Great Warford
Encyclopedia
Great Warford is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority
of Cheshire East
and the ceremonial county
of Cheshire
, England
.
A predominantly farming settlement that has existed for about a thousand years, it is now also important for private healthcare
and property development. The population today is 1710. There is no real municipal centre in terms of population density and importance; the "Warford Park" development is home to some 300 people. Its amenities include an on-site health/leisure club, tennis courts, Warford Park Bowling Club and several acres of gardens/lake and parkland.
Great Warford does not have direct access to national transport networks, having no railway or bus station. It is however in the centre of "The Golden Triangle" subtended by Alderley Edge
, Knutsford
and Wilmslow
and so is well served by varied schools, shops, restaurants, entertainment and places of worship. The North West's extensive motorway network is close enough without too much detrimental effect on its rural qualities. It is not far from Manchester Airport and a successful local golf
club and an assortment of local footpaths provide the only remarkable tourist attractions.
, Chorley
, Marthall
, Mobberley
and Nether Alderley. Area beyond this is assigned to other practicing parish councils. The core area could be said to be the area encompassing the Stag’s Head public house, Warford Crescent and Warford Hall
.
The entirety of Great Warford is covered by the WA16 & SK9 postal areas. The local telephone area code is 01565 which it has in common with Knutsford
but not nearby Alderley Edge
. Welcome signs on all inroads define the ‘Great Warford area’. It is part of the electoral district of Tatton.
The "built-up" area of Great Warford has expanded much in the last 20 years. This is due to its origins as a farming settlement and the ‘greenbelt’ status of the general location. The area is policed by the Cheshire Police Authority. Unlike neighbouring Little Warford, Great Warford lacks a defining village hall. This has led to contention of Great Warford’s official status as a village. However, this has led to no official review to date.
Perhaps the site with most historical interest is Great Warford Baptist Chapel
on Merrimans Lane. It is the closest thing the village has to a central focal point. A visit to holy communion on Easter Sunday for local residents, whatever their faith is something of a tradition.
Mobberley Brook is a tributary of the River Bollin with a slow, placid current like its parent. After flowing east through Chorley, it becomes the Whitehall Brook. The slow current of the brook abates the threat of flooding which would otherwise be a concern on such flat land.
. The bonfire would be built during the preceding months relying entirely on contributions from the locals. This practice was halted by the Parish Council in the early 1990s due to health and safety concerns regarding its proximity to Merrimans Lane and its unregulated nature in general.
The course at Wilmslow Golf Club (situated in Great Warford despite its name) doubles as a recreational park and woodland area, it being traversed by several public footpaths.
under its contemporary name of ‘Warforde’. Its entry dates from 1086 and contains a list of local families and landowners (including Ralph the Huntsman).
ancient parish in the Macclesfiled Hundred
of Cheshire
. Under the Poor Law amendment Act 1866 the township of Great Warford became a civil parish in its own right. One-hundred-and-two acres were transferred to Mobberley
civil parish in 1936. Between 1894 and 1974 the Great Warford was part of Macclesfield Rural District
. From 1974 the civil parish was served by the Borough of Macclesfield
, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new unitary authority
of Cheshire East
.
Great Warford Parish Council has few major rights and/or obligations and are responsible to the higher authorities above them. They do however manage local amenities and have a watching brief on local issues and their opinion is noted by those higher authorities in matters concerning them such as local planning issues.
. The incumbent representative is Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne.
which runs between Alderley Edge and Holmes Chapel. The B5085 also provides direct access to Knutsford as well as a direct route to Wilmslow bypassing Alderley Edge.
An episode of the television series Who Do You Think You Are? which follows celebrities attempts to trace back their family history centred on David Dickinson and revealed how his Turkish grandfather Hrant Gulessarian lived the life of an English country gentleman with his wife Marie-Adelaide, the daughter of a Moss Side baker, in Great Warford just 20 minutes' drive from David's present-day home.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Cheshire East
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
and the ceremonial county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
A predominantly farming settlement that has existed for about a thousand years, it is now also important for private healthcare
Private healthcare
Private healthcare or private medicine is healthcare and medicine provided by entities other than the government. The term is generally used more in Europe and other countries which have publicly-funded health care, to differentiate the arrangement from the usual system.Ethical issues relating to...
and property development. The population today is 1710. There is no real municipal centre in terms of population density and importance; the "Warford Park" development is home to some 300 people. Its amenities include an on-site health/leisure club, tennis courts, Warford Park Bowling Club and several acres of gardens/lake and parkland.
