Biddulph could be on world heritage site, with your help

An international heritage lawyer needs the local knowledge of Biddulph people on such landmarks as St Lawrence's Church, Biddulph Grange and Biddulph Old Hall. David Martin, who is also a regeneration expert, co-ordinates the Phoenix Trust which is campaigning to make the North Staffordshire Coalfield a world heritage site.
Mr Martin, who lives in Alsager, went to school in the Potteries and has always had an interest in North Staffordshire's socio-economic history and its architectural heritage. He has completed research into the coalfield's economic, social and administrative history and the trust is now beginning a heritage audit and photographic survey to record the region's historical buildings. Buildings have been nominated for inclusion in the survey that will start in September. Mr Martin said the trust was still accepting nominations for the photographic survey.
He said: "We know the area well but there are things that we don't know and a lot of interesting places that we don't know. People should nominate what they feel is important to them with a historical value - anything at all - churches, chapels, factories, hospitals. "We are going to photograph the whole area starting in autumn in Talke Pits." Mr Martin said the project would then move through Kidsgrove, Trentham Mersey Canal, Mow Cop and Biddulph, photographing St Lawrence's Church and hopefully gaining permission to photograph Biddulph Grange and Biddulph Old Hall. He said: "We need to look and see if it's viable to make an application. We will look at the history of the area, how much of it remains and how many industrial buildings remain." He added: "Coming from North Staffordshire if I could help the area in any way and use my professional skills that will bring me satisfaction.
"It would give the area a terrific amount of kudos, inward investment and encourage tourism." The proposed world heritage site has been extended to include Leek, the Caldon canal corridor, Cheadle coalfield and Churnet Valley, which has been described as a miniature Ironbridge Gorge. Historically, there is nothing to prevent North Staffordshire's Industrial Landscape, which includes the Potteries, Newcastle-under-Lyme and all the towns and villages on the North Staffordshire Coalfield, from becoming a world heritage site but the trust said it could take up to 15 years for the coalfield to get the status as it was a long term project. A statement from the trust read: "North Staffordshire was at the cutting edge of world economic development during the Industrial Revolution.
"Economic historians frequently ignore the role pottery manufacturers like Wedgwood, Adams, Minton and Spode played in transforming a collection of small towns and villages into a major industrial region of international importance. Nominations can be emailed to Mr Martin at daymar727@btinternet.com

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