Northwich
Encyclopedia
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England
. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain
, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver
and Dane
. The town is about 18 miles (29 km) east of Chester
and 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Warrington
.
The area around Northwich has been exploited for its salt pans since Roman times
, when the settlement was known as Condate. The town has been severely affected by salt mining with subsidence historically being a large issue. However, recent investment in mine stabilisation is set to change the town with the 'Northwich Vision' being a plan for future development work.
and Weaver
.
Northwich can be identified through two contemporary Roman documents. The first of these is the Antonine Itinerary
, a 3rd-century road map split into 14 sections. Two of these sections, or Itinerary, mention Condate, namely: Itinerary II which describes "the route from the Vallum to the port of Rutupiae
", or the route between Hadrian's Wall
in northern England and Richborough
on the Kent
coast; and Itinerary X is called "the route from Glannoventa to Mediolanum" and details the route between Ravenglass
fort, Cumbria
and Mediolanum
(now Whitchurch
, Shropshire
). The second document is the 7th-century Ravenna Cosmology. Again this document refers to Condate between the entries for Salinae (now Middlewich
, Cheshire) and Ratae
(now Leicester
, Leicestershire
), at the time the capital of the Corieltauvi tribe.
The Romans' interest in the Northwich area is thought to be due to the strategic river crossing and the location of the salt brines. Salt was very important in Roman society; the Roman word salarium, linked employment, salt and soldiers, but the exact link is unclear. It is also theorised that this is the basis for the modern word salary
. Another theory is that the word soldier itself comes from the Latin sal dare (to give salt). See History of salt
for further details. There is archaeological evidence of a Roman auxiliary fort
within the area of Northwich now known as "Castle" dated to AD 70. This and other North West forts were built as the Romans moved north from their stronghold in Chester.
The association with salt continues in the etymology
of Northwich. The "wich" (or wych) suffix applies to other towns in the area - namely Middlewich, Nantwich
and Leftwich
. This is considered to have been derived from the Norse, "wic", for bay and is associated with the more traditional method of obtaining salt by evaporating sea water. Therefore a place for making salt became a wych-house; and Northwich was the most northern of the Wich towns in Cheshire.
:
The manor
of Northwich belonged to the Earls of Chester
until 1237 when the family line died out. Subsequently Northwich became a royal manor and was given to a noble family to collect tolls in exchange for a set rent.
That salt production continued throughout the centuries and can be seen through John Leland's description of the town in 1540:
Between 1642 and 1643, during the English Civil War
, Northwich was fortified and garrisoned by Sir William Bereton
for the Parliamentarians
.
The salt beds beneath Northwich were re-discovered in the 1670s by employees of the local Smith-Barry family. The Smith-Barrys were looking for coal, but instead discovered rock salt, in the grounds of the family home, Marbury Hall
, to the north of Northwich.
During the 19th century it became uneconomical to mine for the salt. Instead hot water was pumped through the mines, which dissolved the salt. The resultant brine was pumped out and the salt extracted from the brine. This technique weakened the mines and led to land subsidence
as they collapsed. Subsidence affected the town and the surrounding landscape. For example collapses in 1880 formed Witton Flash as the River Weaver flowed into a huge hole caused by subsidence. Subsidence also allegedly accounts for many old timber-framed
houses in the town centre, which were better able to withstand the movement of the ground. Some houses were built on a base of steel girders which could be jacked up to level the house with each change in the underlying ground. The town's historical link with the salt industry is celebrated in its Museum
which is today located in the town's old workhouse
.
In 1874, John Brunner and Ludwig Mond
founded Brunner Mond
in Winnington and started manufacturing soda ash
using the Solvay
ammonia-soda process. This process used salt as a main raw material. The chemical industry used the subsided land for the disposal of waste from the manufacture of soda-ash
. The waste was transported through a network of cranes and rails to the produce limebeds. This was a dangerous alkaline substance and caused the landscape to be abandoned as unusable.
In 1975 Marbury Country Park was the first area to be reclaimed from dereliction and has become a popular recreational area. In 1987 more land was reclaimed to form Furey Wood and over later years, Cheshire County Council's
Land Regeneration Unit reclaimed what is now known as Anderton Nature Park, Witton Flash, Dairy House Meadows, Witton Mill Meadows, and Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes. The area now extends to approximately 323 hectares of public space known as Northwich Community Woodlands
.
In February 2004 a £28 million programme to stabilise the abandoned salt mines underneath Northwich was begun. The work was funded by the English Partnerships
through its Land Stabilisation Programme, introduced to resolve issues associated with unstable mines around England.
The four mines identified for work were Baron's Quay, Witton Bank, Neumann's and Penny's Lane. These mines were chosen because their subsidence was causing problems for the town centre. The stabilisation plan involved removing millions of litres of brine from the four mines and replacing it with a mixture of pulverised fuel ash
(PFA), cement
and salt. The project was completed in late 2007.
Following the stabilisation of the mines, Northwich is to be developed in line with the 'Vision for Northwich'. The vision, if completed, will see the old concrete County Council buildings and Magistrates Court demolished and replaced with more modern buildings. Furthermore a Debenhams
store is planned to be built at Barons Quay along with a cinema and 40 new shops.
for a long time. At the time of the Domesday survey
(1086) Northwich was in the hundred of Middlewich, but by the 14th century it had become part of the Northwich hundred
. This probably happened during the reorganisation of the Hundreds in the 12th century. Northwich has been described as a borough from around 1288, though there is no surviving borough charter.
Northwich originally constituted an area of only 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) at the confluence of the Rivers Weaver and Dane. The much larger township of Witton cum Twambrooks lay to the east, Leftwich
to the south, Castle Northwich to the south-west, and Winnington
to the north-west.
The manor of Northwich was granted to the Stanley family, later Earls of Derby
in 1484, and stayed in the family's hands until the late 18th century. A local board was founded on 26 June 1863 after the Local Government Act 1858 and it purchased the manor from Arthur Heywood Esq. in 1871. In 1875 the local boards for Northwich and Witton cum Twambrooks were amalgamated, and the resultant district was further extended in 1880 to include the whole of Castle Northwich and parts of Hartford
, Winnington and Leftwich. On 10 September 1894 these areas were united as the civil parish of Northwich, served by Northwich Urban District Council.
The town was further enlarged in 1936 by the addition of parts of Winnington, Lostock Gralam
, Barnton
, Leftwich and Rudheath
, and again in 1955 when parts of Davenham
, Hartford, Rudheath and Whatcroft were added.
