It’s a win-win Cheshire has more than its fair share of delightful market towns nestled among its rolling plains, and Winsford is a perfect example of all the delights they have to offer of the Trent & Mersey Canal took the goods through Middlewich in both directions, bypassing Winsford entirely.
Salt solution
Despite this setback, the area continued to thrive as its salt production increased while other sources nearby began to run short. Winsford is still home to the UK’s largest rock salt mine. The Christ Church in the Wharton area of Winsford Winsford Rock Salt Mine opened insford lies on the River Weaver, in 1844 and today still produces one directly south of Northwich. It million tonnes of rock salt a year. The disused mines have also found a new developed, along with much of the area, on the back of a salt-mining industry that thrived lease of life – some with the canalisation of the river in the 18th of the area is used century, which allowed freight to be taken to store documents because the salt to Runcorn and on via the River Mersey. creates a safe, dry Salt is still produced in the area but the current population of around 34,000 are atmosphere in which mainly employed in other local industries as to keep archives. well as in the cities of Chester, Manchester Before proper mining began, when and Stoke-on-Trent. The town’s relationship with Stoke-on-Trent brine was roughly DID YOU extracted from and the wider Potteries is a KNOW? The Winsford Rock the ground, longstanding one. When the Salt Mine claims to areas of improvements to the river be Britain’s oldest subsidence were carried out in 1721, working mine formed causing Winsford became the closest Winsford Town Park that barges carrying china clay land to collapse in patches known as the Winsford Flashes. from Cornwall could get to the Potteries, at the time the major centre of These were put to good use as they refilled ceramic production in Britain. The clay was with water and became popular boating and transported from Winsford by horse, while leisure lakes – still used today for sailing, locally produced salt was also sent on the and popular with walkers and families. same route to be used in the manufacture of salt-glazed stoneware. The finished Sporting spot ceramics then came back via Winsford to be The town is made up of three distinct loaded on boats and sent on to Liverpool. neighbourhoods – Wharton on the west side of the river, and Swanlow and Dene on the This industrious and busy trade route fell silent in the 1780s when the arrival east. It grew in the late 1960s and 1970s,
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when it was designated an official expansion to take the overspill from Liverpool. This saw the development of two new industrial areas on both sides of the town, new estates of both council and private housing and a new shopping centre with a library, a sports centre, a civic hall and doctors’ surgeries. The sports facilities saw Winsford become a hotspot for several clubs and groups, having its own football team, a premier league swimming club, an athletics club and a cricket club. Winsford has been selected to be the home of a £70m FA Centre of Excellence, which will be the new home of the England women’s football team and should open in 2023. The development will further cement the town’s standing as a sporting hub for the area and keep the busy town going from strength to strength for many years to come.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO Winsford Flash Sailing Club Stocks Hill, Winsford CW7 4EE www.winsfordflashsailing.com Weaver Hall Museum & Workshouse Weaverhall Lane, Winsford CW7 4EB weaverhall.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk Winsford Marina Winsford CW7 3DD
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