Northwich & Around in 50 Buildings

Northwich, at the heart of the Cheshire plain, has an impressive history stretching back to Roman times when the surrounding area was exploited for its salt pans. Although the town’s history goes back so far, the township was a very small one, comprising little more than six square acres of land. It was surrounded by nearby larger communities such as Witton-cum-Twambrooks, Leftwich, Hartford and Davenham. However, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Northwich expanded to incorporate many of these neighbouring towns and villages, and is now largely indistinguishable from such parishes. There is one long continuous ribbon of development stretching out into the Cheshire countryside.In ’Northwich & Around in 50 Buildings’, local authors Adrian L. Bridge and Dawn Preece seek out landmarks and structures from across the centuries which are significant to the town. These are the buildings that reveal the fascinating history of Northwich and its envrions and tell the story of its people and their way of life. Focusing upon key themes including ancient buildings, portable buildings, industrial heritage, residences of the rich and poor, Victorian paternalism, leisure and retail, and modern buildings, the authors study a wide range of structures that served many different purposes and were built in contrasting styles.Among those featured are Vale Royal Abbey, Arley Hall, the Lion Salt Works, Anderton Boat Lift, the local workhouse, churches, schools, pubs, hospitals and places of entertainment. Coming right up to the twenty-first century, the Baron’s Quay development and the Northwich Memorial Court complex are also included in this detailed and engaging chronicle of the area’s history and architecture.

Adrian L. Bridge was born in the local area and has a BA in history, an MA, a PGCE, and was a postgraduate research scholar with the British Academy. He lectured in history for nearly 20 years, at various further and higher-education institutions. Although semi-retired, Adrian continues to work on a part-time basis as a senior assessment specialist with the Cambridge Assessment wing of the University of Cambridge. Dawn L. Bridge is a history graduate, originally from Stoke. She is a specialist in women’s history, having organised and delivered exhibitions on the subject. Dawn has delivered a number of local history talks to Cheshire Women’s Institutes and Mothers’ Unions.