Spath

For other uses, see Spath (disambiguation).

Spath is a small village located 0.3 miles (0.48 km) north of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. The village is on the River Tean and is separated from Uttoxeter by the A50 road.

Spath
Spath Location within Staffordshire
OS grid reference	SK085352
Civil parish	Uttoxeter Rural
District	East Staffordshire
Shire county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	UTTOXETER
Postcode district	ST14
Dialling code	01889
Police	Staffordshire
Fire	Staffordshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Burton and Uttoxeter
List of places UK England Staffordshire 52.915°N 1.873°W / 52.915; -1.873

History

In UK railway history, Spath was on the now disused Churnet Valley Line, owned and operated by North Staffordshire Railway. The village is notable as the site of the first automatic half barrier crossing in the United Kingdom, which came into operation on 5 February 1961.^[1][2][3] The railway closed four years later and the road which crossed it via the automatic crossing is now gated. There is no remaining visible sign of the crossing.

Spath was the original home of the Stevensons of Uttoxeter bus company.