Nantwich
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Nantwich is a lovely town. It's just over 4 miles from Coole Hall Farm Bed & Breakfast, and has a wealth of things to see and do. Coole Hall Farm B&B makes an ideal base for exploring Nantwich and the surrounding area. Click on the links below to find out more about Nantwich.
The River Weaver runs through the town - a quick glance at a map shows why it is well-named, as it heads in completely the wrong direction before joining the Mersey! The town has many shops and restaurants, and good rail and bus links with the rest of the country.
Salt - Nantwich was an immensely important town in Elizabethan times, being one of the main salt producing towns, of Cheshire. There are many towns ending in '-wich' or '-wych' in Cheshire, but Nantwich was one of the largest. The Norman Domesday book records 8 salt houses, growing to over 200 in the 16th century. Natural brine springs were tapped and the brine boiled in shallow pans until salt crystals could be harvested. As well as being an essential nutrient, salt was of course the main means of preserving meat.
But in 1583, the town was almost destroyed by the 'Great Fire of Nantwich, which raged for 20 days. So important was the town to the country, Queen Elizabeth personally donated £2,000 to the cost of rebuilding - the equivalent of around £400,000 pounds today.
Shopping and strolling - today, Nantwich has a charming centre, with a square and pedestrianised shopping streets. The octagonal tower of St Mary's Church can be seen from far around - but it's said that those buried in Acton churchyard, just outside Nantwich, sleep higher than the top of St Mary's tower!
Nantwich Food & Drink Festival has become famous as a showcase of the wonderful local produce from Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Wales. The Festival takes place in September every year. Along with the Chester and Tatton food festivals, Nantwich has become nationally recognised as one the key events in the foody's calendar.
The Nantwich Show is two shows in one - not only is it a superb day out for all the family, it's also the place to go to see the best cheese in the country. The Nantwich International Cheese Show has been running for over 100 years, and every July sees prizes awarded to the best cheese producers from all over the world. But once you've marvelled at the range of tastes and flavours, the show has a wealth of displays and competitions to entertain you for the rest of the day.
The Nantwich Jazz Blues & Music Festival has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1990. Held over the Easter weekend, really kick-starts the year! There's something for everyone, with nearly 100 different events over the weekend.
Battle of Nantwich - Nantwich was rather on its own in the English Civil War, as it was the only town on the side of Cromwell and the nationalists, in a county of avid royalists. It was besieged several times, the last for six weeks. The siege was finally lifted by Parliamentary forces on 26th January 1644. A re-enactment of the Battle of Nantwich is carried out every year by the Sealed Knot, under the name of 'Holy Holly Day' - the locals supposedly wore holly for years after to commemorate the day of the battle in the midst of winter.