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Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a small market town in the eastern region of Staffordshire and has recently undergone (and to some extent is still undergoing) a redevelopment. It is twinned with Raisdorf in Germany and Fumel in France and the relationship with Raisdorf in particular is celebrated by Uttoxeter on a regular basis. Uttoxeter has had 79 different spellings of its name recorded since the Domesday Book recorded it as Wotocheshede. It is understood that this is taken from the Anglo-Saxon "Wuttuceshaeddre" which means "Wuttuc's heath". Many historians will point out that Uttoxeter was settled by pre-Roman civilisations due to the Bronze Age axes that have been found in the region.
The position of the town makes it of vital importance to strategists; it sits on the River Dove and is close to the large garrison forts at Rocester between 69 and 400 CE. Uttoxeter is also famous for taking the last surrender of the English Civil War in 1646 when the Marquis of Hamilton surrendered to General Lambert. The area is also famed for the penance of Samuel Johnson; this event is commemorated with the Johnson Memorial that stands in Market Place in the town centre. Uttoxeter is also known for brewing due to the pure quality of the local waters, Bunting's brewery occupied a very large area of the centre of the town from Victorian times.
Sadly the last remains of their historic brewery were demolished in the 1960's. 2008 marks the 700 year anniversary of the awarding of a Market Charter, to this day two markets still take place on a Wednesday and Saturday and appropriate celebrations are being planned. There are a variety of places of interest in Uttoxeter including St Mary's Catholic Church in Balance Street that was Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin's first church design, the Uttoxeter Heritage Centre and also the Spook Market.
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