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Broad Heath

Broad Heath maps

Historic maps of Broad Heath and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Broad Heath maps

Broad Heath photos

We have no photos of Broad Heath, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Shallowford| Aston| Eccleshall| Gnosall| Norbury Junction| Stafford| Stone| Swynnerton| Oulton

Broad Heath area books

Displaying 1 of 4 books about Broad Heath and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Broad Heath

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Staffordshire memories

Norton Bridge

I remember Norton Bridge from 1969 when there were two shops. One that was part of the post office, the Railway Inn pub and the railway staion. Sadly all that exists out of all these now, is just the pub. We made our own fun in the 70's, plenty of fields, a river to go swimming, and pools to go fishing. There were no computers, Xbox or Playstations - there was never a boring moment. My dad was born there 1938 and still lives there, those were the days...

My Life There

I remember the days when I lived on a farm that was owned by Mark Carter from Eccleshall Castle. I had so much fun living in Eccleshall that I didn't want to move when the farm was sold. I had loads of friends and good memories, I remember when all the children were given a Silver Jubilee coin at school, the walks to the church from Lonsdale School, and to the common at the top of the junction of Kerry Lane and we had to pass by the Jacksons' place, I was friends with their son Carl. I also remember the Royal Oak pub because my mum and Joyce Robinson worked there for Geoff Hurst the footballer who owned it at that time. The chip shop down the side of the Oak when they used newspaper to wrap your chips, they sold a Ford Anglia to my dad. The Badger that was then called the Railway Inn and owned by Ron and Connie. I had a best mate like all... Read more

Mason''s Lawn

Mason's Lawn c1955
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We moved from the hamlet of Moreton/Bromstead to Gnosall, where my Dad worked, (based at the council wharf) in 1958, and Mason's lawn wasn't built then!  We used to have our bonfires on the site and, if 1963 was the year it snowed really heavily (and I believe it was) - we were still building snowmen and rolling massive snowballs there!

Norbury Junction!

Canal Junction c1955
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This is Norbury Junction, not far from but, definitely not Gnosall.
The boys in the woodwork class at school (Gnosall) built a canoe as a project which was afterwards stored in the old Mill on the opposite side of the canal to the Navigation Inn. (The Mill was the first in the area to be steam powered, I think). The canoe could be hired out for 6d, and it was very popular with me amongst others! (in the summer months I virtually 'hogged it'.) I used to paddle up and down the canal, sometimes reaching Norbury junction.

The Boat

The Boat is the name of the Inn on the left of the picture. As children we used to walk across the top of bridge wall and, as a further dare, across the pipes which ran just below the parapet, above the water.
   Once, when I was serenely paddling the canoe back from Cowley Tunnel, a loaded barge came up behind me 'out of no-where'. It was MUCH BIGGER than I would have thought a barge could be, even if I had expected one, which I hadn't.  I don't know who was the more horrified: me or the bargee!!!!

I Now Live in Gnosall Mason Lawn...

Mason's Lawn c1955
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I now live in Gnosall Mason Lawn after living on the cut for a number of years when I was forced off due to ill health. I was born in Brineton about 3 miles from Gnosall. I have lived on Masons Lawn now for about 4 years and it's ok.

Wonderful Times

My father moved to Cold Meece in 1960 to take up his job as a prison officer at the nearby Drake Hall open prison, and we stayed there for a couple of years before we moved to live at the prison itself.

At the time I was between 9 and 11 years old and, for a child of that age, it was a wonderful place to grow up. It was so rural that there was little risk of being knocked over by cars, and we were free to wander all over the place, only returning home for food and, occasionally, money for the ice cream van.

There were two wonderful structures that we had ready access to which are worthy of special mention :-

- There was an old abandoned stately home, which we kids used to play in. At that time it was in a stable condition so it was relatively safe to play in. I remember that the house had its own... Read more

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