The Local Government Act 1972
replaced the Urban District Council of Northwich with a new district (later borough) council: Vale Royal
. Vale Royal covered areas previously covered by Northwich UDC (Urban District Council), Northwich RDC (Rural District Council), Winsford UDC and parts of Runcorn RDC. Northwich Town Council now has the powers of a parish council
and is now made up of five main districts of Leftwich, Northwich, Castle, Winnington and Witton.
Vale Royal Borough Council was abolished on 1 April 2009, and Northwich now falls within the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
.
Between 1885 and 1983 Northwich gave its name to a parliamentary consituency
. Northwich was also split between the Tatton and Eddisbury constituencies until the formation of Weaver Vale
for the 1997 general election. The seat is currently held by Graham Evans
(Conservative).
The town coat of arms features the Latin
motto
"Sal est Vita" meaning "Salt is Life", which can be seen on the town's crest of arms. The town is twinned with Dole
in France.
, Marston
, Wincham
, Lostock Gralam
, Rudheath
, Davenham
, Hartford
, Weaverham
, Barnton
.
Two rivers meet in the town centre, the Weaver
and the Dane
. The town is surrounded by undulating pasture
. Subsidence and the collapse of underground saltworks has created Flashes and there are also local meres
- for example, to the north is Budworth Mere and to the north east is Pick Mere.
The town is built on Lower Keuper
saliferous beds from which salt has been mined. Deposits of alluvium
run along the river valleys and cover most of the area of the town. Surrounding the town is deposits of boulder clay and glacial sand and gravel can be found to the north-west.
The climate is generally temperate
with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom as is the average amount of sunshine. The average annual rainfall is slightly below the average for the UK. There are few days when snow is lying on the ground, although there are some days of air frost.
The 2001 Census shows the population of Northwich to be 19,259. This was composed of 9,761 (50.7%) males and 9,498 (49.3%) females. There were 8,253 households. This makes the average household size 2.32, which is slightly below the national average of 2.36.
Northwich has been described as having a market
since at least 1535, when it was described as a market town by Leland, but there is no surviving charter. The town still has a market today, which is earmarked for refurbishment as part of the Northwich Vision plans.
The town's economy was dominated by the salt industry. However a list of tolls for goods crossing over Northwich bridge in 1353 shows goods coming into the town, including a wide range of carcasses, fleeces, hides and skins, cloth, fish, alcoholic drinks, cloth, dairy products, building materials, household goods, metals and glass, and millstones. This indicates a much wider economic base to medieval Northwich than just the salt trade. Documentary evidence also exists for a mill
from 1332 onwards and there is evidence for more than one mill from 1343.
Allied to the extraction of salt was a bulk chemical industry, which became concentrated at the three ICI
sites at Winnington, Wallerscote and Lostock. The first industrially practical method for producing polythene was accidentally discovered at the Winnington works in 1933.
Bakers Frank Roberts & Sons have been associated with the town since 1887 and continues to be based near the town at Rudheath
on the A556.
There are many contemporary major employers in nearby Rudheath
and Hartford.
Based on the 2001 Census, Northwich had 13,928 people aged between 16 and 74. Of these, 8,908 (64.0%) people were categorised as economically active; 4,268 (30.6%) were economically inactive; 455 (3.3%) were unemployed.
motorcycling event is held every May in Northwich. This event attracts over 130,000 people over the two days, and claims to be the world's biggest street bike party.
These events are joined in 2011 by the town's first Medieval Festival, which will be staged in Verdin Park over the weekend of August 13 and 14. This event, sponsored by Cheshire West & Cheshire Council as part of their efforts to promote the town centre as a destination, is planned to be an annual happening. The 2011 Northwich Medieval Festival will feature The Poor Knights of St Dysmas, God's Company of Tabor, The Freemen of Gwent, and the Knights Hospitallers of the North, as well as the Ya Raqs Eastern Dance Troupe.
Northwich Memorial Hall was opened in 1960 and hosts a range of activities, including the Purple Cactus Comedy Club. The Harlequin Theatre
produces six plays each year, and is also the home of Northwich Folk Club (which has run continuously since 1977).
The Regal cinema was closed in 2007 and remains derelict. However there are plans for a new cinema as part of the Northwich Vision redevelopment of Baron's Quay.
Northwich has a rich musical history, with a number of locals being part of bands such as Placebo
, which provided the soundtrack to the film Cruel Intentions
. Tim Burgess from the Charlatans lived in Northwich. The band were originally managed by Steve Harrison from the Omega Music record store in the town.
Northwich has its own fictional hero in the form of the ultimate ghost-hunter, James Boag-Munroe. The creation is the work of local Horror author Stuart Neild. The first novel, titled A Haunted Man, features Boag-Munroe's adventures in the haunted salt mines that run underneath Northwich, combining fact with supernatural fiction. More novels are on the way featuring Northwich and other North West
locations as the backdrops to the novels. A Hollywood film and television series is also in development based on the books.
Northwich has two local newspapers: the Northwich Guardian, published by Newsquest
, and the Northwich Chronicle, published by Trinity Mirror
. A radio station
, Cheshire FM
, covers the mid-Cheshire area including Northwich.
Northwich is the home of two non-league football teams, Northwich Victoria
and Witton Albion. Until 2002, it was the home of one of the world's oldest football grounds, the Drill Field
, former home of Northwich Victoria, however due to new league rules, the ground was demolished and the club's ground was moved to nearby Wincham
. The town has two rugby union sides Northwich RUFC
and Winnington Park
.
The parish church is known as St. Helen's Witton
. The church initially developed as a chapel of ease
associated with the parish of Great Budworth
to serve the local community, known as the Chapel of Witton. There is no known date for the creation of this chapel, but it is thought to have existed in the 13th century. None of this building exists in the current church. There is no documentary evidence to indicate the dates of the older parts of the current building. However stones in the fabric of the porch carry inscriptions attributed to "Ricardus Alkoke Capellanus". This name matches documents concerning land in Northwich and Lostock Gralam
dated 1468, but this cannot be used to date the church accurately.
It was not until 7 August 1900 that the parish of Witton (otherwise Northwich) was formed from parts of Great Budworth
, Davenham
and other surrounding parishes.
The present St Wilfrid's (Roman Catholic) church was built in 1866.
The Northwich Union Workhouse opened in 1837 following the Poor Law
Amendment of 1834 that standardised the system of poor relief throughout Britain. The building is now the Weaver Hall Museum
.
The Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station
is a Grade II Listed Building originally built by Northwich Urban District Council in 1913. For over 60 years it was used for pumping sewage from parts of Northwich to the Wallerscote Treatment Works. Before it was built, untreated sewage was discharged directly into the River Weaver, causing widespread pollution.
