Description:Chell is situated in the northern district of the Potteries. It is in the eastern part of the district of Tunstall, just over a mile from Tunstall and Burslem. Great Chell and Little Chell were originally part of the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Wolstanton. When Chell ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1925, the area included Pitt’s Hill, Chell Green, Turnhurst and Fegg Hayes.
In 1313 Chell was known as ‘Ceolegh’. The name possibly originates from ‘Ceol’s lea’ an Anglo-Saxon personal name of ‘Ceol’, pronounced ‘Chell ‘, and ‘lea’, the second part of the name being cut off through time, leaving Ceol. Another view is that the name relates to the geography of the area. ‘Ceole’ means ‘throat’ in Old English, a term also used to mean a narrow valley. Chell is situated at the end of a ridge with a narrow valley.
Chell does not feature separately in the Domesday Survey of 1086, although Wolstanton, Tunstall and Burslem are mentioned. However there has been a manor at Chell since at least the beginning of the 13th century, when Chell was held by Eugenulph de Gresley and his wife Aline.
By the time of the Hearth Tax assessment of 1666, a total of 10 households at Chell were assessed as liable for the payment of the tax on 15 hearths. The largest property was that of William Beech who had four hearths. No households were recorded as being too poor to pay the tax.
Chell was well situated for small scale industrial development. Millstone was being quarried in the area around Chell from at least the 13th century and in 1831 - 32 Chell stone provided the stone for Christ Church, Tunstall. There is evidence of coal and ironstone mining at Chell from at least the 1340s. Clay was also being extracted in the area. In 1683, a court order was made for the filling in of clay pits at Pitts Hill Bank.
The area developed due to the continued expansion of the pottery industry, especially during and after the 18th century and because of the increasing demand for local coal and ironstone. By the mid 19th century, local operators such as Robert Beswick were developing the local coal and ironstone seams on a larger scale than had occurred previously.
The Potteries Loop railway line, which was opened in 1873, included a station at Pitts Hill in 1874. A mineral line was also opened in 1875, which extended from the main line at Longport through Chell to Chattereley Whitfield Colliery.
In 1834 the formation of the Wolstanton and Burslem Poor Law Union led to the building of a new workhouse at Chell. It housed up to 400 people. In 1879 a burial ground was consecrated by the Bishop of Lichfield at the workhouse, and in 1894 a new hospital was added at the site.
The Mission Church, built at Great Chell in 1882, was originally a chapel of ease for the parish of St. James, Newchapel. It was replaced in 1894 by the parish church of St. Michael and All Angels, built in the Early English style.
The Primitive Methodists had a strong presence in the area, originating at Mow Cop and the Potteries in the early 19th century. Pitts Hill Primitive Methodist Society was in existence at the start of the Primitive Methodist Society in 1811, but only lasted for one year. A new chapel was built in 1823 which was enlarged at various times during the 19th century. At Chell Heath, a Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in 1868 from the proceeds of the sale of Mount Tabor Chapel, Tunstall. Lear Memorial Chapel was built at Fegg Hayes in 1882 and extended in 1897.
The Wesleyan Methodist School Chapel was built at Great Chell in 1874 and closed in 1958.
A Roman Catholic mass-centre, opened at Chell Heath primary school in 1951, served from the Sacred Heart Church, Tunstall
Education for children at Chell was provided initially by the non-conformist churches, including the Wesleyan Sunday School. It was replaced by Chell Board School, which in turn became the County Junior and Infant Schools. Pitts Hill Primitive Methodist Sunday School opened in 1872 and transferred to the school board in 1875. It closed in 1877 with the pupils transferring to Chell Board School. Mill Hill County Junior and Infants schools opened in the early 1950’s at Little Chell.
Chell County Secondary School in St. Michael’s Road, Chell opened in 1947 and occupied the premises of the Methodist Sunday School. From 1948 – 1953 the premises were shared with Hanley High School whose buildings had been condemned due to mining subsidence.
Job Ridgway [1759 – 1814], one of the founder members of the Methodist New Connexion at Hanley, was born at Chell. He was a potter and became joint-owner of the Bell Pottery Works at Hanley. The Potteries Museum is now on the site. Later he became owner of the Cauldon Pottery Works at Hanley.
Charlotte Rhead [1885 – 1947], the famous pottery designer, lived at Chell during the 1930s.