Hartford, Cheshire

For other places and uses of this name, see Hartford (disambiguation).

Hartford
The Coachman public house, Hartford
Hartford Hartford shown within Cheshire
Population	5,515 (2001)
OS grid reference	SJ635715
Civil parish	Hartford
Unitary authority	Cheshire West and Chester
Ceremonial county	Cheshire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Northwich
Postcode district	CW8
Dialling code	01606
Police	Cheshire
Fire	Cheshire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Weaver Vale
List of places UK England Cheshire

Coordinates: 53°14′42″N 2°32′56″W / 53.2450°N 2.5490°W / 53.2450; -2.5490

Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Main Line (between Liverpool and Crewe) and is less than 2 miles (3.2 km) south west of the town of Northwich. It forms part of the Weaver Vale parliamentary constituency.

Hartford is an educational hub and unique in Europe. There are roughly the same number of students attending the numerous schools in the village as inhabitants.^[1]

Geography

Map of Civil Parish of Hartford within the former borough of Vale Royal

Hartford is situated in the Cheshire Plain to the south west of the town of Northwich, and is surrounded by the following civil parishes, starting due north and proceeding in a clockwise direction:

Demographics

Population figures for Hartford are:

1801: 472
1851: 950
1901: 850
1951: 2919
2001: 5515

History

Hartford was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when the Manor was held by Gilbert de Venables as part of the Barony of Kinderton. Prior to the reign of Edward III it was held by a family who assumed the local name, from which it passed to the Horton, Massey, Holcroft, Marbury and Davies families.^[2]

Governance

Hartford was formerly a township divided between two ancient parishes, with the greater part belonging to Witton chapelry of Great Budworth ancient parish, and a much smaller part in Weaverham cum Milton ancient parish.^[3] It also formed part of Eddisbury Hundred, and in 1836 was placed in Northwich poor law union. It was constituted a civil parish in 1866, and in 1875 was added to the newly formed Northwich rural sanitary district. Part of Hartford was transferred to the Northwich urban sanitary district when the boundaries of the latter were extended in 1880.

The civil parish has experienced three boundary changes. In 1894, the easternmost part (in Northwich urban sanitary district) was lost when the area between Beach Road and Darwin Street — including Greenbank railway station — was transferred to Northwich civil parish.^[4] There were very small boundary adustments with neighbouring parishes in 1936, and in 1955 the newly built Greenbank Estate was transferred from the parish of Hartford to Northwich.^[5]

From 1894 to 1974 the whole of Hartford was part of Northwich rural district, and it was served by Vale Royal borough council. In April 2009 the latter ceased to exist, and Hartford is now a civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester.

Landmarks

Notable buildings

Hartford has a number of interesting grade II listed buildings and large period homes as well as many other smaller properties of historical merit. Properties of particular interest include: Sandiway House, Sandiway Cottage, The Beeches, Weaverham Grange, Whitehall and The Green lodges (Toll cottages).

Blue plaques have been displayed on buildings and places of note displaying their historial importance.

Churches

St. John the Baptist Church, Hartford

The beginning of the church in Hartford was 1821 when a meeting of the inhabitants of resolved to raise sufficient funds for the building of a church. At that time most of the township was served by Witton Chapel, 2 miles away, except for a small area south of Chester Road which formed a detached part of Weaverham parish.^[6]

Building started in 1822 and the new church and churchyard were consecrated by the Bishop of Chester in 1824 as a chapel to Witton. The building cost about £1,450.

Population growth in Hartford over the next forty years meant that this church was soon too small and so in 1873 a new building dedicated to St John the Baptist was commissioned. It was designed by John Douglas and the new church was consecrated in 1875 by the Bishop of Chester.

The tower was built and dedicated by the Bishop of Chester in 1887 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. In 1897 a ring of six bells was installed to commemorate her diamond jubilee.

In 1998 a new entrance hall and extension was added to the church.

Hartford also has a Methodist Church, situated on Beach Road. The current building dates from 1891, replacing an earlier building nearby which was constructed in 1833 and is now used as the Methodist Church Hall.

Education

Hartford is home to several schools namely St. Nicholas Catholic High School, Hartford High School, a specialist sports and languages school, Hartford County Primary School (locally known as "Riddings Lane"), St. Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School and Hartford Manor Community Primary School.

The private Grange School is also located in Hartford (both the prep and senior schools) and is frequently placed in the top fifty mixed schools in the country. Hartford is also home to the main campus for Mid Cheshire College and two schools which cater for children with learning disabilities called Cloughwood and Greenbank.

Shops

Hartford has two shopping parades. The larger is on Chester Road. This includes the newsagents, the Red Lion pub, a children's clothes shop, a hair salon, a florist, a butcher, St. Lukes Charity shop, a bakery, a video store and a Co-op. The smaller parade, on School Lane, includes a dry cleaner, a nail studio, women's and gents' hairdressers plus Relish an established contemporary cafe, bar and bistro opened in 2009.

A new wine bar and restaurant next door to the Red Lion called 'Chime'^[7] has now officially opened. A Sainsbury's Local store will also be opening in the Village in early 2015. This will be located opposite Mid-Cheshire College on Chester Road.

Sport and leisure

Sports facilities around the village include: Hartford Tennis Club, Cricket Club, Bowling Club, Golf club and Driving range. Youth football is played on the playing fields accessed from The Green.

A Theatre owned by the independent school, The Grange, is located at their Senior school off Bradburns Lane. A production of Cinderella will be performed regularly over the 2014 Christmas period. It will feature Anne Hegerty of Chase and Dane Bowers formerly of Another Level.

