Outlying Areas: Runcorn to Daresbury

	The Runcorn Bridges from the Promenade, Runcorn Runcorn first gets a mention in history when King Alfred's daughter Princess Aethelfreda visited in the year 916 to inspect a fort on the riverside here at Runcorn Gap (she was much concerned with retrieving land from the Danes) and, legend has it, to found the first church where the present parish church now stands. There has been a ferry at Runcorn Gap on the River Mersey since at least the 12th century. The area remained of strategic importance throughout mediaeval times, Halton Castle being constructed in the late 12th century. Runcorn was a prosperous market town at this time but appears to have gone into a decline and by the mid-17th century was 'nothing but a fair parish church, a parsonage and a few scattered tenements'. This all began to change with the arrival of the Bridgewater Canal in 1776 and the growth of sandstone quarrying and the chemical industry, the latter largely incorporated in its entirety into ICI in 1926. The railway bridge (on the left) was opened in 1868 and carried a footway, especially useful as the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal on the Runcorn side had made the ferry crossing complicated. The opening of a transporter bridge over the Mersey in 1905 further improved communications. The road bridge was completed in 1961 and the transporter bridge was then dismantled.
Runcorn in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) In the year 915, Ethelfleda, sister to King Edward the Elder, and widow of Ethelred, Earl of Mercia, built near the Mersey a town and castle, called Runcofan, some traces of which are still visible at Castle-Rock, by the river side, about 300 yards below the church of Runcorn. The head of the rock once extended much beyond its present limits, jutting a considerable distance into the Mersey, and abruptly contracting the bed of that river: the strait thus formed was called the Gap, a name which the vicinity still bears, though the stream at this point is now about 400 yards broad at high water. The castle commanded the passage from the kingdom of Mercia to that of Northumberland. In 1153, William Fitz-Nigel founded here a monastery of Canons regular; but about the reign of Stephen, the founder's son William, constable of Chester, removed it to Norton, a township in the parish, east of Runcorn. The Town has much increased within the last few years in magnitude and importance. At the time when the Old Quay and the Duke of Bridgewater's canals (both of which pass through a great portion of the parish) were cut, it was a romantic and secluded village; it is now a town of considerable size, with every indication of becoming much larger. Improvements of every description are taking place in the town and neighbourhood; whole streets of houses have been lately built, others are in the process of building, and more are planned. [...] The canals already mentioned, which here form a junction with the Mersey, are the great route by water for goods passing between Liverpool and the eastern and southern parts of the kingdom. The position of Runcorn with respect to the manufacturing districts of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, the Potteries, and the iron-districts of Wolverhampton, Birmingham, &c., renders the port especially eligible for purposes of traffic; and the coal-fields of Lancashire and salt-works of Cheshire give facilities to ships in procuring cargoes here with the least possible delay, ready and economical communication existing with both the collieries and the salt-works. The Bridgewater canal is 82 feet above the level of the river, with which it communicates by a series of locks. The Old Quay canal is of a much lower level, and joins the Mersey by the aid of a single lock only. The river is navigable to Runcorn by vessels of 350 tons: the class usually seen here are coasters, varying from 20 to 180 tons. Steamers ply daily with the tide between Runcorn and Liverpool, one or more, according to the season, being engaged in the conveyance of passengers, and others in towing vessels: in connexion with the steamers for passengers, and also independently of them at fixed periods of the day, are canal boats to and from Manchester that travel at the rate of ten miles an hour. There is also a ferry across the river, on the other side of which commences the Runcorn-Gap and St. Helen's railway. Runcorn Hill, or the Beetle, as it is provincially termed, and its environs, present an almost inexhaustible supply of stone; and from the quarries opened there and in other parts of the parish, considerable quantities of stone are sent by water to Chester, Liverpool, and Manchester. At Runcorn are also extensive soap and chemical works, in connexion with which are two circular brick chimneys, surmounted by capitals of hewn stone, and forming columns of great beauty. There are several large ship-building establishments by the side of the river; two foundries; and a chain-factory.
