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Brief History of
Barton-under-Needwood
The name ‘Barton’ is Saxon, and comes from "Bertone", which means grain field, barley store or rickyard and in this case it is the demesne farm beneath the forest of Needwood. One of the first known records of the existence of Barton-under-Needwood is an entry in the Old English Charter of 942, where King Edmund granted the black lands on the Trent Valley area to Wulsige. By AD 1004 lands in the district had passed into the hands of Wulfric Spot, King's Thegn and Earl of Mercia, founder of Burton Abbey. By 1066 it was one of the lordships belonging to Earl Algar, son of Leofric and Godiva, who had a large estate in this part of the county, which he left to Edwin his eldest son. But upon Edwin's rebellion they were forfeited into the hands of William the Conqueror.
Another early record of the existence of Barton is an entry in the Domesday book, a statistical account of land, ownership and population of England in 1086 for William the Conqueror, which records that the King held Barton’s 360 acres (146 ha) valued at £7. The manor of Barton was not coterminous with the parish of Tatenhill or the township of Barton, but extended over Dunstall, Tatenhill and Callingwood. The manors of Dunstall, Newbold, Bridsall Tatenhill and the rectory manor of Tatenhill were subordinate to the manor of Barton. The distinguishing affix of "Infra or Subtus-Nedwode" first appears on the Manorial Record in 1422, but was recorded on a deed of 1280. This was a medieval addition, to distinguish it from other places known as "Bertone," associating it with the Needwood Forest. Needwood possibly derives from the Welsh word Nedd - a dingle or hollow.
King William granted the manor of Barton to Henry de Ferrers his master of the Horse at the battle of Hastings, as a member of his barony in demesne. Not long after it was in the tenure of Walter de Somerville. William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, gave Dunstall and Newbold manors to Walter de Somerville in exchange for Barton, at the beginning of Henry III reign. It continued to be held by the de Ferrers family until it was forfeited in 1263 by the rebellious conduct of Robert, Earl of Derby, in the Barons war 1263 to 1266, against Henry III, when their estates were confiscated. The manor of Barton was given to the king’s son Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster. It then descended to John of Gaunt and continued with the other estates in the Duchy of Lancaster. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, forfeited it to the crown again and Edward III leased the manor to Philip de Somerville at the rent of £55 per annum. The manor of Barton continued in the crown, in the right of the Duchy of Lancaster, till Charles I. Who in the 4th year of his reign, 1629, sold it with the park to the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London. They then passed to Sir Edward Bromfield, alderman of London, whose son John Bromfield enjoyed them in 1660. The manor then passed in marriage to William Busby in 1733, he had married Mrs. Mary Bromefield in 1694. It then passed to the Horton family in the late 18th century to Eusebius Horton of Catton. The current Lord of the Manor is Mr. Robin Neilson who resides at Catton Hall.
St James Church is a building whose story is inexorably linked with that of John Taylor, Doctor of Decrees, the most famous native of village. The history of the village life and charitable works is preserved around the church. The details of the benefaction of William Key are given on a brass tablet of 1651. He gave two closes called Lincroft and Bonthorne to the village for the benefit of the poor. He directed that ten shillings be paid yearly out of the rent to the curate, for preaching a sermon on Good Friday. The charity is still going strong along with the Good Friday sermon. Another important native was Thomas Russell, a Master Draper and a wealthy merchant, who left fifty pound for the building of a school in Barton. The most extraordinary family is that of the Holland’s of Barton. Richard de Holland was the first to settle in Barton, in 1313. There were Holland’s in Barton up until 1959, well over 600 years, and probably a record for any family!
The age of transport dawned with the building of the Trent & Mersey Canal. Construction started in 1766 with James Brindley as Surveyor General; he called it the "Grand Trunk Canal". The first completed section of the canal from Wilden Ferry on the River Trent to Shugborough was opened in 1770. This included the section passing through the Parish of Barton-under-Needwood. Brindley died in September 1772 and his brother-in-law Hugh Henshall, who had been Clerk of Works, took over as surveyor and completed the construction in 1777, after great difficulty in constructing the Harecastle Tunnel. The canal cost approximately £300,000 to construct. This canal is of outstanding industrial archaeological importance, both nationally and locally, and has been recently designated a conservation area. There are a number of hump-backed arched canal bridges along the section in the village boundary and a Grade II Listed 18th century 3-storey Wharf House at Barton Turns, this was the Three Crowns Inn.
