| Welshampton | |
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Welshampton
Welshampton shown within Shropshire |
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| Population | 839 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| Unitary authority | Shropshire |
| Ceremonial county | Shropshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ELLESMERE |
| Postcode district | SY12 |
| Dialling code | 01948 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | North Shropshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Shropshire | |
Welshampton is a small village located on the A495 road in Shropshire, England, near to the town of Ellesmere. It is adjacent to the villages of Lyneal and Colemere which comprise part of the so-called 'North Shropshire Lake District', all of which is within walking distance of Welshampton. At the 2001 Census, the Welshampton and Lyneal civil parish had a population of 839,[1] with a total population of 3,896 for the Ellesmere and Welshampton ward.[2]
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According to a small history booklet written by local historian Christopher Jobson, published April 2007 entitled "What was on in Welshampton", a king's "thegn" (a member of a territorial nobility who attended in person upon the king, bringing with him his men and resources) by the name of Aldith may have owned a castle surrounded by a moat situated near a field now known as "Moat Meadow" located in the vicinity of what is now Lyneal Lodge. According to an article by the same author, in the August 2008 edition of "Mere News", the original village was known as 'Hampton' and had been in the barony of lestrange from Knockin since the 14th century. It came into the estates of the Earls of Derby through the marriage of Elizabeth Stanley (the daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley & Joan Gousell) & Thomas Strange in the early 15th century. The Stanley family is reputedley descended from Adam de Aldithley and the origin of the names may therefore be no mere coincidence.
The original site of Hampton was a high & flat hill overlooking a lowland area known as Bradenheath. The oldest known reference with the 'Welsh' prefix is 1587 which mentions two members of local families, the Kynastons and Hanmers.
An African prince, Jeremiah Libopuoa Moshueshue, who died in Welshampton in 1863, is buried at St Michael & All Angels Church.[3] The church is reputedly designed by George Gilbert Scott.
On 11 June 1897 there was a serious railway accident at Welshampton in which 11 people were killed following a derailment.[4][5] The line has since been taken up.
The village war memorial was erected in 1920 and paid for, mainly, by the Reverend Henry Moody, vicar of the parish for 45 years. His son, Charles Angelo Moody was killed whilst flying over Belgium in 1917 and the memorial was erected in his memory and that of 16 heroes of the village who perished during World War I. Sadly, the Reverend Moody was to lose his other twin son in a flying accident in 1931, and a record of it is engraved on the front of the memorial. The Reverend Henry Moody died in 1932. The names of three men who died during World War II and one during the Korean War are also engraved on the memorial.
In 2010, the war memorial underwent a complete restoration and cleaning, following a campaign to raise funds, spearheaded by Neville Metcalfe, a former resident of the village. His uncle, Francis John Bailey, whose name is engraved on the memorial, served with the 10th. Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, but, sadly, died on the 5th May, 1918.
A grant from the Ellesmere Local Joint Committee of £500 helped Mr. Metcalfe achieve his aim.
In 2006, Welshampton Church of England Primary School received the highest Ofsted awards in every single category for a primary school in the UK, describing it as "outstanding".[6]
This event has been staged each year since 2002 where the people of Welshampton design and build a "themed" bonfire. The event is usually held before November 5, the traditional Guy Fawkes Night or "Bonfire night", as it is not associated with the traditional festival.