Places of Interest in the Town
Northwich town centre is a designated
conservation area, which aims to protect the many timber-framed Victorian
properties characterising the commercial centre around High Street and Witton Street.
Environmental enhancement, in the form of traditional street furniture and sign
posting, match the character of the area and extensive tree planting has also
been carried out.
A small number of listed buildings are located
in the town, but few ancient buildings remain as a consequence of past land
subsidence caused by the pumping of brine.
St. Helen's Parish Church - Situated
in Church Road and built on a hill, is, to date, the one building to have
escaped the ravages of land subsidence.
Although heavily restored three times during
the 19th century (in 1842, 1861 and 1884), this impressive church still
includes work of the 14th century but is mainly a perpendicular building which
was mostly erected between 1498 and 1525. The most prominent features are the
polygonal eastern apse with its three vast windows, with almost a wall of glass
and the splendid nave and chancel roofs built around 1525.
Externally the castellations of the tower,
clerestory and aisles are of note, whilst other internal items of interest
include the 17th-century carved beam in the vestry, the decorated reredos in
the south chapel and the south aisle, and several stained glass windows by
Kempe.
Other Churches - The
trustees of the Weaver Navigation used the profits that accrued from the dues
that they charged on the busy waterway for various 'good works'. One was the
construction of churches in the area for the use of watermen and their
families, to ensure they attended on their day off.
One of these is The Holy Trinity Church
in Castle Street, a building erected in 1842. It is ashlar-built with a tower
capped by a thin broach spire.
Rather later is the Roman Catholic Church
of St. Wilfred in Witton Street. Built in 1866, and enlarged 35 years
later, this church has an open timber roof unusually supported on wooden piers.
Architecturally plain is St. Luke's at Winnington, a building erected in
1897 in an imitative 13th-century manner. Its tower was not built, so that the
church has a rather unfinished appearance. Of the town's several Nonconformist
chapels, the most recent is the Methodist Church at Castle, erected in 1972.
Winnington Hall - Situated
within the vast industrial complex of the chemical works of ICI and Brunner
Mond at Winnington. Winnington Hall is one of the oldest buildings still
standing in this part of Cheshire. Part of the house is timber-framed, dating
from the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst the front was rebuilt in about 1780.
It is believed that one of the Wyatts was the architect of this latter work and
that he also built the beautiful Orangery that once adjoined the building, and
the well-proportioned Octagon Room. The Hall was restored in the 1920s.
Public Buildings - 'Black and
White' buildings are a feature in the centre of Northwich and give the streets
a far older appearance than is actual. Most notable and elaborate is the
four-storey gabled frontage of the Old Post Office. Recently taken over by a
local brewery the pub was appropriately named 'The Penny Black' in keeping with
the theme of the post office. Another half-timbered building of note is the
Brunner Public Library, given to the town in 1887 by Sir John Brunner, and
rebuilt after subsidence damage in 1909. It was extended and modernised in 1951
and now has lending, children's and reference sections as well as an exhibition
room.
In The Crescent, off London Road, is Sir
John Deane's Sixth Form College. This brick-built building was a gift from
Sir John Brunner and is the fourth building in the town to have succeeded the
original Grammar School founded by Sir John Deane. The college, with its
swimming pool and fine playing fields, has been considerably extended over the
years by the Cheshire Education Authority.
The first school was founded in 1557 by Sir
John Deane, Priest of St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield, London, and the original
school charter still hangs in the school hall. There are no traces now of the
first two schools, built in Witton Parish churchyard.
The third school and headmaster's house in
Church Road, Northwich were until recently the offices of Northwich Town
Council and other organisations ie. Mencap, Dial-a-Ride and Vale Royal
Disability Services. Due to redevelopment the offices are to be turned into
additional sheltered housing for Victoria House and the Town Council moved
their offices across the road into the Cemetery Lodge. The building now houses
the Burial Registrars offices, 3 further offices, small meeting room, store
rooms and kitchen.