Two swing bridge
s, Hayhurst Bridge built in 1898, and Town Bridge built in 1899, cross the Weaver at Northwich. The bridges were the first two electrically powered swing bridges in Great Britain and were built on floating pontoons
to counteract the mine subsidence. They were designed by Colonel John Saner.
The Floatel Northwich was moored on the Weaver near the confluence of the two rivers, but was closed when the owners, The Real Hotel Company plc
, went into administration in January 2009. It has since been removed. It was the UK's only floating hotel.
The key historical mode of transport is water. By 1732 the River Weaver was improved from Frodsham Bridge to Winsford Bridge and eventually allowed vessels up to 160 tonnes (160,000 kg) to travel up to Northwich Bridge. The Trent and Mersey Canal
, opened in 1775, passed to the north of Northwich because of objections from the trustees of the Weaver Navigation. However, the canal passed salt deposits near the village of Marston
, and many of the later salt mines were based along its banks including the Lion Salt Works
. The Anderton Boat Lift
was opened in 1875 to connect the canal and river systems. It was fully restored in 2002 and now houses a visitor centre.
The road system around Northwich can be dated back to the Roman times. The A556
and A559 follow the route of the Roman road that runs from Chester to York. The A556 diverts away from the route of the Roman road following a new route to the south of the town acting as the town's bypass. The Chester to Manchester road became a Turnpike
in 1769. The A530
, known as King Street, also passes near to the town, and this follows the route of the Roman road that connected Warrington and Middlewich. The old route to Warrington and the north from Middlewich, however, was replaced by a new route through Knutsford, which became a turnpike in 1753. Northwich is connected to the motorway network to the north of the town via the A559 onto the M56 motorway
; and to the east of the town via the A556 at Junction 19 of the M6 motorway
.
The railway came to the town in 1863 when the Cheshire Midland Railway
constructed its line from Knutsford
. The West Cheshire Railway
built its line to Helsby
in 1869. Passenger trains from Northwich to Chester via Delamere
commenced in 1875. The route through Northwich is now marketed as the Mid-Cheshire line
. Northwich railway station
, last rebuilt in 1897, is on the line from Chester
to Manchester Piccadilly. There are also stations within close vicinity at Greenbank
, also on the Mid-Cheshire line, and Hartford
(on the West Coast Main Line
).
There are bus routes between Northwich and a number of local towns, including Weaverham, Hartford
, Crewe, Warrington, Kelsall and Chester.
is now a sixth form college
, but was originally formed as a grammar school in 1557. The school was originally known as Witton Grammar School and was erected close to Witton Chapel. The school moved to its current location, to the south of the town, in 1907-08. There is now also further education
available through Mid Cheshire College
's London Road Studios.
Primary education include:
During the 19th century many new schools were founded and by 1850 twelve 'academies' were recorded in the area. The town is now served by County High School Leftwich
, a specialist media arts college, while Rudheath Community High School
, a specialist performing arts college and Hartford High School both admit pupils from Northwich. There are also several primary schools in the area. St. Nicholas Catholic High School
is also in the local vicinity, and performs well on national exam boards, coming second in the whole of Cheshire
.
In November 2005, as part of the Northwich Vision, a refurbishment of the town's railway station included a Centre called Zone that promotes lifelong learning by offering people the opportunity to access a range of online and taught courses.
to :
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 lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain
Cheshire Plain
The Cheshire Plain is a relatively flat expanse of lowland situated almost entirely within the county of Cheshire in northwest England. It is bounded by the hills of North Wales to the west, and the Peak District of Derbyshire and North Staffordshire to the east and southeast...
, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
and Dane
River Dane
The River Dane is a river mainly in Cheshire in the north west of England.The river rises in Derbyshire, close to the source of the River Goyt just to the south west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor...
. The town is about 18 miles (29 km) east 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...
and 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
.
The area around Northwich has been exploited for its salt pans since Roman times
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, when the settlement was known as Condate. The town has been severely affected by salt mining with subsidence historically being a large issue. However, recent investment in mine stabilisation is set to change the town with the 'Northwich Vision' being a plan for future development work.
Early history
During Roman times Northwich was known as Condate, meaning "the confluence", probably due to its location at the meeting point of the rivers DaneRiver Dane
The River Dane is a river mainly in Cheshire in the north west of England.The river rises in Derbyshire, close to the source of the River Goyt just to the south west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor...
and Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
.
Northwich can be identified through two contemporary Roman documents. The first of these is the Antonine Itinerary
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
, a 3rd-century road map split into 14 sections. Two of these sections, or Itinerary, mention Condate, namely: Itinerary II which describes "the route from the Vallum to the port of Rutupiae
Rutupiae
Richborough Castle contains the ruined remains of a Roman Saxon Shore Fort. It situated in Richborough near Sandwich, Kent.The site has many phases of Roman remains, collectively known as Richborough Fort or Richborough Roman Fort, still visible today and under the care of English Heritage.Rutupiæ ...
", or the route between Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
in northern England and Richborough
Richborough
Richborough is a settlement north of Sandwich on the east coast of the county of Kent, England. Richborough lies close to the Isle of Thanet....
on the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
coast; and Itinerary X is called "the route from Glannoventa to Mediolanum" and details the route between Ravenglass
Ravenglass
Ravenglass is a small coastal village and natural harbour in Cumbria, England. It is the only coastal town within the Lake District National Park...
fort, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and Mediolanum
Mediolanum (Whitchurch)
Mediolanum was a fort and small town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Whitchurch, located in the English county of Shropshire....
(now Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
). The second document is the 7th-century Ravenna Cosmology. Again this document refers to Condate between the entries for Salinae (now Middlewich
Middlewich
Middlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
, Cheshire) and Ratae
Ratae Corieltauvorum
Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Leicester, located in the English county of Leicestershire.-Name:...
(now Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
), at the time the capital of the Corieltauvi tribe.
The Romans' interest in the Northwich area is thought to be due to the strategic river crossing and the location of the salt brines. Salt was very important in Roman society; the Roman word salarium, linked employment, salt and soldiers, but the exact link is unclear. It is also theorised that this is the basis for the modern word salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
. Another theory is that the word soldier itself comes from the Latin sal dare (to give salt). See History of salt
History of salt
Salt's ability to preserve food was a foundation of civilization. It eliminated the dependence on the seasonal availability of food and it allowed travel over long distances. However, salt was difficult to obtain, and so it was a highly valued trade item...
for further details. There is archaeological evidence of a Roman auxiliary fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
within the area of Northwich now known as "Castle" dated to AD 70. This and other North West forts were built as the Romans moved north from their stronghold in Chester.
