Alsager

Alsager
Cheshire
Town centre
Location
Grid reference:	SJ796554
Location:	53°5’46"N, 2°18’17"W
Data
Population:	11,775  (2011)
Post town:	Stoke-On-Trent
Postcode:	ST7
Dialling code:	01270
Local Government
Council:	Cheshire East
Parliamentary constituency:	Congleton

Alsager is a small town in Cheshire, to the northwest of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and east of the railway junction town of Crewe. The town had a population of 11,775 at the 2011 census.

In the centre of Alsager is a lake, Alsager Mere. This isolated pool, once the focal point of the town, is only accessible by two fenced public viewing areas and by local residents who have gardens adjoining the waters.

Alsager has hosted an annual summer carnival since 1998.

Churches

• Church of England:
  • Christ Church (1789),
  • St Mary Magdalene (1898)
• Methodist: Wesley Place Methodist Church. In former days the town had three Methodist churches.
• Roman Catholic: St Gabriel's

History

Christ Church

In the neighbouring parish, Church Lawton, are the Church Lawton Barrows, which form part of a significant Bronze Age site near the town.

Alsager was recorded as 'Eleacier' in the Domesday Book, and was a small farming village until the 19th century when, due to its rail connections and rural character, it became a home of choice for pottery works managers from the nearby Federation of Six Towns which later became the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

During the Second World War, a large armaments factory was built outside Alsager at Radway Green, and the town expanded dramatically to house the influx of factory workers. Also during the war a camp was constructed for the training of Royal Marines. This bore the name of "H.M.S. Excalibur" and was situated at the top of Fields Road by the side of the Stoke to Crewe railway line. In 1948 it became a displaced persons camp for refugees from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the former Polish Ukraine, countries which had been forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union. Many men from these countries had fought on the side of the Germans in order to try and regain independence, and they were afraid to return to their countries of origin, as many who had returned were executed by the Russians. A school was set up for the education of their children whose only common language when they arrived was German. The school continued to exist for many years in the same set of wooden huts under the name "Excalibur School". The first Roman Catholic church in Alsager was one of the wooden huts and was attended mainly by the Lithuanians.

Culture

The artist James Lloyd was born in the town.

The town is home to Alsager Community Theatre (ACT), an amateur drama group founded in 1973. ACT puts on its productions at Alsager Civic and at nearby Little Moreton Hall.

Formerly housed on Manchester Metropolitan University's Alsager campus, Alsager Arts Centre had a public programme of touring new performance and visual art work presented in two intensive seasons – September to November and January to March. The centre has now moved to the university's Crewe campus, as its Alsager site has closed.

Events

• The Alsager Arts Festival, first held in August 2010.
• The Alsager Music Festival, which takes place in Milton Gardens.
• The Alsager Carnival, founded in 1998. Until June 2009 the summer carnival was located in Milton Gardens but it has since moved to the Alsager School Playing Fields to increase capacity.

Transport

Alsager is close to junction 16 of the M6 motorway, and is served by Alsager railway station on the Crewe to Derby line.

The Trent and Mersey Canal runs just to the north-east to the town, forming part of the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk and the South Cheshire Way footpath. The canal's towpath and the nearby 'Salt Line' are also routes of the National Cycle Network.

Economy

Alsager town centre is characterised by independent and charity shops, with two national chain supermarkets in the town.

There is a BAE Systems Global Combat Systems factory in the nearby village of Radway Green, producing small arms ammunition for the British armed forces.

Sport

• Archery: The Alsager Company of Archers
• Bowling: The Alsager Institute Bowling Club
• Cricket: Alsager Cricket Club
• Football:
  • AFC Alsager
  • Alsager Town FC
  • Alsager Bank Corner FC
• Golf: The Alsager Golf and Country Club
• Hockey: Triton Hockey Club
• Tennis: Alsager Lawn Tennis Club

It also has a number of youth teams in the 'lads'n'dads' league. There is a thriving pool league. There is a swimming club. There is a leisure centre within Alsager, managed by the council.

Alsager also hosts the UK's biggest 5 mile road race each year in February.

Parks

Alsager has several parks. The town's main park is Milton Garden, which has an ornamental sunken garden, a skatepark and a play area.

Pastimes and leisure pursuits

There is a strong tradition of allotment holding in the town, administered by the Alsager Gardens Association.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Alsager)

• Alsager Town Council
• Alsager in the Domesday Book