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{{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of
Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church may refer to: Albania * Holy Trinity Church (Berat), Berat County * Holy Trinity Church, Lavdar, Opar, Korçë County Armenia * Holy Trinity Church, Yerevan Australia * Garrison Church, Sydney, South Wales, also known as ''H ...
, official_name = Northwich , country = England , region = North West England , population = 50,531 , population_ref = ( 2021){{NOMIS2021 , id=E35001305 Overview Profile: Northwich Town Council"; downloaded fro
.gov.uk/find_out_more/datasets_and_statistics/statistics/census_2011/population_profiles Cheshire West and Chester: Population Profiles
16 May 2019
, os_grid_reference = SJ651733 , coordinates = {{coord, 53.259, -2.518, display=inline,title , post_town = NORTHWICH , postcode_area = CW , postcode_district = CW8,CW9 , dial_code = 01606 , constituency_westminster = Weaver Vale , constituency_westminster1 = Tatton , civil_parish = Northwich , unitary_england =
Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Governm ...
, lieutenancy_england =
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...
, website = {{URL, www.northwichtowncouncil.gov.uk Northwich is a town and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
in the unitary authority of
Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Governm ...
in the ceremonial county of
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers
Weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...
and Dane. The town is about {{convert, 18, mi east of
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, {{convert, 15, mi south of
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The populati ...
, {{convert, 19, mi south of
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and {{convert, 12, mi south of
Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers and the busiest of those ...
. The population of the civil parish was 20,924 in 2021"2021 Census results: Overview Profile: Northwich Town Council"; downloaded fro
.gov.uk/find_out_more/datasets_and_statistics/statistics/census_2011/population_profiles Cheshire West and Chester: Population Profiles
16 May 2019
and the wider built-up area (which also covers parts of several other civil parishes) was 50,531. Northwich was named as one of the best places to live in the United Kingdom by ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...
'' in 2014.{{cite web, last=Bebbington , first=Gina , title=Northwich is one of the best places to live in the UK – again , work=Northwich Guardian , url=http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/11082889.Northwich_is_one_of_the_best_places_to_live_in_the_UK___again/?ref=var_0 , access-date=19 March 2014 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319145713/http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/11082889.Northwich_is_one_of_the_best_places_to_live_in_the_UK___again/?ref=var_0 , archive-date=19 March 2014 The area around Northwich has been exploited for its salt pans since Roman times, when the settlement was known as Condate. The town has been severely affected by salt mining, and subsidence has historically been a significant problem. Mine stabilisation work was completed in 2007.


History

{{Main, History of Northwich


Early history

During Roman times, Northwich was known as Condate, thought to be a Latinisation of a Brittonic name meaning "Confluence". There are several other sites of the same name, mostly in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
; in Northwich's case, it lies at the junction of the rivers Dane and
Weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...
.{{cite web , last1=Shaw , first1=Mike , last2=Clark , first2=Jo , title=Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Northwich: Archaeological Assessment , work= Cheshire County Council , url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F5A1E18E-ADD8-4B95-8575-EFD628BBD1A2/0/HTS_Arch_Assess_Northwich.pdf , archive-url=https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20090318233703/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F5A1E18E-ADD8-4B95-8575-EFD628BBD1A2/0/HTS_Arch_Assess_Northwich.pdf , url-status=dead , archive-date=18 March 2009 , access-date=1 May 2008 Northwich can be identified through two contemporary Roman documents. The first of these is the
Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary ( la, Itinerarium Antonini Augusti,  "The Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is a famous '' itinerarium'', a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibl ...
, a 3rd-century road map split into 14 sections. Two of these sections, or Itinerary, mention Condate: Route II ("the route from the
Wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the su ...
to the port of
Rutupiae Richborough Castle is a Roman Saxon Shore fort better known as Richborough Roman Fort. It is situated in Richborough near Sandwich, Kent. Substantial remains of the massive fort walls still stand to a height of several metres. It ...
") and Route X ("the route from Glannoventa to
Mediolanum Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Roman city in northern Italy. The city was settled by the Insubres around 600 BC, conquered by the Romans in 222 BC, an ...
").{{cite web , url=http://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/condate/, work=Roman-Britain.co.uk website , title=Condate The second document is the 7th-century ''
Ravenna Cosmography The ''Ravenna Cosmography'' ( la, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia,  "The Cosmography of the Unknown Ravennese") is a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland, compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around 700 AD. Tex ...
''. This document refers to Condate between the entries for Salinae (now Middlewich, Cheshire) and Ratae (now Leicester, Leicestershire), at the time the capital of the
Corieltauvi The Corieltauvi (also the Coritani, and the Corieltavi) were a tribe of people living in Britain prior to the Roman conquest, and thereafter a ''civitas'' of Roman Britain. Their territory was in what is now the English East Midlands. They were b ...
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...
. The Romans' interest in the Northwich area is thought to be due to the strategic river crossing and the location of the salt brines. Salt was very important in Roman society; the Roman word ''salarium'', linked employment, salt and soldiers, but the exact link is unclear. It is also theorised that this is the basis for the modern word ''
salary A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. F ...
''. Another theory is that the word ''soldier'' itself comes from the Latin ''sal dare'' (to give salt). ''See History of salt for further details''. There is archaeological evidence of a Roman auxiliary fort within the area of Northwich now known as "Castle" dated to AD 70. This and other northwestern forts were built as the Romans moved north from their stronghold in Chester. The association with salt continues in the
etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...
of Northwich. The "wich" (or wych) suffix applies to other towns in the area: Middlewich, Nantwich and Leftwich. This is considered to have been derived from the
Norse Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nor ...
, ''wic'', for bay, and is associated with the more traditional method of obtaining salt by evaporating sea water. Therefore, a place for making salt became a wych-house; Northwich was the most northern of the
-wich town A "-''wich'' town" is a settlement in Anglo-Saxon England characterised by extensive artisanal activity and tradean " emporium". The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon suffix , signifying "a dwelling or fortified place". Such settlements were u ...
s in Cheshire.


