Editing Uttoxeter

{{Short description|Market town in Staffordshire, England}}
{{for|the village in Ontario, Canada|Uttoxeter, Ontario}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name = Uttoxeter
|static_image_name = Uttoxeter 534277.jpg
|static_image_caption = [[St. Mary the Virgin Church, Uttoxeter|St Mary's Church]]
|coordinates = {{coord|52.898|-1.860|display=inline,title}}
|population = 14,014
|population_ref = (2021)
|civil_parish = Uttoxeter
|shire_district = [[East Staffordshire]]
|shire_county = [[Staffordshire]]
|region = West Midlands
|constituency_westminster = [[Burton and Uttoxeter (UK Parliament constituency)|Burton and Uttoxeter]]
|post_town = UTTOXETER
|postcode_district = ST14
|postcode_area = ST
|dial_code = 01889
|os_grid_reference = SK0933
}}
'''Uttoxeter''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=Uttoxeter.ogg|juː|ˈ|t|ɒ|k|s|ᵻ|t|ər}} {{respell|yoo|TOK|sit|ər}}, {{IPAc-en|local|also|ˈ|ʊ|tʃ|ᵻ|t|ər}} {{respell|UUTCH|it|ər}}) is a [[market town]] and [[civil parish]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uttoxeter Town Council {{!}} Uttoxeter, Staffordshire |url=https://uttoxetertowncouncil.org.uk/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |publisher=Uttoxeter Town Council |language=en-GB}}</ref> in the [[East Staffordshire]] borough of [[Staffordshire]], England. It is near to the [[Derbyshire]] county border.

The town is {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} from [[Burton upon Trent]] via the A50 and the A38, {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} from [[Stafford]] via the A518, {{convert|16|mi|km|0}} from [[Stoke-on-Trent]] via the A50, and {{convert|20|mi|km|0}} from [[Derby]] via the A50 and the A38, and {{convert|11|mi|km}} north-east of [[Rugeley]] via the A518 and the B5013.

The population was 14,014 at the 2021 Census.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town population 2011 |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/westmidlands/admin/east_staffordshire/E04008903__uttoxeter/}}</ref>

The town's literary connections include [[Samuel Johnson]] and [[Mary Howitt]].

==History==
[[File:Town Centre, Uttoxeter.jpg|thumb|Town Centre, Uttoxeter]]
Uttoxeter's name has been spelt at least 79 ways since it appeared in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as "Wotocheshede":<ref>Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives; CP 40/555, in 1399; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H4/CP40no555/bCP40no555dorses/IMG_0036.htm; ; sixth entry. where the Plaintiff John Passemor comes from, appearing as '' Uttoksather''.</ref> it probably came from [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''Wuttuceshǣddre'', meaning "Wuttuc's homestead on the heath". Some historians have pointed to pre-[[Ancient Rome|Roman]] settlement here; axes from the [[Bronze Age]] discovered in the town are now on display in the [[Potteries Museum & Art Gallery|Potteries Museum]] in Stoke-on-Trent. It is possible that Uttoxeter was the location of some form of Roman activity, due to its strategic position on the [[River Dove, Central England|River Dove]] and its closeness to the large garrison forts at [[Rocester]] between 69 and 400 AD, and the recently discovered fort at [[Stramshall]]. However, little corroborating archaeological evidence has been found.

Uttoxeter saw the last major royalist surrender of the [[English Civil War]], on 25 August 1648, when [[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton]] surrendered to Parliamentarian General [[John Lambert (general)|John Lambert]].

Perhaps the most famous historical event to have occurred in Uttoxeter is an act of penance by [[Samuel Johnson]]. Johnson's father ran a bookstall on Uttoxeter market, and young Samuel once refused to help out on the stall. When Johnson was older, he stood in the rain without a hat, as penance for his failure to assist his father. The event is commemorated by the Johnson Memorial, which stands in Market Place in the town centre. He is also remembered in the name of Johnson Road.

Mary Howitt, the [[Quaker]] writer of the poem "[[The Spider and the Fly (poem)|The Spider and the Fly]]", grew up in Uttoxeter. The town influenced some of her poems and novels and fuelled her love of natural history, which also featured in her books. Howitt Crescent, a residential road in the town, was named after her. The house where she lived, Howitt Place, is still standing in Balance Street.