The association with salt continues in the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of Northwich. The "wich" (or wych) suffix applies to other towns in the area - namely Middlewich, Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
and Leftwich
Leftwich
Leftwich is a village in Cheshire, England. It lies just south of the town of Northwich, and is situated within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester....
. This is considered to have been derived from the Norse, "wic", for bay and is associated with the more traditional method of obtaining salt by evaporating sea water. Therefore a place for making salt became a wych-house; and Northwich was the most northern of the Wich towns in Cheshire.
Medieval to early modern
The existence of Northwich in the early medieval period is shown by its record 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...
:
The manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Northwich belonged to the Earls of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
until 1237 when the family line died out. Subsequently Northwich became a royal manor and was given to a noble family to collect tolls in exchange for a set rent.
That salt production continued throughout the centuries and can be seen through John Leland's description of the town in 1540:
Between 1642 and 1643, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Northwich was fortified and garrisoned by Sir William Bereton
Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet
Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet was an English writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1628 and 1659. He was a commander in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War....
for the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
.
The salt beds beneath Northwich were re-discovered in the 1670s by employees of the local Smith-Barry family. The Smith-Barrys were looking for coal, but instead discovered rock salt, in the grounds of the family home, Marbury Hall
Marbury Hall, Anderton with Marbury
Marbury Hall was a country house in Marbury, near Northwich, Cheshire, England. Several houses existed on the site from the 13th century, which formed the seat successively of the Marbury, Barry and Smith-Barry families, until 1932. An extensive collection of artwork and sculpture was housed at the...
, to the north of Northwich.
19th century
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
as they collapsed. Subsidence affected the town and the surrounding landscape. For example collapses in 1880 formed Witton Flash as the River Weaver flowed into a huge hole caused by subsidence. Subsidence also allegedly accounts for many old timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses in the town centre, which were better able to withstand the movement of the ground. Some houses were built on a base of steel girders which could be jacked up to level the house with each change in the underlying ground. The town's historical link with the salt industry is celebrated in its Museum
Salt Museum, Northwich
The Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich, Cheshire, records the social, cultural and industrial history of west Cheshire. It was formerly known as the Salt Museum, reflecting its earlier focus on the history of salt extraction, a local industry dating back to Roman times...
which is today located in the town's old workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
.
In 1874, John Brunner and Ludwig Mond
Ludwig Mond
Dr Ludwig Mond , was a German-born chemist and industrialist who took British nationality.-Education and career:...
founded Brunner Mond
Brunner Mond
Tata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
in Winnington and started manufacturing soda ash
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
using the Solvay
Solvay process
The Solvay process, also referred to as the ammonia-soda process, is the major industrial process for the production of soda ash . The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form by Ernest Solvay during the 1860s...
ammonia-soda process. This process used salt as a main raw material. The chemical industry used the subsided land for the disposal of waste from the manufacture of soda-ash
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
. The waste was transported through a network of cranes and rails to the produce limebeds. This was a dangerous alkaline substance and caused the landscape to be abandoned as unusable.
Modern development
Cheshire County Council
Cheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...
Land Regeneration Unit reclaimed what is now known as Anderton Nature Park, Witton Flash, Dairy House Meadows, Witton Mill Meadows, and Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes. The area now extends to approximately 323 hectares of public space known as Northwich Community Woodlands
Northwich Community Woodlands
Northwich Community Woodlands is an area of 374 hectares of publicly-accessible countryside to the north of Northwich in Cheshire, England. Much of the land was formerly industrial and used for mining salt and manufacturing chemicals. The extraction of salt caused subsidence leading to the...
.
In February 2004 a £28 million programme to stabilise the abandoned salt mines underneath Northwich was begun. The work was funded by the English Partnerships
English Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
through its Land Stabilisation Programme, introduced to resolve issues associated with unstable mines around England.
The four mines identified for work were Baron's Quay, Witton Bank, Neumann's and Penny's Lane. These mines were chosen because their subsidence was causing problems for the town centre. The stabilisation plan involved removing millions of litres of brine from the four mines and replacing it with a mixture of pulverised fuel ash
Pulverised Fuel Ash
Pulverised fuel ash , is a by product of pulverised fuel fired power stations. The fuel is pulverised into a fine powder, mixed with heated air and burned. Approximately 18% of the fuel forms fine glass spheres, the lighter of which are borne aloft by the combustion process...
(PFA), cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and salt. The project was completed in late 2007.
Following the stabilisation of the mines, Northwich is to be developed in line with the 'Vision for Northwich'. The vision, if completed, will see the old concrete County Council buildings and Magistrates Court demolished and replaced with more modern buildings. Furthermore a Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
store is planned to be built at Barons Quay along with a cinema and 40 new shops.
Governance
Northwich has been within the county boundaries of CheshireCheshire
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...
for a long time. At the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday 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...
(1086) Northwich was in the hundred of Middlewich, but by the 14th century it had become part of the Northwich hundred
Hundreds of Cheshire
The Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative, military and judicial purposes. They were introduced in Cheshire some time before the Norman conquest...
. This probably happened during the reorganisation of the Hundreds in the 12th century. Northwich has been described as a borough from around 1288, though there is no surviving borough charter.
Northwich originally constituted an area of only 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) at the confluence of the Rivers Weaver and Dane. The much larger township of Witton cum Twambrooks lay to the east, Leftwich
Leftwich
Leftwich is a village in Cheshire, England. It lies just south of the town of Northwich, and is situated within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester....
to the south, Castle Northwich to the south-west, and Winnington
Winnington
Winnington is a small, mainly residential area of the town of Northwich in Cheshire, England.-Industry:Winnington is the home to Brunner Mond UK chemical works, where soda ash is created. Polythene, the material used in many plastic items , was first made at the chemical works by R.O. Gibson and...
to the north-west.
The manor of Northwich was granted to the Stanley family, later Earls of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
in 1484, and stayed in the family's hands until the late 18th century. A local board was founded on 26 June 1863 after the Local Government Act 1858 and it purchased the manor from Arthur Heywood Esq. in 1871. In 1875 the local boards for Northwich and Witton cum Twambrooks were amalgamated, and the resultant district was further extended in 1880 to include the whole of Castle Northwich and parts of Hartford
Hartford, Cheshire
Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Mainline and is less than south west of the town of Northwich...
, Winnington and Leftwich. On 10 September 1894 these areas were united as the civil parish of Northwich, served by Northwich Urban District Council.