Medieval to early modern

The existence of Northwich in the early medieval period is shown by its record in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
: {{quote, In the same Mildestuic hundred there was a third wich called Norwich orthwichand it was at farm for £8.
There were the same laws and customs there as there were in the other wiches and the king and the earl similarly divided the renders.
... All the other customs in these wiches are the same.
This was waste when (Earl) Hugh received it; it is now worth 35s., Henry Ellis, '' A General Introduction to Domesday Book'' The
manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...
of Northwich belonged to the
Earls of Chester The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and ...
until 1237 when the family line died out. Subsequently, Northwich became a royal manor and was given to a noble family to collect tolls in exchange for a set rent. The Cheshire archers were a body of elite soldiers noted for their skills with the longbow that fought in many engagements in Britain and France in the Middle Ages, Battles at which there were sizeable numbers of Cheshire archers include Agincourt and Crecy, many of these archers hailed from the
Northwich Hundred Northwich is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers River ...
.
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father d ...
employed a bodyguard of these yeoman archers who came from the Macclesfield Hundred and the forest districts of Cheshire. That salt production continued throughout the centuries and can be seen through John Leland's description of the town in 1540: {{quote, Northwich is a pratie market town but fowle,
and by the Salters houses be great stakes of smaul cloven wood,
to seethe the salt water that thei make white salt of., cited in Fred H. Crossley, ''Cheshire'' Between 1642 and 1643, during the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...
, Northwich was fortified and garrisoned by Sir William Brereton for the Parliamentarians. The salt beds beneath Northwich were re-discovered in the 1670s by employees of the local Smith-Barry family.{{cite web , title=History of the Northwich Woodlands , work=Northwich Community Woodlands website , url=http://www.northwichwoodlands.org.uk/about/history.shtml , access-date=4 September 2008 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106210026/http://www.northwichwoodlands.org.uk/about/history.shtml , archive-date=6 January 2009 , url-status=dead , df=dmy-all The Smith-Barrys were looking for coal, but instead discovered
rock salt Halite (), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pi ...
, in the grounds of the family home, Marbury Hall, to the north of Northwich.


19th century

During the 19th century it became uneconomical to mine for the salt. Instead hot water was pumped through the mines, which dissolved the salt. The resultant brine was pumped out and the salt extracted from the brine. This technique weakened the mines and led to land subsidence as they collapsed. Subsidence affected the town and the surrounding landscape. For example, collapses in 1880 formed Witton Flash as the River Weaver flowed into a huge hole caused by subsidence. Subsidence also allegedly accounts for many old
timber-framed Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
houses in the town centre, which were better able to withstand the movement of the ground. Some houses were built on a base of steel girders that could be jacked up to level the house with each change in the underlying ground. The town's historical link with the salt industry is celebrated in its
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and th ...
, which is today in the old
workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...
. In 1874,
John Brunner John Brunner may refer to: * Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet (1842–1919), British industrialist and Liberal Member of Parliament * John L. Brunner (1929–1980), Pennsylvania politician * Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet (1865–1929), British Libera ...
and
Ludwig Mond Ludwig Mond FRS (7 March 1839 – 11 December 1909) was a German-born, British chemist and industrialist. He discovered an important, previously unknown, class of compounds called metal carbonyls. Education and career Ludwig Mond was born ...
founded Brunner Mond in Winnington and started manufacturing
soda ash Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...
using the Solvay ammonia-soda process. This process used salt as a main raw material. The chemical industry used the subsided land for the disposal of waste from the manufacture of soda-ash. The waste was transported through a network of cranes and rails to the produce ''limebeds''. This was a dangerous alkaline substance and caused the landscape to be abandoned as unusable.