Thomas Fradgley, Uttoxeter's own architect designed [[Uttoxeter Town Hall]] (1854), the Johnson Memorial (1854), St Michael's Church, [[Stramshall]], St Lawrence Church, [[Bramshall]] (1835), St Mary's Church, Uttoxeter, and [[Marchington]] Church. He was involved with Pugin and other architects in designs for the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury at [[Alton Towers]] including the figures of the Talbot Hounds at the entrance tower (1830), the Angel Corbels in the Lady chapel, 1833, Alton Towers Chapel with [[Joseph Potter (architect)|Joseph Potter]] (completed in 1833), [[Swiss Cottage]], and Harper's Cottage, [[Farley, Staffordshire|Farley]]. He was the architect who improved several local schools, including Uttoxeter National School, Hanbury Free School (enlarged in 1848), national schools at [[Oakamoor]], Cauldon, [[Alton, Staffordshire|Alton]], and Draycott School, [[Hanbury, Staffordshire|Hanbury]]. He married Clara Warner from Bramshall. Their only child Thomas died aged six. Thomas Fradgley died in 1883 aged 83.

Bunting's brewery had occupied a large area of the centre of the town since the Victorian era. It ceased production in the 1929 after being bought by Parkers Brewery of [[Burslem]], later part of [[Allied Breweries|Ind Coope]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/uttoxeters-first-brewery-80-years-2412113 |title=This is when Uttoxeter's first brewery in 80 years will be open for business |date=11 January 2019 |newspaper=Derby Telegraph |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref> The remains of the brewery were demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Maltings shopping precinct and car park. The turret clock from the brewery, which had been languishing in the basement of the town hall, was refurbished and installed above the entrance to the [[Costa Coffee]] shop in the Carters Square Shopping Centre shortly before the centre opened in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.somethingdigital.co.uk/portfolio/65/Carters-Square-Uttoxeter.html |title=Carters Square, Uttoxeter |publisher=Something Digital |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615142404/https://www.somethingdigital.co.uk/portfolio/65/Carters-Square-Uttoxeter.html |access-date=24 September 2021|archive-date=15 June 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web 
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/features/history_this_week.shtml |title=History-related news Stories in Staffs, 2006 |publisher=BBC |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.uttoxetertowncouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2021/04/Appendix-I-Draft-Asset-Register-Annual-Meeting-5-May-2021.pdf |title=Asset Register 2021-22 |publisher=Uttoxeter Town Council |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>

In 2008, Uttoxeter marked the 700th anniversary of its [[market charter]] of 1308, which underpins the markets held on Saturdays and Wednesdays and on other festival days. The 1308 charter followed a more general Royal Charter granted to the town's burgesses in 1252.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Letters |first1=Samantha |title=Staffordshire |url=https://archives.history.ac.uk/gazetteer/staffs.html |website=Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 |publisher=Centre for Metropolitan History |date=2003}}</ref>

==Governance==
There are three tiers of local government covering Uttoxeter, at [[civil parish]] (town), [[non-metropolitan district|district]] and [[non-metropolitan county|county]] level: Uttoxeter Town Council, [[East Staffordshire Borough Council]], and [[Staffordshire County Council]]. The town council is based at [[Uttoxeter Town Hall]] on the High Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Uttoxeter Town Council |url=https://uttoxetertowncouncil.org.uk/ |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Town Hall, Uttoxeter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Uttoxeter Town Hall]]]]
Uttoxeter was an [[ancient parish]]. When elected parish and district councils were created in 1894 it was given a parish council and included in the [[Uttoxeter Rural District]]. Shortly afterwards it was decided to create an [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban district]] covering the town, making it independent from the rural district council. It was concluded that the whole parish was not suitable to be an urban district, so the rural parts of the parish were made a separate parish called [[Uttoxeter Rural]] which stayed in the rural district, whilst the rest became the Uttoxeter Urban District in 1896.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1896 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |page=379 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OhIMAQAAMAAJ |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Uttoxeter Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10295737 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref> In 1899 the urban district council purchased the Town Hall, which had been built in 1854.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uttoxeter Urban District Council |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Uttoxeter Advertiser |date=5 July 1899 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall |num= 1253438| access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>

