I vow to thee my country and Jupiter
Created | Updated Apr 12, 2006
In the vast green splendour of Tatton Park on the outskirts of Knutsford, the family of the Egerton dynasty, who came over with the Conqueror, has left the nation a splendid mansion house, and it is believed, about 10,000 acres of parkland and a vast clear lake. It is the venue of the Cheshire Show (agricultural and craft-skill fair) and concerts, outdoor and indoor. Deer roam freely in a large reserve area. The long approach to the house is similar to that at Blenheim Palace with two straight rows of mature Oak and Beech trees down each side of the lane. The two parks are about equal in size, and very alike.
Also in mid-Cheshire are the 'Wiches' or 'Wyches', towns built over vast deposits of salt: Northwich is the main one, then Middlewich, Leftwich, and the vast underground caverns of salt mines in Winsford. These have those large-wheeled dumper trucks you see in open cast mines. They are taken down the mine in pieces and assembled down there, never to come up in one piece! There are traffic lights and road signs in squared-off tunnels with two lanes of traffic! Much of the rocksalt is used on the roads of Britain in winter to grit and melt the ice.
The chemical industries of north-west and mid Cheshire use brine from local brine wells in their processing of soda-ash and chlorine. The Romans were the first people to mine salt in the area. There was a Roman castle in Northwich, standing on what is now called Castle, a smaller shopping and residential district of the town.
Much of the county is still, of course, prime farming land, with a very fertile loam suitable for both arable farming and cattle rearing. Cheshire stands in the lea of the Welsh mountains, in a 'rain-shadow' region. The Cheshire plain forms what is called the Cheshire Gap by the meteorologists.
The presence of cattle and dairy farming in the county led to the development of the leather tanning industry in the four main tanneries in Runcorn, which had always been both an urban (and rural) district of Cheshire. The chemical industry of Cheshire and south-west Lancashire developed to serve the needs of the tanning industry as one of its main customers. It provided the dyes, developed by the pioneering chemists of the University of Manchester, and financed by industrial entrepreneures like Sir John Brunner and Hamilton Y. Castner, an American mining engineer and Karl Kellner, a German chemist.
Below is a small selection of villages and towns which should wet your appetite to visit Cheshire.
Alsager
Alsager, situated next the Staffordshire border, and is a thriving town that has managed to retain its rural charm. It has two parish churches of note in addition to places of worship for Roman Catholics and Nonconformists.
These are Christ Church and St. Mary Magdalene. The former is the older and was erected by the Misses Alsager in 1789. St. Mary Magdalene's was completed in 1898 although the tower was never built.
The Leisure Centre in Alsager has a large sports hall, gymnasium, swimming pool, squash courts, outdoor floodlit artificial pitch together with a licensed bar and refreshment facilities. For outdoor recreation there is a private 18 hole golf course, public playing fields, together with tennis, bowls, football and cricket clubs.
Alsager Mere is a must for walkers and presents a picturesque stretch of tree-flanked water. These walkways also connect up with other public footpaths through the countryside.
Alsager is served by trains on the Crewe to Stoke and Derby line and bus services provide links with nearby towns. The Trent and Mersey Canal is also nearby.
The centre of Alsager also provides adequate facilities for local shopping. In addition a varied selection of eating establishments provide a range of dining out places for that special occasion including inexpensive ones for bar snacks, etc. Several hotels in the town cater for tourists and business users alike.
Audlem
This small canal-side village is a popular place for a stroll by the canal on a summer evening or a quiet drink or meal at the local pub called the "Shroppie Fly", named after the fly-boats, fast horse-drawn water-buses.
Congleton
The town of Congleton, which gives its name to the Borough, has a number of half timbered buildings as well as a fine "Venetian Gothic" Town Hall. Its origins seem date back to Neolithic times and the remains of a Stone Age chambered tomb known as the Bridestones can still be seen on the hill road to Leek. Other archaeological finds suggest there may have been Bronze Age settlement in the area. The River Dane was named because of its reputed usage by Scandinavian settlers in Congleton in the 9th to 11th centuries.
