Old Hall Austerson
Encyclopedia
Austerson is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England, lying immediately south of the town of Nantwich
and north of the village of Audlem
. Predominantly rural with scattered farms, the civil parish includes the small settlement of Old Hall Austerson at , about two miles south of Nantwich centre. In 2001, the total population was a little under 150. Nearby villages include Broomhall Green
, Hack Green
, Hankelow
, Sound Heath
and Stapeley
.
in the ancient parish
of Acton
in the Nantwich Hundred
; it was served by St Mary's Church, Acton
. Major early landowners included the families of Bulkeley, Wettenhall, Praers and Bromley. In the late 15th century the land was acquired by Sir William Needham of Shavington
. Part of Austerson and the adjacent parish of Baddington
was forest until at least the mid-17th century, with wood being used as fuel for salt production in nearby Nantwich
. A kiln field marked on tithe maps suggests that the parish formerly had a brick kiln. A small council estate was built between 1953 and 1965.
Borough Council, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new unitary authority
of Cheshire East
. Austerson falls in the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich
, which has been represented by Edward Timpson
since a by-election in 2008.
forms much of the eastern boundary of the civil parish, and an unnamed brook forms part of the western boundary. The land is generally flat with an average elevation of around 50 metres, sloping downwards near the eastern boundary to the narrow river valley of the Weaver. There are several small meres and unnamed brooks. A narrow strip of broad-leaved woodland runs along a brook south of Dairy House Farm .
The A530
(Baddington Lane) runs immediately to the west of part of the north-western boundary of the civil parish. Coole Lane runs from the A530 north–south through the northern part of the civil parish. The Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk
also runs broadly north–south through the northern part.
Elizabethan building of Austerson Old Hall or Old Hall Farm was moved to Alvanley
in 1974. A grade-II-listed barn remains which dates from the late 16th century, and is brick nogged with a timber frame.
and 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, lying immediately south of the town 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 north of the village of Audlem
Audlem
Audlem is a large village and civil parish located in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in the north west of England, approximately south of Nantwich. Close to the border with the neighbouring county of Shropshire, the village is eight miles east of...
. Predominantly rural with scattered farms, the civil parish includes the small settlement of Old Hall Austerson at , about two miles south of Nantwich centre. In 2001, the total population was a little under 150. Nearby villages include Broomhall Green
Broomhall Green
Broomhall Green or Broomhall is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes part of the settlement of Sandford. According to the 2001 Census the parish had a population of 206. The village is about 3½ miles...
, Hack Green
Baddington
Baddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies immediately to the south west of Nantwich and north of Audlem...
, 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...
, Sound Heath
Sound, Cheshire
Sound is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet is located 3¼ miles to the south west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the small settlements of Newtown and Sound Heath...
and Stapeley
Stapeley
Stapeley is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet lies 2¼ miles to the south east of Nantwich...
.
History
Austerson derives from the Saxon Essetune, meaning "Aelfstan's Farm". The civil parish was originally a townshipTownship (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the ancient parish
Ancient 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 Acton
Acton, Cheshire (ancient parish)
Acton was an ancient parish in the Nantwich Hundred of Cheshire, England.At one time it included the townships of Acton, Aston juxta Mondrum, Austerson, Baddington, Brindley, Burland, Cholmondeston, Edleston, Faddiley, Henhull, Hurleston, Poole, Stoke, Worleston, most of Coole Pilate, parts of...
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...
; it was served by St Mary's Church, Acton
St Mary's Church, Acton
St Mary's Church, Acton is an active Anglican church in Acton, a village to the west of Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. A church has been present on this site since before the time of the Domesday Survey. The tower is the...
. Major early landowners included the families of Bulkeley, Wettenhall, Praers and Bromley. In the late 15th century the land was acquired by Sir William Needham of Shavington
Shavington cum Gresty
Shavington cum Gresty is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies to the south of Crewe. It includes the large village of Shavington , which lies 2½ miles south of Crewe, as well as the smaller settlements of Dodds Bank, Park...
. Part of Austerson and the adjacent parish of Baddington
Baddington
Baddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies immediately to the south west of Nantwich and north of Audlem...
was forest until at least the mid-17th century, with wood being used as fuel for salt production in nearby 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...
. A kiln field marked on tithe maps suggests that the parish formerly had a brick kiln. A small council estate was built between 1953 and 1965.
Governance
Austerson is administered by the Sound and District Parish Council. From 1974 the civil parish was served by Crewe and NantwichCrewe 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...
. Austerson 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 950 acres (384.5 ha). The River WeaverRiver Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
forms much of the eastern boundary of the civil parish, and an unnamed brook forms part of the western boundary. The land is generally flat with an average elevation of around 50 metres, sloping downwards near the eastern boundary to the narrow river valley of the Weaver. There are several small meres and unnamed brooks. A narrow strip of broad-leaved woodland runs along a brook south of Dairy House Farm .
The A530
A530 road
The A530 road is a road linking the A525 east of Whitchurch, Shropshire, England with the A559 east of Northwich, in Cheshire. The road follows the route:*A525*Nantwich*Crewe*Middlewich*A559...
(Baddington Lane) runs immediately to the west of part of the north-western boundary of the civil parish. Coole Lane runs from the A530 north–south through the northern part of the civil parish. The Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk
Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk
The Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk is a long-distance walkers' path in the Cheshire East area of Cheshire, England. As the name suggests, the walk forms a circuit around the towns of Crewe and Nantwich...
also runs broadly north–south through the northern part.
Demography
In 2006, the total population of the civil parish was estimated as 140. The 2001 census recorded a population of 145, in 37 households. The historical population figures were 59 (1801), 55 (1851), 36 (1901), 68 (1951) and 114 (1971).Landmarks
Austerson Hall is a farmhouse dating from the late 17th century. In brick with a roughcast finish, it follows a T-shaped plan and is grade II listed. Church House Farm is an L-shaped, red-brick former farmhouse dating from around 1820. It has been used as a nursing home since 1989, and is also listed at grade II. The timber-framedTimber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
Elizabethan building of Austerson Old Hall or Old Hall Farm was moved to Alvanley
Alvanley
right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Alvanley within the former borough of [[Vale Royal]].Alvanley is a small rural village and civil parish near the village of Helsby, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England...
in 1974. A grade-II-listed barn remains which dates from the late 16th century, and is brick nogged with a timber frame.
Education
There are no educational facilities within the civil parish. The parish falls within the catchment areas of Sound and District Primary School in SoundSound, Cheshire
Sound is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet is located 3¼ miles to the south west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the small settlements of Newtown and Sound Heath...
and 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...
.