Bridgemere
Encyclopedia
Bridgemere is a village (at ) and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England. It is around 7 miles (11.3 km) south east of Nantwich
and 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Stoke-on-Trent
. The southern boundary of the parish is on the border with Shropshire
. The civil parish also includes the small settlements of Admiral's Gorse, Parrah Green, Prince Hill, Seven Stars and Wheel Green. The total population is a little under 150. Nearby villages include Blakenhall
, Buerton
, Hankelow
, Madeley
and Woore
.
of Wybunbury in the Nantwich Hundred
. During the medieval period, it had an iron foundry.
One of the two major coaching roads in Cheshire ran from London via Bridgemere to Nantwich
, Chester
and on to Holyhead
in Wales; it became one of the first turnpike roads
in the county in 1743. A coach service between London and Chester ran three times a week from 1657, taking four days over the journey; by 1780, a daily service ran from London to Holyhead, and from 1784 the mail coach used the road. The road was improved after 1810, but its use dwindled after 1820 with the coming of the railways. Bridgemere parish had three inns in 1765, one of which was named the Holly Bush. By 1801, there was only a single inn, which had closed by 1821.
On 28 October 1944, during World War II
, a Wellington bomber
from RAF Chipping Warden in Oxfordshire
crashed at Prince Hill on a training exercise. A memorial to the six airmen who died in the crash was dedicated in 2003.
In 1972, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land near Bridgemere Hall were landscaped and stocked with waterfowl to form Bridgemere Wildlife Park. The park expanded into a zoo before its closure in 1992.
, Checkley cum Wrinehill
, Doddington
, Hunsterson
and Lea
. From 1974 the civil parish was served by Crewe and Nantwich
Borough Council, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new unitary authority
of Cheshire East
. Bridgemere falls in the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich
, which has been represented by Edward Timpson
since a by-election in 2008.
, including part of Doddington Pool, falls within the civil parish north of Hunterson Road. Landscaped in the 18th century by Capability Brown, the park is listed at grade II by the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
.
The A51
trunk road runs north–south through the civil parish. Hunterson Road (Bridgemere Lane) runs east–west towards the north of the parish, and Dingle Lane runs southwards from Hunterson Road; the village is centred around the junction of the two lanes.
and Chelsea Flower Show
s, as well as the garden in which the 1993 television series Gardener's Diary was filmed. Other facilities include a restaurant and coffee shop.
It was founded in 1961 as a small rose nursery with three employees, described as "a little garden shed in a small field". By 1990, the garden centre employed 140 people and included 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of plant displays, as well as the largest collection of house plants in Europe. Founder John Ravenscroft holds the Royal Horticultural Society
Veitch Memorial Medal
and was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour
in 2008. He also won a lifetime achievement award from Garden Retail in 2007.
In 2006, Bridgemere Garden World was acquired for £15 million by Wyevale Garden Centres
. Wyevale announced plans in 2008 to demolish the existing buildings and redevelop the site.
and Checkley cum Wrinehill
. Bridgemere falls within the catchment area of Brine Leas High School
in Nantwich
.
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It is around 7 miles (11.3 km) south east of Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
and 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. The southern boundary of the parish is on the border with Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. The civil parish also includes the small settlements of Admiral's Gorse, Parrah Green, Prince Hill, Seven Stars and Wheel Green. The total population is a little under 150. Nearby villages include Blakenhall
Blakenhall, Cheshire
Blakenhall is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about seven miles south-east of Nantwich...
, Buerton
Buerton, Crewe and Nantwich
Buerton is a village at and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about 7 miles south of the town of Nantwich and 1½ miles east of the village of Audlem, on the border with Shropshire...
, Hankelow
Hankelow
Hankelow is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It used to be a township within the township of Audlem, one mile away on the Nantwich Road. According to the 2001 Census, the parish had a population of 272.Hankelow is...