Uttoxeter Urban District was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the new district of East Staffordshire. A [[successor parish]] was created covering the former urban district, with its parish council taking the name Uttoxeter Town Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order 1973|year=1973|number=1110|access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref>

==Economy==
In 1945, [[Joseph Cyril Bamford]] founded J C Bamford Excavators Limited in Uttoxeter, now known as [[JCB (heavy equipment manufacturer)|JCB]]. The firm, based in the nearby village of Rocester, is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer.<ref name="yorkshirepost">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2010 |title=JCB reaps reward for 'tough action' as profits show a rise |work=The Yorkshire Post |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/businessnews/JCB-reaps-reward-for-39tough.6422560.jp |access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref> The firm's first vehicle was a tipping trailer made from war-surplus materials, which J. C. Bamford built in a rented lock-up garage in Uttoxeter. The Bamford family had previously started Bamfords, later Bamford International Farm Machinery which was a large employer in the town from the end of the 19th century through to the early 1980s, when it gradually declined before closing in 1989. The land and former building were acquired by JCB for its "Special Products" division. This has now closed and the buildings have been demolished, but the site has yet to be redeveloped. JCB has other factories in Uttoxeter, [[Cheadle, Staffordshire|Cheadle]], [[Foston, Derbyshire|Foston]] and [[Wrexham]], and abroad in the United States and India.

Elkes Biscuits, previously [[Fox's Biscuits]], has a factory in Uttoxeter. Elkes was the creator of the [[malted milk (biscuit)|malted milk]] biscuit. Glennans Crisps, specialising in vegetable crisps, is based in the town. It was bought by [[Tyrrells (crisps)|Tyrrells Crisps]] in 2012.

[[Uttoxeter Racecourse]], home to the [[Midlands Grand National]], brings visitors to the town centre shops and markets. Proximity to the [[Alton Towers Resort]], [[St George's Park National Football Centre|St. George's Park National Football Centre]] and the [[Peak District]] National Park means tourism is important to the local economy.

Agriculture remains important, as the town is set in rich [[dairy farming]] country. Uttoxeter previously housed a large dairy and was historically a major trader in butter and cheese. The farming cooperative [[Dairy Farmers of Britain]] had another large dairy in the nearby village of [[Fole]], but this closed in 2008<ref name="CrisisDeepens">{{Cite news |date=16 June 2009 |title=Crisis Deepens for Dairy Farmers |publisher=BBC News  |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8103325.stm |access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref> and the firm went into administration the next year.<ref name=CrisisDeepens /> A new cattle market was due to be built in the town after the old one was demolished in 2004, having stood dormant since the [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak|2001 foot and mouth outbreak]]. No progress was made and it is now unlikely after ten years that the town will regain one,<ref name="WhiteElephant">{{Cite news |date=5 February 2010 |title=Cattle Market a 'White Elephant' |work=[[Uttoxeter Advertiser]] |publisher=Staffordshire Newspapers Ltd. |url=http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/News/Cattle-market-a-white-elephant.htm |access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref> the land now having been redeveloped into a pedestrianised shopping area, composed of an [[Asda]] store, GP surgery and retail outlets.

===Recent development===
[[File:Uttoxeter - Market Square.jpg|thumb|2017 – Uttoxeter Market Square]]
Uttoxeter town centre underwent a development scheme in 2006–2007, with the Market Place, Market Street, Queens Street, Carter Street, and High Street receiving new stone paving and street furniture.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 February 2009 |title=Thank You All for Your Patience |work=Uttoxeter Advertiser |publisher=Staffordshire Newspapers Ltd |url=http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/News/Thank-you-all-for-your-patience.htm |access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Uttoxeter Waitrose.jpg|thumb|Waitrose, Uttoxeter opened 2016]]
Phased development of Dovefields Retail Park began in 1998 with a [[Tesco]] supermarket on the edge of the town and expansion in 2002 with seven large retail outlets. In 2005 an entertainment development with a bowling alley, an ice rink, a cinema, a children's crèche, a fitness centre and business units was built.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 February 2009 |title=Cinema Project Takes Shape |work=Uttoxeter Advertiser |publisher=Staffordshire Newspapers Ltd |url=http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/News/Cinema-project-takes-shape.htm |access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref>

The old Cattle Market closed in November 2005 in favour of a retail and housing development, Carter Square, opening in 2014. This features a supermarket, a range of smaller retail units and a medical surgery.

