Our neighbours Brown Edge, Norton, Milton & Stockton Brooke, all once in an age gone by were part of the same parish of Norton in the Moors, once described by John Ward in his book 'History of the County Borough of Stoke on Trent - 1842', "it comprehends an extensive territory of rude & hilly ground, measuring 3,800 acres, within which are many good dairy & mixed farms, the greater portion is bleak & barren".
As you can see the parish covered a wide area, reaching as far as Sneyd Green & Knypersley [ Read More ].

Our village has an active Residents Association who work closely with local residents concerning local issues & organising local events to raise funds for the community & for local charities. Our Annual Funday, Bonfire & Firework display events are eagerly awaited & well attended. The website is built and maintained by B.Moore alongside Norton green Residents Association and Norton Green History Group who together with local residents, research and record content for the website.

Like most other villages throughout England, Norton Green traces it's origins to Saxon Landowners from around the 11th century & is steeped in history. The name Norton or Nortone has ancient Celtic origins [ Read More ]. While the Domesday Book records in 1086 - 6 villagers & 3 smallholders with 3 ploughs. Some Historians record back to Roman times.

Museum records show that two Axe Hammers have been found in the area & have been dated 2,000B.C - 701B.C & 4,000B.C - 701 Early Neolithic (the period in history from when the first farming of the land began).

Its architecture today is a mixture of 16th century farmhouses, 17th century Millstone Grit brick cottages & Terraced red brick cottages, early Victorian & modern housing built between 1900 -1970. One of our oldest buildings is Norton Green Old Hall - as locals refer to it today. A mid 16th century Historic monument all it's own. Built in 1643 & residence over the centuries to Landowners & Lords of the Manor [ Read More ] By 1881 the Hall was divided in two becoming two dwellings which housed a farmer & the other a miner. The old Hall today still retaining its charm & character has also kept the division of two dwellings. The New Hall, neighbour to the old hall was built between 1920 - 1940.

Endon Road, (formerly Leek Road) makes its way through the village (B5051) & has always been an important highway in the district. Before Leek New Road was built pack horses toiled on their way along Endon Rd between the two known Market towns of Leek & Burslem. Today Endon Road is still a busy highway through the village.

Agriculture played a big part in the daily lives of the locals. There were many farms situated in Norton Green, only a token of which still exist today eg; Norton Green Old Hall Farm, Annatts House Farm & Heakley Hall date back to the 16th century. Heakley Hall Farm is built on a moated site, historic records show this site to be a listed monument.[ Read more ]

The village of Norton Green less than a mile in length & measuring not much more in width has always been an industrious place. Over the centuries industry varied in the area all providing employment for the local people. Around the 10th century it is recorded that the Timber (Oak) trade flourished. An old map dated 1878 of Norton Green show Rectory Woods reaching down to Duke Bank (woodside avenue). Other maps show a Smithy & Brick Works situated at the top of the woods.The Wool Trade thrived between the 14th - 15th centuries. Then came Coal mining & the Iron Foundry.

In the 1700's historic records show in Norton Green a coal mine called Cockshead Colliery, built in 1773 in agreement between John Sparrow, John Hales,William Lowndes, Frances Moor, John Repton & William Sherratt to mine lands at Norton Green [ Read more ]. This was eventually destroyed by flooding. There is evidence today of a mystery lake near to the site of the mine.

The Iron Foundry works operated around the 1800s owned by Mr. Charles Cope [ Read More ]. The testament to its existence today are the - terrace of workers cottages in Foundry Square, built between 1851 -1861 with additions built between 1872 - 1878, rumors of connections in 1829 with the forging of the huge chains that hold together the Menai Straits Bridge & mention of Primitive Methodist meetings (mid 1800) at the Foundry before the Chapel was built in 1857 [ Read more ].

Bemmersley Green, less than 3 miles from Norton Green. The birthplace of Hugh Bourne & founder of Primitive Methodism. Born in 1772, an accomplished man & an unsung hero of his time. Hugh Bourne gave his time & energy to the less well off in the community & recognised their need for an education. He believed that all men & woman were equal & that everyone deserved to be respected in their own right. By 1799 Hugh was an established Wheelwright & Local Preacher. He followed John Wesley in his teachings until he was expelled from their church along with William Clowes in 1811. Their own camp meetings ensued at various venues including Mow Cop castle.

Mr. Norman Holdcroft local resident and Senior Steward of Norton Greens Zion Primitve Methodist Chapel has been dedicated to the chapel for more than 50 years has compiled and written a three part History taken from minutes of meetings held at the chapel over a period of 116 years, spanning the years from 1857 - 1993. Exerpts will be available to view shortly via our history pages. Full copies will also be available in PDF format, full details....email webmaster

Norton in the Moors was also known as "The Gretna Green of the north" around the 1700s, recording an unusual amount of marriages taking place, this was before Lord Hardwicks Marriage Act came into force in 1754 [Read more].

1778 saw the construction of the Branch canal through Norton Green adjoining the Caldon canal [ Read more ].

