St. Peter ad Vincula
Prior to the construction of the railways, the land now occupied by Winton Square was known as Winton's Wood in Shelton, a previously independent town now part of Stoke-on-Trent. The area formed part of the glebe land attached to the nearby Church of St. Peter ad Vincula and was named for church rector John Winton. The land remained under the ownership of the church until it was purchased by The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) in 1846 with the intention of building its principal station and headquarters there.