The replacement cattle market, granted planning permission on the outskirts of the town, failed to appear after several years. A municipal recycling depot has opened on part of the site.

The JCB site in the centre of Uttoxeter was demolished in 2009 after the firm moved to one of its sites on the edge of town. This site is currently undergoing redevelopment: a [[Waitrose]] store opened there in 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youruttoxeter.com/waitrose-set-bring-180-jobs-uttoxeter|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913071405/http://www.youruttoxeter.com/waitrose-set-bring-180-jobs-uttoxeter/|archive-date=2014-09-13|title=Waitrose set to bring 180 jobs to Uttoxeter}}</ref> and an [[Aldi]] store opened there in 2022. The Lidl store, previously located between Dovefields Retail Park and the town centre relocated several hundred meters along the road to a new unit built on land previously used for light industry. Plans have been approved for hundreds of homes, a park and business units.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 February 2010 |title=JCB Plan Under Fire by Residents |work=Uttoxeter Advertiser |publisher=Staffordshire Newspapers Ltd |url=http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/News/JCB-plan-under-fire-by-residents.htm |access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref>

In 2019, the Uttoxeter Brewing Company began licensed operations in a purpose built property sharing the car park of the White Hart Hotel in the town centre, the first commercial brewing operations in the town since the closure of Bunting's Brewery in 1929.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uttoxeter Brewing Company, Uttoxeter |url=http://www1.camra.org.uk/pubs/uttoxeter-brewing-company-uttoxeter-128071 |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=CAMRA Experience |language=en}}</ref>

==Demography==
According to the 2021 census the population for Uttoxeter Civil Parish was 14,014.<ref name=":0" /> 96% of the population are [[White British]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic Group |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11130034&c=uttoxeter&d=16&e=62&g=6463248&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1421165216019&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2477 |access-date=13 January 2015 |publisher=ONS}}</ref> and 95% are UK born.<ref name=":0" /> The population is relatively stable with an annual population growth of 0.38% between 2011 and 2021.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=21 March 2021 |title=Area: Uttoxeter CP (Parish) population |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/westmidlands/admin/east_staffordshire/E04008903__uttoxeter/ |access-date=13 January 2015 |publisher=ONS}}</ref>

==Transport==

Uttoxeter has a [[Uttoxeter railway station|railway station]], opened originally by the [[North Staffordshire Railway]] on 2 October 1881 to replace earlier stations. It is served by trains on the [[Crewe-Derby Line]], which generally operate hourly each way between [[Crewe railway station|Crewe]] and [[Newark Castle railway station|Newark Castle]].

The bus station offers services operated by [[Diamond East Midlands|Diamond]] (formerly Midland Classic), [[Chaserider]], [[Trent Barton]] and Select Bus. Connections can be made to [[Cheadle, Staffordshire|Cheadle]], [[Burton upon Trent]], [[Stoke-on-Trent|Stoke-on-Trent]], [[Derby]], [[Stafford]], [[Cannock]] and [[Rugeley]]. Service 406 provides a circular service to surrounding estates. An [[Alton Towers]] service also operates during the summer season. The Tesco store acts as an interchange with most services using the bus stop outside the store.

The town is located on the main [[A50 road|A50]] trunk road between Stoke-on-Trent and Derby.