Norton Green workhouse was built around 1798 & is situated on Endon Rd on the edge of the village nearest to Brown Edge [ Read More ]. In 1839 as the Poor Laws were changed Norton Green became part of Leek Union, the workhouse was closed & replaced with a much larger one built at Leek.

There were many Pubs or Ale Houses as they were known back then located around the village & over the years closed down & became dwellings. The Foaming Quart built in 1842, is now our only pub left in the village. Formerly called the Old Brown Jug & where the noted Norton Green Riots took place [Read more]. Once owned by Alec Hancock, father of the famous Maureen Flowers, British Ladies Darts Champion. The Foaming Quart became quite infamous. Maureen Flowers began a career as a hairdresser & owned her own Salon in the village, bought for her by her father Alec. It is now called The Salon & is owned by another local lady Mrs. Lisa Lewis. [View Photo]

Our local school built in 1879 as Norton Green Board School taught local children for 104 years before closing its doors for the last time as Trentside Middle Infants & Juniors in 1983 [ Read more ]. Three years before the school was built - in 1876 local children attended & were taught lessons at the Primitive Methodist Sunday School [ Read More ]. The old school building today has still retained its charm & presence like much of the architecture in the village, even after renovations & a change of occupancy since its closure. Today it is known as Trentside Manor & is currently occupied as a Residential Home for the elderly.

Millstone Grit is underlying in the area making the land susceptible to flooding. Local flooding from the River Trent over the years has caused much damage locally, but has now subsided although there are 'sandbags' still to be found at a few of the properties in close proximity to Norton Green bridge. The last incidence of floods [ View Photos ] occurred in 1987 [ Read more ]. Old maps of the village show 'natural springs' & many old mineshafts sited around the area..

Currently Norton Green has no shops, much to the dismay of local people. This has not always been the case. There used to be several located around the village these were - Post Office, Fruit & Veg shop, "Up the Vale" Paper shop, A Butchers, General store, Sweet shop, Chip shop & even a Petrol station. Although there are the amenities like Pubs, Shops & Post Offices available nearby in the neighbouring parishes of Brown Edge & Norton & are within walking distance.

As you can see the changes that have taken place over the centuries throughout the history of the village & now as we move into the 21st century & modern technology is prevalent in our daily lives, we hope to have captured the villages' real character, which is very much alive, with the creation & publishing of our community website, making the most of new ways of communicating via the web the world over. Our site will be regulary updated. We feel that it's important to acknowledge our roots & record the facts over time with which we are very proud & to share them for future generations to appreciate. We would also like to share this with every visitor to our online community. For further reading about the history of our village & present day news & events links are provided throughout the site.

We would also like to thank everyone in the community who have contributed toward the creation of this village website.

norton-green.com

Map of Norton Green Village, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire.

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I suppose there are all the obvious points like our setting as Norton Green is nestled in the Trent Valley and is surrounded by some of the most interesting and beautiful countryside in the Staffordshire County, all of which is accessible by a network of ancient footpaths that criss - cross the village. We are also lucky to have the River Trent coursing its way through the heart of the village and the Cauldon Canal that takes a more slower and tranquil pace. Through the summer months there is a steady flow of holiday makers who use this waterway and are always happy to wave from their colorful barges to the passing walker who use the tow-path to access the open countryside.

The village its self was really borne through the industrial revolution that also came to the Norton Green by the Cauldon canal opening in 1778, when profiteering entrepreneurs took advantage of the natural resources of coal, iron, clay and sand which lay in the lands. With a little research you can still see that the landscape around the village is a result of our industrial heritage and has been unchanged for the last two centuries. I believe that we should all look at our surrounding history as it gives us a better understanding - of what fits into the area when planning future projects and ideas that will be sympathetic to our environment.

From a Child's point of view we are lucky to have three open 'Greens' in the heart of the village that are intersected by the Trent and allow the youngsters to enjoy growing up close to nature with the timeless joys of paddling, fishing, making camps, as well as all the modem pastimes.

Living in a Green Belt area also gives us some reassurance that the area won't change much in the future and shouldn't be subjected to sweeping changes that are happening around the City, where our industrial past is been quickly replaced with the demand for new homes. There is also many other contributing factors like the close proximity of the City centre with all its amenities, also we enjoy relatively low crime and vandalism rates that blight other areas. There is also a very active Residents Association that is committed to keeping the identity of the village intact and regularly holds community events enabling residents to meet in a social capacity.

But most definitely Norton Green is about the people, it's always been about the local residents who shaped and lived in the village and kept life going. Nowadays most Norton Greener's are proud to be associated with the village and still keep a tight knit community feeling with close neighborly relations and everybody seems to know everyone and look out for one and another. These values we are told are rapidly disappearing in the modern world but for us they are just another part of village life. Just recently I visited an elderly resident who passed an old photograph onto me for our visual collection of life in the village, whilst visiting she remarked that when the photo was taken in the late 1950's Norton Green was known as "happy valley" and nowadays it's a shadow of it's former self. Well on reflection maybe for her that was her happiest of times, for me it was the 70's and 80's when I was growing up in the village.

I suppose that's the best way of summing up Norton Green, that at some time in your life in the village you will find you're "Happy Valley".