Cheshire, North West

Northwich The Five Minute Spare Guide

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The Cheshire town of Northwich has a salty history, but not in the way you might expect.

Northwich is a Cheshire town with a long history in the salt trade. Here in Britain, we don’t have mountains with concreted salt to harvest. If we want it, we have to extract it from the sea, or from salty land. Northwich has a history of Roman encampments, tribes folk, and salt production. From 2013-2022, it was the main filming location for Peaky Blinders. And this is only the tip of a very interesting, town-shaped iceberg.

Here’s everything else we find fascinating about living in Northwich – and a couple of reasons why you should visit for your next break.

What is Northwich Famous For?

Recently, Northwich hit the news for bringing back coppicing. This is an ancient tree farming method which allows the farmer to remove wood without killing the tree. Historically, the town is famous for salt extraction and production.

Although Northwich salt was in production from prehistory, the Brunner Mond Plant made the town famous for it. Opened in 1893, the factory made soda ash, soda crystals, and caustic soda.

The Early History of Northwich

The Cornovii tribe ruled the area of Northwich and greater Cheshire before the Romans arrived and invaded. They were a farming tribe, bordering the Brigantes in the north. The tribe harvested salt from the brine waters in the area. When you live off the land, there are few places where you can find salt. This tribe prospered from their trade enough that the mighty Brigantes left them alone. Salt was important. It was so important that the Romans had to have the town.

The Romans were already living on farmsteads, in residences, and in villas all over Cheshire for two decades when they decided to build the Roman fortress at Chester. In 70AD however, the Romans constructed an auxiliary fort. They first abandoned it and then built a new one before 200AD. Archaeologists uncovered a Roman cavalry helmet here and suspect the cavalry were posted here. The Romans also continued the business of salt trading – but they took it from the Cornovii.

When the Romans were here they produced roads and built garrisons, villas, and towns. They built first in wood and later in stone to make the structures permanent. When they retreated back to Rome, they left behind those who had married here, those whose children had grown up here. Not all of the Romans left, but they did leave towns which would seem empty. After they left, Cheshire was part of Mercia. This was one of the first three kingdoms to form into England. It remained an Anglo-Saxon town until the Normans invaded in 1066.

Medieval Times

About 20 years after William the Conqueror arrived in England and started peeing on things to claim them, the survey of this lush new land was complete. See, he invaded not knowing exactly what he had, so he sent his agents out all over the land to take stock of it. As you can imagine, the locals treated the agents with the same distaste as the modern man greets the tax inspector. Anyway, it took them 20 years to do the tour, and they never even made it into the north. They did make it to Northwich though, so we have an account of the town in 1086. Thanks, William.

The Domesday Survey entry for Northwich had no recorded population. The information we found points towards its mention in another entry, covering the three salt-works towns of Nantwich, Middlewich, and Northwich. We also found a reference to Norwich, which belonged to Earl Hugh Lupus and had a value of £8 per year. Earl Hugh d’Avranches, or Earl Hugh Lupus, was nicknamed ‘the wolf’. His other nickname was ‘the large’. He was the second Norman Earl of Chester. The presence of the salt works would bring employees to the area and a town would spring up. Eventually, that town grew large enough to swallow those Roman buildings and shake off its gnarly past.

In 1484 the town made the history books because it was gifted from the crown to the Stanley family. This notable family would later become the Earls of Derby, Sheriffs of Cheshire, and Barons of Stanley.

A century later in 1540, John Leland would pass through the area and note the great stakes of ‘smaul cloven wood’ where the salt extractors produced white salt. At some point during the Medieval period, salt production came under the close authority of the local leaders.  This changed drastically in 1670 when rock salt deposits were detected underground and deep mining began.

In 1620 there were 200 salt houses in town. This prominent and fruitful production led the town to become a target in the English Civil War. Sir William Brereton invade for the Parliamentarians, but the Royalists attacked and held it until 1642. The town switched hands again the following year before the whole kerfuffle was over.

Fun Trivia About Northwich

Northwich has a long, proud history associated mostly with salt. But that’s not all that goes on here. There are tourist attractions and welcoming people. It has bars and quizzes and karaoke and a thousand other enjoyable things to take part in. While you party in Northwich, here are some surprising facts you can drop in so you can disguise yourself as a local:

  • The reason the Romans liked it here so much was because they were working their way northwards incrementally. The town of Northwich would be a helpful stepping stone to take Chester and the north.
  • Northwich is.
  • The old memorial hall in town was a renowned music venue. Artists who played here include: The Charlatans, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Cure, The Who, and Thin Lizzy. If you scoop up some of the dirt you might gain some of their
  • The Roman name for Northwich was ‘Condate.’
  • Imperial Chemical Industries, formerly the Brunner Mond plant, are responsible for discovering Polythene. Although these changed times are moving away from plastic production, this material insulated radar cables during WWII. The world has spent generations trying to find a viable alternative. Maybe ICI will show up with the next big thing, too.
  • Since the purer salt beds were discovered under the town in 1781, there were a number of salt mine investments which caused multiple shafts to appear around the town. Over the years, this has led to pretty severe subsidence in the town. Be careful where you put your feet…

And on that super scary note, let’s return to the history. We are increasingly anxious to read about any homes, people, or livestock, slipping down salty holes.

