Elford
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013) |
Elford | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | TAMWORTH | |
Postcode district | B79 | |
Dialling code | 01827 | |
Police | Staffordshire | |
Fire | Staffordshire | |
Ambulance | West Midlands | |
UK Parliament | ||
Elford is a village and
Origins
The village is said to have derived its name from the great number of
Buildings
Elford Hall was a mansion erected before 1757 by Henry Bowes Howard (Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire) and his son Lord Andover.[6] In 1935, following the death of Howard Francis Paget (1858-1935), the Hall and much of the surrounding land was bequeathed, unexpectedly and much to the chagrin of his family,[citation needed] by the owner Francis Edward Howard Paget (1886-1945) to 'the People of Birmingham'. It was intended to be used as leisure facilities or for day trips for the people of Birmingham.[citation needed] By the 1960s, it shared the fate of so many country houses and was torn down. Few reminders of it remain today but those which do, including a walled garden, are currently the location of a successful restoration project by a local group.[7]
Elford House, a surviving Victorian property, was built by the Webb family in the late 19th century. The initials of some family members can still be seen engraved into the wall near the rear patio.
St Peter's Church, the parish church, is a Grade II* listed building.[8] A church has stood on the current site since Norman times but the current building predominantly dates from the mid-19th century.
Surrounding countryside
Elford Lowe, on the summit of a hill about one mile east of the village, is distinguished by a large oak tree and opposite it, at the distance of a mile, is a smaller lowe. These lowes have been known as 'Robin Hood's Shooting Butts', from a belief that he sometimes practised here, and was able to shoot an arrow between them.
See also
References
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "United Kingdom Parliament". Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "Names and codes for Administrative Geography". Office for National Statistics. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
- ISBN 0 319 46404 0
- ^ Paget, Francis Edward (1873). Some Records of the Ashtead Estate and its Howard Possessors with notices of Elford, Castle Rising, Levens and Charlton. Lichfield.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Paget (1873). Some Records of Ashtead. pp. 118–137.
- ^ "Elford Hall Garden Project".
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Peter (Grade II*) (1038899)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 December 2020.