Ena Sharples (also Schofield) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Violet Carson.
Ena was the widowed caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall and spent much of her time criticising the activities and loose morals of the street's other residents.
Almost always wearing a double-breasted overcoat and hairnet, she spent much of her free time in the serial's early years with her two cronies, Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol) and Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant), in the snug bar of local pub The Rovers Return Inn, drinking milk stout.
In turn, Elsie strongly disliked Ena for her seemingly incessant gossip and desire to know about the private lives of others, and the two confronted each other frequently.
It attracted little media or public attention, as the producers intended for her to continue in the serial and the character was merely going to stay with a friend, Henry Foster, in St Annes while her flat in Coronation Street was being renovated.
However, all subsequent storylines involving Ena had to be scrapped owing to Carson developing symptoms of pernicious anemia and becoming too ill to appear.
During her school days Ena met Martha Hartley (Lynne Carol) and Minnie Carlton (Margot Bryant), establishing lifelong friendships.
An attentive student with a strong Christian upbringing, Ena became devoted to her religion and developed a firm belief in the importance of rules, regulations and morals.
Ena collapsed due to the stress but walked out of hospital to return to her post so that Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol), who had taken on her responsibilities while she recovered, could not steal her job.
Still unhappy with the working conditions, however, Ena walked out of the job later in the year and moved in with Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant), with Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth) briefly taking on the caretaker position.
Later that year Ena's great nephew, Tom Schofield (David Holliday), visited her and invited her to her brother's home in the US for an extended stay.
Upon her return, Ena was horrified to see the Mission converted into a Community Centre, with social worker Ruth Winter (Colette O'Neil) employed there full-time.
Despite her age, Ena was determined to secure the position of caretaker, and scared off her competitor Hetty Thorpe (Margery Withers) by warning her about the violence in the area.
When she disappeared with the centre's keys at Christmas, preventing the children from getting any presents, Ena assumed she would be sacked and left to stay with Henry Foster in St. Annes.
Angered by the lack of progress that prevented her from moving back into her home, she left to stay in St. Annes, unsure about whether or not to return to Coronation Street.
In 1989, Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) said that, due to recent events in Coronation Street, "Ena Sharples would be turning in her grave", confirming that she had died by this time.