Modern development

In 1975 Marbury Country Park was the first area to be reclaimed from dereliction and has become a popular recreational area. In 1987 more land was reclaimed to form Furey Wood and over later years, Cheshire County Council's Land Regeneration Unit reclaimed what is now known as Anderton Nature Park, Witton Flash, Dairy House Meadows, Witton Mill Meadows, and Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes. The area now extends to approximately {{convert, 323, ha, order=flip of public space known as Northwich Community Woodlands. In February 2004 a £28 million programme to stabilise the abandoned salt mines underneath Northwich was begun.{{cite web , title=£28 million funding approved for Northwich salt mines , work=English Partnerships website , url=http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerID=11750EEGsFUgTbd7hmO1FbHCnFxrdyY2 , access-date=5 December 2006 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609234356/http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=11750EEGsFUgTbd7hmO1FbHCnFxrdyY2 , archive-date=9 June 2007 The work was funded by the English Partnerships through its Land Stabilisation Programme, introduced to resolve issues associated with unstable mines around England. The four mines identified for work were Baron's Quay, Witton Bank, Neumann's and Penny's Lane. These mines were chosen because their subsidence was causing problems for the town centre. The stabilisation plan involved removing millions of litres of brine from the four mines and replacing it with a mixture of
pulverised fuel ash Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired ...
(PFA),
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement m ...
and salt. The project was completed in late 2007. The old Magistrates Court and Memorial Hall have been demolished and been replaced by Memorial Court, a £12.5 million cultural and leisure centre, which offers a pool, dance studios and a gym. The £80 million Barons Quay Development, a retail and leisure complex will see the creation of more than {{convert, 300,000, sqft of shopping space, together with a new
Asda Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
superstore with a petrol filling station, M&S Simply Food store, Odeon cinema, H&M, The Entertainer toy store, Sports Direct, restaurants, cafés, new public spaces and parking. Construction started in late 2014. The cinema opened in December 2016.{{cite web , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-38329619 , title=Barons Quay: Northwich cinema opens in £80m regeneration scheme , author=Phil McCann , publisher=BBC , date=15 December 2016 , access-date=16 December 2016 A major fire occurred at the Northwich Outdoor Market on 3 January 2020. The Market's remains were quickly demolished and so far there are no plans to rebuild it.


Governance

At the time of the Domesday survey (1086) Northwich was in the
hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...
of Middlewich, but by the 14th century it had become part of the
Northwich hundred Northwich is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers River ...
. This probably happened during the reorganisation of the Hundreds in the 12th century. Northwich has been described as a borough from around 1288, though there is no surviving borough charter. Northwich originally constituted an area of only {{convert, 13, acre, m2 at the confluence of the Rivers Weaver and Dane. The much larger township of Witton cum Twambrooks lay to the east, Leftwich to the south, Castle Northwich to the south-west, and Winnington to the north-west.''Kelly's Directory of Cheshire'' (1896), p.409 The manor of Northwich was granted to the Stanley family, later Earls of Derby in 1484, and stayed in the family's hands until the late 18th century. A local board was founded on 26 June 1863 after the
Local Government Act 1858 Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environmenta ...
and it purchased the manor from Arthur Heywood Esq. in 1871. In 1875, the local boards for Northwich and Witton cum Twambrooks were amalgamated, and the resultant district was further extended in 1880 to include the whole of Castle Northwich and parts of
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
, Winnington and Leftwich. On 10 September 1894 these areas were united as the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
of Northwich, served by Northwich Urban District Council. The town was further enlarged in 1936 by the addition of parts of Winnington, Lostock Gralam, Barnton, Leftwich and Rudheath, and again in 1955 when parts of Davenham, Hartford, Rudheath and Whatcroft were added. The
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
replaced the Urban District Council of Northwich with a new district (later borough) council: Vale Royal. Vale Royal covered areas previously covered by Northwich UDC (Urban District Council), Northwich RDC (Rural District Council), Winsford UDC and parts of Runcorn RDC. Northwich Town Council now has the powers of a parish council and is now made up of five main districts of Leftwich, Northwich, Castle, Winnington and Witton. In 2018 Northwich Town Council won 'Council of the Year' at the NALC Star Council Awards. The current Town Clerk of Northwich Town Council is Chris Shaw. Vale Royal Borough Council was abolished on 1 April 2009, and Northwich now falls within the new unitary authority of
Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Governm ...
. Between 1885 and 1983 Northwich gave its name to a
parliamentary constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
. Northwich was also split between the Tatton and Eddisbury constituencies until the formation of Weaver Vale for the 1997 general election. The seat is currently held by Mike Amesbury (Labour). The town coat of arms features the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mo ...
''"Sal est Vita"'' meaning ''"Salt is Life"'', which can be seen on the town's crest of arms. The town is twinned with
Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubuški, ...
in France.


Geography

Northwich is situated in the Cheshire Plain at coordinates h{{coord, 53, 15, 20, N, 2, 31, 20, W, type:city (53.255, −2.522). The town is between {{convert, 15, and, 35, m, ft, 0 above mean sea level. Northwich is surrounded by the following
civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
, starting due north and proceeding in a clockwise direction: Anderton with Marbury, Marston, Wincham, Lostock Gralam, Rudheath, Davenham,
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
,
Weaverham Weaverham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. Just off the A49, it is just to the west of Northwich and south of the River Weaver, and has a population o ...
, Barnton. Two rivers meet in the town centre, the
Weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...
and the Dane. The town is surrounded by undulating
pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or s ...
. Subsidence and the collapse of underground saltworks has created flashes and there are also local meres – for example, to the north is
Budworth Mere Budworth may refer to: People: *Charles Budworth (1869–1921), British artillery officer * Neil Budworth (born 1982), English rugby league footballer *Richard Budworth (1867–1937), English rugby union forward *William Budworth (1699–1745), sch ...
and to the north-east is
Pick Mere Pickmere is a village and civil parish near Knutsford in the Borough of Cheshire East. It has a population of 541. {{clear {{Northwich weatherbox