The town was further enlarged in 1936 by the addition of parts of Winnington, Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated to the east of Northwich. The civil parish of Lostock Gralam also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green...
, Barnton
Barnton
Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
, Leftwich and Rudheath
Rudheath
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rudheath within the former borough of Vale RoyalRudheath is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Northwich.This...
, and again in 1955 when parts of Davenham
Davenham
Davenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
, Hartford, Rudheath and Whatcroft were added.
The Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
replaced the Urban District Council of Northwich with a new district (later borough) council: Vale Royal
Vale Royal
Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.-Creation:...
. Vale Royal covered areas previously covered by Northwich UDC (Urban District Council), Northwich RDC (Rural District Council), Winsford UDC and parts of Runcorn RDC. Northwich Town Council now has the powers of a parish council
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
and is now made up of five main districts of Leftwich, Northwich, Castle, Winnington and Witton.
Vale Royal Borough Council was abolished on 1 April 2009, and Northwich now falls within the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
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...
.
Between 1885 and 1983 Northwich gave its name to a parliamentary consituency
Northwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Northwich was a constituency in Cheshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.- Members of Parliament :...
. Northwich was also split between the Tatton and Eddisbury constituencies until the formation of Weaver Vale
Weaver Vale (UK Parliament constituency)
Weaver Vale is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
for the 1997 general election. The seat is currently held by Graham Evans
Graham Evans
Graham Thomas Evans is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale in Cheshire since the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
(Conservative).
The town coat of arms features the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
"Sal est Vita" meaning "Salt is Life", which can be seen on the town's crest of arms. The town is twinned with Dole
Dole, Jura
Dole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture ....
in France.
Geography
Northwich is situated in the Cheshire Plain at coordinates 53°15′20"N 2°31′20"W (53.255, -2.522). The town is between 15 metres (49 ft) and 35 metres (115 ft) above mean sea level. Northwich is surrounded by the following civil parishes, starting due north and proceeding in a clockwise direction: Anderton with MarburyAnderton with Marbury
right|thumb|Map of civil parish of Anderton with Marbury within the former borough of Vale RoyalAnderton with Marbury is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 582 according to the 2001 census, and...
, Marston
Marston, Cheshire
thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Marston within the former borough of Vale RoyalMarston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in the north west of England, on the River Weaver, close to Anderton and the...
, Wincham
Wincham
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Wincham in the former borough of Vale RoyalWincham is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated about three miles north of Northwich in the Cheshire Plain...
, Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated to the east of Northwich. The civil parish of Lostock Gralam also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green...
, Rudheath
Rudheath
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rudheath within the former borough of Vale RoyalRudheath is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Northwich.This...
, Davenham
Davenham
Davenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
, Hartford
Hartford, Cheshire
Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Mainline and is less than south west of the town of Northwich...
, Weaverham
Weaverham
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Weaverham within former borough of Vale RoyalWeaverham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. Just off the A49, it is just to the west of Northwich and south of the River...
, Barnton
Barnton
Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
.
Two rivers meet in the town centre, the Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
and the Dane
River Dane
The River Dane is a river mainly in Cheshire in the north west of England.The river rises in Derbyshire, close to the source of the River Goyt just to the south west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor...
. The town is surrounded by undulating pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
. Subsidence and the collapse of underground saltworks has created Flashes and there are also local meres
Mere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
- for example, to the north is Budworth Mere and to the north east is Pick Mere.
The town is built on Lower Keuper
Keuper
The Keuper is a lithostratigraphic unit in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Keuper consists of dolostone, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and Late Triassic epochs...
saliferous beds from which salt has been mined. Deposits of alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
run along the river valleys and cover most of the area of the town. Surrounding the town is deposits of boulder clay and glacial sand and gravel can be found to the north-west.
The climate is generally temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom as is the average amount of sunshine. The average annual rainfall is slightly below the average for the UK. There are few days when snow is lying on the ground, although there are some days of air frost.
Demography
The population of Northwich in 1664 has been estimated as 560. The population of Northwich over the last 200 years has been:| Population of Northwich since 1801 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 |
| Population | 1,338 | 1,382 | 1,490 | 1,481 | 1,368 | 1,377 | 1,190 | 1,244 | 12,256 | 14,914 | 17,611 | 18,151 | 18,381 | 18,732 | 17,489 | 19,592 | 18,136 | 17,098 | 18,316 | 19,259 |
| Sources: | ||||||||||||||||||||
The 2001 Census shows the population of Northwich to be 19,259. This was composed of 9,761 (50.7%) males and 9,498 (49.3%) females. There were 8,253 households. This makes the average household size 2.32, which is slightly below the national average of 2.36.
Economics
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
since at least 1535, when it was described as a market town by Leland, but there is no surviving charter. The town still has a market today, which is earmarked for refurbishment as part of the Northwich Vision plans.
The town's economy was dominated by the salt industry. However a list of tolls for goods crossing over Northwich bridge in 1353 shows goods coming into the town, including a wide range of carcasses, fleeces, hides and skins, cloth, fish, alcoholic drinks, cloth, dairy products, building materials, household goods, metals and glass, and millstones. This indicates a much wider economic base to medieval Northwich than just the salt trade. Documentary evidence also exists for a mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
from 1332 onwards and there is evidence for more than one mill from 1343.
Allied to the extraction of salt was a bulk chemical industry, which became concentrated at the three ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
sites at Winnington, Wallerscote and Lostock. The first industrially practical method for producing polythene was accidentally discovered at the Winnington works in 1933.
Bakers Frank Roberts & Sons have been associated with the town since 1887 and continues to be based near the town at Rudheath
Rudheath
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rudheath within the former borough of Vale RoyalRudheath is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Northwich.This...
on the A556.
There are many contemporary major employers in nearby Rudheath
Rudheath
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rudheath within the former borough of Vale RoyalRudheath is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Northwich.This...
and Hartford.
Based on the 2001 Census, Northwich had 13,928 people aged between 16 and 74. Of these, 8,908 (64.0%) people were categorised as economically active; 4,268 (30.6%) were economically inactive; 455 (3.3%) were unemployed.
Culture and community
The town has two key events a year. Over the August Bank Holiday Weekend Northwich Festival is held at Moss Farm Sports Complex. Featuring 4 days of music and sport with the main attraction for the Monday being the UK Strongman-North Competition. The ThundersprintThundersprint
Thundersprint is a motorcycle event for classic and exotic motorcycles held in annually in May in Northwich, Cheshire, England. Attendance is estimated to be around 100,000 over the two days, and it is the second largest event in Europe....
motorcycling event is held every May in Northwich. This event attracts over 130,000 people over the two days, and claims to be the world's biggest street bike party.
