History of Great Haywood

The name of Haywood derives from two old English words, haeg and wadu, meaning an enclosure in a wood.
One of the earliest records of the village is in the 'Doomsday Book',compiled on the orders of William the Conquerer in 1086, it provides a unique inventory of England, by then already
divided into counties, towns, villages and manors.
Great Haywood was recorded as Haiwode, a village with a mill mainly owned by the Bishop of Chester.

Being a Church school, Anson has a strong
partnership with St. Stephen's Church, and Reverend Thake is our Chair of Governors.  He leads many assemblies and is a friend to all the pupils and staff alike.

The Catholic Church of St. John was originally build in 1828 and was
rebuilt in Great Haywood in 1845
after an Anglican squire bought Tixall Hall.
St, Stephen's Church in Great
Haywood (see photograph)  was built in 1840 by Thomas Trubshaw, a local architect and builder, also
responsible for Wolsley Bridge over the River Trent.

St. Stephen's Church
Great Haywood
To see a larger
photograph click here.

This was about the same time that Thomas Anson demolished cottages on the Shugborough Estate and built cottages in the villages of Great Haywood and Little Haywood.
Great Haywood originally had a brewery and a mill, but these have both been closed and demolished.  The railway stations at Great Haywood and Colwich have also been demolished and the canal wharf is now a marina for pleasure boats.  There is only one agricultural machinery business in Great Haywood, founded about 20 years ago.
In 1096 there were nine villagers, five small holders with their families and priests living in Great Haywood.  The residents now number approximately 5000.

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