Cotton

Civil Parish in Staffordshire Staffordshire Moorlands

England

Cotton

View from Ellastone Road at Windy Harbour Looking north east with the low buildings of Moorend Farm in the centre ahead. A plume of smoke is coming from the cement works at Cauldon with its enormous limestone quarry eating up Cauldon Low - the high area to the right of the shot. On the left emerging from behind a tree is the row of cottages on Stony Lane, Moorend which are also seen in <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2966784">SK0648 : Terraced houses at Stony Lane, Moorend</a> and <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4458833">SK0648 : Terraced houses on Stony Lane</a> — View from Ellastone Road at Windy Harbour Credit: Trevor Harris

Cotton is a civil parish located in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is situated approximately 7 miles east of Stafford, the county town, and lies within the Staffordshire Moorlands district. The parish covers an area of around 2 square miles and is predominantly rural in nature.

Cotton is a small village with a population of around 200 residents. It is surrounded by picturesque countryside, with rolling hills and farmland that contribute to the area's scenic beauty. The village is characterized by its charming historic buildings, many of which date back several centuries.

The centerpiece of Cotton is the Church of St. John the Baptist, a Grade II listed building that dates back to the 13th century. This beautiful church is an important landmark in the area and attracts visitors from both near and far.

Despite its small size, Cotton has a strong sense of community, with various activities and events organized throughout the year. The village hall serves as a hub for community gatherings, hosting everything from local meetings to social events.

Cotton is well connected to the surrounding areas by road, with the A518 running nearby, providing easy access to Stafford and other nearby towns and villages. While it may lack some of the amenities found in larger settlements, Cotton offers a peaceful and close-knit community environment for its residents.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Cotton Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.03784/-1.914616 or Grid Reference SK0548. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

View from Ellastone Road at Windy Harbour

Looking north east with the low buildings of Moorend Farm in the centre ahead. A plume of smoke is coming from the cement works at Cauldon with its enormous limestone quarry eating up Cauldon Low - the high area to the right of the shot. On the left emerging from behind a tree is the row of cottages on Stony Lane, Moorend which are also seen in SK0648 : Terraced houses at Stony Lane, Moorend and SK0648 : Terraced houses on Stony Lane

Trevor Harris

Waymarker Stone and Stile at Windyway Cross

On Staffordshire footpath Cotton 32 looking SE, the view NW is SK0548 : Footpath junction near the standing / guide stone. The Stone was used as a guide to the packhorse route over dryer ground, explained in Link

. Copper was transported from Ecton to the smelting works at Whiston Link

which became disused around 1880/98. Milestone Society National ID: ST_XIPS

Louise Marsden

Grazing Land on Ipstones Edge

Looking towards Black Heath from a spot close to the old copper route waymarker stone. The views from Ipstones Edge are outstanding and the Welsh mountains can be discerned on a good day.

Jonathan Clitheroe

Waymarker Stone at Windywaycross

This impressive stone stands at 8 feet high and was originally used to guide pack horse trains over drier ground from the copper mines at Ecton to the smelting works at Whiston. It was more cost effective to bring the copper ore to Whiston, where coal for smelting was available from the Foxt and Kingsley coalfields than to transport coal to the Ecton Copper Mine, as it took about four tons of coal to smelt one ton of copper ore. The white gable end of Windywaycross House can be deciphered in the distance to the left of the stone.

Jonathan Clitheroe

Road Junction Overlooking Cauldon

The Casey is seen joining Ellastone Road here with Cauldon Low on the horizon. The dwelling on the right is Moorland Cottage.

Jonathan Clitheroe

Telephone Box and Notice Board at Moorend

Located on Stoney Lane at the western edge of the grid square.

Jonathan Clitheroe

Farm buildings

At Papermill Farm on the A523 near Winkhill.

Trevor Harris

Mast

This is one of four masts on Ipstones Edge which don't exactly beautify the place.

Ian Calderwood

Mineral Railway

This branch of the North Staffordshire Railway was built in the early 1900s to serve the limestone quarries at Caldon Low. Although it is currently disused, the track has not been removed and the line is technically only "mothballed". A passenger service also ran down a branch to Waterhouses, where it linked with the Manifold Light Railway. The house, to the left, is called Station House and is at the location of Winkhill Halt. The white tower in the background is the cement works at Cauldon Lowe.

Ian Calderwood

Swineholes Wood

Swineholes Wood is an area of upland heath on Ipstones Edge. The woods are stunted by the exposed position and the land is grazed by ponies, which are quite friendly. The site is a site of special scientific interest and is managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

Ian Calderwood

River Hamps near Winkhill

Alan Murray-Rust

The lane to Broomyshaw

Alan Murray-Rust

Old railway cutting near Winkhill Station

The former Leek to Waterhouses branch of the North Staffordshire Railway. This had lost its passenger service before Beeching, but contued to serve the quarrying industries until the 1990s. All the track is still in situ, but nature is taking over.

Alan Murray-Rust

Winkhill Station crossroads

Roads meet on the bridge over the disused railway to Waterhouses. The modern signpost is informative, but much less attractive than its traditional forebears.

Alan Murray-Rust

Class 37 on the reopened Cauldon Lowe Branch

In 2010, the Cauldon Lowe Branch Line was restored and reopened. A series of gala events were held to celebrate, including a diesel gala. The train in the picture is just passing through the site of Winkhill Station. Cauldon Cement Works is in the background.

Ian Calderwood

Path at the Entrance to Swineholes Wood

Superb managed area of heath and (mainly) oak woodland and heath land which at this time of year supports heather and an abundance of bilberries. Along with Black Heath, Swineholes Wood is one of the last surviving areas of upland heath which would have previously covered most of Ipstone Edge.

Jonathan Clitheroe

Back to Claymills -1, the start of the journey

This Ruston-Proctor portable engine originally worked at Claymills Pumping Station. The Trust which now runs the engines at Claymills celebrated 30 years of work in October 2023, and as part of the celebrations the owner loaned the engine for display at the October 2023 steam weekend. Here it is seen coming out of storage ready for the journey to Claymills.

Alan Murray-Rust