In 1752, the first silk mill was built and by 1771 this industry had restored the town's prosperity. Ribbon weaving began in the 1750's, was followed in 1784 by cotton spinning and a small wares trade came later. The textile industry was the major activity until light industry and the engineering and paper trades arrived to give the district a more varied industrial basis.
Congleton is one of four towns in Cheshire to have retained the main elements of its mediaeval street plan. The town centre has now been relieved of through traffic by an inner-relief road which has allowed the central shopping area to be pedestrianised.
Crewe
Crewe, one half of the Borough or Crewe and Nantwich, played a major part in the industrial revolution that transformed the modern world. Crewe is home to Crewe Station, a rail route to the North, South, East and West of the country where many a northern standup comic has found inspiration for an opening line while awaiting a connection.
The town was founded on the fortunes of the Grand Junction Railway Company, evolving in the mid-nineteenth century from a small hamlet into a thriving community. The railway lead to the development of what was once the town's largest employer, the railway works where steam locomotives and rolling stock were made.
'The Railway Age,' should be a visit to enthusiasts where Crewe's railway heritage can be explored and steam locomotives examined at close quarters.
Crewe, until recently was the home of Rolls-Royce motor car factory. It now only produces Bently, which is just as luxurious, and in the good old days, the only difference between the Rolls-Royce and a Bently was the design of the radiator grille. Rolls-Royce also produced the diesel engines for the early diesil rail cars (2 to 3 coaches per train).
At the railway station, Bombardier's Crwe depot is now the last place in the UK where trains are built.
The Lyceum Theatre is a fine Edwardian building which has recently undergone major refurbishment with the auditorium being restored to its original splendour.
Holmes Chapel
The northern boundary of Holmes Chapel is the River Dane which flows west. This is crossed by an impressive railway viaduct of 23 x 63 ft. brick spans taking the railway line up to one hundred and five feet above the floor of the valley that the river runs through. The viaduct was completed in 1842 and is still in use on the main Manchester to Crewe line.
Nearby stand the magnificant telescope complex at Jodrell Bank whose giant reflector dish dominates the Cheshire Plain.
These two great structures were built for Manchester University in 1952-7 and 1962-4. The larger, Lovell Telescope, is now a Grade 1 Listed Building. It weighs 3,500 tons and is 250 feet in diameter. The smaller has a bowl 125 feet by 84 feet in diameter. The Jodrell Bank complex has a wide range of areas to view and they include: Concourse Building, Planetarium, Exhibition of Modern Astronomy, picnic gardens and Arboretum.
Nantwich
Nantwich, second half of the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich, is a town with a totally different character to that of its neighbour. It is is a smaller and older market town set beside the meandering River Weaver with a medieval street pattern.
Just as Crewe is associated with railways, so Nantwich is associated with salt, Cheshire cheese, and picturesque black and white buildings. In Medieval times salt was used for cheesemaking and tanning. The restored Brine Spring, known as 'Old Biot' on the banks of the River Weaver, is a reminder of when salt production was the mainstay of the town's economy.
Nantwich has survived many disasters throughout the years. In the 11th Century it was razed to the ground by Norman invaders. Nearly 2 centries later it was attacked by Welsh marauders, and finally in 1583 it was almost destroyed by the great fire. The town was rebuilt with the help of Queen Elizabeth 1.
Nantwich supported the Parliamentarians during the civil war and was besieged several times by Royalists. Eventually the town was relieved on 25th January 1644 and the townspeople celebrated by wearing holly in their hats. Every year the Battle of Nantwich is remembered with a re-enactment on 'Holly Holy Day.'
A 'Walkabout Tour' leaflet is on sale at the Tourist Information Centre where a free Tourist Guide can also be obtained.
Surrounding Crewe and Nantwich are a multitude of beautiful villages set in classic English countryside. Many of the villages date back to before the Norman conquest and several have been listed as conservation areas because of their attractive and historic buildings.
One of these villages is Barbridge. Below is a quote from a gentleman who used to live in the village some 65 to 70 years ago.
At the age of 5, myself, and my brothers, Bill, Reg, Harold and Norman, used to walk to 2 1/2 miles to Calveley School. In those days there were no buses laid on and no short cuts could be taken because the bridges over the canal were quite far apart in that area.