The 18th Century and Industrial Period

The town gained the United Reform Church in 1708. In 1721 the River Weaver was deepened, making it accessible for trade goods. The nearby Trent and Mersey Canal opened in 1777. Both the new canal and the accessible river gave the town better access to outside trade.

During the 1800s, the town went from 1,338 people in 1801 to 14,914 people in 1891. Throughout this busy period, the town gained a gasworks in 1836, forming a Poor Union Law in the same year. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 sought to give national aid to the poor. It was an early form of social relief, a popular ideal since Robert Owen and his model town of 1800. In 1837 that same law made the people of Northwich open a workhouse. The workhouses were terrible places. They housed the poor and abandoned but made them work for their keep. This work came with little or no pay besides a bed in a full room and a meal every day.

The Market House opened in 1843, the same year that the Holy Trinity Church opened its doors. The church served those who worked on the River Weaver and their families. Another church opened in 1849 and another in 1866. By 1870 the town exported 300,000 tons of white rock and white salt annually. This same year, the brine extraction process changed. Hot water was run through the mines to dissolve the salt, and the brine would dry out to reveal it later. This did lasting damage to the steadiness of the town. To this day, subsidence is a real problem in Northwich. Stick to the paths when you are out in the countryside, k?

The town’s Northwich Victoria Football Club was formed in 1874. A year later the remarkable boat lifting station on the Weaver opened. It could lower boats up to 100,000 tons up and down into the river. In 1884 St Luke’s church opened. In 1889, Brunner’s idea for a lasting salty legacy took the form of the Salt Museum. Still not dried out all these years later.

The large cemetery on Church Road opened in 190. Let us hope there is no subsidence there. Locals built the Hayhurst Bridge in 1898 and the Town Bridge the following year.

The Modern Day Town

By 1901 the town had 17,611 residents. In 1907 the Marston Hall Mine collapsed. The nearby canal wore a hole down into the salt mines, where the water began to collect. The collected water undermined the town, then burst the surface to wash away parts of Forge Farm. It uprooted trees, took some chickens with it, and kept going till it reached the river. In the canal it was another story. The boatsmen were quickly sucked towards the sinkhole and thus had to employ the large horses which guided them backwards to save them. The gate further upstream closed but not after the whole stretch lost its water, grounded, or capsized its boats, and fishermen were spotted picking buckets of fish out of the mud.

Sir John Brunner gifted the town the local library the following year, probably to repair the damage to his reputation. The last rock salt mine collapsed in 1928. Just as you thought it was over, in 1933 the local salt factory accidentally worked out how to make polythene plastic easily. It was subsequently mass-produced, but only after they kept it a secret till they were rich. Wise moves, but an unwise product.

In 1965 the town gained a RUFC team. By 1979 the boat lift was made into a scheduled monument. The salt museum moved to Weaver Hall in 1981. The lift closed between 1983 and 2003 for repairs due to corrosion from the salt. This cost £7 million. Northwich Victoria Football Club won the FA Trophy in 1984, ending the 1900s on a high.

By 2001 the town’s population was just shy of 20,000 people. In 2004 the town embarked upon a £28 million project to stabilise the mines. Since then, the town has faced the same abject lack of funding as the rest of Britain. They even closed the cinema in 2007.

Northwich is an ancient town with a long and salted history. The relevance of the product underneath the slightly shifting grounds here will continue to fuel lives until it runs out, which might be never. The people are far less dry than the chemicals they make, even inspiring others to start practising sustainable tree farming instead of logging. It’s a pretty cool place to visit and a pretty cool place to raise kids. Just tell them to watch out for holes.

Famous People from Northwich

In every town across the country, we have found celebs in unlikely places. These celebrities were born in or lived in Northwich for a significant period of time. Caution: these celebs may become stuck in your head.