Great Warford does not have direct access to national transport networks, having no railway or bus station. It is however in the centre of "The Golden Triangle" subtended by Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,409....
, Knutsford
Knutsford
Knutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
and Wilmslow
Wilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
and so is well served by varied schools, shops, restaurants, entertainment and places of worship. The North West's extensive motorway network is close enough without too much detrimental effect on its rural qualities. It is not far from Manchester Airport and a successful local golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
club and an assortment of local footpaths provide the only remarkable tourist attractions.
Defining Great Warford
Great Warford can be defined as the area presided over by Great Warford Parish Council. A slightly larger population can be estimated by inclusion of farmland (former or current) occupying space between the boundaries of Great Warford and neighbouring ChelfordChelford
Chelford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is near to the junction of the A537 and A535 roads, about six miles west of Macclesfield, and six miles south-east of Knutsford. It is served by a small railway...
, Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Marthall
Marthall
Marthall is a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is around 3 miles from Knutsford....
, Mobberley
Mobberley
Mobberley is a semi-rural village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, situated between Wilmslow and Knutsford. Mobberley railway station lies on the Manchester to Northwich and Chester line and was opened on 12 May, 1862 by the Cheshire...
and Nether Alderley. Area beyond this is assigned to other practicing parish councils. The core area could be said to be the area encompassing the Stag’s Head public house, Warford Crescent and Warford Hall
Warford Hall
Warford Hall is a country house located in the village of Great Warford, Cheshire, England. It was designed by W. Roberts, and built in 1867 for J. C. Rowley. It is a large house in Italianate style, constructed in red brick and Alderley Edge stone...
.
The entirety of Great Warford is covered by the WA16 & SK9 postal areas. The local telephone area code is 01565 which it has in common with Knutsford
Knutsford
Knutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
but not nearby Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,409....
. Welcome signs on all inroads define the ‘Great Warford area’. It is part of the electoral district of Tatton.
The "built-up" area of Great Warford has expanded much in the last 20 years. This is due to its origins as a farming settlement and the ‘greenbelt’ status of the general location. The area is policed by the Cheshire Police Authority. Unlike neighbouring Little Warford, Great Warford lacks a defining village hall. This has led to contention of Great Warford’s official status as a village. However, this has led to no official review to date.
Perhaps the site with most historical interest is Great Warford Baptist Chapel
Baptist Chapel, Great Warford
Baptist Chapel, Great Warford is located in Merryman's Lane in the village of Great Warford, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-History:...
on Merrimans Lane. It is the closest thing the village has to a central focal point. A visit to holy communion on Easter Sunday for local residents, whatever their faith is something of a tradition.
Topography and climate
Great Warford covers an area of 1181 acres (4.8 km²) making it a medium-sized village. Its primary geographical feature is Mobberley Brook, an unnavigable stream which crosses the outskirts of the village from the west to the east. The valley that it runs through is a floodplain surrounded by gently undulating farmland such as Springfield and Pownall House Farm. These farms and others like them present the origins of Great Warford as an agricultural settlement, and therefore Great Warford is of irregular shape.Mobberley Brook is a tributary of the River Bollin with a slow, placid current like its parent. After flowing east through Chorley, it becomes the Whitehall Brook. The slow current of the brook abates the threat of flooding which would otherwise be a concern on such flat land.
Built Environment
Much of the local housing is Victorian in design. Council houses built during the early 20th century were occupied by local health workers from the 1950s onward and are now owned privately as semi-detached property. A new housing estate at Buttermere Drive now occupies the site were the hospitals administrative centre once stood. Other buildings of note include:- ‘Warford Hall’ – An old hall with a spire recently purchased by ex-footballer Ashley Ward. Like many local buildings, it is the ex-property of Mary Dendy Hospital.
