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410
Roman Origins
The Romans had troops in Nantwich and an old Roman track was recently discovered near the river. The origins of the settlement date to Roman times when salt from Nantwich was used by the Roman garrisons at Chester (Deva Victrix) and Stoke-on-Trent as a preservative and a condiment. "Nant" comes from the Welsh for brook or stream. Wich and wych are names used to denote brine springs or wells. -
Jan 1, 950
Pass the Salt
Salt production was for many years a major activity in Nantwich. Salt was important to preserve food, in fact our word salary comes from the Latin salarium which was a Roman soldier’s allowance to buy salt. Archaeological finds in the town have included a Roman cremation urn, a wooden plank tank (possibly used in salt production), and shards of Roman pottery – which suggests that there may have been a Roman Salt Works on the West of the Weaver. -
Jan 1, 1086
Domesday Book entry
In the Domesday Book, Nantwich or "Wich" as it was known was recorded as having eight salt houses with a certain William Malbank owning a salt pit and salt pans. Earl Hugh Lupus had given the town to William Malbank eventually became known as Wich Malbanc until the 1500s, when the name Nantwych, and later Namptwiche, starts to appear. -
Jan 1, 1146
The first battle of Nantwich
It is recorded that the Welsh devastated the town of Nantwich in 1113 and attempted to a second time in 1146 (or possibly 1150), but were then repulsed and beaten. At this time the castle still stood and indeed had been built to help protect the town from Welsh invasion as indeed was the reason why so many castle were built in Wales and its border. -
Jan 1, 1180
Nantwich Castle
Nantwich Castle was a Norman castle built before 1180. The castle is first documented in 1288, but in ruins by 1485. Archaeological evidence suggests the castle on ground between the River Weaver and the modern High Street and Mill Street, probably near the Crown Inn. It is thought the the layout of the main streets in Nantwich follow the original walls. No trace now remains but excavations in 1978 near the Crown Inn uncovered terracing and two ditches, possibly the castle's bailey. -
Jan 1, 1228
Water Mill
The existence of a watermill south of Nantwich Bridge was noted in 1228 and again around 1363, However, Mill Island is a product of the 16th century possibly after the original mill was destroyed in the 1583 'Great fire of Nantwich'). During the mid-17th century, the mill was acquired by local land-owners, the Cholmondeley's, who retained it until the 1840s. -
Jan 1, 1245
King Henry III - destroys Nantwich
Nantwich was of such strategic importance both in terms of its location and salt industry that in 1245 the town was destroyed! King Henry III on his way back from battling the Welsh wanted to ensure the Welsh were not able to gain access to the brine pits and so promptly raised it to the ground! A terrible famine followed in the town. -
Jan 1, 1340
St Mary's - cathedral of south cheshire
Located in the centre of the town, St Mary's is known as the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" and is a red 1 listed building. It is considered to been of the best medieval churches in the country. Its history dates back to 1130 but the present building was started in 1340 and various additions have been made over the centuries. -
Jan 1, 1355
Gough Map
Nantwich is one of the few places in Cheshire to be marked on the Gough Map, a medieval map of Great Britain which dates from 1355. Its depiction of routes and marked distances is unique in Britain before the 17th century and greatly improved the detail on the coast of England and Wales. Towns are shown in some detail including Nantwich and although it contains a number of errors (e.g. oversized islands and lakes) it remains the most accurate map of Britain prior to the 16th century. -
Jan 1, 1530
Salt galore
The salt industry peaked in the mid-16th century, with around 400 salt houses in 1530. By the end of the 18th century however the industry had all but died out in Nantwich; the last salt house closed in the mid-19th century as more economic and automated ways of extracting salt were devised. Nikolaus Pevsner, the British scholar of architecture ironically considered the decline in the salt industry to have been the critical factor in preserving the town's historic buildings. -
Great Fire
A local brewer accidentally started a fire that burned for 20 days destroying 150 houses, inns and buildings. It made 900 people (half the population) homeless and killed two. The importance of the town meant Queen Elizabeth I ordered a nationwide collection to rebuild Nantwich, and gifted £1,000 herself. The gift is marked on a plaque in Nantwich Square which reads: “God grant our Royal Queen in England long to reign, for she has put her helping hand to build this town again”. -
Battle of Nantwich
The Battle of Nantwich between the Parliamentarians and Royalists was fought at Acton just outside the town. The Royalists led by Lord Byron were besieging Nantwich and Sir Thomas Fairfax led an army to relieve the town. A sudden thaw caused the River Weaver to flood dividing Byron's cavalry from his infantry and artillery, who were then overrun and destroyed. The victory halted a run of Royalist successes in the area and a major setback to King Charles I's campaign. -
