▁in ▁Staff ord shire , ▁England , ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁Staff ord ▁and ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁Sto ke - on - Tr ent ▁and ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁R uge ley . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁urban ▁district ▁council ▁and ▁a ▁rural ▁district ▁council ▁before ▁becoming ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Bor ough ▁of ▁Staff ord ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁Population ▁ ▁Stone ▁is ▁a ▁growing ▁town , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁census . ▁Stone ▁recorded ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 2 , 3 0 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁ 1 4 , 5 5 5 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁and ▁ 1 6 , 3 8 5 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁ring ▁d itch ▁at ▁P ire hill ▁suggesting ▁occupation ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁times ▁( Count y ▁Ar che ology ). ▁ ▁Stone ▁lies ▁within ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Age ▁C elt ic ▁tribe ▁' the ▁cor nov ii ' ▁( people ▁of ▁the ▁horn ; ▁perhaps ▁a ▁horn ed ▁god ▁or ▁top ographical ▁feature ) ▁mentioned ▁by ▁P to le my ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁AD ▁in ▁Ge ograph ia . ▁To ▁the ▁north west ▁of ▁Stone ▁lies ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁hill ▁for ts ▁which ▁over look s ▁the ▁Tr ent ▁and ▁perhaps ▁the ▁salt ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁history ▁of ▁Stone ▁is ▁unclear ▁and ▁cloud ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁medieval ▁rom