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Armitage and Handsacre were once farming communities. In 1777, when the canal was completed, things began to change. Brickmaking with clay taken from several pits in the area became quite a small industry; one such clay pit lies opposite the Red Lion.
The village which straddles the main West Coast railway line and the Trent Mersey Canal, has quadrupled in size in the last 35 years. It lies
five miles north west of Lichfield.
New residents have come from all over the country but in the
1960s a significant number come from the north east to staff the now extinct Lea Hall Colliery, and Rugeley A power station. A legacy of this movement is still noticeable in some older residents possessing a Geordie accent.
The Pottery (now Armitage Shanks and Ideal Standard) came in 1817 to make domestic earthenware; in 1851 changing to the manufacturer of the sanitary ware. It is the largest employer in the village.
It is not easy to tell now who has lived here the longest, but the surnames Conway, Carthy, Morecroft, Simpson and Warner are most likely to indicate a connection with these parts stretching back 100 years or more.
To the north, towards Ashbourne, lies some of the best countryside to be seen anywhere in England and Cannock Chase to the west is a pleasant place for walking in any season.
The name Handsacre is of Saxon origin. The village of Handsacre mentioned in the Doomsday Book is held by Robert, a Saxon or Englishman.
The original parish was Handsacre (not Armitage with Handsacre) and there is a prebendary stall in Lichfield Cathedral.
It is reputed that the remains of the original Handsacre parish church are buried beneath the railway embankment.
Sir William Handsacre, the last knight to bear the name, died about 1429.
A little of the history of Handsacre
Julie Handsaker has kindly provided information, obtained during research of the history of her family and ancestral home.
Marjorie Mellor
has shared some family reminiscences with us.
Can you tell us more about the history of Handsacre?
If so,
click here.
Armitage: The name is believed to have evolved from the Hermitage which existed on the site of the present Parish Church, which dates from 1160. Some mystery surrounds the Church font which predates the foundation of the parish. It is possible that it may have some connection with another church building close to Handsacre Manor. Boathouse Lane: Now one of the entrances to the Pottery, once extended to the Canal. At the canal end stood the Boat House Inn where many barges made calls. Gate Square: In the space now occupied by the Oak Lodge Off Licence, once stood the Toll House for the use of the Old Road. It is believed that the name Pike Lane is a corruption of the word Turnpike. Hawkesyard Priory: This came into being in the 1890's and was occupied by the Dominican Order until the last few years. In the early years of the last century the Order ran a boy's boarding school. It took its name from the old Hawkesyard Hall.
Honey Tree Hollow: This is a familiar name for most local people; it is the local name for the area containing the roads called Pinfold Drive and Rookery Close. Edward Johns: Once the name of the company now known as Armitage Shanks. The export of sanitary ware to the USA led to the common use of the word 'john' as toilet. The Shropshire Brook: This is known locally as Dummies Brook. See Marjorie Mellor's reminiscences.
Station Drive: A railway Station on the Main Line existed here from 1855 to 1961.