Tittensor

Tittensor village is located in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stone. The village consists of mostly 1960s housing as well as the few remaining houses from the 19th century. Historically Tittensor forms part of Stone parish. The Tittensor family^[1] occupied a manor house which passed to the Gerrard family sometime before 1405. The house was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries, and was finally demolished in 1834. Some of the materials were used to build St Luke's church in Tittensor which was constructed in 1880-81. The ruins of the manor house remained until they were finally demolished in the early 1960s.

History

It was originally mentioned in the Domesday Book and became part of the Trentham Estate of the Duke of Sutherland in the nineteenth century. The village was enlarged in the 1960s by a private estate, providing the majority of the houses that stand there today, including council owned houses. In 2002 Tittensor has been expanded by a new development on the site of Groundslow Hospital,^[2] an old maternity hospital. Groundslow Villa was built in 1832 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Sutherland when he lived at Trentham Park (the date can be seen on one of the walls) and in 1913 was sold and became a tuberculosis sanatorium as an annexe to the Staffordshire General Infirmary in Stafford. In 1956 it was still a Tuberculosis Sanatorium, with separate Men's and Women's wards.^[3] In later years, certainly by 1964,^[4] the former Women's TB building had become a 117 bed maternity hospital, until closure in 1983. ^[5] Camelot Court nursing home later opened in the administrative block of the former hospital in September 1985, while Groundslow Grange care home opened in October 1984 in the former nurses' accommodation, which had been built in 1949. It was run by Peter Ratchford and former Benny Hill girl Anne Bruzac. The residential care home closed in 1997, and by 2002 the adjacent former hospital was redeveloped into detached homes and terraces, while the Duke's former home was converted into 25 flats. ^[6]

Facilities

In the village there is St Luke's Church,^[7] a village shop and post office, a village hall, a car sales garage and a wine shop. A converted private house in the village is home to a small community of adults with learning difficulties, some of whom attend the church regularly.

Transport

It is well served by regular bus service 101 to Stoke-on-Trent and to Stafford.^[8] There is also a freight transport company.^[9] The Winghouse public House closed 2012 Houses are to be built on site The Village Hall is a very popular venue for local organisations It has a Bowling Green and in 2013 a New Childs Play Area- with Land Leased to the Swynnerton Parish Council who shall maintain the project.

Education

There is a primary school which has close links with the Church and some church members serve on the board of governors. There are about 60 children in the school at present, some coming from outside the village. Daily coaches from the village offer transport to Middle and High Schools serving the Stone District.

Leisure

The village has a bowling green with an active club and also has a well supported Gardening Guild that hosts its own show each summer. The 'Green Drive' is a lake and woodland area, often used by dog walkers, located next to the village, and once home to a children's playground which has since been removed. The area offers a large lake attracting anglers, as well as nature sightings for visitors. Wildlife includes kingfishers and wildcats.

References

Coordinates: 52°56′31″N 2°11′20″W / 52.942°N 2.189°W / 52.942; -2.189