Northwich celebs include:

  • Rupert Holmes was born here. You don’t know him, but you do know about Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, right? He released this hit in 1979 and it’s still rolled out on holiday breaks around the globe now.
  • Gary Barlow lived here for a while.
  • Jennifer Saunders lived here for a while.
  • Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe lived here.
  • Matthew Kelly, the TV presenter, was also a Northwich resident.
  • Tim Burgess, the singer from The Charlatans, was born here.
  • Placebo’s original drummer Steve Hewitt was born here. He’s the guy with his face blurred out in Nancy Boy.

In fact, Northwich has had far more famous faces than many of the towns and cities we review in the UK. This includes numerous footballers, such as Mike Whitlow, Len Bathurst, Michael and Andy Oakes, Mark Roberts, and Dennis Walker.

The Best things to do in Northwich.

We may know about the history of Northwich, but what do we know about the attractions in Northwich? Here are all the best things to see and do while you are in the area.

Historic Sites

You cannot pass through the area without visiting the Roman fort of Condate. The fort existed from AD 69-96 until it was abandoned. The working theory is that the Romans were working their way north on the way up, then gave up on Scotland and came back down again. The fort saw further occupation in the 1st and 3rd centuries. You can still see the evidence of it today.

Is there a castle in Northwich?

Not a real one, but sort of. The Castle area is the area of the town where the Roman fort was. It is a nickname rather than a real building. Locals refer to this whole area of the town as the castle area.

Landmarks

Definitely visit the Arley Hall and Gardens estate. This was the house used in Peaky Blinders and it is just as epic now as it was in the show. This favourite local landmark is a beautiful 15th century property. It has a café, room for weddings, and 15 acres of gorgeous gardens to wander through.

Cultural Sites

The town has a museum inside the Lion Salt Works. They have a permanent exhibit on the original canal burst which caused the subsidence problem to skyrocket. They have exhibits featuring information about the local geology, and others detailing artefacts from across the years of salt production.

Outdoor Attractions

The Marbury Country Park celebrated its 40th anniversary recently. This area of natural beauty has over 1000 acres, which include all manner of animals. There are protected moth and butterfly species here. It has beautiful views, great hikes, and flowery meadows to run through. It has a community orchard and an arboretum.

Another top attraction in town is the Stockley Farm Birds of Prey Centre. This centre is on the Arley Hall Estate. Visit to see some beautiful birds, and to do that thing where you put the giant glove on and the birdy flies over to eat its wee dinner out of your hand. They have owls, big birds, little birds, and lots to learn. In fairness, there is also the Vale Royal Falconry Centre to enjoy should you really, really like birds.

Oh. And let’s not forget Cheshire Falconry while you are in town. You can never have too many falcons, that’s what we always say. We can confirm that we have not seen this many big birds close together in any other large town in a long, long time. People here don’t just own their bird feeders… they actually fill them, too.

Sports and Teams

The Northwich Victoria Football Club are still having a headrush over that FA Cup win. The club have a long history of playing in the North West Counties League. Cheshire residents love the Northwich Victoria team for their consistency and dedication to the goal.

Northwich Rugby Club is where you go if you want football but with juggernauts. There is a very cute junior team, a team for teens, and an adult team who are tough to beat. Learn more on Pitchero.

You have options in golfing. Try the Hartford Golf Club in Burrows Hill, the Sandiway Golf Club Ltd on Chester Rd, or Antrobus Golf Club on Fogg’s Lane.

Your best bet for a good game of cricket is through the Northwich Cricket Club. If you don’t like it there, you have another option in Hartford.

Recreation in Northwich

Get out into the Delamere forest where you will find the local Go Ape centre. It’s a blast for tourists, local kids, and even dog walkers. Stretch your legs among the trees or stretch your nerves above them, either way, it’s a great afternoon out.

Where to Eat and Drink?

Enjoy a high tea at the Poppy Rose Furnishings and Tearooms café for a light lunch. Try the Wildwood chain restaurant for quick food, the Woodpecker Cookhouse for pub grub, and the Kanya Bistro for something different.

Where to go Shopping?

The best shops in Northwich are all around the centre of town. You can always visit Chester for more.

Other Nearby Notable English Towns

If you are in the area for longer than a day or two, we recommend visiting these other Cheshire towns:

And after all of that, you should have passed on enough family holiday memories to last a lifetime.

How to Get to Northwich?

We have shared just about everything we could about this happy little town, except how you get there. Follow these directions at your own risk.

By Road

Head north or south on the M6 and look for the A556.

By Rail

Northwich Station is on the Northern Line.

By Air

The nearest airport is Manchester.

By Sea

Although there is no sea access, you can go for boat trips on the River Weaver.

Fancy Another Five Minute Travel Tour?

If this five minute tour of Northwich tickled you pink, you can find more where this one came from in on our website. Visit the travel section or head to Facebook, where every little follow helps. Don’t forget to search for your own town in our travel guides, we may have visited already.

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