Uttoxeter was once the terminus of a branch of the [[Caldon Canal]] (the [[Uttoxeter Canal]]), but most signs of this, apart from an area of Uttoxeter called ''The Wharf'', have been built on.  Much of the canal bed was used in the 19th century for the North Staffordshire Railway main line from Uttoxeter to [[Macclesfield]], which has now also disappeared.  In 2017 the [https://www.cuct.org.uk Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust] installed a milepost in the town to mark the former canal terminus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uttoxeter canal milepost 30 {{!}} Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust |url=https://www.cuct.org.uk/uttoxeter/mileposts/milepost-30 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=cuct.org.uk}}</ref>  The Trust's website includes a [https://www.cuct.org.uk/uttoxeter/uttoxeter-canal-mileposts milepost trail] along the remains of the canal.

The nearest airport is [[East Midlands Airport|East Midlands]], some 29 miles (47&nbsp;km) away.

==Public services==

Policing in Uttoxeter is provided from the [[Staffordshire Police]] station in Balance Street. [[Dovegate (HM Prison)|HM Prison Dovegate]], in the nearby village of [[Marchington]], is a [[Prison security categories in the United Kingdom|Category B]] men's [[private prison]] operated by the [[Serco]]. [[Sudbury (HM Prison)|HM Prison Sudbury]], just over six miles away beyond the Derbyshire boundary, is operated by [[HM Prison Service]] as a [[Prison security categories in the United Kingdom|Category D]] men's [[open prison]].

[[Fire service in the United Kingdom|The statutory emergency fire and rescue service]] is provided by the [[Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service]]. Uttoxeter Fire Station is in Cheadle Road in the north of the town.

Uttoxeter has no [[hospital]]. It is served by the nearby Queen's Hospital in [[Burton upon Trent]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burtonhospitals.nhs.uk/ |title=Home |website=burtonhospitals.nhs.uk}}</ref> [[County Hospital, Stafford|County Hospital]] in Stafford, [[University Hospital of North Staffordshire]] in Stoke-on-Trent and [[Royal Derby Hospital]]. There is no ambulance station, but a team of Rapid Response Paramedics is based here and supported by volunteer [[Community first responder]]s.

The utility firm [[South Staffordshire Water]] manages Uttoxeter's [[drinking water]] and [[Severn Trent]] its [[waste water]].

==Places of interest==
[[File:Museum of Uttoxeter Life, Carter Street.jpg|thumb|The Museum of Uttoxeter Life, Carter Street]]
[[St. Mary's Catholic Church, Uttoxeter|St Mary's Catholic Church]] in Balance Street was [[Augustus Welby Pugin|Pugin]]'s first church design. He later worked on Alton Towers and the [[Houses of Parliament]]. Three miles north-west of Uttoxeter are the remains of [[Croxden Abbey]], founded in 1176 by [[Bertram de Verdun]] for monks of the [[Cistercian Order]]. Redfern's Cottage Museum of Uttoxeter Life is in Carter Street and run by volunteers. The restored timber-framed building houses local-history displays, a small gift shop and a cafe.

The town's refurbished Market Place contains the town's main war memorial, as well as the Millennium Monument and the Dr Johnson Memorial. The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday markets are held weekly in the Market Place. In addition there is a monthly Makers' Market.

Smallwood Manor, just over a mile outside the town, was built in 1886 as a country house and formerly housed Smallwood Manor Preparatory School. Smallwood Manor now houses a healthcare centre. The [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]]'s Museum of Childhood is located at nearby Sudbury Hall.
[[File:IMGP0692.JPG|thumb|right|290px|Uttoxeter Racecourse]]
Bramshall Road Park is the town's recreation ground, with offers tennis courts, skate park, basketball court, football pitch, bowling green and two children's play areas, as well as floral arrangements and the Picknall Brook nature reserve, which can be followed through to the [[River Dove, Central England|River Dove]].

Alton Towers Resort is some {{convert|10|mi|km|0}} from Uttoxeter. The [[Peak District]] National Park is about 20 miles away.

The [[Uttoxeter Casket]], also known as Dr Nelson's Casket, is an Anglo-Saxon reliquary rediscovered in a cottage in [[Croxden]] in the mid-19th century. The origin of the casket is unknown but likely the ruined [[Croxden Abbey]]. It is currently held at the [[Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland]], Ohio.