Widow's Almhouses
An Almhouse is a house donated rent free to the poor by a rich person. An excellent example is on Welsh Row in what is now the pub "the Cheshire Cat". Originally owned by Roger Wilbraham, a wealthy Nantwich landowner, they were donated to 6 widows hence the name. Tradition has it that these widows did not like each other even drawing lines on the floor of the houses across which each other could not pass! It is also famous for its mounting block(a step to board a coach) just outside. -
Cholera epidemic
Cholera first broke out in Nantwich in 1832 when 14 people died but a second outbreak in 1849 was much worse and claimed 181 lives. The disease spread quickly due to poor overcrowded housing and bad sanitation: many using the River Weaver for drinking water and disposal of sewage! No markets were held during this period and grass grew in the streets Funerals took place daily at all hours in an effort to bury the dead as soon as possible with reports some were even being buried alive! -
Architecture
Nantwich's rich history is reflected in its architecture. It contains 133 listed buildings and structures: 3 classified as grade I, 7 as grade II* and 122 as grade II. The majority are located within the 94 acres of a conservation area. The town contains many Georgian town houses and several Victorian architecture which are listed. The oldest listed building is St Mary's Church (1340) and the most recent, the 17th-century French styled1–5 Pillory Street (pictured) from 1911. -
Last shoes made
Nantwich was once the home fo the "Nantwich Boot", a tough work boot popular in mills. Shoe making was a thriving industry for the town. However, wages were lower than other areas and pay strikes broke out in 1872/73. Unfortunately employers resisted and trade never really recovered. Powered machinery in the 1890s put handmade shoes in further decline and the last factory in the town closed, after a fire, in 1925 before the trade died out completely in 1932 when smaller works closed. -
Brine Pool
Salt was also seen as medicinal and in 1935, an outdoor pool was opened which is supplied by natural "brine" (salt water). Still open, when the pool is reopened each year, it is filled with fresh water and brine pumped in from a quarter of a mile down the road. The water temperature is maintained at 74°F but is often hotter in bright sunshine. Named as one of the Daily Telegraph’s best outdoor pools in 2014, it’s one of the few remaining inland brine pools left in the UK. -
Arthur L. Brown saves Nantwich
1st Lieutenant Arthur L. Brown of the US air force was killed when his Typhoon aircraft crashed on the outskirts fo the town. He became a hero when people believed he downed his aircraft away from the town centre, saving many lives in the process. A new theory suggests he was unconscious suffering from anoxia (lack of oxygen) but whatever the reason he is a symbol of the youth and bravery of the war era. A memorial lies on the spot where his aircraft fell to earth by the River Weaver. -
History of the Cotton mill on Mill Island (1228-1970)
The mill is thought to date back to 1228. In the Civil War (1650) it was used as a hospital. In 1788 the mill was converted to a cotton factory and enlarged with steam machinery. The mill was bought again in 1848 but the American Civil War stopped cotton exports and it closed in 1862. It re-opened in 1864 but was uneconomic and became a corn mill again in 1874. By 1890 it was a clothing factory & foundry. By the 50's it was a warehouse and later a billiard hall. It was destroyed by fire in 1970. -
Last Tannery Closes
A Tannery is a factory which takes animal skins and dries and treats them to make leather. Leather had always been produced in the town and by the 1860s, shoe making reached its peak with one third of men and a sixth of women being involved in the production of shoes and workman’s boots which were transported for sale to industrial cities like Manchester and Birmingham. The last tannery to close was Harvey's Tannery in 1972. -
Millenium marked
To commemorate the millennium in 2000, Nantwich council commissioned two time based pieces - the first was the "Millennium Clock" made by Paul Beckett of Caernarfon and on display in Cocoa Yard just behind the museum. The second was a series of 12 brass plates featuring a clock face set to each hour of the day and set in pavements near historical places around the town which tourists are encouraged to follow as a walk. -
Salt Ship discovered
An ancient salt ship – or vessel in which brine (salt water) was stored as part of the salt-producing process was discovered under a car park off Welsh Row. The 26ft long hollowed-out oak tree, is one of only two salt ships to have been unearthed in the UK and is therefore of significant national interest. Examination of the tree rings dates it back to the 1300s. It cost £100,000 to preserve and part of it is now on display in Nantwich museum.
