Mollington, Cheshire
Encyclopedia
Mollington is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England
, It is located two miles north of the city of Chester
, with approximate boundaries formed by the A41
Liverpool
-Chester trunk road and Shropshire Union Canal
to the east and southeast, the A540
Wirral Peninsula
trunk road (Parkgate
Rd) to the south and west and the A5117 Dunkirk link road to the north. According to the 2001 census
, the village has a population of 663.
The total ward population, which includes the nearby settlements of Backford
, Capenhurst
, Ledsham
and Wervin
, was 2,077.
Little Mollington (Mollington Banastre) was a township in the parish of St. Mary on the Hill, Wirral Hundred. Its population was previously 23 in 1801 and 16 in 1851.
By 1900, both had been incorporated into Mollington civil parish, with a combined population of 232 in 1901 and 335 in 1951.
Mollington railway station
, linking the village directly with Chester and with Liverpool via the Wirral, was closed on 7 March 1960; the station building is now a private residence.
In 1982, Mollington became the first place in Britain to have a Neighbourhood Watch
scheme, following the success of similar programmes in North America.
. All other facilities are now located in other nearby suburbs of Chester following the closure of the village shop and post office. Mollington's parish church is located in the neighbouring village of Backford.
The village is served by two local bus routes, but with an infrequent service most residents move about by private transport.
Mollington is characterised by tree-lined lanes with grass verges and farm land as well as sizeable family homes. It has an open, rolling and green aspect, which made it a pleasant location for the former Mollington Hall, a country house residence, now demolished. The old red-brick boundary wall of this substantial estate still remains and is now a feature of the village obvious to those who pass through. Neighbouring large houses on the edge of the village are now luxury hotels, including the Mollington Banastre and Crabwall Manor (formerly Crabwall Hall
).
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It 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 Health...
and the ceremonial county 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...
, It is located two miles north of the city of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, with approximate boundaries formed by the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-Chester trunk road and Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
to the east and southeast, the A540
A540 road
The A540 is a non-primary road that runs from Chester, Cheshire to Hoylake, Wirral. It is the only road in the series A54X that is within England ....
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
trunk road (Parkgate
Parkgate, Cheshire
Parkgate is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that lies in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the North West of England...
Rd) to the south and west and the A5117 Dunkirk link road to the north. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the village has a population of 663.
The total ward population, which includes the nearby settlements of Backford
Backford
Backford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port on the A41 trunk road, to the north of the Shropshire Union Canal....
, Capenhurst
Capenhurst
Capenhurst is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England and located on the Wirral Peninsula to the south west of the town of Ellesmere Port...
, Ledsham
Ledsham, Cheshire
Ledsham is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the Wirral Peninsula, to the north of Capenhurst and to the west of Ellesmere Port...
and Wervin
Wervin
Wervin is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port, in close proximity to the Shropshire Union Canal and the M53 motorway. At the 2001 Census, Wervin had a...
, was 2,077.
History
The village previously consisted of two separate settlements. Great Mollington was formerly known as Mollington Tarrant and was a township in the parish of Backford. It had a population of 111 in 1801, and 122 in 1851.Little Mollington (Mollington Banastre) was a township in the parish of St. Mary on the Hill, Wirral Hundred. Its population was previously 23 in 1801 and 16 in 1851.
By 1900, both had been incorporated into Mollington civil parish, with a combined population of 232 in 1901 and 335 in 1951.
Mollington railway station
Mollington railway station
Mollington railway station was on the Chester and Birkenhead Railway near to the village of Mollington in Cheshire, England. The station opened on 23 September 1840 at the same time as the railway line and closed to passengers on 7 March 1960 due to its remote location and fairly low passenger...
, linking the village directly with Chester and with Liverpool via the Wirral, was closed on 7 March 1960; the station building is now a private residence.
In 1982, Mollington became the first place in Britain to have a Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch (UK)
The Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the United Kingdom is a partnership where people come together to make their communities safer. It involves the Police, Community Safety departments of local authorities, other voluntary organisations and, above all, individuals and families who want to make their...
scheme, following the success of similar programmes in North America.
Description
Mollington is a small semi-rural commuter village of approximately 300 homes, served by St. Oswald's Primary School (formerly Mollington Church of England Primary School) and a village hallVillage hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
. All other facilities are now located in other nearby suburbs of Chester following the closure of the village shop and post office. Mollington's parish church is located in the neighbouring village of Backford.
The village is served by two local bus routes, but with an infrequent service most residents move about by private transport.
Mollington is characterised by tree-lined lanes with grass verges and farm land as well as sizeable family homes. It has an open, rolling and green aspect, which made it a pleasant location for the former Mollington Hall, a country house residence, now demolished. The old red-brick boundary wall of this substantial estate still remains and is now a feature of the village obvious to those who pass through. Neighbouring large houses on the edge of the village are now luxury hotels, including the Mollington Banastre and Crabwall Manor (formerly Crabwall Hall
Crabwall Hall
Crabwall Hall is a former country house, later a hotel, in the village of Mollington, Cheshire, England. The present building dates from the 18th century. It replaced an early 17th-century house built for the Gamul family. The house was originally a "modest brick cottage" and it was refaced...
).