Runcorn in The Beauties of England and Wales, Vol II, Edward Wedlake Brayley and John Britton (1809) Runcorn is situated on the banks of Mersey, which is bere suddenly contracted from a considerable breadth to a narrow channel, by a projecting point of land from the Lancashire side, was originally built by the renowned Ethelfleda, who also erected a castle opposite the gap, as the above strait is denominated, to defend this extremity of her extensive domain. Not a vestige of this building can be seen, but its site is marked by the name of the Castle, given to a triangular piece of land, surrounded with a mound of earth, jutting out into the river, guarded on the water side by ledges of rocks and broken precipices, and cut off from the land by a ditch six yards in width. The parochial church stands above the castle rock; its foundation was probably coeval with the castle, but was certainly prior to the Conquest, since Nigel, Baron of Halton, bestowed it on his brother Wofrith, a priest, at the time of the Conqueror. In the succeeding reigns, the consequence of Runcorn decayed, and it sunk to an obscure village, from which situation it has only emerged since the completion of the Duke of Bridgewater's navigation, which here communicates with the Mersey, descending precipitously through a grand series of all the locks on his canal. These are supplied with water by vast basins or reservoirs and, from the attendance they require, occasion a great conflux of workmen, and the consequent increase of dwelling-houses, inns, shops, &c. A vast warehouse has likewise been erected on a new plan, and various wharfs built for the accommodation of traders. Runcorn has lately become a place of resort for salt-water bathing, the fine air and the pleasantness of the neighbourhood constituting useful auxiliaries to the effects of the bath. In the quarries here, which lie contiguous to the canal, large quantities of free-stone are procured, of a very excellent quality. The shore from this village to Weston Point is protected by a low ridge of rock, rising almost perpendicularly from the beach.
	Widnes and the Mersey from Runcorn St. Mary's Church is on the opposite bank of the Mersey, with the Manchester Ship Canal in the foreground.
	All Saints Church, Runcorn There is a tradition that the first church was founded here in 915 by Ethelfleda when she built a castle nearby. It was dedicated to St Bertelin and was probably a simple structure of wood and thatch. A sandstone church was built on the site in around 1250 and a square tower added in the 14th century. The dedication of the church was changed to St Bartholomew and later to All Saints. Some rebuilding was undertaken over the centuries, but by the first half of the 19th century the tower was becoming dangerous and there were other serious structural problems. In September 1846 the last sermon was preached from the mediaeval church. The elegant new church, built of Runcorn sandstone, was completed in 1849.
	Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn Holy Trinity church dates from 1838 and is built of sandstone in a clean-lined, rather minimal style.
	The Mersey Estuary and the Clwydian Hills from Runcorn Hill At Runcorn Hill, wide vistas over the Mersey Estuary are combined with the vertiginous cliffs of the old Runcorn Hill Quarry. Runcorn is a closed book to most non-Runcorners, seemingly cut off as it is by the encircling expressways. It was so to me until recently when I went exploring. I was expecting a good view of the river but was hardly prepared for the drama of the location.
	The Frog's Mouth, Runcorn Hill
	The Cliff Tops, Runcorn Hill
	Sandstone Cliffs, Runcorn Quarry There has been quarrying at Runcorn since Norman times when Halton Castle and Norton Priory were built, and possibly since Roman times (for Chester) and it was a major industry by the 18th century. Quarrying ceased at Runcorn Hill around 1850, but new quarries were opened and this site was used for spoil from those workings. Some of the present paths cut through the rock were the routes of tramways constructed to transport the rubble. Impressive though the present cliffs are, the quarry was apparently three times as deep before it began to be filled in.
	Woodland, Runcorn Hill Runcorn Quarry and the woodland area behind make up Runcorn Hill Local Nature Reserve. It is a small area, laid out with a network of paths, but is of exceptional interest.
	Lizard Carving, Runcorn Hill Quarry
	Weston Village The old village is located high up on the side of Runcorn Hill with fine views to the west and south despite the encroachment of industry. The village itself has kept remarkably unspoiled by modern developments. The church is the Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist, built in 1896-7.
Weston in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) It is situated at the junction of the rivers Weaver and Mersey, and comprises 880 acres, whereof about one-half is arable and one-half pasture, of fertile soil, and picturesque aspect. Splendid views are obtained of a portion of North Wales, and of Liverpool, Chester, and the surrounding country. There are three excellent red-freestone quarries, called respectively the North, East, and South, capable of employing 600 or 700 men, and of raising annually one million cubic feet of stone; they are the property of John Tomkinson, Esq., of Liverpool and Runcorn, and the stone is sent to all parts of the kingdom by the Weaver canal, which adjoins the estate. The traffic consists chiefly in salt, salt-rock, and coal.
