News Archives

New section for Hodnet website

Hodnet Life has been launched with the hope of increasing community contributions on this website.
It will feature regular articles on local life: the first of these is Trugg and Barrow’s Garden Diary, written by two perennial gardeners who hope to share their enthusiasm and experience. We would love to have others providing items, be they a single post or a series, for this section – please contact the webteam if you have any suggestions.
We also want to encourage you to send us your reports of locals events, either in words or pictures or both, for this section. Reports of events of all types will be welcome, for example charity fund raisers, sporting occasions, regular club meetings and so on. Please tell the webteam what has been going on. They would also like to know about events upfront so they can be included in our Events section. If you have a local news story please send them your report.
The easiest way to make contact with the webteam is by using this form.
If anyone would like to become a regular contributor to the website please do get in touch with us. If the technology intimidates you – we can train you or you can always ask your children or grandchildren to help out!
Finally, if you want to be kept up to date with all the new posts we have recently activated a facility for email updates and RSS feeds. You will find the icons for these on the top right of every page.

Clerk to Parish Council Hands Over

At last weeks Parish Council meeting, Steve Howell-Jones handed over the position of Clerk to his successor, Maryjane Rees.
Chairman of the Council, Mr Michael Morgan, whilst presenting Steve with a small token of the Councils’ appreciation; said that he doubted there was enough time available to list Steve’s many contributions to the Council’s work during the last 10 years he has held the post, but that Steve’s dedication to the task was widely recognised and keenly appreciated. In turn he wished Maryjayne ‘every success’ in her new role.

Steve receiving his boxed set of Haydn Symphonies and the Bohm Mozart Symphonies
Steve expressed delight at his gift alongside surprise at its appropriateness – suspecting his wife Barbara, who had come along to witness what he had been getting up to all these years, of passing ‘insider information’ to the Chairman.
The new Clerk, Maryjayne Rees, can be contacted on 01630 685745 or email P.S. The author hopes the quality of Steve’s CD’s is better than that of the photo – for which my apologies!

Tidy Village Group launched

Do you care about litter?

If so you are not alone!

At the Parish Plan volunteers meeting in early 2010, a group of residents got together and agreed to undertake an occasional litter pick in particular areas of the Parish – usually near their homes.
Despite their best efforts, there is probably always going to be an ongoing problem, as this picture of the results of a recent litter pick along part of the old A53 in Wollerton shows.

With the aim of reinvigorating the exercise, and hopefully establishing a larger group of like minded individuals, the Parish Council have asked one of the original group to act as a coordinator for a new Tidy Village Group. In doing so it is hoped that:-

  • The original volunteers get in touch to re-confirm their interest.
  • Those who would like to become involved for the first time, will take this opportunity to do so. Any help is appreciated, and you can choose a level of involvement that suits you.

In addition to the personal reward of a ‘job well done’ group litter picks, where organised, can also prove sociable occasions.
To register your interest please e-mail your details, including a contact telephone number and your address, to Sally Gallivan at email For those who would like them, some litter picking kits are available (gloves/extending pickers) – and if required the Parish Council will obtain more.

Junior tennis coaching starts in March

The start of the new tennis season provides an opportunity for children to learn new skills whilst enjoying exercise.
Wollerton Tennis Club is starting junior coaching sessions on Saturday afternoons from 26th March.
Full details available from the Club’s webpage.

Vacancy For Parish Council Clerk

Due to the retirement of the present Clerk, a vacancy will exist as from 31st March 2011
Any interested party must initially apply in writing to the present Clerk, Mr S. Howell-Jones at the address below.
Applicants should have experience in administration, computer literacy, book keeping and minute taking.
Information on ‘job description’ and ‘areas of responsibility’ will be sent to all those applying.
Hours of work will be in the region of 15 per week on average. Salary to be negotiated.
The closing date for applications is 10th Feb 2011. Interviews will be conducted during February 2011
For further information, please contact Steve Howell-Jones on 01630-685398, email or by post in writing to:

Mr S. Howell-Jones
The Cottage
Marchamley
Shrewsbury
SY4 5LE

New Parish Councillor Appointed

Following the retirement of long-serving Parish Councillor, Mr. Phil Perry, a replacement has been appointed.
He is Mr. Howard Trevor, who has lived in Hodnet all his life and has a young family. He also runs his own Landscape and Property Maintenance business.
Howard’s first meeting as a Parish Councillor will be on Thursday, 16th December.

