Monuments and tourist attractions
Crewe
Little is left of the original buildings of the 19th century „new town” built by the Grand Junction Railway Company in Crewe. Of the buildings in the town to note, the tower of Christ Church is still a prominent landmark. The Church was built in 1860 with the tower being added in 1874.
The Municipal Buildings was built in 1902. The building has an attractive front elevation with Ionic columns and carved reclining figures above the ground floor windows. The weather vane on the cupola was modeled on Stephenson’s Rocket. The Market Hall, next to the
Municipal Buildings, is in the Italianate style and was built in 1854 with the clock tower being added 15 years later.
The Lyceum Theatre is a fine Edwardian building which has recently undergone major refurbishment with the auditorium being restored to its original splendour.
On the outskirts of the town is Crewe Hall, a magnificent Jacobean mansion built for Sir Randolph Crewe in 1615. Extensions to the Hall were added in the 18th century and following a fire in 1866 which almost destroyed the building, it was repaired and reoccupied in 1870. The Hall is now a luxury hotel, conference centre and restaurant.
The Queens Park, a gift to the people of Crewe and Nantwich by the London and North-Western Railway, was officially opened to the public in 1888. The park covers the area of 45 acres and is listed Grade II on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. As it has retained its original layout and many of its original features, Queens Park is considered a prime example of a Victorian urban park. It is the traditional home of the Crewe Carnival, which is attended annually by around 50,000 people.
Crewe’s railway heritage can be explored at the “Railway Age” Heritage Centre which provides a fascinating insight into Crewe’s place in railway history. Minature, model and standard gauge railways are also on site.
Nantwich
Nantwich is a charming market town set beside the River Weaver with a medieval street pattern, a beautiful sandstone church and many listed buildings of great historical interest. The town has an all-pervading sense of history. The focal point is “The Square” which is the setting for St Mary’s Church, known as the “Cathedral of South Cheshire”. One of the finest medieval churches in Britain, it has many interesting features and its own visitor centre. Sorrounding the church are narrow winding streets with many timber-framed buildings.
Churche’s Mansion in Hospital Street is a charming half-timbered Elizabethan merchant’s house built in 1577 which survived the Great Fire. Also in Hospital Street is Sweetbriar Hall, which is Nantwich’s oldest surviving wattle and daub building.
The Queen’s Aid House in High Street is a medieval merchant’s house built in 1584. An inscription on the paneling records the support of Queen Elizabeth I in the rebuilding of the town after the Great Fire.
The town has its own museum which provides an exciting insight into the life and times of Nantwich and has a special “Cheshire Cheese” room showing how cheese was and is made.
Crewe and Nantwich includes:
- 6 Historic Parks and Gardens at Cholmondley Castle, Combermere Park, Crewe Hall, Dorforld Hall, Queens Park
- 713 listed buildings
- 20 scheduled Ancient Monuments
- A National Nature Reserve at Wybunbury Moss, Cheshire Wildlife Trust Reserve at Quakers Coppice and alocal Nature Reserve at Sound Common
- 19 conservation areas designated for their attractive townscape or village character