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 Nantwich and Acton Route Description  8km (5 miles)  2 - 3 hours
 Nantwich and Acton Map
Discover one of the most historic and picturesque areas in Cheshire, with fine Elizabethan buildings and sandstone churches. Explore the local countryside following footpaths, towpaths and drovers roads past splendid houses and across battlefields.
| St. Mary's Church in Nantwich was built during the fourteenth century. It is well worth a visit, with a magnificent octagonal tower, wonderful carvings, stained glass and embroidery.
The name Castle Street is all that remains of a wooden castle, built by the first Norman Baron, William Malbank in the eleventh century. |
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Opposite the entrance to Castle Street is the Queen's Aid House. This was built after the Great Fire, which began on the 10th December 1583 and lasted for 20 days, destroying most of Nantwich. A plaque on the wall displays the appreciation to Queen Elizabeth I for her help in raising funds to rebuild the town.
The bridge next to Water Lode Road is all that remains of the water mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1970. Water power must have been used on this site for many centuries, as a mill was recorded here in the Domesday Book.
Just before Nantwich Lake, there is a memorial to an American second world war pilot who crashed here in 1944. 1st Lieutenant Arthur L. Brown was 23 when he gave his life by staying with his blazing Thunderbolt fighter to avoid crashing into the town. During the war, the Nantwich to Market Drayton railway line was heavily used by servicemen travelling to RAF Tern Hill. The line closed in May 1967.
Dorford Hall Park is home to the annual Nantwich and South Cheshire Show, which hosts Europe's largest international cheese exhibition amongst many other rural attractions.
Acton was a very important Christian centre in the Kingdom of Mercia, during Saxon times. The present church has some wonderful Saxon carvings and a Norman font. In the churchyard there is a sundial and almshouses which date from the 17th century.
The Shropshire Union Canal was built in stages. The first section from Chester to Nantwich opened in 1774 and finished at Basin End. This was designed to carry 14ft wide Mersey Flats. Notice how wide the canal is under the first bridge compared with the reduced width under the second bridge. The last section of the canal between Nantwich Basin and Birmingham, completed 1835, was only built to carry narrow-boats, 7ft wide. The owners of Dorfold Park objected to the intended route, so the engineers Telford and Cubitt had to build the half mile Nantwich embankment to avoid the park. Look at the wonderful single-arched cast-iron aqueduct, spanning Chester Road.
The fields in the area of Nantwich Basin are where the Battle of Nantwich took place on 25th January 1644. This victory over the Royalists ended a six week siege of Nantwich and is regarded as the turning point in the Civil War. The victory is still celebrated, by re-enacting the battle and wearing a sprig of holly on 'Holly Holy Day'. This takes place annually on the Saturday nearest to 25th January.
The 'Wych Houses' or 'Walling Lands' where salt was produced from brine once stood in an area near to Town Bridge. The brine was channelled from a brine spring to the Wych Houses for evaporation in large lead pans. Salt production peaked in late 16th century, when there were 216 Wych Houses. The street layout between the Black Lion Inn and the river has altered very little since the Middle Ages. The shops are on plots originally occupied by Wych Houses. Look out for Wych House Bank on the right and the brine spring or 'Old Biot' just over the Town Bridge, on the left.
The Crown Hotel was rebuilt in 1585 after the Great Fire, at the huge cost of 313 pounds, 13 shillings and 4 pence. An unusual feature is the long, windowed gallery used by guests to take gentle indoor exercise.
 Accessibility:
Detailed access information for many parks is listed in the Cheshire Welcome Guide, a free guide researched by Cheshire Disabilities Federation in partnership with Cheshire County Council.
Copies are available from Sectoral Promotions and Tourism on 01244 603127.
 How to get there:
For all passenger travel and timetable information contact Cheshire Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.
Lines are open 8:00am - 8:00pm, every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
 Contact:
Countryside Management Service
Countryside Office
Reaseheath
Nantwich
Cheshire CW5 6DG
Phone: 01270 611610
Email: reaseheath@cheshire.gov.uk
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