==Media==
===Television===
Uttoxeter lies within the [[BBC West Midlands]] and [[ITV Central]] both broadcast from the [[Sutton Coldfield transmitting station]]. It is also possible to receive [[BBC East Midlands]] from the [[Waltham transmitting station]] in [[Leicestershire]].

===Radio===
Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Derby]], [[Greatest Hits Radio Midlands]], and [[Capital Midlands]].

===Newspapers===
Uttoxeter's newspapers are the ''Uttoxeter Advertiser'' (online only, part of the Burton Mail group of local papers), the ''Uttoxeter Echo'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.timesechoandlife.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=Times Echo and Life}}</ref> and the community magazine the ''Shire Standard''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shirestandard.com/|title=Home|website=The Shire Standard}}</ref>

==Culture==
Uttoxeter [[Civic society|Civic Society]] was re-established in 2004 to act as a civic watchdog and to protect and promote the history and heritage of Uttoxeter.

Each year, Uttoxeter Lions run a beer festival in June, "Lark in the Park", at Bramshall Road Park on August bank holiday and on Bonfire and Fireworks Night in November, and an annual Christmas fair and market known as "Cracker Night".

Uttoxeter Choral Society<ref>{{cite web | title=Home | publisher=Uttoxeter Choral Society | date=2023-04-06 | url=https://www.uttoxeterchoralsociety.co.uk/ | access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref> was founded in 1881, as one of the earliest in the United Kingdom. Its continuity is matched by few other societies.

Uttoxeter is also the home of the Acoustic Festival of Britain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://acousticfestival.co.uk/|title=Acoustic Festival of Britain – The Best of Acoustic Music Live}}</ref>

===Television appearances===
Uttoxeter was the setting of a recurring [[Sketch comedy|comedy sketch]] by comedians [[Stephen Fry]] and [[Hugh Laurie]] in their [[BBC]] television series ''[[A Bit of Fry and Laurie]]''. In one episode, two obnoxious business entrepreneurs who run various companies in Uttoxeter throughout the series develop grand plans for a popular sports centre. The sketch derives its humour from the fact that Uttoxeter is in fact a quiet and sedate town.

The town featured in ''[[Countryfile]]'', as a "mystery town". Its cattle market featured in the programme as the last in the town centre site in 2005. Local people participated in the programme from the local ''Uttoxeter Advertiser'' and Uttoxeter Racecourse staff.

Oldfields Hall Middle School featured in the film ''[[A Room for Romeo Brass]]'', written and directed by [[Shane Meadows]] and Paul Fraser, two Uxonians who have risen to fame.

Uttoxeter Racecourse has been used several times, as it is visited by residents of the popular soap ''[[Coronation Street]]''.

Uttoxeter is the home of Rockin' Johnny Austin MBE, recognised for his charity work and rock and roll songs such as ''Rockabilly Stroll'', a minor hit in the 1980s. He also produced in 2010 a World Cup Single, ''Victory Day'', which was filmed on location in Uttoxeter Market Place.

==Religion==
===St Mary the Virgin Church===
[[File:St. Mary the Virgin Church, Uttoxeter.jpg|thumb|St. Mary the Virgin Church, Church of England]]
The most prominent religious building in Uttoxeter is the [[Church of England]] [[St. Mary the Virgin Church, Uttoxeter|St Mary the Virgin Church]] in Church Street. The present structure dates from 1877, but the tower and other parts date from the 14th century. The original church, only the tower of which remains was designed by renowned architect [[Thomas Yevele]] who may have lived in the town. There is another Church of England church in [[The Heath, Staffordshire|The Heath]] area of the town. Both lie in the parish of Uttoxeter and the [[Diocese of Lichfield]].

===St Mary's Catholic Church===
The Roman Catholic church in the town is [[St. Mary's Catholic Church, Uttoxeter|St Mary's]], dating from 1838 and designed by [[Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin|Augustus Pugin]]. It is part of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham]].

===Other Christian churches===
Uttoxeter has a Methodist church dating from 1812, a United Reformed church in Carter Street, a Pentecostal Church, a Free Church, and a Kingdom Hall for [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].