, Madeley
Madeley, Staffordshire
Madeley is a village and ward in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, North Staffordshire, England. It is split into three parts: Madeley, Middle Madeley, and Little Madeley. Madeley Heath is also considered by many to be part of Madeley...
and Woore
Woore
Woore is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Shropshire. It had a population of 1,411 in the 2001 census. The name means "boundary" in ancient celtic and this fits nicely with the fact that it is on the boundary with both the counties of Cheshire and Staffordshire.The...
.
History
Bridgemere was originally a township in the ancient parishAncient parishes of Cheshire
The Ancient Parishes of Cheshire refers to the group of parishes that existed in Cheshire, roughly within the period of 1200–1800. Initially, the ancient parishes had only an ecclesiastical function, but reforms initiated by King Henry VIII, developed by Queen Elizabeth I and expanded by...
of Wybunbury in the Nantwich Hundred
Hundreds of Cheshire
The Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative, military and judicial purposes. They were introduced in Cheshire some time before the Norman conquest...
. During the medieval period, it had an iron foundry.
One of the two major coaching roads in Cheshire ran from London via Bridgemere to Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and on to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
in Wales; it became one of the first turnpike roads
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in the county in 1743. A coach service between London and Chester ran three times a week from 1657, taking four days over the journey; by 1780, a daily service ran from London to Holyhead, and from 1784 the mail coach used the road. The road was improved after 1810, but its use dwindled after 1820 with the coming of the railways. Bridgemere parish had three inns in 1765, one of which was named the Holly Bush. By 1801, there was only a single inn, which had closed by 1821.
On 28 October 1944, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a Wellington bomber
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
from RAF Chipping Warden in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
crashed at Prince Hill on a training exercise. A memorial to the six airmen who died in the crash was dedicated in 2003.
In 1972, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land near Bridgemere Hall were landscaped and stocked with waterfowl to form Bridgemere Wildlife Park. The park expanded into a zoo before its closure in 1992.
Governance
Bridgemere is administered by Doddington and District Parish Council, which also includes the parishes of BlakenhallBlakenhall, Cheshire
Blakenhall is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about seven miles south-east of Nantwich...
, Checkley cum Wrinehill
Checkley cum Wrinehill
Checkley cum Wrinehill is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies adjacent to the boundaries with Shropshire and Staffordshire. The hamlet of Checkley lies to the south east of Crewe and to the west of Newcastle-under-Lyme...
, Doddington
Doddington, Cheshire
Doddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies to the north east of Audlem and to the south of Crewe. Nearby villages include Blakenhall, Bridgemere, Checkley, Hatherton, Walgherton and Wybunbury...
, Hunsterson
Hunsterson
Hunsterson is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet is located 2¾ miles to the north east of Audlem and 6 miles to the south of Crewe. The parish also includes the settlements of Brown Moss, Four Lane End,...
and Lea
Lea, Cheshire
Lea is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies to the north east of Audlem and to the south of Crewe. The parish is predominantly rural, but it includes the hamlet of Lea Forge...
. From 1974 the civil parish was served by Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population of 111,007...
Borough Council, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Cheshire East
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
. Bridgemere falls in the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe and Nantwich is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. For 25 years since its creation in 1983, the constituency had elected the Labour MP Gwyneth...
, which has been represented by Edward Timpson
Edward Timpson
Anthony Edward Timpson is a British Conservative Party politician. He became a Member of Parliament in 2008 after winning a by-election in the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich.-Biography:Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, in 1973...
since a by-election in 2008.
Geography and transport
The civil parish has a total area of 1130 acres (457.3 ha). The terrain is gently undulating, with high points of 110 metres at south of Admiral's Gorse and 102 metres at Prince Hill . The area is predominantly rural, with the major land use being agricultural. There are several small areas of woodland within the parish, including Acorn Coppice, Lea's Wood, Harrow's Wood, Threeper's Drumble and part of Shaw's Rough. Forge Brook and several other unnamed brooks run through the parish, and there are many scattered small meres and ponds. A small area of Doddington ParkDoddington, Cheshire
Doddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies to the north east of Audlem and to the south of Crewe. Nearby villages include Blakenhall, Bridgemere, Checkley, Hatherton, Walgherton and Wybunbury...
