Stockton, Warwickshire

Stockton is a village and civil parish, in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1,391. The village is located just to the east of the A426 road two miles north-east of Southam, and eight miles south-west of Rugby.

Stockton's name was first recorded in 1272, the name meaning 'a fenced enclosure'. During the 19th century, it developed as an industrial village.

Stockton was served by the former Weedon to Leamington railway line which crosses the northern edge of the parish. The station, which was just outside the parish boundary was called Stockton & Napton and also served Napton-on-the-Hill about two miles away. The line closed to passengers in 1958 and to all traffic a few years later.

Economy

Today Stockton is largely a commuter village, The Dowdeswell plough company is nearby.

Industry

Stockton has long been associated with the manufacture of lime and cement. The village is surrounded by areas of blue lias clay, a raw material used in cement manufacture. This is reflected in the name of a nearby pub, the 'Blue Lias', beside the Grand Union Canal on the lane to Long Itchington (the title-deeds of the pub date back to 1809).

As early as the 1850s workings in the area were extensive and the quarries in Stockton were among the first to be dug. By the early 20th century, Mssrs Charles Nelson and Co Ltd operated a large cement works half-a-mile north...
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