteries are still in existence, two of them in fact are still in production those being T.G.Green and Mason and Cash, although now merged. The third one, Sharpes, ceased production some years ago but has recently been carefully restored and its distinctive bottle kiln now houses a heritage centre and the local tourist information.
Another very remarkable organisation also exists in the building this being The Magic Attic and is run entirely by a group of dedicated volunteers. These hard working people have compiled an archive of Swadlincote's past and of the people that worked in its industries. The mining and clay industries sadly have declined over the last twenty years and the town has struggled to find a new role and has not yet returned to its former level of prosperity. However it seems to be entering a period of growth on three fronts. The first as a residential area, as many of the surrounding former mining villages have benefited from new investment and many small cottages that were used to house mine workers are now being turned into compact desirable houses. The second is as a tourist attraction, partly because we are at the beginning of an exciting project, namely the creation of a new forest, which over the coming years will attract an increasing number of visitors. Already millions of trees have been planted across a large area of Derbyshire,Staffordshire and Leicestershire and many more are to be added and will transform what was once a landscape that was scarred by clay and coal extraction with its dust and dirt into an oasis of green. This will be known as The National Forest and already has a visitor centre which is used extensively for educating children about wild life and the environment. Many local people use it for recreation, walking and cycling etc. The centre also organizes many other activities such as archery, laser paint balling and climbing and soon a sculpture will be unveiled which pays tribute to the area's mining heritage. In the nearby village of Moira are two more attractions. Conkers a hands on forestry discovery site and close to it the Moira Furnace a restored blast furnace situated on the banks of the former Ashby canal, both of which are very popular and still developing The is now an ambitious scheme to re-connect the canal to the national net work via the Coventry canal and once this is achieved will open up another route for vistors. The third area for the town's development is as a distribution centre for many companies, as we are situated almost in the centre of England. Swadlincote is a town with a rich and varied past and I am sure it will grow to become an important town at the heart of The National Forest and visitors will, I am sure find much to interest them.
- Submitted to the team by David Caulton.
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1/Nov/2006, 8:32 pm
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