kids encyclopedia robot

Chesterton, Staffordshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Chesterton
Holy Trinity Church, Chesterton.jpg
Holy Trinity Church
Chesterton is located in Staffordshire
Chesterton
Chesterton
Population 7,421 (2011 census)
OS grid reference SJ832494
District
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Newcastle
Postcode district ST5
Dialling code 01782
Police Staffordshire
Fire Staffordshire
Ambulance West Midlands
EU Parliament West Midlands
UK Parliament
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme
List of places
UK
England
Staffordshire
53°02′33″N 2°15′03″W / 53.0424°N 2.2509°W / 53.0424; -2.2509

Chesterton is a village in Staffordshire, England. It is located near the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Long ago, Chesterton was known as a mining village.

In 2011, about 7,421 people lived in Chesterton. It is one of the biggest areas in the Newcastle-under-Lyme district.

Discovering Chesterton's Past

Chesterton's Roman History

Chesterton Mileage Disc
Monument showing the distance from Chesterton to other Roman settlements

Did you know Chesterton was once home to a Roman fort? This fort was built where Chesterton Community Sports College stands today. It was likely built around the late 1st Century AD. We don't know exactly how long the Romans used it.

Close by, in a place called Holditch, there was a small Roman settlement called a vicus. People living there might have even dug for coal.

Archaeologists have explored the fort site many times. In 1895, they found parts of the fort's walls and moat. More digging in 1969 uncovered even more sections of the old Roman defenses.

Chesterton's Village Story

Chesterton used to be a separate area called a township. Over time, it became part of the larger Newcastle-under-Lyme area in 1932.

For many years, the main workplace in Chesterton was Holditch Colliery. A colliery is a coal mine. This mine employed about 1,500 men. They dug for both coal and ironstone. Even with new investments, the colliery closed in 1988. Many miners then moved to work at Silverdale Colliery, which also closed later. Today, a big business park stands where Holditch Colliery used to be.

The Holditch Colliery Accident

A sad event happened at Holditch Colliery on July 2, 1937. It was a serious mining accident. In total, 30 men lost their lives, and eight others were hurt.

Experts investigated what happened. They found that a fire started in a coal-cutting machine. This fire caused explosions because of a gas called firedamp in the mine. Today, there is a special memorial at Apedale Heritage Centre to remember the people who died in this accident.

Learning in Chesterton

Chesterton has several schools for young people. There are four primary schools:

  • Churchfields Primary
  • Chesterton Primary
  • Crackley Bank Primary
  • St. Chad's Primary

For older students, there is one secondary school:

  • Chesterton Community Sports College

Places of Worship

Chesterton is home to five different churches:

  • Holy Trinity C of E Church
  • Elim Pentecostal Church
  • St Johns the Evangelist Church
  • Chesterton United Reform Church
  • St Chad's Church

Fun Places to Visit

Train at Apedale Valley Light Railway station, Apedale Community Country Park, near Chesterton (geograph 3070620)
Train at Apedale Valley Light Railway station, Apedale Country Park, near Chesterton

If you're looking for things to do near Chesterton, check out these spots:

Famous Faces from Chesterton

Many interesting people have come from Chesterton:

  • Jackie Trent (1940–2015): A talented singer and songwriter.
  • Roger Johnson (born 1969): A TV journalist and news presenter for BBC.

Sports Stars

Chesterton has also produced many great athletes, especially footballers:

  • Arthur Turner (1909–1994): A football player and manager who played 357 games.
  • Ken Downing (1917–2004): A motor racing driver.
  • Frank Bowyer (1922–1999): A footballer who played 512 games.
  • Mike Pejic (born 1950): A footballer who played 360 games and 4 for England.
  • Tony Loska (born 1950): A footballer who played 372 games.
  • Ian Moores (1954–1998): A footballer who played 359 games.
  • Mel Pejic (born 1959): A footballer who played 518 games.
  • Aaron Ramsdale (born 1998): A footballer who has played 180 games and 4 for England.
kids search engine
Chesterton, Staffordshire Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.