Sandbach, where I grew up.

As you all know I have finally made it to my parents, nothing much has changed really, the family is of course older the town now has a Costa Café.........apparently slightly unbelievable.  I have been busy most of the week surprising and meeting old school friends, volunteering to transcribe the headstones at St Mary's churchyard. 

A big job that is going to be, so many of them need cleaning.  I will also be digitizing the burials, though may have to go to Chester to look at the books from the 1600's if I can read them.  They do hold copies on fiche at the library however that can be rather hard on your eyes, at this stage I wont mention births and marriages.

It was -2 yesterday, though I had great fun been out and about with my friend Donna, we had lunch at the Glasshouse, shopping and of course coffee at Costa's.  Donna lives in the beautiful old farm house with all those lovely old low beams running through the ceiling, beautiful.

Meanwhile back to the history of Sandbach and here are some of the photos that I took over the last week.

 

This is taken from the Warm Walkway which is between the Black Bear Pub and an Estate Agents, no idea what it was last time I was here.

You can see St Mary's Church in the background, this is the churchyard that I am transcribing headstones for.

The shop opposite is a speciality store that is run by the Williams family and has been there as long as I can remember.

 

Now this is not really historical or interesting, however in the background is an old Mill where garments were made, this happens to be the first place I ever worked full time at the age of 17.  It was called Lowe's.  Today it is a rather good Antique Store, all three floors.

 

This is the Black Bear Pub it is over 400 years old and have been empty for a while now due to the lack of structural care.  It needs a new thatched roof as well as structural repairs, it is or was a beautiful pub and I so wish I could have taken photos from inside as well.

 

 

This is one of the first Banks in Sandbach

 

Our War memorial.

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, then this row of cottages used to hold one of the first schools, it is connected to the Boys Grammar School of which I still have to get a photograph

 

 

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My mother tells me that tis building in the background was the first ever movie theatre in Sandbach, sadly they closed it down due to a report that the foundations were not strong enough, makes you wonder why it is still standing.  They did re build the Cinema however that is now gone and has been since I was a young child.

 

 

 

 

This is an old water fountain that fed the horses.  In the background to the right is an old coaching Inn called the Wheatsheaf.

 

Sandbach Town Hall.  On the 2nd floor there is a Ballroom, which is where I went dancing on Saturday night.  On the ground floor there are some shops under the arches and on a Thursday the rest of the hall is open to the public as an indoor market.  Sandbach Market has been around  for many centuries now.  The actual market is held behind the Town Hall on what is Known as the Scots Common.

 

Hope Street Chapel, this is one of the churches that my Grandfather was a minister.  Today it is not longer a church, though it is used as a business.

 

The is a small cottage just in front of the chapel and it is called "Chapel Cottage"  I did as k my dad if that was where the ministers lived and he said no.

 

 

My father noticed this one day, he has no idea why there is a cross of bricks on this building, I most certainly dont remember a window been their either.

 

This is the Old Hall, it is over 700 years old and haunted though I suppose that depends on if you believe in ghosts of not.  In 2008 this beautiful old building was derelict and many thought it would be torn down.  However as you can see it has been restored and is a restaurant with accommodation too.  This is the place that I surprised my parents on my dads birthday.

 

 

These are fragments of the Saxon Crosses as stated below on the plaque

 

 

 

Sandbach Saxon Crosses as they stand today.  The story goes that Cromwell's army pulled them down, people took the rubble away, they were only restored last century back on Sandbach Cobbles, the Cobbles is where part of the market used to be.

 

The Lower Chequers

 

 

 

Sandbach High Street

 

Well that is about all for now until I go wandering around a get some photos of the Boys school and maybe the school I attended too.  There are many stories, myths and legends  associated with Sandbach which goes back to pre 1086 when the first ever census was taken.