Demographics

The population of Northwich in 1664 has been estimated as 560. The population of Northwich over the last 200 years has been: {, class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;width:70%;border:0px;text-align:center;line-height:120%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;" ! colspan="22" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;", Population of Northwich since 1801 , - ! style="background: #99CCCC; color: #000080" height="17" , Year ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1801 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1811 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1821 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1831 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1841 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1851 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1861 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1871 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1881 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1891 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1901 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1911 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1921 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1931 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1951 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1961 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1971 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1981 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 1991 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 2001 ! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000080;" , 2011 , - Align="center" ! style="background: #99CCCC; color: #000080" height="17" , Population , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,338 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,382 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,490 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,481 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,368 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,377 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,190 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 1,244 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 12,256 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 14,914 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 17,611 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 18,151 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 18,381 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 18,732 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 17,489 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 19,592 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 18,136 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 17,098 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 18,316 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 19,259 , style="background: #FFFFFF; color: black;" , 19,924 , - , colspan="22" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;", Sources:{{cite web , title=Parish Headcounts: Northwich CP , work=National Statistics website , url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do;jsessionid=ac1f930cce66e21ccbb56c24277bcb1957157785a0b.e38Qa3mPbh4Kai0LaxqMbhqSaxyQe6fznA5Pp7ftolbGmkTy?a=3&b=792700&c=northwich&d=16&e=15&g=429415&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779&bhcp=1 , access-date=5 December 2006 , archive-date=28 August 2007 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828233940/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do;jsessionid=ac1f930cce66e21ccbb56c24277bcb1957157785a0b.e38Qa3mPbh4Kai0LaxqMbhqSaxyQe6fznA5Pp7ftolbGmkTy?a=3&b=792700&c=northwich&d=16&e=15&g=429415&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779&bhcp=1 , url-status=dead {{clear The 2011 Census shows the population of Northwich civil parish to be 19,924. This was composed of 9,878 (49.6%) males and 10,046 (50.4%) females. There were 8,808 households. This makes the average household size 2.62, an increase on 2001. The adjacent civil parishes of
Anderton with Marbury, Barnton, Davenham,
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
, Kingsmead, Lostock Gralam, Rudheath,
Weaverham Weaverham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. Just off the A49, it is just to the west of Northwich and south of the River Weaver, and has a population o ...
and Wincham are in part built up, giving a total population of 53,391 in 2011 considered to use the facilities of Northwich town centre.{{cite web , url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N1KBIV4VEfVGlT8oVtX06VM8blv1JK4s/view , title=Northwich Neighbourhood Plan 2017–2030: Referendum Version , publisher=Northwich Town Council/Cheshire West and Chester , pages=16, 19 , date=March 2018 , access-date=3 May 2019 The population of Northwich is estimated at around 63,000 in 2021, The town forms part of the Cheshire West and Chester (Northwich and Winsford Locality) which has an estimated 2021 population of 107,000. Northwich and its urban area make up 63,000, Winsford makes up around 34,100 and the remaining 10,000 are the surrounding rural areas of the locality {{clear


Economics

Northwich has been described as having a market since at least 1535, when it was described as a market town by Leland, but there is no surviving charter. The town still has a market today, which is earmarked for refurbishment as part of the Northwich Vision plans. The town's economy was dominated by the salt industry. However, a list of tolls for goods crossing over Northwich bridge in 1353 shows goods coming into the town, including a wide range of carcasses, fleeces, hides and skins, cloth, fish, alcoholic drinks, dairy products, building materials, household goods, metals and glass, and millstones. This indicates a much wider economic base to medieval Northwich than just the salt trade. Documentary evidence also exists for a
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile manufacturing, Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the A ...
from 1332 onwards and there is evidence for more than one mill from 1343. Allied to the extraction of salt was a bulk chemical industry, which became concentrated at the three ICI sites at Winnington, Wallerscote and Lostock. The first industrially practical method for producing polythene was accidentally discovered at the Winnington Laboratory in 1933.{{cite web , title=Winnington history in the making , work=This is Cheshire , url=http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/8/23/275808.html , access-date=5 December 2006 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121071050/http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/8/23/275808.html , archive-date=21 January 2010 , df=dmy-all Bakers
Frank Roberts & Sons Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...
have been associated with the town since 1887 and continues to be based near the town at Rudheath on the A556. Two of Frank Roberts & Sons's three main business divisions, Roberts Bakery and The Little Treats Co, are based in Northwich and Aldred's The Bakers, is in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. There are many contemporary major employers in nearby Rudheath and
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
. Based on the 2001 Census, Northwich had 13,928 people aged between 16 and 74. Of these, 8,908 (64.0%) people were categorised as economically active; 4,268 (30.6%) were economically inactive; 455 (3.3%) were unemployed.{{cite web , title=Parish Profile – Work and Qualifications: Northwich CP , work=National Statistics website , url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=792700&c=northwich&d=16&e=15&g=429415&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=783 , access-date=9 January 2007 , archive-date=28 August 2007 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828234013/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=792700&c=northwich&d=16&e=15&g=429415&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=783 , url-status=dead