It was a beautiful walk and kept us in tip top condition. Being one of 13 children, I think my family pretty much kept the school in service.
Tattenhall
With a combination of shops, pubs, modern and traditional houses and fine community facilities, Tattenhall is a typical rural small Cheshire town and is an ideal spot at which to stop and relax while touring the county's delightful countryside.
The nearby Peckforton Hills form part of a sandstone ridge that rises above the Cheshire Plain in the west of the county. The Ridge begins in Frodsham and winds it's way to Whitchurch. It is magnificent walking country with the hills provide panoramic views across a patchwork landscape of hedges, trees and ponds.
Within ten minutes drive of Tattenhall are two famous castles. The ruins of 13th century Beeston, destroyed in the English Civil War three hundred years ago, stands dramatically on a craggy, tree covered hill. The steep climb to the top is rewarded with views as far as North Wales in the West and the Pennines in the East.
Peckforton Castle, just a short distance away, is a perfect Victorian copy of a medieval fortification. It was used as the location for the Hollywood production of Robin Hood, starring Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurmann.
Below is a list of all the major cities, towns and villages in Cheshire
Acton Bridge | Adlington | Alderley Edge | Aldersey Green | Aldford | Allgreave | Allostock | Alsager | Altrincham | Arclid | Astmoor | Aston | Audlem | Barbridge | Barthomley | Barton | Beechwood | Beeston | Betchton | Bollington | Bosley | Bredbury | Bridge Trafford | Broadbottom | Bromborough | Broughton | Broxton | Budworth | Bunbury | Burtonwood | Calveley | Castlefields | Cheadle | Cheadle Hulme | Chester | Childer Thornton | Christleton | Church Minshull | Comberbach | Congleton | Cotebrook | Cottages throughout the county | Crewe | Crowton | Cuddington | Daresbury | Darnhall | Delamere | Disley | Dukinfield | Eaton | Ellesmere Port | Elton | Elworth | Frankby | Frodsham | Gatley | Great Barrow | Great Budworth | Great Sutton | Handforth | Handley | Hazel Grove | Heald Green | Helsby | Higher Burwardsley | Higher Kinnerton | Holmes Chapel | Hyde | Kerridge | Kingsley | Knutsford | Langley | Little Budworth | Little Leigh | Little Neston | Little Sutton | Lower Peover | Lower Whitley | Lymm | Macclesfield | Malpas | Marbury | Marple | Marple Bridge | Marston | Middlewich | Millbrook | Millington | Mobberley | Mold | Mottram | Mouldsworth | Moulton | Nantwich | Neston | Newton | Norley | Northop | Northwich | Oscroft | Over Peover | Parkgate | Penketh | Pickmere | Plumley | Poynton | Prenton | Prestbury | Rainow | Romiley | Rossett | Runcorn | Rushton Spencer | Sale | Sandbach | Sandiway | Saughall | Stalybridge | Stockport | Stoke-on-Trent | Styal | Sutton | Sutton Weaver | Swettenham | Tarporley | Tarvin | Timperley | Tushingham Cum Grindley | Walgherton | Warmingham | Warrington | Waverton | Weaverham | Whitegate | Widnes | Willaston | Willington | Wilmslow | Wincham | Wincle | Winsford | Winwick | Wirral | Woodley | Wrenbury | Wybunbury |
Population statistics as per National Census of 2001
Age Range Total Males Females
0 - 4 37963 19383 18580
5 - 9 42469 22021 20448
10 - 14 43823 22564 21259
15 - 19 39132 19625 19507
20 - 24 32108 15765 16343
25 - 29 38735 19179 19556
30 - 34 48851 23567 25284
35 - 39 53805 26529 27276
40 - 44 48591 24282 24309
45 - 49 45368 22695 22673
50 - 54 51335 25415 25920
55 - 59 42807 21492 21315
60 - 64 36461 17882 18579
65 - 69 31819 15316 16503
70 - 74 28633 13071 15562
75 - 79 23288 9803 13485
80 - 84 15475 5795 9680
85 - 89 8713 2669 6044
90 and over 4412 959 3453
Totals 673788 328012 345776
