Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is adjacent to the city of Stoke-on-Trent. In 2021 the population was 75,082.[2]
Not to be confused with Newcastle upon Tyne.Newcastle-under-Lyme
Toponym[edit]
The name "Newcastle" is derived from a mid-12th century motte and bailey that was built after King Stephen granted lands in the area to Ranulf de Gernon, Earl of Chester; the land was known for his support during the civil war known as The Anarchy.[3][4]
The element Lyme is found throughout the locality, such as in Lyme Brook and the Forest of Lyme. This ultimately derives from a Brythonic word related to the modern Welsh "llwyf", meaning elm. Elm trees covered an extensive area across the present day counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire and parts of Derbyshire.[4][5]
History[edit]
12th–19th centuries[edit]
Newcastle was not recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book, as it grew up round a 12th-century castle, but it must have gained rapid importance, as a charter, known solely through a reference in another charter to Preston, was given to the town by Henry II in 1173. The new castle superseded an older fortress at Chesterton, about 2 miles (3 km) to the north, whose ruins were visible up to the end of the 16th century.
In 1235 Henry III turned the town into a free borough, granting a guild and other privileges.[4] In 1251 he leased it under a fee farm grant to the burgesses. In 1265 Newcastle was granted by the Crown to Simon de Montfort and later to Edmund Crouchback, through whom it passed to Henry IV. In John Leland's time the castle had disappeared "save one great Toure".
Media[edit]
Regional local news and television programmes are BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from either the Fenton or Sutton Coldfield transmitters. [44] [45] BBC North West and ITV Granada can also be received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter. [46]
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Stoke, Signal 1, Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire, HitMix Radio and 6 Towns Radio, who are the most recent station to serve the area following a successful ofcom application.
The Sentinel is the town's local newspaper. [47]
The town is part of a worldwide network of towns and cities with the name Newcastle.[62] These include well-known Newcastle upon Tyne (also in England), Neuburg an der Donau (Germany), Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Neufchâteau (France), New Castle, Indiana (US), New Castle, Pennsylvania (US), New Castle, Delaware (US), Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Shinshiro (Japan).
This small international network of eight towns, formed in 1998, is designed to encourage friendship and cooperation between them. Accordingly, a school in the South African town benefited in 2004 from gifts of computing equipment surplus to Newcastle-under-Lyme's needs. The annual Newcastles of the World Summit was held in Newcastle-under-Lyme for six days from 17 June 2006.[63]