Transport

Hartford Bridge (or Blue Bridge) as the A556 crosses the Weaver Navigation.

Hartford is bisected by the A559, known as Chester Road. The A556 road bypasses the village as part of the Northwich bypass. The bridge that carries the road over the River Weaver is known as Hartford Bridge or Blue Bridge, and was built in 1938.

Hartford is served by Hartford railway station on the West Coast Main Line between Liverpool and Crewe and by Greenbank railway station on the Mid-Cheshire Line between Chester and Manchester Piccadilly.

Economics

Hartford contains the registered office of Holidaybreak Plc. Until recently it was also a key location for AMEC plc, with offices at Sandiway House off Littledales Lane. The site (Sandiway House) has now been sold and is being redeveloped for residential use.

Notable people from Hartford

Clarence "Lal" Hilditch, footballer
Tim Lamb, cricketer
Adolphus Rooke, politician in colonial Tasmania
Ann Todd, actress

Notes and references

Notes

↑ "Education in Hartford". Hartford Parish Council. n.d. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
↑ Kelly's Directory of Cheshire (1939), p. 189
↑ Youngs (1991, pp. 20,40)
↑ Youngs (1991, p. 20). Ordnance Survey (1875). Cheshire Sheet XXXIV (SW), 1st edition. "Hartford C.P.". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
↑ Youngs (1991, p. 20). Ministry of Health and Local Government Order No. 4238. The County of Chester (Northwich U.D.) Confirmation Order, 1955
↑ Ordnance Survey (1875). Cheshire Sheet XXXIV (SW), 1st edition
↑ Chime (2014), http://www.chimehartford.co.uk/

Bibliography

Youngs, F. A. (1991). Guide to the local administrative units of England. (Volume 1: Northern England). London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-86193-127-0.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hartford, Cheshire.

Cheshire West and Chester

Principal settlements	Chester Ellesmere Port Frodsham Neston Northwich Winsford

Civil parishes (current)	Acton Bridge Agden Aldersey Aldford and Saighton Allostock Alvanley Anderton with Marbury Antrobus Ashton Hayes and Horton cum Peel Aston Bache Backford Barnton Barrow Barton Beeston Bostock Broxton Burwardsley Byley Capenhurst Carden Chester Castle Chidlow Chorlton Chowley Christleton Clotton Hoofield Clutton Coddington Comberbach Croughton Crowton Cuddington Cuddington Darnhall Davenham Delamere and Oakmere Dodleston Duckington Duddon Dunham-on-the-Hill and Hapsford Dutton Eaton and Eccleston Edgerley Elton Farndon Frodsham Golborne David Great Boughton Great Budworth Guilden Sutton Handley Hargrave and Huxley Hartford Harthill Helsby Huntington Ince Kelsall Kingsley Lach Dennis Lea-by-Backford Ledsham Little Budworth Little Leigh Little Stanney Littleton Lostock Gralam Malpas Manley Marston Mickle Trafford and District Mollington Moston Mouldsworth Moulton Neston Nether Peover No Man’s Heath and District Norley Northwich Poulton and Pulford Puddington Rowton Rudheath Rushton Saughall and Shotwick Park Shocklach Oviatt and District Shotwick Park Sproston Stanthorne and Wimboldsley Stoak Stretton Sutton Tarporley Tarvin Tattenhall and District Thornton-le-Moors Threapwood Tilston Tiverton and Tilstone Fearnall Tushingham-cum-Grindley, Macefen and Bradley Upton by Chester Utkinton Waverton Weaverham Wervin Whitegate and Marton Whitley Wigland Willington Wincham Winsford

Civil parishes (former)	Aldford Ashton Hayes Bickley Bradley Bridge Trafford Bruen Stapleford Buerton Burton Caldecott Caughall Chorlton-by-Backford Church Shocklach Churton by Aldford Churton by Farndon Churton Heath Claverton Cotton Abbotts Cotton Edmunds Crewe by Farndon Delamere Dunham-on-the-Hill Eaton Eccleston Edge Foulk Stapleford Golborne Bellow Grafton Hampton Hapsford Hatton Hockenhull Hoole Village Horton-by-Malpas Horton cum Peel Huxley Iddinshall Kings Marsh Larkton Lea Newbold Lower Kinnerton Macefen Marlston cum Lache Mickle Trafford Newton by Malpas Newton-by-Tattenhall Oakmere Oldcastle Overton Picton Poulton Prior's Heys Pulford Saighton Saughall Shocklach Oviatt Shotwick Shotwick Park Stanthorne Stockton Tattenhall Tilstone Fearnall Tiverton Tushingham-cum-Grindley Wimbolds Trafford Wimboldsley Woodbank Wychough

Unparished areas	Chester Ellesmere Port

Ceremonial county of Cheshire

Cheshire Portal

Unitary authorities	Cheshire East Cheshire West and Chester Halton Warrington

Major settlements	Alsager Birchwood Bollington Chester Congleton Crewe Culcheth Ellesmere Port Frodsham Handforth Knutsford Lymm Macclesfield Middlewich Nantwich Neston Northwich Poynton Runcorn Sandbach Warrington Widnes Wilmslow Winsford See also: List of civil parishes in Cheshire

Rivers	Bollin Croco Dane Dean Dee Gowy Goyt Mersey Weaver Wheelock

Topics	Flag Parliamentary constituencies Places Population of major settlements SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed churches Grade I listed non-ecclesiastical buildings Grade II* listed buildings History Museums Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs

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