I visited a picturesque Staffordshire village where change is welcomed but a sense of community remains
Change can often be a scary thing, but in this small Staffordshire village improvement has been welcomed with open arms.
Sitting almost exactly halfway between the towns of Newport and Stafford, Gnosall is a village and civil parish with a history traceable all the way back to the 1086 Domesday Book.
It was listed as having just 12 households at the time, a far cry from the 2,300 it has now according to the 2021 census, with a population of 5,040.
A vibrant parish with a rich history and a strong sense of community, it is home to several unique historical features, including the Grade I listed St. Lawrence Church which dates back to Norman times, the Grade II listed Gnosall village lock-up which is one of just three surviving examples in the county, Coton Mill where local rumours suggest self-raising flour was first invented, and several other listed buildings and bridges across the parish.
The village has been brought into the 21st century with a number of independent businesses popping up, including Greene's Coffee House which is situated on the high street and provides customers with high-quality refreshments made with ingredients sourced locally.
"It's a big village and we felt that it needed a coffee shop," Louise Whittick of Greene's Coffee House said. "Our coffee is from Chartley which is quite local and we get all our milk from Bradley which is our local dairy.