- ‘Great Warford Baptist Chapel’ was reputed to have been founded in 1640 by Parliamentary soldiers.
- ‘Heathgate Farmhouse’ A large, striking, white detached building which has a showjumping course on it land.
Parks and gardens
Warford Green (lying next to Warford Crescent) is a large stomach-shaped green populated by several large trees. The local residents used to hold an annual bonfire and fireworks party here every Guy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
. The bonfire would be built during the preceding months relying entirely on contributions from the locals. This practice was halted by the Parish Council in the early 1990s due to health and safety concerns regarding its proximity to Merrimans Lane and its unregulated nature in general.
The course at Wilmslow Golf Club (situated in Great Warford despite its name) doubles as a recreational park and woodland area, it being traversed by several public footpaths.
Early Great Warford
Great Warford is mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
under its contemporary name of ‘Warforde’. Its entry dates from 1086 and contains a list of local families and landowners (including Ralph the Huntsman).
Role in Norman and Medieval Cheshire
The village did not expand much in the Medieval and Norman periods due to its boundaries being defined agriculturally. Little Warford, Marthall, Nether Alderley, Chelford, Mobberley and Chorley (as Alderley Edge was then known) all had their own land which meant that expansion beyond the existing borders was impossible.Rise of modern Great Warford
Great Warford’s contribution to agriculture continued through the 20th Century to the modern day. However, for the last 60 years, other industries such as leisure and healthcare have begun to dominate Great Warford’s identity.Local government
Great Warford was a township of the AlderleyAlderley
Alderley could beUnited Kingdom*Alderley, Cheshire, England*Alderley, Gloucestershire, EnglandAustralia*Alderley, Queensland, AustraliaUnited States*Alderley, Wisconsin-See also:United Kingdom*Alderley Edge, Cheshire, England...
ancient parish in the Macclesfiled Hundred
Macclesfield (hundred)
The hundred of Macclesfield was an ancient division of the historic county of Cheshire, in northern England. It was known to have been in existence at least as early as 1242, and it was formed to a great extent from the earlier Domesday hundred of Hamestan...
of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Under the Poor Law amendment Act 1866 the township of Great Warford became a civil parish in its own right. One-hundred-and-two acres were transferred to Mobberley
Mobberley
Mobberley is a semi-rural village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, situated between Wilmslow and Knutsford. Mobberley railway station lies on the Manchester to Northwich and Chester line and was opened on 12 May, 1862 by the Cheshire...
civil parish in 1936. Between 1894 and 1974 the Great Warford was part of Macclesfield Rural District
Macclesfield Rural District
Macclesfield Rural District was a rural district of Cheshire, England from 1894 to 1974. All of it is now part of the borough of Macclesfield.Macclesfield as a Municipal Borough and Bollington as an urban district formed an enclave which was surrounded by Macclesfield RD.The district was formed in...
. From 1974 the civil parish was served by the Borough of Macclesfield
Macclesfield (borough)
Macclesfield was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It included the towns of Bollington, Knutsford, Macclesfield and Wilmslow and within its wider area the villages and hamlets of Adlington, Disley, Gawsworth, Kerridge, Pott Shrigley, Poynton,...
, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Cheshire East
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
.
Great Warford Parish Council has few major rights and/or obligations and are responsible to the higher authorities above them. They do however manage local amenities and have a watching brief on local issues and their opinion is noted by those higher authorities in matters concerning them such as local planning issues.
Parliamentary elections
Great Warford is part of the Parliamentary Constituency of TattonTatton (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :- Sources :* Data for the 2005 election are from the .* Data for the 2001 election are from http://www.election.demon.co.uk/....
. The incumbent representative is Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne.
- Electoral districts: North Cheshire (1832–67); East CheshireEast Cheshire (UK Parliament constituency)East Cheshire was parliamentary constituency which returned two Member of Parliament s to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held using the bloc vote system.- History :...
(1868–85); KnutsfordKnutsfordKnutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
(1885–1948); MacclesfieldMacclesfieldMacclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
(1949–74)
Economy
The villages main contributions to local industry come in agriculture (several working farms still operate in the area), leisure (Wilmslow Golf Club), food (the Frozen Mop public house) and mental healthcare in both the public (Mary Dendy Hospital) and private (David Lewis Centre) sectors.Demographics
In the context of National Statistics, Great Warford belongs to the ward of Chelford. The 2001 Census portrayed the population to be-
- Males 49%
- Females 51%
- Age 0-15 19%
- Age 16-17 2%
- Age 18-24 4%
- Age 25-59 46%
- Age 60-64 7%
- Age 65-74 12%
- Age 75+ 11%
Ethnicity
The 2001 Census showed the racial breakdown to be 98% white. Of the remaining 2%, the dominant ethnic background was Asian or Asian British.Foreign born
The increase of migrant workers from Eastern Europe after entry to the EU has had a significant impact on nearby Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, with many foreign nationals now living and working there. However, this is not true of Warford, presumably because of the lack of a railway station, the unlikelihood of an immigrant worker owning a car and the lack of local job vacancies. As a result, the population of the village is still almost exclusively British.Religion
The 2001 census showed:- Christian 84%
- Other major religions 2%
- Other religion 0%
- No Religion 10%
- Religion not stated 4%
Rail
There is no national railway station in Warford, the population being serviced by the stations at Alderley Edge and Chelford. The stretch of line between these two stations runs under a road bridge and past the fields at Dean Green and this excellent vantage point has been used constantly by trainspotters and railway enthusiasts to photograph trains, particularly during special runs.Bus
The days when a regular bus to and from Alderley Edge ran from the bus stop at Warford Crescent are no longer. Now, the only bus route that passes through Great Warford is the 288 service running from Knutsford to Altrincham and back, via Wilmslow.Air
The village has good access to Manchester Airport, but is situated just out of the main flight path.Road
Access to the main national road network is provided by the A535 roadA535 road
The A535 road is a non-primary route in England that runs from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire to Alderley Edge, Cheshire.It passes through the Dane River valley...
which runs between Alderley Edge and Holmes Chapel. The B5085 also provides direct access to Knutsford as well as a direct route to Wilmslow bypassing Alderley Edge.
Education
Great Warford is in the catchment area for many schools both primary and secondary, including but not limited to:- Brooke Dean Community School
- The Wilmslow Prep School
- Oakenclough Primary School
- Alderley Edge Community Primary School
- Pownall Hall SchoolPownall HallPownall Hall is a former country house in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. It was built in 1830 as "a red sandstone Georgian house dressed up in the Tudor style". In 1886 it was bought by the Manchester brewer Henry Boddington, who transformed it "into a showcase for the most up-to-date work of the...
- Wilmslow Grange Community Primary School
- Lacey Green Primary School
- Wilmslow High SchoolWilmslow High SchoolWilmslow High School, an 11-18 comprehensive, is the only secondary school in the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire. The school was designated as a specialist Sports College in September 2003...
- Dean Row Community Junior School
- Fulshaw C of E Primary School
- Ashdene Primary School
- Alderley Edge School for Girls
- Styal Primary School
- St. Benedicts R.C School
- Lindow Community Primary School
- The Ryleys School
- Oaklands Community Infants School
- Gorsey Bank Primary School
Leisure and entertainment
There are two pubs in Great Warford the Stag's Head and the Frozen Mop functioning as reputable eateries. Wilmslow Golf Club has already been mentioned in this article. There is also an outdoor football pitch on Mill Lane which was once used by Mary Dendy Football Team, a team originally made up of staff from the hospital which continues to play today although now open to all.Literature and film
Cheshire County Council published ‘The Baptist Chapel, Great Warford’, a guide to the aforementioned chapel in 1989. The author David Wright alluded to Great Warford’s history of healthcare in his 1996 publication From Idiocy to Mental Deficiency: Historical Perspectives on People with Learning Disabilities, published by Routledge.An episode of the television series Who Do You Think You Are? which follows celebrities attempts to trace back their family history centred on David Dickinson and revealed how his Turkish grandfather Hrant Gulessarian lived the life of an English country gentleman with his wife Marie-Adelaide, the daughter of a Moss Side baker, in Great Warford just 20 minutes' drive from David's present-day home.