These events are joined in 2011 by the town's first Medieval Festival, which will be staged in Verdin Park over the weekend of August 13 and 14. This event, sponsored by Cheshire West & Cheshire Council as part of their efforts to promote the town centre as a destination, is planned to be an annual happening. The 2011 Northwich Medieval Festival will feature The Poor Knights of St Dysmas, God's Company of Tabor, The Freemen of Gwent, and the Knights Hospitallers of the North, as well as the Ya Raqs Eastern Dance Troupe.
Northwich Memorial Hall was opened in 1960 and hosts a range of activities, including the Purple Cactus Comedy Club. The Harlequin Theatre
Harlequin Theatre, Northwich
Harlequin Theatre is a theatre in Northwich, Cheshire. It is also the public name of the Harlequin Players Club. It is also the home of the Northwich Folk Club....
produces six plays each year, and is also the home of Northwich Folk Club (which has run continuously since 1977).
The Regal cinema was closed in 2007 and remains derelict. However there are plans for a new cinema as part of the Northwich Vision redevelopment of Baron's Quay.
Northwich has a rich musical history, with a number of locals being part of bands such as Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
, which provided the soundtrack to the film Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
. Tim Burgess from the Charlatans lived in Northwich. The band were originally managed by Steve Harrison from the Omega Music record store in the town.
Northwich has its own fictional hero in the form of the ultimate ghost-hunter, James Boag-Munroe. The creation is the work of local Horror author Stuart Neild. The first novel, titled A Haunted Man, features Boag-Munroe's adventures in the haunted salt mines that run underneath Northwich, combining fact with supernatural fiction. More novels are on the way featuring Northwich and other North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
locations as the backdrops to the novels. A Hollywood film and television series is also in development based on the books.
Northwich has two local newspapers: the Northwich Guardian, published by Newsquest
Newsquest
Newsquest is the third largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom with 300 titles in its portfolio. Newsquest is based in Weybridge, Surrey and employs a total of more than 5,500 people across the UK...
, and the Northwich Chronicle, published by Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
. A radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, Cheshire FM
Cheshire FM
Cheshire FM is a community radio station serving the towns of Northwich, Middlewich and Winsford in the English county of Cheshire, from its studios in Winsford, and can be heard on 92.5 FM.-Background:...
, covers the mid-Cheshire area including Northwich.
Northwich is the home of two non-league football teams, Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
and Witton Albion. Until 2002, it was the home of one of the world's oldest football grounds, the Drill Field
Drill Field
The Drill Field was a football stadium in Northwich, Cheshire, which was the home ground of Northwich Victoria Football Club between 1875 and 3 May 2002...
, former home of Northwich Victoria, however due to new league rules, the ground was demolished and the club's ground was moved to nearby Wincham
Wincham
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Wincham in the former borough of Vale RoyalWincham is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated about three miles north of Northwich in the Cheshire Plain...
. The town has two rugby union sides Northwich RUFC
Northwich RUFC
Formed in 1965 as Mid Cheshire College, changing to Northwich RUFC in 1989. Running 3 senior, 1 women's and 10 junior sides. This club has won the Cheshire community club of the year in 2003/4/5 and the BBC North West community club award in 2006....
and Winnington Park
Winnington Park
Winnington Park Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club situated in Winnington, Northwich in Cheshire, England.-Rugby Union:The club was founded in 1907 as a rugby union club. Currently they play in the Northern Division, North 2 West league. The club's record try scorer was a Mr S...
.
Landmarks and religious sites
St Helen Witton Church, Northwich
St Helen Witton Church, Northwich, is in the centre of the town of Northwich, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The church is now known as "St Helen's, Witton" or "Northwich Parish Church". It is an active Anglican parish church...
. The church initially developed as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
associated with the parish of Great Budworth
Great Budworth
Great Budworth is a civil parish and village, approximately north of Northwich, England, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It lies off the A559 road, east of Comberbach, northwest of Higher Marston and southeast of Budworth Heath...
to serve the local community, known as the Chapel of Witton. There is no known date for the creation of this chapel, but it is thought to have existed in the 13th century. None of this building exists in the current church. There is no documentary evidence to indicate the dates of the older parts of the current building. However stones in the fabric of the porch carry inscriptions attributed to "Ricardus Alkoke Capellanus". This name matches documents concerning land in Northwich and Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam
Lostock Gralam is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated to the east of Northwich. The civil parish of Lostock Gralam also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green...
dated 1468, but this cannot be used to date the church accurately.
It was not until 7 August 1900 that the parish of Witton (otherwise Northwich) was formed from parts of Great Budworth
Great Budworth
Great Budworth is a civil parish and village, approximately north of Northwich, England, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It lies off the A559 road, east of Comberbach, northwest of Higher Marston and southeast of Budworth Heath...
, Davenham
Davenham
Davenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
and other surrounding parishes.
The present St Wilfrid's (Roman Catholic) church was built in 1866.
The Northwich Union Workhouse opened in 1837 following the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
Amendment of 1834 that standardised the system of poor relief throughout Britain. The building is now the Weaver Hall Museum
Salt Museum, Northwich
The Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich, Cheshire, records the social, cultural and industrial history of west Cheshire. It was formerly known as the Salt Museum, reflecting its earlier focus on the history of salt extraction, a local industry dating back to Roman times...
.
The Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station
Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station
Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station is a sewage pumping station in Northwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom. It was built in 1910. The pumping station has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.-History:...
is a Grade II Listed Building originally built by Northwich Urban District Council in 1913. For over 60 years it was used for pumping sewage from parts of Northwich to the Wallerscote Treatment Works. Before it was built, untreated sewage was discharged directly into the River Weaver, causing widespread pollution.
Two swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
s, Hayhurst Bridge built in 1898, and Town Bridge built in 1899, cross the Weaver at Northwich. The bridges were the first two electrically powered swing bridges in Great Britain and were built on floating pontoons
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
to counteract the mine subsidence. They were designed by Colonel John Saner.
The Floatel Northwich was moored on the Weaver near the confluence of the two rivers, but was closed when the owners, The Real Hotel Company plc
The Real Hotel Company plc
The Real Hotel Company, whose origin fates back to 1877, owned, leased and managed over 55 hotels with almost 5,000 bedrooms throughout the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Belgium until its financial collapse in 2009. It focused both at the premium limited service and at the full service...
, went into administration in January 2009. It has since been removed. It was the UK's only floating hotel.
Transport
Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal....