Culture and community

The town has three key annual events. Over the
August Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or ...
weekend, Northwich Festival is held at Moss Farm Sports Complex, featuring four days of music and sport. Since 2011, the town's Medieval Festival has been staged in Verdin Park. And since 2021, an annual Piña Colada Festival has taken place in recognition of Rupert Holmes who was born in the town and wrote Escape (The Piña Colada Song), released in 1979. The festival grew in 2022, with live music, fairground rides and old school street games among other attractions. Local bars, restaurants and cafés offered piña coladas alongside other tropical themed drinks and snacks. Northwich Memorial Hall was opened in 1960 but closed for redevelopment in 2013, to be replaced by the Memorial Court Facility, opened in 2015. It hosted a range of activities, including the Purple Cactus Comedy Club. The Harlequin Theatre produces six plays each year, and it is also the home of Northwich Folk Club (which has run continuously since 1977). The Regal cinema closed in 2007 and was demolished. A cinema in the Barons Quay development opened in 2016. Northwich has two local newspapers: the ''Northwich Guardian'', published by
Newsquest Newsquest Media Group Ltd. is the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the American mass media holding company Gannett. It has 205 brands across the UK, publishing online and in print ...
, and the ''Northwich Chronicle'', published by Trinity Mirror.
Radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
Shout Radio broadcasts online and covers the mid-Cheshire area including Northwich (territory previously covered by the now defunct Cheshire FM). Northwich musicians include Steve Hewitt, drummer with
Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...
,{{citation needed, date=December 2016 which provided a song for the soundtrack to the film '' Cruel Intentions'', and Tim Burgess from the Charlatans, a band once managed by Steve Harrison from the town's Omega Music record store. Local horror author Stuart Neild's first novel, ''A Haunted Man'', was set in the salt mines that run underneath Northwich, combining fact with supernatural fiction. Neild's novels featuring Northwich and other North West locations. A
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
film and television series was in development.{{cite web , title=Once upon a time in the Midlands , work=BBC Website , url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/features/2005/03/haunted_man.shtml , access-date=5 December 2006


Sport

Northwich is the home of three
non-league football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is s ...
teams: Witton Albion, Northwich Victoria and 1874 Northwich. In May 2018 the
Cheshire FA The Cheshire Football Association, also simply known as Cheshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Cheshire, England. They are responsible for the governance and development of football at all levels in the county. About ...
announced plans for a £70m development near Northwich, modelled on
St George's Park National Football Centre St George's Park (SGP) is the English Football Association's national football centre (NFC) built on a site at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The centre was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 9 October 2012. The purp ...
. The facility would include two FIFA-standard pitches with a 1000-seat stadium, 3G pitches, six grass pitches, full medical facilities and a hotel/spa. The town has two rugby union sides Northwich RUFC and Winnington Park. The area also boasts several amateur cricket clubs, including Winnington Park CC, Davenham CC, Weaverham CC, Northwich CC and Hartford CC. Northwich also has a successful competitive swim team – Northwich Swimming Club, first formed in the late 19th century. Northwich Rowing Club was formed in 1875 in Northwich and continues to row on the River Weaver, producing Olympic and international rowers such as
Matt Langridge Matthew Langridge (born 20 May 1983) is a British rower. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London he was part of the British crew that won the bronze medal in the men's eight. He was the 2015 European Champion in the men's pair, along with Jame ...
. The club has its own boat and clubhouse located by The Crescent and holds three events every year, the Autumn Head in November, the Spring Head in April and the Regatta in May. In 2015 the club was the first rowing club from the north of England to win the Junior Coxed
Quad Sculls A quadruple sculling boat, often simply called a quad and abbreviated 4x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four people who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, or "sculls", one in each hand. Rac ...
at the Head of the River Fours on the tideway in London. Club crews have also competed in the
Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...
, with a crew seeded in 2015 for the first time in the club's history. The club also has a large junior section taking rowers on from age 12.{{cite web, title=Northwich Rowing Club, url=http://www.northwichrowing.co.uk/, website=Northwich Rowing Club, access-date=27 December 2016 The Northwich Festival, held at Moss Farm Sports Complex each August includes the UK Strongman-North Competition. The town also has a long-standing cycling club, Weaver Valley CC. Established in 1962, its members included ex-pro and ITV commentator Paul Sherwen and domestic rider Alan Kemp. The club competes in road racing, time trials, track racing and off-road. The club promotes three road races, a series of circuit races in June at
Oulton Park Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection al ...
, the Cat and Fiddle hill climb, and cyclo-cross in September. Since 1980, the club has promoted the Cheshire Classic women's cycling road race, held every April. Part of British Cycling's National Road Race Series, it is the longest running race on the women's national calendar. Previous winners include Dame Sarah Storey, Lucy Garner, Lizzie Armitstead, Nicole Cooke and Mandy Jones. The first known swimming baths in Northwich was the Verdin Baths, situated on Verdin Park, presented by Robert Verdin in commemoration of the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. It consisted of a {{convert, 60, x, 20, ft, m, adj=on cast-iron plunge bath and five slipper baths. Northwich Public Baths was built in 1913 following subsidence at Verdin Park pool. It its doors on 23 January 1991 {{cite web, title=Verdin Baths, 1887-1911, url=http://northwichbrinebaths.co.uk/node/7, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826134213/http://northwichbrinebaths.co.uk/node/7, url-status=dead, archive-date=26 August 2009, website=Archive of Northwich Brine Baths, access-date=27 December 2016 to be replaced with Moss Farm leisure complex, which in turn was replaced by Memorial Court entertainment and leisure venue in 2015.