, including part of Doddington Pool, falls within the civil parish north of Hunterson Road. Landscaped in the 18th century by Capability Brown, the park is listed at grade II by the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
.
The A51
A51 road
The A51 is a road in England running from Kingsbury in Warwickshire to Chester. The road follows the following route:*Kingsbury*Tamworth*Lichfield*Rugeley *Little Haywood*Great Haywood*Weston*Sandon...
trunk road runs north–south through the civil parish. Hunterson Road (Bridgemere Lane) runs east–west towards the north of the parish, and Dingle Lane runs southwards from Hunterson Road; the village is centred around the junction of the two lanes.
Demographics
In 2006, the total population of the civil parish was estimated as 130. The 2001 census recorded a population of 133 in 49 households. The historical population figures for the parish were 125 (1664), 230 (1801), 233 (1821), 220 (1851), 149 (1901) and 141 (1951).Bridgemere Garden World
Bridgemere Garden World is on the A51 about 2 km south of the village. With a total area of 52 hectares (128.5 acre), it is one of the largest garden centres in Europe, and receives around 1.8 million annual visitors. The garden centre sells over five thousand plant varieties, most of which are grown locally, as well as garden furniture and accessories. A 7 acres (28,328 m²) display garden dating from around 1985 is open to the public free of charge. Designed to inspire amateur gardeners, it is composed of more than twenty separate gardens, including English country, Victorian, Mediterranean, woodland, water, rose and patio gardens. The display also includes recreations of prize-winning gardens from the Tatton ParkTatton Park Flower Show
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park held at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire first began in 1999 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of inspirational show gardens, smaller 'Back to Back' gardens,...
and Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
s, as well as the garden in which the 1993 television series Gardener's Diary was filmed. Other facilities include a restaurant and coffee shop.
It was founded in 1961 as a small rose nursery with three employees, described as "a little garden shed in a small field". By 1990, the garden centre employed 140 people and included 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of plant displays, as well as the largest collection of house plants in Europe. Founder John Ravenscroft holds the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
Veitch Memorial Medal
The Veitch Memorial Medal
The Veitch Memorial Medal, is a prestigious international prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society .-Goal:The prize is awarded to "persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture"...
and was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour
Victoria Medal of Honour
The Victoria Medal of Honour is awarded to British horticulturists resident in the United Kingdom whom the Royal Horticultural Society Council considers deserving of special honour by the Society...
in 2008. He also won a lifetime achievement award from Garden Retail in 2007.
In 2006, Bridgemere Garden World was acquired for £15 million by Wyevale Garden Centres
Wyevale
The Garden Centre Group is a chain of 130 garden centres in the United Kingdom. Prior to 2009, it was known as Wyevale Garden Centres.It was voted 'Best Garden Centre 2009' in an online poll by Gardeners' World Magazine.- Name change :...
. Wyevale announced plans in 2008 to demolish the existing buildings and redevelop the site.
Other landmarks
Bridgemere Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1831. Bridgemere Hall is a 19th century hall on Hunterson Road. An RAF war memorial is located by the A51 at .Education
Bridgemere Church of England Primary School is located on Bridgemere Lane at , and serves the civil parish of Bridgemere as well as the adjacent parishes of HunstersonHunsterson
Hunsterson is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet is located 2¾ miles to the north east of Audlem and 6 miles to the south of Crewe. The parish also includes the settlements of Brown Moss, Four Lane End,...
and Checkley cum Wrinehill
Checkley cum Wrinehill
Checkley cum Wrinehill is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies adjacent to the boundaries with Shropshire and Staffordshire. The hamlet of Checkley lies to the south east of Crewe and to the west of Newcastle-under-Lyme...
. Bridgemere falls within the catchment area of Brine Leas High School
Brine Leas High School
Brine Leas School is a comprehensive academy in Nantwich, Cheshire, UK. The school has 1287 students enrolled, and has Technologyand Language, status....
in Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
.
Further reading
- Inskeep, Derek J. Wings of White Linen (Quayside Creative; 2007) (ISBN 978-0-9556733-2-0)