The Parish of Trentham
The ecclesiastical parish of Trentham is shaped like an irregular oblong: approximately three miles from west to east and 2 miles from north to south (see map). The church building is roughly in the centre, on the West Bank of the River Trent (which flows south at this point) at its confluence with a smaller stream, which is known as Park Brook.
Trentham is primarily a residential suburb. The Church Parish has an estimated population of over 15,000 and straddles two local authority areas. The majority live on the eastern side of the A34 Trunk Road in the City of Stoke-on-Trent but the church site is within the more rural civil parish of Swynnerton, which is part of Stafford Borough.
Probably the main reason for the antiquity of the church and the surrounding community was a river crossing that joined important trade and military routes. At one time the Trent may have been used for transport purposes but today the major communication networks running through the parish are the M6 Motorway, the main railway line, the Trent & Mersey Canal, the A34, which links Manchester to Southampton via Birmingham and Oxford, and the A500/A50, which links the M6 to the M1, via Derby. There is clear evidence of many ancient tracks radiating out from the villages of Trentham and Hanchurch, which also lies within the parish; some are now roads while others remain as footpaths.
In the Middle Ages Trentham had become the site of an important Priory, which owned land up to four miles away and included in its estates much of what is now the nearby town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. However, after the Monasteries were dissolved, much of this land became the property of the Leveson-Gower family, who gained interests in farming, mining and canals over the succeeding centuries and acquired noble titles, power and influence. They built a series of houses adjacent to the church buildings culminating in the Hall whose construction was the reason for the Duke of Sutherland (who was then head of the family) taking a hand in the redevelopment of the church one hundred and fifty years ago. Although for a time the church effectively became a chapel to the Hall and was connected to it structurally, the present building has out-lasted Trentham Hall, which was demolished in 1911. A book called "Trentham - A church through history", by June Steed, which was published in 1994, gives a fuller history of the Parish, including the events described above.
Fifty years ago Trentham was still a village surrounded by farmland. There were a small number of cottages; some thatched, grouped round the Trentham Estate and within a short walk of the Parish Church. The remnants of this community can still be seen around the junction of the A34 and the A5035 (Longton Road). However the process of development had already begun in the period between the two World Wars (the 1920's and 30's), with the construction of houses: between the Longton Road and the Longton Brook; along Barlaston Old Road; and, on the other side of the Trent, off the Whitmore Road (B5038). Building resumed after the Second World War ended and housing estates displaying the styles of each of the succeeding decades are clearly visible, radiating outward from the original centre. Thus the bulk of newcomers to the area have tended to live increasingly far from the Church, which is not visible from the main road.
On the eastern fringe of the Parish, at Hem Heath, is the site of what was once a Coal Mine. The major feature of this area is now the Trentham Lakes Industrial Park. The Britannia Stadium, the new home of Stoke City F.C., is at the North end of this Estate. The entrance to the older Newstead Industrial Estate, faces the new development across the Longton Road. However, most of the employed people commute to the Towns of the Potteries and Newcastle, though some travel as far as Manchester and Birmingham (both nearly fifty miles away but readily accessible by road and rail).
Because of the popularity of the area and the growth of housing, the number of young people has risen steadily. There are two large primary schools locally. "Ash Green" actually lies within the Parish but "The Priory", which is Church of England endowed, is in the neighbouring parish of Hanford. Trentham High School provides secondary education for the majority of the local children. However, for education beyond the age of sixteen it is necessary to travel four miles to either Stoke or Newcastle. The Universities of Staffordshire and Keele are both within a similar distance.
Due to the proximity of towns such as Hanley, Newcastle and Longton, there are few shopping facilities in Trentham but all the essentials for life can be purchased and most domestic trades are available locally. However, recreation is something for which most people leave the Parish, though the schools do provide some facilities, as do the Churches.
As well as the Parish Church there is a Methodist Church (the two communities keep up a regular dialogue and share some services) and the newly formed Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, which uses premises at Trentham High School for worship. The studio and conference centre of United Christian Broadcasters is based in Hanchurch. There is a Roman Catholic Church in Trent Vale, approximately two miles to the north. Within five miles of Trentham there are places of worship for Jews, Muslims and Sikhs.
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