New Book from Hodnet Historian

Mr. Mothershaw with his new bookGerald Mothershaw, a well know local historian, has recently published his latest book. Called The War Years 1939-1945 – How Times Have Changed, it includes accounts of the experiences of servicemen based in Hodnet and other villages around Market Drayton during the war.
This is Gerald’s seventh book, and like the previous ones he is donating the proceeds from its sale to charity. On this occasion the beneficiary will be the armed forces charity Help for Heroes. Appropriately, the book contains a chapter about Corporal Simon Vaughan from Hodnet who was severely injured in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan in December 2008.
The book has been produced with help from The Muller Community Trust, Kate & Simon Johnston and The Weston & Whixall Church of England Schools Trust.
Mr Mothershaw, 75, said: “Over the last 12 years, I’ve written about Hodnet as the village’s historian and I thought I’d round things off by looking at the history of the village during the last war.
“I wrote it because of all the interest there is in World War II and because a lot of people asked me, ‘Is there a book coming out for Christmas?’
“It has stories in it about HMS Godwit in Ollerton, RAF Peplow, the airfields around the Market Drayton area and a brief history of the last war.
“I hope young children will find it of great interest because I go to Hodnet Primary School to give talks and a lot of the children there are interested in the Second World War.
“But for the grown-ups, it will bring back a lot of memories.”
Gerald Mothershaw’s previous books are:

  • A Brief History of Hodnet Township 1066
  • Hodnet in Wartime Through the Eyes of a Child
  • The Lords of Hodnet Manor, A Rummage through the Twentieth Century
  • Early and Modern Medical Achievements and the History of Hodnet Doctors
  • The Wonderful Years of Steam Trains through Hodnet
  • My Successful Methods for Growing Exhibition Vegetables

Fatal road accident on the A442 in Peplow

A fatal road accident occurred today (Mon. 8 Nov. 2010) on the A442 in Peplow at around 7:50am. The accident involved a collision between a Vauxhall Astra van and an Iveco box 4½ ton van, close to the entrance of Highway Farm. The Vauxhall van was overtaking at the time and, according to the Shropshire Star, one of its two occupants died after being taken to University Hospital North Staffordshire in Stoke by Air Ambulance. Three people were taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford with minor injuries.
The accident closed the A442, causing serious delays for rush-hour motorists between the junction with the A53 and the Shropshire / Telford & Wrekin border on the southern edge of the Hodnet C.P. The road was re-opened around 12:15pm after the Police Accident Investigation Unit had completed it work.
The webteam expresses their sympathies to the family of the man who died in this tragic accident.
The day after the accident police named the dead man, who was driving the Astra van, as Sean Creer, aged 44, of Winsford, Cheshire.

17th Century Dovecote gets face lift

Four months of skilled and patient work means that the grade II listed dovecote within Hodnet park can now come off the heritage at risk register. The rejuvenation of this unusual piece of our local heritage was carried out under the auspices of English Heritage and Natural England. The work was undertaken mainly by Hereford based company I.J. Preece and Sons, working out of their Shrewsbury depot and using local craftsmen. Michael Edwards acted as site manager throughout the renovations and was also the team’s carpenter and joiner.

The works carried out included a new glover with two new collars to support it, new pearling to support the roof with the roof being completely re-tiled. The string course which was originally in Hawkstone sandstone was replaced with Grinshill white sandstone as there is no longer a quarry at Hawkstone. All the brickwork was re-pointed with hot lime using local sand, 400 cracked or broken bricks were also replaced. A viewing hatch has also been incorporated so that the loft space can be easily observed.

The dovecote can be viewed on garden open days, the next of which is the Easter bank holiday weekend in 2011.