Major developments to the village and its surround occurred during the 19th century. Barton Fire Brigade was in existence in 1820, the Methodist church was completed in 1828, and a Gas works was established in 1871, the Cottage Hospital was built in 1879. A new school was built in 1885 retaining the name of Thomas Russell, who first brought education to Barton. The coming of the Birmingham and Derby Junction railway to the area in 1839 saw the demise of the importance of the canals. Barton & Walton station, now demolished, was built in 1840 and operated until 1957, when it was closed to passenger traffic. The end of the century saw a change in the administration of the county with the advent of County Councils in 1889 and the inauguration of the Parish Council on December 31, 1894.
A toll bridge across the River Trent at Walton was erected in 1834 at a cost of £7000. This replaced the ferry. The bridge was freed on 3rd September 1900. A Bailey bridge replaced the original bridge in 1947, which in turn was replaced in 1974. World War Two pillboxes still command the approaches of the bridge. This is also the site of the crossing of the River Trent by King Edward II and his army in 1322 on his way to outflank the Earl of Lancaster at the battle of Burton Bridge.
George Stephenson surveyed the route for the Birmingham and Derby Railway line in 1835. Construction work commenced in 1836 under his son Robert Stephenson. The line was opened to the public in 1839. Thomas Jackson built the Barton and Walton Station in 1840 at a cost of £288. The Railway Company had twelve passenger and two goods locomotives all named after rivers or places on the route. Mather Dixon of Liverpool built the locomotive "Barton". The Barton and Walton Station closed in 1957, under Dr Beeching’s review of the nations railway system, and demolished in the 1980’s.
Barton Turns was also the site of a Rope Works and a Gas works. The Lyon family, who owned Silverhill, were the owners of Barton Gas Works, which was established in 1871. The rope works, established in 1850, was run by Francis Hardy, one of the first Parish Councillors, Kelly’s Directory for 1880 lists him as beer retailer, shopkeeper and rope maker.
Barton used to have many more inns and ale houses, beside the seven which still exist today there have been names such as "The Snake with Two Heads" and "The Manchester Arms" both in Wales Lane; "The Robin Hood" in Main Street (opposite what is now Park Road); "The Railway Inn" and "The Three Crowns" at Barton Turns; "The Junction Inn" in Efflinch Lane; "The Flitch of Bacon" on the A38 and "The White Swan" opposite St James Church. In 1880 there were 14 to serve a population a fifth of the size of today.
Development since 1945 has all but eliminated open space within the village. Before then agricultural land extended into the heart of the village with the main settlement of dwellings along Main Street, Station Road, Dunstall Road and Wales Lane. There has been a threefold increase in population from the 1881 census figure of 1,789. The education facilities expanded to meet this extra demand with the building in 1957 of the High School, which bears John Taylor's name, and in 1968 the Junior School, which like the Infant School retains the name of Thomas Russell.
The village is attractive and has managed to retain its character despite the new developments. In the neighbourhood of the village are several handsome old villa residences, Barton Hall, Nuttall House, Holly Hurst, Silver Hill, Fulbrook House and The Knoll. The Main Street is endowed with the historical legacy of the village for it accommodates a number off old dwellings and buildings. The 19th century entrepreneur Sam Coulson's bricks were used to clad the shops and cottages concealing their beamed Tudor origins.
Blakenhall Lodge, a little south of Barton Park, was the principle seat of the ancient family of Minors, first recorded is Roger de Myners during King John's time. Robert de Ferrers during Henry III reign granted to Stephen, Roger de Myners son, all that land between the Witesich towards Barton under Needwood, for their homage and service with houseboot and heyboot through the whole ward of Barton. Sir John Mynors was lord of Blakenhall during Edward III reign. Humfry Mynors paid 26s for his land in Barton ward, the first payment of a subsidy to Queen Elizabeth in 1590, the close of Blakenhall, then valued at £6. Not long after Blakenhall was sold to Dr. Chippingdale. His son then sold it to Sir Edward Bromfield, an alderman of London, whose son John Bromfield esq. enjoyed them together with Barton in 1660. The manor and house passed to the family of Webb. Thomas Webb, of Blackenhall, built the west gallery of the church in 1758. At the end of the 18th century the lord of the manor of Blakenhall was Thomas Whittaker.
Catton Hall is now the seat of the Lords of the Manor of Barton and is situated opposite Catholme across the River Trent in Derbyshire. The present hall was built between 1741-1745 at the instigation of the owner of the estate, Christopher Horton. The architect was William Smoth of Warwick and the builder was Pickford of Derby, (cost £7,000). The smaller building on its northern side, probably of Queen Anne style, might have been the previous hall, but the family can trace its ownership of the estate back to the early l5th Century. The brother of George III, the Duke of Cumberland, caused a national scandal and a constitutional problem. In 1771 he married a commoner, Madame Horton widow of Christopher Horton of Catton. This marriage resulted in the Royal Marriage Act to control future Royal marriages. Lady Anne Luttrell had married Christopher Horton in 1765.
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Page last updated 07 November 2006