Spath

Spath, is a small village north of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. For population details as taken at the 2011 census see Uttoxeter Rural.Spath is on the River Tean and is divided from Uttoxeter by the A50 road.In UK railway history, Spath is notable as the site of the first automatic (i.e. train-operated) level crossing in the United Kingdom (AHBC - Automatic Half Barrier Crossing), which came into operation on 5 February 1961. The railway has now been dismantled, the road which crossed it via the automatic crossing is now gated and only leads to a farm and there is no remaining visible sign of the crossing. More information about the development of the automatic barriers at Spath crossing can be found at the Derby Signalling web site.Spath was the original home of Stevensons of Uttoxeter, a bus company which celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2007.Spath is sometimes used as slang, or shorthand, for "sociopath" or "psychopath".