Consall is a small village situated in the

Staffordshire Moorlands Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District National Park. The ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

, England. It is approximately 6 miles south of the market town of

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...

and 8 miles east of

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

. According to the last Census taken in 2001, Consall had a population of 118, increasing to 150 at the 2011 census.

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

still plays a large part in the village, but the number of farms and workers has decreased over the years. The main area of

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

around the Consall area is

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history t ...

. Consall has a relatively large number of visitor attractions considering the size of the village. Whilst in Consall you can visit Consall railway station, Consall Nature Park and also the recently opened Consall Hall Landscape Gardens. Consall Nature Park is situated in the

Churnet The River Churnet is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove. Etymology The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river. Course ...

Valley and has its own visitor centre along with a number of

nature trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

. During the summer the visitor centre is open every day and the trails range in length and difficulty for those who wish to simply have a leisurely stroll and also for those who wish for a more invigorating walk. Consall Hall Landscape Gardens are open to the public from April until October and are the result of over 50 years of design and planning by the current owner Mr William Podmore OBE. The gardens have a Tea room that is available during normal opening hours and the Gardens are also available for Civil Wedding ceremonies. Also in the Churnet Valley is Consall Forge Pottery where a craftsman potter makes and sells hand-thrown domestic stoneware ceramics. Consall Railway Station is on the

Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands of Staffordshire, England. It operates on part of the former Churnet Valley Line.which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway. ...

network. The station was re-opened to passengers in July 1998 and it is possible to reach the villages of

Froghall Froghall is a village situated approximately ten miles to the east of Stoke-on-Trent and two miles north of Cheadle in Staffordshire, England. Population details as taken at the 2011 Census can be found under Kingsley. Froghall sits in the Ch ...

and

Cheddleton Cheddleton is an ancient parish and village in the Staffordshire Moorlands, near to the town of Leek, England. History The village is divided into two distinct communities – the traditional village and the modern Redrow development located ...

from the station. For a considerable part of the journey the railway runs alongside the

Caldon Canal Caldon Canal is a branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal which opened in 1779. It runs from Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, to Froghall, Staffordshire. The canal has 17 locks and the Froghall Tunnel. History The first plans by the proprietors of the ...

, and about 1/2 mile further down the rough vehicle track past the Railway Station you will come to a mooring area for canal barges and also the Black Lion public house which you reach by crossing the bridge from the pub car park. Continuing past the Black Lion car park will bring you to Consall Lime Kilns. These

lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone ( calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is : CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can take pla ...

s have recently been restored with assistance from the

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

. These kilns date from the early 19th century and

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

was bought along the canal to the kilns. The lime kilns ceased to be in use sometime in the mid to late 19th century.

References

External links

Consall Nature Park

Consall Forge Pottery

Consall Hall Landscape Gardens

Consall Railway Station

Churnet Valley Railway

Consall Scout Camp
Villages in Staffordshire Staffordshire Moorlands Lime kilns in the United Kingdom {{Staffordshire-geo-stub

See also

References

External links