Landmarks and religious sites

The parish church is known as St. Helen's Witton. It is a Grade I Listed Building. The church initially developed as a
chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ease is deliberately b ...
associated with the parish of Great Budworth to serve the local community, known as the Chapel of Witton. There is no known date for the creation of this chapel, but it is thought to have existed in the 13th century. None of this building exists in the current church. There is no documentary evidence to indicate the dates of the older parts of the current building. However, stones in the fabric of the porch carry inscriptions attributed to "Ricardus Alkoke Capellanus". This name matches documents concerning land in Northwich and Lostock Gralam dated 1468, but this cannot be used to date the church accurately. It was not until 7 August 1900 that the parish of Witton (otherwise Northwich) was formed from parts of Great Budworth, Davenham and other surrounding parishes. The presen
St Wilfrid's (Roman Catholic)
church was built in 1866. The curren
Northwich Methodist Chapel
was opened in 1990, but there has been a Methodist presence in the town at least since 1774, when John Wesley laid the foundation stone of the first chapel in the London Road area. The Northwich Union Workhouse opened in 1837 following the
Poor Law In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of h ...
Amendment of 1834 that standardised the system of poor relief throughout Britain. The building is now the Weaver Hall Museum. The
Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station is a sewage pumping station in Northwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom. The pumping station is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. History Towards the ...
is a
Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ire ...
Listed Building originally built by Northwich Urban District Council in 1913. For over 60 years it was used for pumping sewage from parts of Northwich to the Wallerscote Treatment Works. Before it was built, untreated sewage was discharged directly into the River Weaver, causing widespread pollution. Two
swing bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then p ...
s, Hayhurst Bridge built in 1898, and Town Bridge built in 1899, cross the Weaver at Northwich. The bridges were the first two electrically powered swing bridges in Great Britain and were built on floating pontoons to counteract the mine subsidence. They were designed by Colonel
John Saner John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
. The Floatel Northwich was moored on the Weaver near the confluence of the two rivers, but was closed when the owners,
The Real Hotel Company plc The Real Hotel Company was a hotel firm which was founded in 1877 and went into administration in 2009. History The company was founded as the Birmingham Coffee House Company in 1877 and evolved through the early 20th century to become the Arden a ...
, went into administration in January 2009. It has since been removed. It was the UK's only floating hotel. {{clear


Transport

The key historical mode of transport is water. By 1732 the River Weaver was improved from Frodsham Bridge to Winsford Bridge and eventually allowed vessels up to {{convert, 160, t, kg to travel up to Northwich Bridge. The Trent and Mersey Canal, opened in 1775, passed to the north of Northwich because of objections from the trustees of the Weaver Navigation. However, the canal passed salt deposits near the village of Marston, and many of the later salt mines were based along its banks including the Lion Salt Works. The Anderton Boat Lift was opened in 1875{{cite web, url= http://www.andertonboatlift.co.uk/ , work = Anderton Boat Lift website , title = Anderton Boat Lift , access-date = 3 September 2008 to connect the canal and river systems. It was fully restored in 2002 and now houses a visitor centre. The road system around Northwich can be dated back to the Roman times. The A556 and A559 follow the route of the Roman road that runs from Chester to York. The A556 diverts away from the route of the Roman road following a new route to the south of the town acting as the town's bypass. The Chester to Manchester road became a Turnpike in 1769. The A530, known as King Street, also passes near to the town, and this follows the route of the Roman road that connected Warrington and Middlewich. The old route to Warrington and the north from Middlewich, however, was replaced by a new route through Knutsford, which became a turnpike in 1753. Northwich is connected to the motorway network to the north of the town via the A559 onto the M56 motorway; and to the east of the town via the A556 at Junction 19 of the
M6 motorway The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 motorway, M1 and the western end of t ...
. The railway came to the town in 1863 when the Cheshire Midland Railway constructed its line from
Knutsford Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census was ...
. The West Cheshire Railway built its line to Helsby in 1869. Passenger trains from Northwich to Chester via Delamere commenced in 1875. The route through Northwich is now marketed as the Mid-Cheshire line. Northwich railway station, last rebuilt in 1897, is on the line from
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
to Manchester Piccadilly. There are also stations within close vicinity at Greenbank, also on the Mid-Cheshire line, and
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
(on the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
). There are bus routes between Northwich and a number of local towns, and villages including Weaverham,
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
, Crewe, Warrington, Kelsall and Chester. Family run coach company, Walker's Coaches, was based in Anderton, before being taken over by Holmeswood Coaches; who still run the Northwich depot.


Education

Northwich and its surroundings has a number of schools and colleges.
Sir John Deane's College Sir John Deane's Sixth Form College is a sixth form college in Northwich, Cheshire, UK. It was formerly Sir John Deane's Grammar School, which was founded in 1557. History Sir John Deane (in the 16th century, the title indicated a presbyter ...
is now a
sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate ...
, but was originally formed as a grammar school in 1557. The school was originally known as Witton Grammar School and was erected close to Witton Chapel. The school moved to its current location, to the south of the town, in 1907–08.
The Grange School, Northwich ('From an acorn, an oak') , established = 1933 / 1978 , closed = , type = Public school Private day school , religious_affiliation = , president = , head_label = Head , head = Dr. Lorraine Earps , ...
is an independent school. Primary education include: *The Grange Junior School *Witton Church Walk CofE Primary School *Victoria Road Primary School *Charles Darwin Community Primary School *Winnington Park Community Primary and Nursery School *St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School *Hartford Manor Primary School *Hartford County Primary School *Kingsmead Primary School was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building award in 2005. *Rosebank School is a school for
autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
children aged 3–11 years. During the 19th century many new schools were founded and by 1850 twelve "academies" were recorded in the area. The town is now served by County High School Leftwich, a specialist media arts college, while Rudheath Senior Academy, a specialist performing arts college and Hartford High School both admit pupils from Northwich. There are also several primary schools in the area.
St. Nicholas Catholic High School St Nicholas Catholic High School is a mixed voluntary aided school and sixth form in Hartford, near Northwich, Cheshire for students aged 11 to 18. The headteacher is Craig Burns. The students who enroll there study for 5 years and after GCS ...
is also in the local vicinity, and performs well on national exam boards, coming second in the whole of
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...
. Mid Cheshire College had its main campus in nearby
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
, offering further education courses. The campus closed in 2018 after it merged with Warrington Collegiate a year earlier to form Warrington and Vale Royal College In November 2005, as part of the Northwich Vision, a refurbishment of the town's railway station included a Centre called ''Zone'' that promotes lifelong learning by offering people the opportunity to access a range of online and taught courses.


