Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. It is situated close to the northern tip of Warwickshire, adjacent to the border with Staffordshire. It is 3 miles (5 km) east of Tamworth, and is 4.5 miles (7 km) northwest of Atherstone.
In the 2021 census, the civil parish of Polesworth had a population of 8,727 and included the contiguous sub-villages of Birchmoor, St Helena, and Hall End directly to the south, and Warton to the East.[1] The built-up area of Polesworth which includes the adjoining village of Dordon to the south, had a population of 9,913 in 2021.[2] The border with Leicestershire is 3 miles (5 km) to the east, while Derbyshire is 6 miles (10 km) to the north. The River Anker runs through the village.[3]
The name Polesworth is derived from "pol" meaning a "pool" and "worth" meaning "a dwelling" or enclosure in the Old English language.[4] Polesworth was once the site of an abbey. Polesworth Abbey was founded in 827 by King Egbert with his daughter Editha (later Saint Editha) as Abbess. It prospered for 700 years but was disbanded as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1544 the lands of the Abbey were granted by the Crown to Francis Goodere, who used the stones of the Abbey to build a manor house; Polesworth Hall.[5]
Henry Goodere, son of Francis, was a patron of the arts and Polesworth Hall was a centre of culture during Elizabethan times. The poet Michael Drayton was in the service of the Goodere family around 1580, and his works contain allusions to Polesworth and the River Anker. Other notable figures including the dramatist Ben Jonson, architect Inigo Jones and poet John Donne, made up the core of an elite group who became known as the Polesworth Circle.[6] It is also rumoured that William Shakespeare spent time at Polesworth.[4][7] Polesworth Hall no longer exists, as it was demolished around 1870, and replaced by the vicarage.[8]
In around 1509 Thomas Cockayne constructed Pooley Hall, which today includes some of the oldest brickwork in the country.[5] The hall still exists and overlooks Pooley View. That part of the hall known as Pooley Farm was once the home of the late American Soul and Motown singer Edwin Starr, famous for the song War.[9]
During the English Civil War, Polesworth and Wilnecote are listed among the towns paying arrears to the Parliamentarygarrison at Tamworth. In an account drawn up by a Captain Thomas Layfield for the period from 1 November 1645 to 1 May 1646, Polesworth (being rated at £8 a week) was assessed at and paid £196.16.0 while Wilnecote (at £2 a week) paid £50.7.0.
When the Coventry Canal was built through Polesworth in the 1770s, the village developed a coal-mining and clay industry and the population underwent rapid growth.[4][5] During the Second World War, opencast coal-mining devastated the surrounding countryside, and caused the River Anker to be diverted. Mining in the area has since disappeared. 62.5 hectares of the site of the former Pooley Hall Colliery which closed in 1965 has been transformed into Pooley Country Park.[9][5]
The M42 motorway runs just to the west of Polesworth and the A5 road runs just to the south. The Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line runs just to the north of the village. Polesworthrailway station is on this line, however since 2005 the station has received only a "Parliamentary service" of just one northbound train per day. This is due to the fact that only the northbound platform is accessible, as the footbridge to the southbound platform was removed during upgrade works to the West Coast Main Line, and was not replaced.[10] The nearest fully operational railway stations are Tamworth and Atherstone, both within 5 miles (8.0 km). The Coventry Canal also runs through Polesworth.
The main primary school in Polesworth is the Nethersole Primary School. This school has existed since the mid-17th century (albeit at a different location) having been founded by a local benefactor Sir Francis Nethersole as a free school for the poor of Polesworth.[11] The main secondary school serving the area is The Polesworth School, based at the adjacent village of Dordon.
Culture
The Polesworth Poets Trail is an attraction which highlights the famous poets who were once associated with the village. The trail consists of strategically placed poems at various locations around the local area.[6][12]
