Guilden Sutton

Guilden Sutton
St John's Church, Guilden Sutton
Guilden Sutton  Guilden Sutton shown within Cheshire
Population	1,525 (2001)
OS grid reference	SJ448682
Civil parish	Guilden Sutton
Unitary authority	Cheshire West and Chester
Ceremonial county	Cheshire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CHESTER
Postcode district	CH3
Dialling code	01244
Police	Cheshire
Fire	Cheshire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	City of Chester
List of places UK England Cheshire

Guilden Sutton is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is home to 1,525 residents, two churches, a primary school, a Post Office, a pub, a village hall and several local business.

History

Guilden Sutton was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Legend has it that the parish has always been “off the beaten track”, with Roman Roads running close by. Indeed, there is a delightful story that Cromwell’s men were unable to find it when they sought to punish the Royalist settlement, and that missing Chester plate is buried under an unspecified oak tree. Actual historic finds have been few: a bronze coin of Licinius I (AD 307-324) found behind the Bird in Hand, a mediaeval lead spindlewhorl, four 17th-century swords found in a house cellar, and a cannonball.

A church was probably built in the 12th or 13th century. The earliest register of births, marriages and deaths dates back to 1595; the Achdeacon’s corrections Books, recording the proceedings of church courts, refer to “Edward Dutton and Margaret his wife” being absent from church in 1673 and the churchwardens’ accounts reveal that 10s 6d (52.5p) purchased a coffin for Joseph Joynson in 1744.

In the mid-18th century, the parish consisted of 12 farm houses and eight cottages. Always an agricultural community, the parish had the services of a man to prevent cattle straying. The church was much damaged by a great storm in 1802 and was rebuilt. By 1810, the village was growing and had 24 houses and 120 people, increasing to 42 houses and 234 people 60 years later, including farmers, a blacksmith, a tile and brick maker, two boot and shoe makers, a painter and a bricklayer.

The Methodist Chapel was built in 1873, the original village school in 1891, and the present church hall in 1916.

By the 1930s, the village had grown to 404 people with electricity having arrived in 1925. Piped water did not extend to the main part of the village until 1945, and gas not until 1968. In 1951, part of a neighbouring area was transferred to Guilden Sutton, adding a further 209 inhabitants. Further new housing was added on a modest scale during the next 15 years, but plans were then drawn up for a large scale expansion which, now completed, has taken the village to its present size.

Local Government Representation

Parish Council

Guilden Sutton has an eight-member elected parish council. Elections will be contested for the first time in recent history in May 2011.

Parish Councillors

Name		Party
	Dr. Imogen Brown	No description
	Alan Davis	No description
	Danny Fisher	No description
	Derek Hughes	No description
	Bill Moulton	No description
	Trisha Paterson (Vice Chairman)	No description
	Sue Ringstead	No description
	Michael Roberts (Chairman)	Independent

Guilden Sutton Parish Council (8 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	(no description)	Imogen Brown	336
	(no description)	Alan Davis	336
	(no description)	Danny Fisher	331
	(no description)	Derek Hughes	333
	(no description)	Jane Hughes	316
	(no description)	Michelle Kerfoot	306
	(no description)	Bill Moulton	265
	(no description)	Patricia Paterson	321
	Independent	Michael Roberts	462
Majority			197 (long) or 41 (short)
Turnout			547 (total ballots)	c. 50%	N/a

Following the election Cllr Kerfoot resigned from the council and was replaced by Bill Moulton, who had previously been a councillor between 2006 and May 2011.

None of the Parish Councillors in Guilden Sutton is affiliated with a political party. The Clerk to the Council is David Norbury.

Cheshire West and Chester Council

The new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester Council replaced Chester City Council and Cheshire County Council on 1 April 2009. Shadow elections to the new unitary authority were held on 1 May 2008, in which Guilden Sutton was part of the Gowy Ward (based on the old Cheshire County Council division of the same name). In May 2011, the ward was renamed 'Chester Villages' and representation was reduced to two councillors. The election was won by Margaret and Stuart Parker for the Conservative Party. Existing Councillor Brian Bailey contested the seat as an Independent and Councillor Hugo Deynem contested the new seat of Tarvin and Kelsall.

Cheshire West and Cheshire Councillors

Name		Party
	Margaret Parker	Conservative
	Stuart Parker	Conservative

Six candidates contested the new Chester Villages ward, of which Guilden Sutton is a part, on 5 May 2011.

Chester Villages ( Christleton, Guilden Sutton, Mickle Trafford and Waverton), (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Brian Bailey	812
	Labour	Paul Cornwall	815
	Labour	Steve Davies	758
	Conservative	Margaret Parker	1880
	Conservative	Stuart Parker	1941
	Independent	Michael Roberts	595
Majority
Turnout

Member of Parliament

The local MP is Chris Matheson, Labour, as Guilden Sutton is part of the City of Chester constituency. The former MP was Stephen Mosley.

See also

• Listed buildings in Guilden Sutton
• St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton

External links

• Guilden Sutton Village website