===Non-Christian===
The nearest mosques and Sikh Gurdwara are in Burton upon Trent, and the nearest synagogue is in [[Newcastle-under-Lyme]]. There is however a small prayer room near the town off Derby Road used by multiple faiths.

===Quaker Meeting House===
The Uttoxeter Meeting House in Carter Street<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staffs-quakers.org.uk/Uttoxeter.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902072909/www.staffs-quakers.org.uk/Uttoxeter.htm|archive-date=2018-09-02|title=Uttoxeter & Burton Quaker Meeting}}</ref> was built in 1706 and remained in use until the late 1880s. However, it reopened in 1922 and has remained in use since then.

==Education==
Uttoxeter has a three-tier schooling system: several first schools, three middle schools (Oldfields Hall Middle School, Windsor Park Middle School and Ryecroft Middle School, Rocester) and a high school. All three middle schools were rated Good by [[Ofsted]] in 2015–2016. The high school was named as one of the top 10 per cent of schools nationally for Progress at GCSE in 2015. [[Thomas Alleyne's High School|Thomas Alleyne's]], has over 1,100 pupils, an [[astroturf]] football pitch, swimming pool, [[gym]]nasium and several grass football pitches. It is the only high school in Staffordshire to offer a school farm. It includes a [[sixth form]] centre, and is one of three schools founded by the 16th-century priest [[Thomas Alleyne]].

Before this educational structure, the town had a selective secondary and grammar-school system consisting of Windsor Park Boys' School, Oldfields Girls' School and Alleyne's Grammar School.

The [[University of Derby]] and [[Staffordshire University]] (Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford) are the closest higher education institutions.

==Sport==
Uttoxeter is the home town of Olympic gold medal-winning swimming star [[Adam Peaty]], world record holder for the 50m and 100m breast stroke. In January 2015 he opened the redeveloped Uttoxeter Leisure Centre, which now houses the [[Adam Peaty]] swimming pool.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2018 |title=Peaty opens hometown leisure centre |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-30854426 }}</ref>

[[Uttoxeter Cricket Club]] was formed in 1907. The club played at the Racecourse for 65 years before moving to the disused Marchington Cricket Club in 2019.

[[Uttoxeter Racecourse]], a short walk from the town centre, is home to the annual [[Midlands Grand National]] horse race.

[[Uttoxeter Rugby Club]] was formed in 1982, when JCB Rugby club began to play at Oldfields sport and social club in Uttoxeter, establishing the first [[Rugby union|rugby]] side in a town traditionally associated with [[association football]]. In those days there was no league structure in place nationally and so Uttoxeter played friendly fixtures and developed rivalries with other local sides such as Cannock and Rugeley, which have lasted over the last 30 years.

[[Uttoxeter Town F.C.]], is also based at Oldfields sports and social club. It has been successful for many years in the Burton and District Sunday Football League. From 2012, Uttoxeter Town entered the Staffordshire County Senior League, Division 1, and now plays at the {{English football updater|UttoxetT}}. [[Rocester F.C.]] plays in the nearby village of [[Rocester]].

Uttoxeter Juniors Football Club is based at Elkes Sports Club has been providing grassroots football to the children of Uttoxeter and surrounding villages since 1964 with a number of players going on to sign for professional clubs over the years.

Uttoxeter's Manor golf course is a short walk from the town, three miles out near the village of Kingstone.

Uttoxeter Leisure Centre in Oldfields Road has a swimming pool, gym and sports hall.

Uttoxeter Rifle Club is a Home Office-approved club based in the village of [[Denstone]]. It regularly shoots on the 30-yard outdoor cadet range at [[Denstone College]] and at longer-range facilities at Catton Park and Diggle.