Notable people

; Industry * Peter Drinkwater (1750 – 1801) an English cotton manufacturer and merchant. In 1782 he opened his first cotton mill on the River Weaver in Northwich * Sir Joseph Verdin, 1st Baronet (1838 in Witton – 1920) ran a family salt business known as Joseph Verdin & Sons with his brothers,
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, h ...
and William, lived at The Brockhurst in the town. *
Ludwig Mond Ludwig Mond FRS (7 March 1839 – 11 December 1909) was a German-born, British chemist and industrialist. He discovered an important, previously unknown, class of compounds called metal carbonyls. Education and career Ludwig Mond was born ...
(1839–1909) German-born co-founder of Brunner Mond, a soda factory in Winnington * Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet PC DL (1842–1919) founder of chemical firm Brunner Mond in 1873, MP for
Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
1885–1886 and from 1887 to 1910, lived at Winnington Hall * William James Yarwood (1851–1926) shipbuilder and proprietor of W. J. Yarwood & Sons, a local shipbuilding business ;Creative arts * Alethea Lewis (1749 at Acton - 1827) an English novelist, she centred on profound Christianity and virtue. *
Bob Crossley Bob Crossley (30 August 1912 – 19 September 2010) was an abstract artist who lived in Cornwall, England from 1959. He was still painting at the age of 97. He worked in oil and acrylic, producing paintings influenced, in part, by the moderni ...
(1912 in Northwich – 2010) an abstract artist who worked in oil and acrylic and lived in Cornwall from 1959 * Percy M. Young (1912 in Northwich – 2004) a British musicologist, editor, organist, composer, conductor and teacher * Peter Gammond (born 1925 in Northwich) a British music critic, writer, journalist, musician, poet, and artist. * Robert Westall (1929–1993) the children's author lived in the town and taught at Sir John Deane's Grammar School. * Sue Birtwistle (born 1945 in Northwich) a producer and writer of television drama * Rupert Holmes (born 1947 in Northwich) composer, songwriter and author, now lives in New York * Malcolm Garrett (born 1956 in Northwich) a British graphic designer * Jennifer Saunders (born 1958) actress and comedian, attended Northwich Girls' Grammar School * Jim Tavaré (born 1963) an English stand-up comedian, actor, and musician. He attended art school in Northwich. *
Moira Buffini Moira Buffini (born 29 May 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor. Early life Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and attended St Mary's College at Rhos-on-Sea in Wales as a day girl. She studied English and Drama at Go ...
(born 1965) an English dramatist, director, and actor. * Tim Burgess (born 1967) an English singer-songwriter and lead singer of the alternative rock band The Charlatans * Cathie Pilkington RA (born 1968) is a British sculptor, she attended the North Chester College of Art in Northwich * Stuart Neild (born 1970 in Northwich) horror author * Steve Hewitt (born 1971 in Northwich) an English musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and former drummer for the band
Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...
, 1996–2007 *
Helsinki Seven Helsinki Seven are an English alternative rock band from Northwich, Cheshire, England. History Helsinki Seven are a three piece band who have toured with Fighting With Wire, Future of the Left, LaFaro, Atomic Garden and Palehorse. The band h ...
(formed 2006) are an alternative rock band from Northwich, * Addictive (formed 2008) an English musical duo based in Northwich consists of Louise Bagan and Aisha Stuart ;Politics * Robert Verdin (1836 in Witton – 1887) a salt manufacturer, philanthropist and MP for
Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
1886–1887 * Sir Philip Holland (1917 in Northwich – 2011) Conservative MP for Acton 1959-1964 and for Carlton 1966-1983 * Paul Dean, Baron Dean of Harptree PC (1924 in Northwich – 2009) Conservative MP for North Somerset 1964 to 1983 * John Greenway (born 1946) MP for Ryedale, was born and educated in the town *
Arron Banks Arron Fraser Andrew Banks (born 1966) is a British businessman and political donor. He is the co-founder (with Richard Tice) of the Leave.EU campaign. Banks was previously one of the largest donors to the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and helped ...
(born 1966 in Northwich) a British businessman and political donor. *
Diana Johnson Dame Diana Ruth Johnson (born 25 July 1966) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull North since the 2005 general election. A member of the Labour Party, she was elected as Chair of the ...
(born 1966) MP for Hull North was born and educated in the town ;Sport * Charles James Hughes (1853 in Northwich –1916) an English footballer, referee, and co-founder of Northwich Victoria *
George Elmore George V. Elmore (1880 – 1 July 1916) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Glossop, Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion as a forward. He also played in the Scottish League for St Mirren and Partick Thistl ...
(1880 in Witton – 1916 Somme) an English professional football player with about 200 games. * John Boden (1882 in Northwich – 1946) an English professional footballer who played over 300 pro games * Billy Harrison (1886 in Wybunbury – 1948) an English footballer with over 400 appearances, mostly for
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