, opened in 1775, passed to the north of Northwich because of objections from the trustees of the Weaver Navigation. However, the canal passed salt deposits near the village of Marston
Marston, Cheshire
thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Marston within the former borough of Vale RoyalMarston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in the north west of England, on the River Weaver, close to Anderton and the...
, and many of the later salt mines were based along its banks including the Lion Salt Works
Lion Salt Works
The Lion Salt Works is the last remaining open pan saltworks in Cheshire, England. It closed as a works in 1986 and is now preserved as a museum...
. The Anderton Boat Lift
Anderton Boat Lift
The Anderton Boat Lift near the village of Anderton, Cheshire, in north-west England provides a vertical link between two navigable waterways: the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal....
was opened in 1875 to connect the canal and river systems. It was fully restored in 2002 and now houses a visitor centre.
The road system around Northwich can be dated back to the Roman times. The A556
A556 road
The A556 is a road in England which extends from the village of Delamere in Cheshire to the village of Bowdon in Greater Manchester. The road contains a mixture of single and dual carriageway sections and forms a large part of the route between Manchester and Chester...
and A559 follow the route of the Roman road that runs from Chester to York. The A556 diverts away from the route of the Roman road following a new route to the south of the town acting as the town's bypass. The Chester to Manchester road became a Turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
in 1769. The A530
A530 road
The A530 road is a road linking the A525 east of Whitchurch, Shropshire, England with the A559 east of Northwich, in Cheshire. The road follows the route:*A525*Nantwich*Crewe*Middlewich*A559...
, known as King Street, also passes near to the town, and this follows the route of the Roman road that connected Warrington and Middlewich. The old route to Warrington and the north from Middlewich, however, was replaced by a new route through Knutsford, which became a turnpike in 1753. Northwich is connected to the motorway network to the north of the town via the A559 onto the M56 motorway
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
; and to the east of the town via the A556 at Junction 19 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
.
The railway came to the town in 1863 when the Cheshire Midland Railway
Cheshire Midland Railway
An act was passed on 14 June 1860 to build a railway from Altrincham on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway to Northwich. The line would be 12 miles 65 chains in length...
constructed its line from 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...
. The West Cheshire Railway
West Cheshire Railway
The West Cheshire Railway was an early railway company based in Cheshire England.-Early Company history:The WCR was incorporated on 11 July 1861. In 1861, the WCR requested powers to construct a line from Northwich to Chester, with a branch to Helsby, but parliamentary approval was received only...
built its line to Helsby
Helsby
Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
in 1869. Passenger trains from Northwich to Chester via Delamere
Delamere railway station
Delamere railway station opened on 22 June 1870. It serves both the village of Delamere and Delamere Forest in Cheshire, England. The station is 15 km east of Chester on the Mid-Cheshire Line....
commenced in 1875. The route through Northwich is now marketed as the Mid-Cheshire line
Mid-Cheshire Line
The Mid-Cheshire Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, between Chester and Manchester.- History :The Mid Cheshire line has its origins in railways promoted by three separate railway companies in the 19th century. The Cheshire Midland Railway was opened to passengers between...
. Northwich railway station
Northwich railway station
Northwich railway station serves the town of Northwich in Cheshire, England. The station has two platforms and is located on the Mid-Cheshire Line.-Services:...
, last rebuilt in 1897, is on the line from Chester
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
to Manchester Piccadilly. There are also stations within close vicinity at Greenbank
Greenbank railway station
Greenbank railway station serves the village of Hartford, Cheshire as well as the Castle area of Northwich, Cheshire, England. The station is situated on the A559 road from Northwich to Chester.-The station today:...
, also on the Mid-Cheshire line, and Hartford
Hartford railway station
Hartford railway station is in the village of Hartford, in Cheshire, England. It is situated on the A559 road approximately two miles west of the town of Northwich.-Current station operations:...
(on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
).
There are bus routes between Northwich and a number of local towns, including Weaverham, Hartford
Hartford, Cheshire
Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Mainline and is less than south west of the town of Northwich...
, Crewe, Warrington, Kelsall and Chester.
Education
Northwich and its surroundings has a number of schools and colleges. Sir John Deane's CollegeSir John Deane's College
Sir John Deane's College is a sixth form college in Northwich, Cheshire, UK. It was formerly Sir John Deane's Grammar School, which was founded in 1557.-History:...
is now a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
, but was originally formed as a grammar school in 1557. The school was originally known as Witton Grammar School and was erected close to Witton Chapel. The school moved to its current location, to the south of the town, in 1907-08. There is now also further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
available through Mid Cheshire College
Mid Cheshire College
Mid Cheshire College is a further education college. Its main campus is in the village of Hartford, Cheshire. John Reilly is the college principal. He joined the college in 2002 after leaving the Tameside College in East Manchester where he was Director of Development...
's London Road Studios.
Primary education include:
- Witton Church Walk CofE Primary School
- Barnton Primary School.
- Hartford Manor Primary School.
- Hartford County Primary School.
- Kingsmead Primary School was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building award in 2005.
- Rosebank School is a school for autistic children aged 3–11 years.
During the 19th century many new schools were founded and by 1850 twelve 'academies' were recorded in the area. The town is now served by County High School Leftwich
County High School Leftwich
The County High School Leftwich is a small sized Media Arts co-educational comprehensive school that serves approximately 950 students between 11 to 16 years of age. It is next to the A556 bypass at the A533 junction, and near the River Dane.-Admissions:...
, a specialist media arts college, while Rudheath Community High School
Rudheath Community High School
Rudheath Community High School is a medium sized non-denominational co-educational comprehensive school that educates approximately 762 children between 11 and 16 years of age. It is located in the village of Rudheath, near Northwich in Cheshire, England. The current headteacher is Mr M Wood...
, a specialist performing arts college and Hartford High School both admit pupils from Northwich. There are also several primary schools in the area. St. Nicholas Catholic High School
St. Nicholas Catholic High School
St. Nicholas Catholic High School is in Hartford, near Northwich, in Cheshire, England. It also has a Sixth Form. Both the main school and the Sixth Form perform very well in Ofsted reports: the Sixth Form was described as "good" in the last report...
is also in the local vicinity, and performs well on national exam boards, coming second in the whole 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...
.
In November 2005, as part of the Northwich Vision, a refurbishment of the town's railway station included a Centre called Zone that promotes lifelong learning by offering people the opportunity to access a range of online and taught courses.