==Notable people==
[[File:Thomas Allen.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Thomas Allen (mathematician)|Thomas Allen]], late 18C.]]
[[File:Shane meadows.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Shane Meadows]], 2009]]
*[[Thomas Alleyne]] (c. 1488–1558) priest who founded [[Thomas Alleyne's High School]], Uttoxeter. and [[Alleyne's Academy]], in [[Stone, Staffordshire|Stone]].
*[[Thomas Blagrave]] (died 1590) acting [[Master of the Revels]] in 1573–1579.
*[[Thomas Allen (mathematician)|Thomas Allen]] (1542–1632), English mathematician and astrologer was born in the town.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Allen,_Thomas |volume=01 |short=x}}</ref>  
*Sir [[Simon Degge]], (1612–1703) antiquary, wrote notes on ''Plot's Natural History of Staffordshire''.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Degge,_Simon |volume=14 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Robert Bakewell (ironsmith)|Robert Bakewell]], (1682–1752) artist and metal worker, was born in the town.
*[[Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner]] (1742–1809), who commanded a younger [[Horatio Nelson|Nelson]], was born at the manor house in the town.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Gardner,_Alan |volume=20 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Samuel March Phillipps]] (1780–1862) civil servant, legal writer and [[Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department]] from 1827 to 1848.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Phillipps,_Samuel_March |volume=45 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Samuel Bentley]] (1785–1868) English printer and antiquarian.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Bentley,_Samuel |volume=04 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Thomas Kynnersley]] (1839–1874), naval officer and later MP in New Zealand, was born in town.
*[[Lewis Hall (mayor)|Lewis Hall]] (1860–1933) became a dental surgeon and politician in British Columbia, Canada.
*[[Joseph Cyril Bamford]] (1916–2001), industrialist founder of [[JCB (heavy equipment manufacturer)|JCB]], was born at what is now the Parks.
*[[Peter Vaughan]] (1923–2016) television and film actor, lived in the town and attended [[Uttoxeter Grammar School]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Peter Vaughan | publisher=IMDb | date=2008-04-11 | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891092/ | access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref>
*[[Dave Sampson]] (1941–2014), a rock singer, was born in the town.
*[[Anthony Bamford]] (born 1945), a billionaire industrialist and Ferrari collector, son of [[Joseph Cyril Bamford]], was born in Uttoxeter.
*[[Ruth Gledhill]], (born 1959) journalist, lived in [[Gratwich]] and attended [[Thomas Alleyne's High School]].
*[[Shane Meadows]] (born 1972), writer and film director known for ''[[This Is England]]'', was born and brought up in Uttoxeter.
*[[Aaron Jeffcoate]] (born 1993), actor known for ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' and ''[[The Terror (TV series)|The Terror]]'', was brought up and lives in Uttoxeter.
*Shawn Sanbrooke (born 1993), social media personality known for his ''Theme Park Worldwide'' [[YouTube]] channel (which as of March 2025 has over 410,000 subscribers), was brought up and lives in Uttoxeter. He is renowned and gained early notoriety for his coverage of the nearby [[Alton Towers]] theme park.
[[File:Adam Peaty Olympics 2016 (cropped).jpg|thumb|140px|[[Adam Peaty]], 2016]]

===Sport===
*[[Vincent Blore]] (1908–1997), football goalkeeper, played for the ''Uttoxeter Amateurs'' and several other clubs.
*[[Roger de Ville]] (1935–2021) played first class cricket for Derbyshire 1963–1964.
*[[Bartley Gorman]] (1944–2002), bare-knuckle boxer, lived for many years in the town and died there.
*[[Gary Croft]] (born 1974), footballer, grew up here and attended Alleynes.<ref>{{cite web | title=Gary Croft - Football Stats - No Club - Age 49 - 1992-2008 | website=Soccer Base | date=1974-02-17 | url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=1767 | access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref> He was the first English footballer to play whilst wearing an electronic tag. He scored 431 goals.
*[[Adam Peaty]] (born 1994), world record holder for the 50 m & 100 m breast stroke and gold medallist at the [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016]] and [[2020 Summer Olympics]]

==See also==
*[[Dovegate (HM Prison)|Dovegate Prison]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite book |last=Roy Lewis |title=Around Uttoxeter |year=1999 |publisher=Tempus |isbn=978-0-7524-1513-0}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category|Uttoxeter}}
*{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Uttoxeter |volume=27 |short=x}}
*[http://www.uttoxeter.biz Uttoxeter.biz, Local Community Website]
{{Staffordshire}}
{{Civil Parishes of East Stafford}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Uttoxeter| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Market towns in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Borough of East Staffordshire]]