Middlewich
- Details
- Category: My Books
- Published: Thursday, 24 November 2005 19:00
- Written by Administrator
- Hits: 9207
In May 2005 I compiled and had published a local history book about Middlewich in Cheshire. It is titled simply 'Middlewich!' . This was a joint effort between me and Brian Curzon (recently deceased), a local historian and academic. It can be purchased locally or through Amazon. It may also be purchased directly from the publisher www.the historypress.com - A synopsis is copied below. The book uses photographs, period advertisements and short captions to take the reader through the history of Middlewich. This starts with the most famous local product, SALT, and weaves its way from Roman times to the 1970s Cerebos factory. Then comes the second most common aspect of the town, THE CANAL CONFLUENCE, known in some canal quarters as the Venice of the North, Middlewich sits at the junction of the Shropshire Union and Trent and Mersey canals and some very interesting facts are disclosed to accompany the old photographs.
CELEBRATIONS follow and these include the church parades, Rose Fetes through to the unveiling of the war memorial in the 1920s and the royal visit by the ailing King in 1946. Then we come to a subject dear to many Middlewich people, PUBLIC HOUSES. Many years ago there were far more pubs in Middlewich than there are now and the book includes snippets of information about those featured. The Big Lock with its doors back and front, front for the locals and back for the bargees, The White Bear with its history of bear baiting and the ancient Kings Arms together with many more. There are and have been many LARGE HOUSES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS in the area, Bostock Hall, Middlewich Manor and Stanthorne Hall to name but a few are all featured with lesser establishments such as the Town Hall and the Police Station.
The reader is then taken on a NOSTALGIC TOUR OF THE OLD TOWN as we traverse the town using photographs from the turn of the last century to the 1970s with a few modern photographs for comparison purposes and finally. GOING, GOING, GONE. Middlewich has seen many changes and reconstructions throughout the last 100 years, mainly to accommodate the through traffic to the new M6 motorway. Around the Parish Church in times past it was far more built up than it is today. The site of the new amphitheatre was once the home of Lees butchers and other shops, the large Town Hall with its battlements and the Carbineer Inn. All that has changed but the one area that has changed little architecturally is
Wheelock Street.
The reader is then taken on a NOSTALGIC TOUR OF THE OLD TOWN as we traverse the town using photographs from the turn of the last century to the 1970s with a few modern photographs for comparison purposes and finally. GOING, GOING, GONE. Middlewich has seen many changes and reconstructions throughout the last 100 years, mainly to accommodate the through traffic to the new M6 motorway. Around the Parish Church in times past it was far more built up than it is today. The site of the new amphitheatre was once the home of Lees butchers and other shops, the large Town Hall with its battlements and the Carbineer Inn. All that has changed but the one area that has changed little architecturally is
Wheelock Street.
Once upon a time it was devoid of traffic and children played outside the White Bear, although many of the original buildings remain, the traffic has altered greatly. From the odd pony and trap to the present high volume of parked and through traffic, the book has it all.