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Brocton
Brocton is both a village and a civil parish located in the Stafford borough of Staffordshire. The village is situated four miles south-east of Stafford town centre making it a popular location with commuters. Another major attraction of Brocton is that it is situated on the edge of Cannock Chase, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The 2001 census noted that Brocton had a population of just over 1,000 people, and according to studies it is one of the most affluent areas in the Staffordshire region.
Brocton contains examples of what are seen as the best preserved timber framed houses in Staffordshire with notable examples on Park Lane and lining The Green. Brocton was one well known as a military training camp that was established during World War I, the remnants of this camp can be seen on Chase Road. This camp is notable in that J.R.R. Tolkien came to Staffordshire in August 1915 to complete his military training at a local Army camp situated on the ancient forest and Royal hunting ground of Cannock Chase near Brocton.
The local area proved perfect for military training thanks to almost 100 square miles of the chase being full of forest and moorland, and packed with unique rock formations and other varied geographical features. The area continued an association with Tolkien when he moved into Great Haywood, a small village close to Brocton. The Domesday Book mentions Brocton in 1086 so it is reasonable to assume that the village had been in existence for some time prior to this.
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