Also in London Road is the former Technical
School; The studios of the Cheshire School of Art and Design, where
students can study a post A-level foundation diploma and a National Diploma in
design. The courses incorporate ceramics, wood, glass, metal, life drawings and
is part of the Mid-Cheshire College of Further Education. The building was built
from terra-cotta from the Northwich kilns in 1897. It has, on its facade,
figures representing science and the arts. Adults can study a new horizons
course in Art and Design. For further information Tel: Mid Cheshire College -
01606 74444
Several modern buildings are now a feature of
the traffic-free shopping precinct described at the beginning of this chapter. The
Memorial Hall, Magistrates' Courts, Medical Centre, Police Station and Market
Hall are all located within the town centre development. The Market Hall,
built in 1967, replaced a much older hall dating from 1876. This new hall has
40 stalls, nine shops and a cafe, and alongside is a spacious covered open
market. The market is popular and very busy on market days, Tuesdays, Fridays
and Saturdays.
The Salt Museum - Situated
on London Road on the way into Northwich from the Manchester Road (A556). The
museum is housed in part of Weaver Hall, built in 1837 as a workhouse. The
museum tells the story of salt working in Cheshire since Roman times. This is
Britain's only Salt Museum, and one of only a very small number of museums
worldwide, devoted to the history of this important and essential natural
resource.
With original artifacts, models,
reconstructions and audio-visual programmes, the history of the salt industry
is graphically brought to life. Not only does the museum look at salt working
through the centuries and its impact upon the people and local environment, but
also looks at the importance of salt in our lives today.
Educational and group visits are welcome, and
the salt reference collection and library are open to researchers, teachers and
party organisers on request.
A Coffee Shop and souvenir and gift shop are
available on site.
Opening
Times. Tuesday - Friday, 10.00am-5.00pm
Saturday and Sunday, 2.00pm-5.00pm (12 noon - 5.00pm during August)
Monday - Closed, excluding August and Bank Holidays.
Enquiries and group bookings - Tel: (01606)
41331.
Lion Salt Works - These
works were the last open-pan salt works operating in this country up until
1986, when the collapse of overseas markets forced the company to close. Now a
registered Trust, and operated by Vale Royal Borough Council, the site is being
painstakingly restored.
The Lion Salt Works, Marston, can be viewed
from the Trent & Mersey Canal or there is a manned exhibition daily, 1.30pm
- 4.30pm. Guided tours can be undertaken by arrangement. Contact The Project
Officer on Tel: (01606) 41823.
The Anderton Boat Lift - Situated
in the Weaver Valley, north of Northwich, the Anderton Boat Lift is one of the
'wonders of the waterways'. It was built in 1875 and extensively altered in
1908 when it was converted to electric operation. The Lift is an elegant
example of the Victorians' mastery of cast iron and hydraulics. To satisfy the
need for very heavy commercial and industrial canal traffic to navigate between
the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal, the Lift provided a more
effective and quicker means of transferring goods than the slow and
labour-intensive inclined planes, hoists and chutes. It ceased operation in
1983 due to corrosion of its main supports. Fundraising and the
restoration works are now completed by the Anderton Boat Lift Trust,and the Lift has been restored to full working order.
The site may be viewed from the Trent
& Mersey Canal at Anderton at all times, but access to the structure itself
is not possible. Further information can be obtained from the British Waterways
Board. Tel: (01606) 74321.
Other Places to Visit - Northwich provides the
ideal base from which to tour the historic heartland of Cheshire. Other places
of interest in the region are:
Arley
Hall and Gardens. Tel: (0 1565) 777284,
The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port. Tel: (0151) 355 5017
Catalyst, Museum for the Chemical Industry, Mersey Road, Widnes. Tel:
(0151) 420 1121
Delamere Forest Visitor Centre, Linmere. Tel: (01606) 882167
Jodrell Bank (Radio Telescope). Tel:01477 571339
Stockley Open Farm, Arley. Tel: (01565) 777323
Tabley House, Knutsford. Tel: (01565) 750151
Tatton Hall and Country Park. Tel: (01565) 654822