Notable people
- Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet - founder of chemical firm Brunner MondBrunner MondTata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
in 1873, lived at Winnington HallWinnington HallWinnington Hall is a former country house in Winnington, now a suburb of Northwich, Cheshire, England . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
in the town. - Ludwig MondLudwig MondDr Ludwig Mond , was a German-born chemist and industrialist who took British nationality.-Education and career:...
- German-born co-founder of Brunner Mond. - Charles James HughesCharles J. Hughes (footballer)Charles James Hughes, J.P. was an English footballer and referee who was a pioneer of the early English game, being included in the publication 'Association Football and the Men who made it'.-Early Life:...
- footballer, referee of the 18911891 FA Cup FinalThe 1891 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Notts County at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn won 3–1, their second consecutive FA Cup Final victory, with goals by Geordie Dewar, Jack Southworth and William Townley. James Oswald scored Notts County's goal.-Teams:*Played 21 March...
, 18931893 FA Cup FinalThe 1893 FA Cup Final was an association football game contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. Wolves won by a single goal, scored by Harry Allen....
and 18941894 FA Cup FinalThe 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton...
FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finals, joint founder of the Cheshire Football Association, co-founder of and player for Northwich Victoria Football Club and vice-president of the English Football Association in 1901, was born at 7 Applemarket Street in the town centre. - Pat FinnerhanPat FinnerhanPatrick Finnerhan was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Northwich Victoria, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bristol City....
- footballer who played for Northwich Victoria, Manchester City and Liverpool in the late 19th and early 20th century. - Stuart Neild - horror author was born in the town in 1970 and Robert WestallRobert WestallRobert Atkinson Westall was the author of many books, mostly children's fiction, though also for adults, and non-fiction. Many of his novels, while supposedly aimed at a teenage audience, deal with many complex, dark and in many ways adult themes...
, the children's author, also lived in the town and taught at Sir John Deane's Grammar School. One of his pupils was the crime writer - Martin EdwardsMartin Edwards (author)Kenneth Martin Edwards, commonly known as Martin Edwards is a British crime novelist, critic and solicitor.- Biography :...
- his father Ken Edwards was a director and later President of Northwich Victoria Football Club and wrote their history. - Gary BarlowGary BarlowGary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
- singer and song writer for Take ThatTake ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, lived in Cuddington. - Paula RadcliffePaula RadcliffePaula Jane Radcliffe, MBE is an English long-distance runner. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2:15:25 hours...
- marathon and Olympic runner was born in the nearby village of DavenhamDavenhamDavenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
and also lived in BarntonBarntonBarnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
for a while. - Sue BirtwistleSue BirtwistleSue Birtwistle, Lady Eyre is a producer and writer of television drama. She was born in Northwich, Cheshire, England, and studied drama and English at Coventry College of Education...
- film producer and writer, was born in the town. - John GreenwayJohn GreenwayJohn Robert Greenway is a former British politician who sat as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ryedale from 1987 until the constituency's abolition in 2010.-Early life:...
- Member of Parliament for RyedaleRyedale (UK Parliament constituency)Ryedale was a constituency in North Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, was born in the town and educated at Sir John Deane's college. - Rupert HolmesRupert HolmesRupert Holmes is an American-British composer, singer-songwriter, musician and author of plays, novels and stories. He is best known for his number one pop hit "Escape " and the song "Him", which reached the number 6 position on the Hot 100 U.S. pop chart in 1980...
- composer, songwriter and author, was born in the town in 1947 before moving to New York. - Steve HewittSteve HewittSteven James Hewitt is the singer and guitarist in Love Amongst Ruin, having previously been the drummer for Placebo between mid-1996 and October 2007.-Personal life:...
- drummer for the band PlaceboPlacebo (band)Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and... - Tim Burgess - lead singer of The Charlatans. The band were also located in the town.
- Tommy McKenzie - name checked in the BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song Eleanor RigbyEleanor Rigby"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
as Father McKenzie, was compère at Northwich Memorial Hall. - Matthew KellyMatthew KellyMatthew Kelly is an English television presenter and Olivier-award winning actor. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as You Bet! and Stars in Their Eyes...
- television presenter, lived in the town. - Jennifer SaundersJennifer SaundersJennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
- actress and comedienne, attended Leftwich High School in Northwich as a child. - Alan OakesAlan OakesAlan Arthur Oakes is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester , Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.-Permanent Fixture with Man City:Oakes signed for Manchester City on...
- former footballer who holds the record for number of appearances for Manchester City, lived in the town. - Michael OakesMichael OakesMichael Christian Oakes is an English former professional football goalkeeper who is currently working with Wrexham as a goalkeeping coach and Assistant Manager Under Andy Morrell. He is the son of former Manchester City footballer Alan Oakes.- Aston Villa :Oakes began his career in Aston Villa's...
- former goalkeeper in the Premier League for Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, was born in the town. - Andy OakesAndy Oakes (footballer)Andrew Mark 'Andy' Oakes is an English former football goalkeeper. His uncle is the legendary Manchester City midfielder Alan Oakes...
- former goalkeeper in the Premier League for Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, was born in the town. - Matthew LangridgeMatthew LangridgeMatthew Langridge is a current Great Britain oarsman.-Junior Rowing Career:...
- Olympic rower and silver medallist at the 2008 games. - William James Yarwood - shipbuilder, born in 1851 and, after serving an apprenticeship with ironfounders in Northwich, he was appointed as a blacksmith with the River Weaver Navigation. In 1896 he became the proprietor of W.J. Yarwood & SonsW.J. Yarwood & SonsW.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd were a shipbuilding company based in Northwich, Cheshire from 1896 to 1966.-History:The company founder, William James Yarwood served an apprenticeship at an ironfoundry in Northwich. He was appointed as a blacksmith with the River Weaver Navigation...
the former John Thompson shipbuilding business, based on the west bank of the River Weaver, a few hundred yards from the town centre of Northwich.
Twin town
Northwich is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
to :
-
DoleDole, JuraDole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture ....
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
See also
- Northwich category
- Salt in CheshireSalt in CheshireCheshire is a county in North West England. Rock salt was laid down in this region some 220 million years ago, during the Triassic period. Seawater moved inland from an open sea, creating a chain of shallow salt marshes across what is today the Cheshire basin...
- Brunner MondBrunner MondTata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
- Winnington HallWinnington HallWinnington Hall is a former country house in Winnington, now a suburb of Northwich, Cheshire, England . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
- Holy Trinity Church, NorthwichHoly Trinity Church, NorthwichHoly Trinity Church, Northwich, is in the Castle district of Northwich, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Middlewich, the archdeaconry of Chester, and the diocese of Chester. Its benefice is united with that of St Luke, Northwich...