Swadlincote's name is derived from the Old EnglishSwartlings Cottas, Swartling being a man's name and cottas meaning cottages.[2] Past forms of the name include Sivardingescote and Swartlincote.[3] Local residents sometimes shorten its name to "Swad".
The first record of mineral extraction in the area is from the end of the 13th century, but the area remained rural until the industrialisation in the 18th century. The presence of coal and clay in the area led to urbanisation, as collieries, brickworks and potteries came to dominate. These industries continued to expand until the Second World War.[6] One traditional bottle-shaped kiln survives in Alexandra Road.[7]
The fire-clay strata in the coal measures has a high alumina content. Swadlincote is one of only six places in Britain with clay deposits of such quality. This makes it particularly suitable for salt glazing. The properties of the clay mean it is easily shaped into pipes that are resistant to sewage. The Public Health Act 1875 created a huge demand for locally produced pipes.[8]
Coat of arms of the former Swadlincote Urban District Council
The urban district council was granted a coat of arms in 1947, in a design that reflected how Swadlincote was formed of part of the ancient parish of Church Gresley. Round the edge of the shield was a bordure or border in a "vairy" pattern of red and ermine, from the arms of the Gresley family, who took their name from the parish. The dedication of Gresley parish church to Saint George and Saint Mary was represented by their symbols: a cross and a fleur de lys respectively. The quartered ermine and red field of the shield was taken from the arms of the Stanhope family, Earls of Harrington. The Tudor roses were taken from the arms of Derbyshire County Council. Above the arms was a crest depicting a human arm holding a billet or: a yellow brick for the local brick-making industry. The arm rose from flames, indicative of mining of fireclay and coal. The Latin motto adopted: E terra divitiæ ("Riches from the earth") also referred to the mineral industries of Swadlincote.[14] The current arms of South Derbyshire District Council, which bear the motto "The Earth Our Wealth", and also reflect this heritage.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the town's Rink venue (now demolished and the site of industrial units) hosted major British and American pop stars. Gene Vincent appeared on 7 September 1963, and Ringo Starr in 1962, while he was drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.[15]
Governance
Swadlincote covers four of the 17 wards of South Derbyshire District, returning 11 of the 36 district councillors: Church Gresley (two councillors), Newhall and Stanton (three), Midway (three) and Swadlincote (three). Of the eleven elected in 2007, ten are Labour Party and one a Conservative.[16]
The town is located within the Leicestershire and South Derbyshire Coalfield. Its landscape is marked by shallow valleys and ridges, shaped particularly by the mining activity which once dominated the area. Swadlincote lies within the National Forest, and there has been significant tree planting around Gresley Common, Swadlincote Woodlands and Church Gresley.[18]
The suburbs of Newhall and Stanton to the north-west lie along the Burton upon Trent and Swadlincote Green Belt, as a curb to development which could have caused Swadlincote to merge with the Winshill and Stapenhill districts of Burton-on-Trent. Most of the green belt lies in Derbyshire, with small tracts in Staffordshire.[19] Hence most of Swadlincote's 21st-century expansion has been to the south and east of the centre, particularly adjacent to Woodville and Church Gresley.
The town originally had a prominent manufacturing heritage that made pipes and earthenware. It was the centre of the South Derbyshire coalfield, but mining ceased when Rawdon Colliery closed in 1993. Light manufacturing and service companies are sited on large industrial estates.
Swadlincote has a moderate-sized town centre typical of the Midlands, containing national chain stores and small local businesses. It had a branch of Somerfield before the Co-operative Group took over the chain in 2009. The opening of a large chain supermarket on Coppice Side has been blamed as a factor behind the closure of several small independent shops.[21] The shops that lined West Street and High Street from 1901 had disappeared by the early 21st century.[22] Hepworth Retail Park is a modern development with a restaurant, cinema and various shops.
Plans were announced in 2008 for a new retail complex consisting of a cinema, DIY store and a nationally recognised clothing store.[23] A link road called Sir Herbert Wragg Way has been built, named after the area's mid-20th century Member of Parliament and pipe-yard owner.
A pub bar and restaurant opened on the former Empire Cinema site in April 2007, named The Paramount after Paramount Cars, a manufacturer based in the town in the 1950s.[24] The pub closed in June 2013.
Transport
Swadlincote is near the junction of the A514 (Derby to A444) and A511 (Burton-upon-Trent to Ashby-de-la-Zouch) roads.
In 1804 the Ashby Canal opened, with its northern terminus at Moira, Leicestershire. Also built were tramways to carry coal and ceramics from Swadlincote and elsewhere to the canal for shipment.[4][5]
The Midland Railway opened its Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line in 1845, with Gresley railway station to serve the area. It later built a branch with two stations, at Swadlincote itself and neighbouring Woodville. Passenger services on the branch ended in 1947. British Railways closed Gresley in 1964, making Burton-on-Trent the nearest station, 5 miles (8.0 km) away. The Leicester to Burton Line, via Gresley, remains open for goods traffic and in the 1990s there were plans to restart the passenger service as the second phase of Leicestershire's Ivanhoe Line.[25] This plan was shelved after the privatisation of British Rail, and Swadlincote remains one of the UK's largest towns without a railway station.
Swadlincote is on National Cycle Network Route 63. Though currently under development, it is signed from Civic Way through to Church Gresley via Maurice Lea Park with links onward to the heart of the National Forest.
Schools in Swadlincote include Granville Academy at Woodville, William Allitt School at Newhall, St George's School and Pennine Way Junior Academy in Church Gresley, Belmont and Springfield Junior Schools and The Pingle Academy on Coronation Street, which with 1,200 pupils is Swadlincote's largest secondary school.
The main attractions in Swadlincote are local parks, such as Maurice Lea at Church Gresley and Eureka, Green Bank Leisure Centre, a large dry ski slope, and a '50s American Diner, said to be the largest such establishment in the UK.[29] All are within easy reach of the town centre.
Swadlincote Woodlands Forest Park is an 80-acre site, with more than 40,000 trees, two recreational forest trails and has a number of view points across the town.[30] It is also the proposed site for the Pipeworks arts and media project, a charity-based community theatre and media production facility.[citation needed]
The town's one museum is the Sharpe's Pottery Museum,[31] devoted to the town's ceramic heritage. It contains a café and the town's Tourist Information Centre is based there.
Local youth organisations include No. 1211 (Swadlincote) Squadron of the Air Training Corps based in Eureka Park.[32]
A greyhound racing track existed from 1948 to 1962, it was called the Darklands Sports Stadium and was located off Darklands Lane. The racing was independent (known as a "flapping" track) because it was unaffiliated to the sport's governing body, the National Greyhound Racing Club. The venue was also used for Harness, Pony Racing and Stock Car Racing.[33][34][35]
Recently, people have been moving to the town from Staffordshire (Tamworth, Rugeley, Lichfield, etc.), who use Swadlincote as a dormitory site, working elsewhere. This West Midlands accent can be heard alongside the traditional one.[citation needed]
Notable people
In birth order:
George Stanhope (1660–1728), royal chaplain and promoter of church building, was born at Hartshorne near Swadlincote.
Henry Isaac Stevens (1806–1873), architect, designed Emmanuel Church in Swadlincote.
George Lloyd (1820–1885), archaeologist and cleric, was curate of Church Gresley in the 1860s.
Helen Allingham (née Paterson, 1848–1926), water colourist and illustrator, was born to a Swadlincote doctor's family.
^Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire and Rutland. Kelly's Directory. London. 1895. p. 355.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ abYoungs Jr, Frederick A (1991). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. II: Northern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 658–660.