Town Bridge - Winsford, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The area around Winsford has a long history of salt mining and trading. Completion of the River Weaver Navigation in 1734 provided a navigable route for transporting salt from Winsford, through Northwich, to Frodsham, where the Weaver joins the River Mersey.

As trade increased the Navigation was improved and further straightened a number of times. Many salt works were built along the river and the information boards give details of the industry's history including a map and photographs of the area.

1. 1960's view looking towards the old High Street on the left. The chimneys of Hamlett's Premier Salt Works dominate the skyline to the right. They were known as the 'Severn Sisters' although there may have been as many as eleven. The spire of Christ Church is just visible top left of the picture. Christ Church was the second church built by the Weaver Navigation Company for the local boat men working the river, the first was demolished in 1822 due to subsidence. This second church was demolished in 1980. The buildings to the left of the old High Street were demolished to make way for the dual carriageway in the late 1970s.

2. Previously, the main areas of the town were 'Wharton' on this side of the River Weaver and 'Over' on the other. 'Winsford' applied only to a small area where you are now standing, presumably around a ford. The first licensee of The Red Lion pub (pictured above) was Charles Hibbert from 1763 to 1806. The drinking fountain in front of the pub was donated in 1881 by Mr John D Kay, a former salt work proprietor. The gas lamp on the top left was left burning after dark for the convenience of the mail coach travelling through to Crewe.

3. Hamlett's Wharf and salt store was one of the last to disappear from this part of the river during the 1970s. Their salt manufacturing works was the only one on the waterside to not to be sited directly along the River Weaver. Horses pulled the carts of white salt from their 'Premier Works' down to this wharf. here it was stored and loaded into one of their own boats, the 'Prince of Denmark' or the 'Premier' to be taken to Liverpool or Manchester.

4. This was the view from the river from the bridge which is on your left. The River Weaver was lined with works producing white salt for human and animal consumption. There were enclosed buildings where brine was heated to produce fine crystals and open air pans producing coarse crystals. You can see the many chimneys, buildings,brine cisterns (storage tanks), pipelines, wharfs and boat masts on the river. In 1881 over 834,000 tons of salt was shipped down the River Weaver and onward worldwide in addition to the large quantities transported by rail nationwide.

5. A view of where you are now standing taken from the other side of the river. The Red Lion is in the background on the left hand side. In front of the pub is the Plating Works where domestic items, such as teapots, were manufactured. The old Town Hall and cinema can be seen in the centre background. Lookat the rebuilt masonry under the bridge. Wild brine pumping caused this area to subside many metres, which is why the town centre was moved away from the river. Taken in 1923 this image is an example of the many open pans sited on both banks of the river. Coarse salt often used for salting fish was produced by this process. Inside the buildings white salt was manufactured by heating brine in large metal pans using coal fires. As the brine boiled, salt crystals formed on the surface and were scooped off into wooden moulds or 'Squares' to drain off. Imagine the heat and humidity from the fire below and the boiling brine inside. Outside the building would be belching black smoke and the burnt coal would create mountains of ash and clinker, much of which now forms the hills and slopes of the Weaver Parkway.

Type of Historic Marker: Standalone metal board Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Cheshire West and Chester council Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed Related Website: Not listed

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