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The town of Nantwich is a historic market town as well as a civil parish. It is found in Cheshire East within Cheshire County. This town of around 12,500 inhabitants boasts a wealth of history, architecture, and attractions to impress visitors.
History
Nantwich goes back all the way to Roman days. The salt from the area was utilized by the Roman garrisons located at Stoke-on-Trent and Chester for preserving food and giving it taste. The salt was long important in making Cheshire cheese and in the tanning industry here.
The Domesday Book refers to Nantwich and its eight salt houses. This was a barony center for the Earls of Chester and it possessed a Norman castle that was erected before the year 1180. The castle does not have any remains, but it did impact the layout of the town. The Gough Map of 1355 to 1366 shows Nantwich as among the only settlements in Cheshire. In the Middle Ages, Nantwich proved to be the most significant salt producing town in the county. A cattle market was held here every week in the 1300's. The town also possessed a significant tanning industry.
The majority of the town was obliterated in a fire in 1583. Queen Elizabeth I herself gave money to help rebuild the town that stayed with the plan of the original. The town sided with Parliament in the English Civil War and so was besieged a few times by the forces loyal to the king. The last siege and Battle of Nantwich are reenacted every year by the Sealed Knot, a group that puts on battles of the civil war.
The wealth giving salt industry reached its peak in 1530 when four hundred salt houses operated here. By the end of the 1700's, the salt industry had basically disappeared, and the last salt house closed down in the middle of the 1800's. The final tannery was shut down in 1974. The decline of these important industries helps to explain why the charming old buildings became preserved and were not replaced.
Architecture
Besides Chester, Nantwich is blessed with the biggest group of historical buildings in the county. The vast numbers of them are found in ninety-four acres of a conservation area. This goes along the lines of the late middle ages and early modern town. St. Mary's Church is the most ancient building found here, as it dates back to the 1300's. Churche's Mansion and Sweetbriar Hall are the only other two buildings that survived the 1583 fire. These last two are the black and white timber framed Elizabethan era mansions.
A great many other beautiful buildings exist from the days following the fire. There is the Crown Coaching Inn. A significant number of half timber buildings are also present. Georgian town houses abound as well, such as the Townwell House and the Dysart Buildings. There are also a couple of Victorian era corporate buildings, like Alfred Waterhouse's District Bank. Visitors will be delighted by the wealth of beautifully preserved architecture.
Attractions
Nantwich claims a number of attractions related to its history. There is the Dorfold Hall that showcases the Nantwich Show and International Cheese Awards held in its gardens in summer. Nantwich Museum is found in the Town Square. Another museum is housed in the Hack Green Secret Nucelar Bunker just outside of town. For those who love drama, there is the Nantwich Players Theatre that produces five plays per year.
Accommodation in Nantwich
Show Hotels in Nantwich
Show Cottages in Nantwich
Show Boating Holidays in Nantwich
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