Nantwich Museum have arranged some more online talks, starting in February:
Wednesday 17 February “The History of Townsend House and Nantwich Walled Garden” by Helen Cooke.
Many Nantwich residents are unaware that there is an ancient walled garden close to Welsh Row which dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century. It formed part of the site of Townsend House (now demolished) which was built by the local Wilbraham family who lived there for 200 years. The story of the family, the house, surrounding buildings and land, which had many uses over the years, will be explored.
Wednesday 24 February “The Drovers come to Nantwich” by Wyn Jones.
This is a fascinating, but rarely told, story. For thousands of years drovers have moved livestock long distances to market. The people involved in this area probably needed to be bilingual, and highly trustworthy. A farmer selling stock would not see their money for weeks or even months. How did they manage to keep the animals in good condition after walking many, many miles? Learn how the routes the drovers took and how they coped with large groups of animals, thieves and illness.
Wednesday 3 March “The Story of Crewe Hall” by Graham Dodd.
Find out about the history of Crewe Hall.
Wednesday 10 March “The River Weaver and its Water: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” by Helen Cooke.
The River Weaver may not be the longest, widest or best-known river in England or even the north-west, but it has played a significant and important role in the history and development of Cheshire, including Nantwich. Until the last few decades, it would have been hard to imagine the river as it is today with its focus on leisure and recreation, and this talk will examine how the river, its water, and its role in the community have evolved over time.
Wednesday 17 March “Mapping Nantwich from Speed to the Ordnance Survey” by Keith Lawrence.
Nantwich is shown on Saxton’s 1577 map of Cheshire and Speed’s county map of 1610. Fenna’s Map of 1794 shows the town in extraordinary detail. Since then the Ordnance Survey has produced a wide range of maps of Nantwich, all of which showing how the town has developed and changed over the years.
Wednesday 24 March “Sir John Brunner: his Life, Legacy and Connection with Nantwich” by Diana Leitch.
Diana Leitch, Chair of Trustees at the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, Widnes, will deliver this online talk (using Zoom) telling the story of the fascinating and important life of Sir John Brunner (1843-1919). Brunner worked in Widnes with Ludwig Mond and together they created the great chemical firm of Brunner Mond in Northwich. He was also a Liberal politician and philanthropist, whose donation towards the establishment of the Nantwich Free Library enabled it to be built. That building today is the home of Nantwich Museum.
Participants can join the talks from 1.50 pm for a prompt start at 2.00 pm. Full instructions for joining will be provided when booking.
The cost is £5.00 per talk with all proceeds supporting the work of the Museum. Tickets can be obtained online at: https://nantwichmuseum.org.uk/webinars-2021/