Weston in The Beauties of England and Wales, Vol II, Edward Wedlake Brayley and John Britton (1809) Weston is a retired, but beautiful little village, nearly opposite the junction of the Weaver and the Mersey. Its vicinity is enriched by some of the most luxuriant natural scenery in Cheshire, though its secluded situation, at a distance from the course of the roads, has hitherto been the means of concealing its beauties from the public view. The brow overhanging the point of land where the rivers meet commands a magnificent water prospect, which at full tide exhihits the broadest part of the estuary of the Mersey, stretching many miles before the eye till it is completely land-locked by a turn in the channel, and has the appearance of an extensive lake, bordered on the Cheshire and Lancashire side by a variety of ground, partly open, and partly covered with fine woods.
	The Old Hall, Weston Weston retains a number of very old buildings. The sandstone Old Hall is dated 1607.
	Rock Savage, Clifton Only the ruins remain now of Rocksavage, a vast house built of local red sandstone in 1568 by Sir John Savage. It was very similar in appearance to Brereton Hall, which was built about the same time and which still exists near Congleton (a family connection). It was the second largest house in Cheshire; only Cholmondley Hall near Bickerton was larger. The house stood in formal Elizabethan gardens and it was sited so as to command views across the Weaver valley towards Frodsham and the Welsh hills beyond. It was looted and damaged during the English Civil War but restored. An account of the house in 1778 gives a clear picture of a stately home 'with delectable gardens, orchards and walks'. The estate passed to the Cholmondeley family, who eventually had no use for Rocksavage and it was allowed to decay into a ruin. The stone was robbed to build farm buildings and walls. A tall pinnacle of masonry existed until the 1960s when it collapsed in a gale. Today only a portion of the garden wall and the gate posts remain. It is hard to imagine such a grand establishment in this area now hemmed in by industry, although Clifton itself is a microcosm of rurality against all the odds.
Rock Savage in The Beauties of England and Wales, Vol II, Edward Wedlake Brayley and John Britton (1809) Rock Savage is a magnificent pile of ruins, embosomed in wood, and seated on a rising ground above the river Weaver. This mansion was the residence of Sir John Savage, by whom it was built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but, by the marriage of Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Richard Savage, Earl Rivers, with James, Earl of Barrymore, it was conveyed, together with the estate, into that family. It is now the property of Earl Cholmondeley, who inherited it from his grand uncle, General Cholmondeley, who obtained it by marrying Lady Penelope Barry, daughter of the above Earl James. After this marriage the place was neglected, and fell into such speedy decay that a gentleman, who was born in the house, is recorded to have followed a pack of hounds through it in pursuit of game. Some portion of its stately front, consisting of a fine gateway, with lofty turrets on each side, is still standing, as well as part of one of its sides. The rest of the pile consists only of foundation walls, broken vaults, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with weeds, the whole surrounded with enclosures of dilapidated walls.
Clifton in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) This place has been called Rock-Savage, since the erection of a splendid house by Sir John Savage, in 1565. The township comprises 577 acres, whereof the prevailing soil is clay; and consists of only the manorial mansion and its demesne land, now in the possession of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, who enjoys the title of Earl of Rock-Savage.
	Halton Castle, Halton The first Halton Castle was built of wood, probably in the motte and bailey pattern, shortly after the Norman Conquest (ca. 1070) and became the seat of the Barony of Halton. The site could hardly have been better chosen - a rocky outcrop on a hill overlooking the River Mersey, with a view especially of the Welsh hills and any marauding Welshmen who may have been looking for trouble at that time. The 3rd Baron began reconstructing the castle in sandstone quarried from the rock in the early 12th century. The castle became an administrative centre in 1274 and was used as a court and a prison. Much new building ensued in the following centuries. The castle was in a ruinous state after the English Civil War though part was still in use as a court until 1738, when the gatehouse was demolished and a new courthouse built using the same stone. This became the Castle Hotel in 1908.
Halton in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) Halton is traditionally said to have been a favourite hunting-seat of the great John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The castle, occupying a commanding situation on the brow of a hill overlooking a great part of Cheshire, with an extensive view across the river Mersey into Lancashire, was built soon after the Conquest; and the town which arose under its protection, obtained the grant of a weekly market and two annual fairs, which have been long discontinued. During the civil war, the castle was garrisoned for the king, in the early part of 1643; but in the following year it was taken by the parliamentarians. There are few remains of the building; the only habitable part, apparently rebuilt since the Restoration, has been converted into an inn.