* Jack Eyres (1899 in Northwich – 1975) an English footballer who played over 250 games. * Sid Collins Jr. (1912 in Northwich – 1983) an English professional golfer. He won the Welsh Professional Championship in 1938 and 1952 * Tom Manley (1912 in Northwich – 1988) an English professional footballer, over 300 appearances for Manchester United and Brentford, he later managed hometown club Northwich Victoria F.C. *
Zandra Nowell Zandra Nowell (born 10 September 1936) is a British alpine skier. She competed in two events at the 1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and co ...
(born 1936 in Northwich) a British alpine skier, competed in the
1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...
* Malcolm Arnold (born 1940 in Northwich) an athletics coach working for UK Athletics since 1974. *
Len Bathurst Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ * L ...
(born 1959 in Northwich) an English former professional football player who appeared in over 350 games. * Mike Whitlow (born 1968 in Northwich) an English former professional footballer with 398 appearances, mainly for Leicester City & Bolton Wanderers * Michael Oakes (born 1973 in Northwich) former goalkeeper for
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa P ...
and
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Ro ...
* Andy Oakes (born 1977 in Northwich) former goalkeeper for
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
*
Matt Langridge Matthew Langridge (born 20 May 1983) is a British rower. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London he was part of the British crew that won the bronze medal in the men's eight. He was the 2015 European Champion in the men's pair, along with Jame ...
(born 1983) rower and triple Olympic medallist, including Gold at the Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics, started rowing at Northwich Rowing Club * Mark Roberts (born 1983 in Northwich) is an English professional footballer played in 440 matches *
Craig Jones Craig Jones may refer to: * Craig Jones (grappler) (born 1991), Australian grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor * Craig Jones (musician) (born 1972), American musician * Craig Jones (motorcyclist) (1985–2008), English motorcycle ...
(1985–2008) an English motorcycle racer. He grew up in Northwich * Dennis Walker (1944 in Northwich - 2003) an English footballer, the first black player to appear for
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
, also representing York City and Cambridge United *
Joe Dale Joseph Dale (3 July 1921 – 11 September 2000) was an English footballer who played in the English Football League for Manchester United and Port Vale, as well as playing for Witton Albion in three Cheshire County League winning seasons (1948� ...
(1921 in Northwich - 2000) an English professional footballer who played for
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
as well as Port Vale and Witton Albion ;Other * Eaton Hodgkinson FRS (1789 in Anderton – 1861) an English engineer, a pioneer of the application of mathematics to problems of structural design. * William Allen Whitworth (1840–1905) was an English mathematician and a priest in the Church of England, Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement, Whitworth, William Allen
retrieved 23 July 2018
schooled at the Sandicroft School in Northwich *
Harold Drinkwater Harold Drinkwater FRSE (1855 – 11 July 1925) was an English physician. He was usually referred to simply as Harry Drinkwater. He did much research into hereditary diseases but is largely remembered as an amateur botanist and exemplary artist o ...
(1855-1925) physician and botanical artist, born and raised in Northwich *
Geoffrey Cheshire Geoffrey Chevalier Cheshire, (27 June 1886 – 27 October 1978) was a British barrister, scholar, and influential writer on law. He was the father of Leonard Cheshire, the British war hero and founder of the Cheshire Foundation Homes fo ...
FBA (1886 in Northwich – 1978) an English barrister, scholar and influential writer on law * Arthur Dodd (1919 in Northwich – 2011) served in the British Army during WWII and was a Prisoner of War at Auschwitz *
Mary-Ann Ochota Mary-Ann Ochota ( ''O-hot-ah''; born 8 May 1981) is a British broadcaster and anthropologist specialising in anthropology, archaeology, social history and adventure factual television. Biography Ochota was born and grew up in Wincham, Northwic ...
(born 1981 in Northwich) a British broadcaster and anthropologist specialising in archaeology, social history and adventure factual television


Twin town

Northwich is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: *
Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubuški, ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
*
Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...
,
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...


See also

{{Portal, Cheshire * Salt in Cheshire * Brunner Mond *
Listed buildings in Northwich Northwich is a civil parish and a town in Cheshire West and Chester, England. It contains 35 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Two of these are listed at Grade I, the hi ...
* Winnington Hall *
Holy Trinity Church, Northwich Holy Trinity Church, Northwich, (also known as Holy Trinity Church, Castle) is in the Castle district of Northwich, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Middlewich, the archdeaconry of Chester, and the dioc ...
{{-Market Fire


References

{{Reflist


External links

{{commons category, Northwich {{Wikivoyage
Cheshire West and Chester CouncilVisit NorthwichGoNorthwichNorthwich Town CouncilNorthwich and Rural North community website
{{Cheshire, Cheshire West and Chester {{Cheshire {{authority control Civil parishes in Cheshire Towns in Cheshire