Madeley, Staffordshire


Madeley is a village and ward in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It is split into three parts: Madeley, Middle Madeley and Little Madeley; Madeley Heath is also considered by many to be a constituent part. In the 2001 census, the population was recorded as 4,386; it decreased to 4,222 at the 2011 census.

Geography

Madeley is located west of Newcastle-under-Lyme and is close to the Shropshire and Cheshire borders. To the north are the villages of Betley and Wrinehill; south is the hamlet of Baldwin's Gate; to the east is Keele, the home of Keele University as well as Silverdale; and Onneley and Woore lie to the west.

History

Madeley is derived from the Saxon, Madanlieg, meaning 'a clearing in the woods belonging to Mada'.
Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being of wood, with four plough teams. The first Madeley Old Manor was built by Robert de Stafford, with the local church being founded in 1200.
Heighley Castle was built in 1226 by Henry de Audley and was ordered to be demolished by a Parliamentary committee sitting at Stafford in 1644, to prevent its use by Royalists. Little remains today, but some of the ruins are still visible during winter through the vegetation surrounding the area.
Madeley Old Hall is a timber-framed Elizabethan house and now a country house hotel; it is a Grade II* listed building.

Industry

A significant feature and well-known landmark of the village is Madeley Mill, which stands on the dam for the pool. During its history, the mill was used for grinding grain but, prior to its closure, production was turned over to cheese making. It fell into disrepair before being developed and converted into apartments in the early 1990s, saving it from proposed demolition by the local council.
There was a butcher's shop opposite the pool that was run by Arthur Bailey. He rented the shop initially from around 1957, moving to the village when he purchased the adjoining Pool House in 1962. He slaughtered his own animals in the now converted slaughterhouse. His wife, Marjorie, was one of the team who established the Christie Hospital in Manchester.
North Staffordshire was a centre for coal mining and the nearby mine at Leycett was known as Madeley under the National Coal Board. Sinking began in the 1880s and the colliery had five shafts with exotic names: Bang Up, Fair Lady, Clarkes, Harrisons and Woodburn. The pit closed on 21 September 1957. There is nothing left of the site nowadays, it being subject to open cast mining that removed the remaining coal and the slag heaps. It is used for agriculture.
Madeley has a shopping parade, built by the Wooliscroft family who lived down Furnace Lane. The telephone exchange was demolished in the early 1960s.

Education

Meadows Primary School, Sir John Offley Primary School and Madeley High School all serve the surrounding area.
As part of the expansion in higher and further education, Madeley College opened in 1962 and specialised in men's physical education and home economics. It closed in the mid-1980s after becoming part of the North Staffordshire Polytechnic.

Transport

Roads

The majority of the settlement lies between the M6 motorway and the West Coast Main Line, but there is no nearby access to the motorway. The A525 road passes through Madeley as a primary route. It connects with the A531 which further connects with the A500 to the north.

Railways

Madeley was served by two railway stations:
The nearest National Rail stations are at, on the Crewe to Derby line, and for principal services to and on the West Coast Main Line.

Notable people

Sport