Nantwich - History

53º04N 2º32W, pop (2001e) 28 000. Market town in S Cheshire, NWC England, UK; located on the R Weaver, 5 km/3 mi SW of Crewe; birthplace of David, 1st Earl Beatty, Sir William Bowman, John Gerard; Shropshire Union Canal to the W of the town; clothing, food products; many half-timbered buildings including Churche's Mansion (1557); remains of 14th-c castle, church of St Mary (14th-c); brine baths, Stapeley Water Gardens; Blues and Jazz Festival (Mar/Apr), Folk and Roots Festival (Aug).

Nantwich is a market town in south Cheshire, England, in the Borough and parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich.

Geographically, Nantwich is on the 'Cheshire Plain', on the banks of the River Weaver and close to the Llangollen and Shropshire Union Canals, just south of the latter's junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal. It is a major road junction, being the meeting point of the A51, A500, A529, A530 and A534 roads - the stretch of the A534 from Nantwich to the Welsh border is regarded as one of the ten worst stretches of road in England for road safety .

History

The origins of the settlement date to Roman times when salt from Nantwich was used by the Roman garrisons at Chester and Stoke-on-Trent as both a preservative and a condiment.

In the Domesday Book, Nantwich is recorded as having eight salt houses.

Nantwich has suffered several disasters in its history. Two hundred years later the town was attacked over a lengthy period by marauders from Wales, while in 1583 the Great Fire of Nantwich raged for 20 days, destroying most of the town, which was rebuilt, at a cost of £30,000 in 16th-century money, £2,000 of which was personally donated by Queen Elizabeth I together with timber from the royal forest.

During the English Civil War, Nantwich was the only town in Cheshire to declare for Parliament, and consequently it was besieged several times by Royalist forces.

Nantwich Town Square	High Street, Nantwich	Nantwich - view down Welsh Row	The Parish Church of St. Mary, Nantwich
Churches Mansion, Nantwich	46 & 48 High Street, Nantwich	46 & 48 High Street sign, Nantwich	46 High Street, Nantwich - Nantwich Bookshop & Coffee Lounge - attic
46 High Street, Nantwich - Nantwich Bookshop &