Halton in The Beauties of England and Wales, Vol II, Edward Wedlake Brayley and John Britton (1809) The prospects from the castle are particularly interesting. Northwards, the Mersey, winding through a fertile plain, may be distinctly traced from the neighbourhood of Warrington, where its breadth is little more than a hundred yards, to its expansion in a wide channel, contracting at Runcorn Gap, and again dilating into the estuary, which continues to the sea. Beyond this river the county of Lancaster appears like a vast forest from the numerous hedge-row trees of its enclosures. To the west, the view comprehends a large reach of Cheshire, bounded by the Welsh mountains, and broken at intermediate distances by scattered hamlets and cultivated ground.
	Halton Castle, Halton
	Halton Castle, Halton
	Halton Castle, Halton
	View from Halton Castle The views from Halton Castle demonstrate why the site was so appropriate. This is the view to the west towards Liverpool taking in Runcorn, the Widnes-Runcorn bridge, the Mersey and a glimpse of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on the horizon.
	View from Halton Castle This is the view from Halton Castle to the north-east with Fiddler's Ferry power station prominent and Winter Hill in the Pennines to the right. A huge swathe of the Cheshire countryside is opened up from here against the continuous backdrop of the Pennine Hills.
	St. Mary's Church Halton A landmark visible for miles around near the top of the hill at Halton, St Mary's church was built of sandstone in 1851 to a design of George Gilbert Scott. There was an ancient chapel here but this was in ruins by the end of the Civil War. It was rebuilt and remained in use until the mid-19th century.
	The Village Farmhouse, Halton The ancient village of Halton clusters around the base of the rock upon which stand the remains of the castle and has many old buildings. The Village Farmhouse dates from the early 17th century.
	Norman Arch, Norton Priory Norton Priory dates from 1134 when the Augustinian monks moved here from Runcorn Priory. This Norman doorway survives from a period of expansion around 1200, although a large part of the priory was destroyed by fire in 1234 and rebuilt. The impressive statue of St.Christopher currently on display in the museum dates from around 1400. In 1536, the abbey fell prey to the dissolution under Henry VIII and it and its estate was bought by Sir Richard Brooke, Vice Admiral of England. He utilised some of the Abbey buildings as part of his Tudor house. In 1750, a Georgian mansion was built on the site of the Abbey and in 1868 a new entrance to the mansion was constructed, incorporating the Norman doorway. The mansion was demolished in 1928, leaving only the Abbey remains standing. Archeological excavations started in 1970 and the site was opened to the public in 1975. In addition to the museum and remains, there is a beautiful woodland garden and a large walled garden, built between 1757 and 1770 and restored in the 1980s. My thanks to the museum staff for permission to take this photograph.
	Manor Farm, Moore Moore is one of those forgotten and peaceful villages that is not on any major thoroughfare and is virtually untouched by modern development. It boasts many old buildings, of which this one, Manor Farm, is one of the oldest, dated at 1660, though much altered since.
	All Saints Church, Daresbury There was a chapel belonging to Norton Priory on this site in the 12th century. This was replaced by a sandstone church around 1550, of which the tower remains. The rest of the present church dates from 1870-2.
	Lewis Carroll Window, All Saints, Daresbury Daresbury is perhaps most famous for its association with Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, alias Lewis Carroll, in 1832. He was born in the parsonage at Newton-by-Daresbury, the son of the minister at All Saints and achieved international fame through his books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. In the church is the famous Lewis Carroll Memorial Window . To mark the centenary of his birth Carroll enthusiasts from all over the world subscribed to a memorial fund, which resulted in the gift of this striking and unusual stained glass window, designed by Geoffrey Webb and dedicated in 1935. The main panels depict a Nativity scene with the figures of Carroll and Alice in the left-hand one. Beneath are panels featuring characters from the books, from left to right: White Rabbit, the Lizard, the Dodo, the Caterpillar, the Fish-Footman, the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse, the March Hare, the Duchess, the Gryphon, the Mock Turtle and the Knave and Queen of Hearts with the Cheshire Cat.
	All Saints Church Interior, Daresbury The church seems to be generally open for visitors and is well worth a visit. The interior is particularly fine, with lovely stained glass and a Jacobean pulpit.
	Daresbury Village Daresbury is a delightful and unspoiled little village, with the Ring O'Bells pub, All Saints church and the vicarage disposed about a central green. To the left of the pub is the former Sessions House of 1841. Opposite is one of the few surviving telephone boxes of 1935 designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.
	The Ring O'Bells, Daresbury A large pub in the tiny unspoilt village of Daresbury, birthplace of Lewis Carroll. The inside has been opened up but retains plenty of atmosphere and charm. Outside at the back is a large and pleasant landscaped seating area.