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Template:GBdot Middlewich is a town in Cheshire, England.

Middlewich lies on the confluence of a number of natural and man made features, the River Dane, River Croco and River Wheelock, the Shropshire Union Canal and Trent and Mersey Canal and the A533, A54 and A530. It is an important location for salt manufacture, and has also been known for Cheshire cheese. The parish church for Middlewich is St Michael and All Angels Church, which dates back to the 12th century.

History

Roman Origins

The town was founded by the Romans as Salinae on account of the salt deposits around it, as it was one of their major sites of salt production. A Roman Road, King Street (originally Kind Street, hence Kinderton, one of the Middlewich wards) runs between Middlewich and nearby Northwich.

Middle Ages

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Victorian & Georgian Era

The 19th century saw the population fo Middlewich rise from 1190 in 1801, 1235 in 1851, until by the 1901 census it was 4669. Some of this rise is attributable to a number of parishes being combined, for example parts of were added to Middlewich in 1894, with having previously been added to Newton is 1892. These parish names live on in road names in Middlewich, for example Newton Bank and Sutton Lane.

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The inter- and post-War years

The period between the First and Second World Wars and following the Second World war saw extensive housebuilding within the town, with significant new houses being built in the King Street area to the north, Cledford to the south and the Nantwich Road/St. Annes Road region to the West. At the 1951 census the population had risen to 6736.

The 1970's commenced with the building of a bypass, St. Michael's Way, to Wheelock Street, the main shopping street. As part of building this bypas the Talbot public house on the town bridge was demolished, along with a row of shops opposite the Boar's Head. This bypass has been successful in moving traffic away from the main shopping street, but the confluence of three major roads remains a bottleneck.

Present Day

Over the past 30 years Middlewich has seen a significant quantity of new housing development, taking its population from around 7,500 in 1970 to 13,170 in 2003. This development is still continuing, with its good road links via the M6 being a contributing factor.

Culture

Shopping

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Arts & Sport

Since 1990 there has been an annual folk and boat festival in Middlewich. The 2005 Festival was held in the weekend of 17th-19th June. Many artists including Bellowhead and Tickled Pink appearing at venues throughout the town. Morris Dancing and Craft Stalls also featured. The boating festival centres on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

There have also been a number of ad-hoc events, including the Middlewich Roman Festival in 2001.

There is a football club in Middlewich, Middlewich Town FC, formed from the old Middlewich Atheletic. Middlewich Town play at the Seddon Street pitch.

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Media

Middlewich's weekly newspapers are the Middlewich Chronicle and the Middlewich Guardian.

Industry

Historically the main industry in Middlewich was salt, with a number of open pan works close to the Canal. However salt manufacture in Middlewich is now concentrated in one manufacturer, British Salt, who sell under the name Saxa.

Local Attractions

Apart from the Trent and Mersey and Shropshire Union canals, there is also the town church of St. Michaels and All Angels. Within the local area are the Jodrell Bank radio telescope and the Salt Museum in nearby Northwich.

Transport

A branch of the Shropshire Union Canal flows to the town, where it meets with the Trent and Mersey Canal. The town is also home to a third canal known as the Wardle canal which joins the Trent and Mersey to the Shropshire Union, it is possibly the shortest canal in the UK. Middlewich lies on a railway branch line between Sandbach and Northwich, however the local station was closed to passenger traffic in 1959, and has now been demolished. Road links from Middlewich are good, with junction 18 of the M6 motorway whithin easy reach, and direct roads to Crewe, Nantwich, Northwich, Winsford and Sandbach.

Further Reading

Roman Middlewich: A Story of Roman and Briton in Mid-Cheshire. T.J. Strickland, Graham Sumner, 2001

Middlewich, 900-1900, A L Earl, 1990

Middlewich, 1900-1950, A.L. Earl, 1994

Middlewich (Images of England Series), B J Curzon, P Hurley

Memories of Middlewich, Mary Barry

External links

• St Michael and All Angels Church, Middlewich
• Where I live (bbc website)
• Knowhere Guide to Middlewich
• Shropshire Union - Middlewich Branch
• War Memorial to the men of Middlewich who died in the two World Wars and Korea
• War Memorial to men from the Brunner Mond Works, Middlewich, Cheshire who fell in the two World Wars
• Salinae
• Salt making towns in Cheshire

• Towns in Cheshire