Alton, Staffordshire
Coordinates: 52°58′37″N 1°53′24″W / 52.977°N 1.890°W
Alton is a village in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers, built around the site of Alton Mansion (also named Alton Towers), which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury and designed by Augustus Pugin.
The village is located on the eastern side of the Churnet valley. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and contains numerous buildings of architectural interest; the Round-House, Alton Castle (now a Catholic youth retreat centre), St Peter's Church, The Malt House, St John's Church and of course Alton Towers.
Alton was served by Alton railway station which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway on July 13, 1849 and closed in the 1960s.
The chained oak in Alton has been made famous by the ride Hex at Alton Towers and the legend involving the Earl of Shrewsbury.
The village was home to seven public houses, including 'The Talbot', 'The Bulls Head', ' The Royal Oak', 'The Bridge House', 'The White Hart', 'The Blacksmiths Arms' and 'The Lord Shrewsbury' (formerly The Wild Duck, now wrongly named. Should have been the 'Earl of Shrewsbury'). The Talbot and The Lord Shrewsbury closed in 2008.
For those who believe in ghosts, Alton is also considered to be among the most haunted villages in Staffordshire. In particular, the ghost of a figure wearing a top hat and riding a horse has allegedly been sighted numerous times wandering through the fields around the village.[citation needed] During the lifetime of Pugin the village was known as Alverton.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alton, Staffordshire |
- Information on Saint Peter's church
- Saint Peter's church
- Photographs of Alton
- "Alton History". Alton in Staffordshire. http://www.alton-staffordshire.co.uk/default_frame.php?url=history.php. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
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