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The Street
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The Beginning of Hospital Street
Nantwich is thought to have its origins as far back as Roman times, a river crossing on the main London to Chester road. Even earlier than this there is evidence of Celtic tribes in the area who used the River Weaver for hunting, fishing and drinking water. |
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Surrounded by good grazing land and with natural brine
springs Nantwich was destined to become an important source of salt for
Medieval England.'Nant' comes from the middle English meaning named and
'wich' from the old English meaning industrial centre or building. Certainly,
by 1066, Nantwich was paying significantly more tax to royal coffers than
either of neighbouring Middlewich or Northwich - both rich sources of
salt to the earlier Roman-occupied Britain.
By the winter of 1069/70, the conquering William of Normandy had forged his way northwards to subdue the troublesome Cheshire plain. Nantwich was granted to William Malbank by the Earl of Chester and Nantwich Castle soon followed on steep land dominating the waterlode or river crossing - just one of a string of strongholds designed to keep the Welsh at arms-length. Sometime later a hospitality house for travellers was built at the east end of the town alongside the road to London and the Hospital Street we still know, love and use every day came into being. Distinguished at the London Road end by Churche's Mansion, a splendid Elizabethan manor house built in 1577 by Thomas Clease for a local merchant called Richard Church, and at the Pillory Street end by the ornate early 19th century Chester's Department Store building, Hospital Street contains many shades of fascinating, building treasures dating from all stages of its history. Rightly a Local Authority conservation area, a high proportion of the buildings are individually listed for specific architectural features. But Hospital Street is not merely an attractive museum, it is still a vibrant street where people live, trade and go about their daily business, and care passionately about the well-being of their environment. |
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