Waverton, Cheshire
Encyclopedia
Waverton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England
. It lies about 5 km south east of Chester
. It is almost continuous with the village of Rowton
to the north west and that in turn is almost, but not quite, continuous with Christleton
.
According to the 2001 Census
, the population was 1,560.
This was made up of 756 males, and 804 females, living in 660 households.
The settlement was named Wavretone in the Domesday Book
, where it was said to be in the Dudestan Hundred
. The name was first given as Waverton in 1260, having been called Waueretone in 1150, and Wauertone in 1100. The origin of the name is not certain.
There is one parish church: St. Peter's
. The roof of the nave
has been dated to 1665. The tower, on the west end of the building, is built in the Perpendicular Style and possess a nineteenth century pyramidal roof. Although the church was restored in the 1880s, the chancel's timber framing, the windows, and clerestory
are all original.
The Shropshire Union Canal
(originally Chester Canal
) runs through the middle of Waverton. The village had a railway station
on the North Wales Coast Line
until it closed in the 1960s. The line, which runs between Chester
, Crewe
, and North Wales
, is named Route 22 on Network Rail
's 2006 reorganisation. Services on this line are offered by Arriva Trains Wales
, and, as the "London to Holyhead" spur of the West Coast Main Line
route, by Virgin Trains
.
The village has a post office, a number of shops, a take away, hairdressers and a primary school. The Black Dog pub is just outside Waverton. The village is home to the outdoor children's adventure attraction, the Crocky Trail. The Waverton Good Read Award
was founded in 2003 for first-time UK novelists.
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It 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 Health...
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies about 5 km south east of 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...
. It is almost continuous with the village of Rowton
Rowton, Cheshire
Rowton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 497. The Battle of Rowton Heath took place in the village on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War. It resulted in a decisive...
to the north west and that in turn is almost, but not quite, continuous with Christleton
Christleton
Christleton is a small village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a population for the entire civil parish of 2,112....
.
According to the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population was 1,560.
This was made up of 756 males, and 804 females, living in 660 households.
The settlement was named Wavretone in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, where it was said to be in the Dudestan Hundred
Hundred
Hundred usually refers to the number 100It may also refer to:* Hundred , historically a number not necessarily 100* Hundred , a mostly obsolete geographic term...
. The name was first given as Waverton in 1260, having been called Waueretone in 1150, and Wauertone in 1100. The origin of the name is not certain.
There is one parish church: St. Peter's
St Peter's Church, Waverton
St Peter's Church, Waverton is in the village of Waverton, Cheshire, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas...
. The roof of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
has been dated to 1665. The tower, on the west end of the building, is built in the Perpendicular Style and possess a nineteenth century pyramidal roof. Although the church was restored in the 1880s, the chancel's timber framing, the windows, and clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
are all original.
The Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
(originally Chester Canal
Chester Canal
The Chester Canal was a canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce from Nantwich to reach Chester and, beyond it, the sea via the Dee estuary.-History:...
) runs through the middle of Waverton. The village had a railway station
Waverton railway station
Waverton was the name of two former railway stations near the village of Waverton, Cheshire that served the Grand Junction Railway and later the Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway.-First station:...
on the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
until it closed in the 1960s. The line, which runs between Chester
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
, Crewe
Crewe railway station
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
, and North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, is named Route 22 on Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
's 2006 reorganisation. Services on this line are offered by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
, and, as the "London to Holyhead" spur of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
route, by Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
.
The village has a post office, a number of shops, a take away, hairdressers and a primary school. The Black Dog pub is just outside Waverton. The village is home to the outdoor children's adventure attraction, the Crocky Trail. The Waverton Good Read Award
Waverton Good Read Award
The Waverton Good Read Award was founded in 2003 by villagers in Waverton, Cheshire, England, and is based on Le Prix de la Cadière d'Azur, a literary prize awarded by a Provençal village. Adult debut novels written by UK residents and published in the previous twelve months are eligible for...
was founded in 2003 for first-time UK novelists.
Notable people
- Joseph Wright (greyhound trainer)Joseph Wright (greyhound trainer)Born Joseph Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the second eldest son of Joseph & Ann Wright.Joseph Wright became one of the best known breeders and trainers of coursing greyhounds in the United Kingdom. he kept an extensive breeding and training establishment at Waverton, and his pedigree puppies...
, born in WavertonWavertonWaverton is any of the following places:*Waverton, Cheshire, a civil parish in Cheshire, England.*Waverton, Cumbria, a civil parish in Cumbria, England.*Waverton, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
1824. He farmed at Avenue Farm, previously being the innkeeper of The White Horse public house in the village - Jack Wright (greyhound trainer)Jack Wright (greyhound trainer)Born John Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the eldest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm, previous of The White Horse Inn, Waverton....
, born in WavertonWavertonWaverton is any of the following places:*Waverton, Cheshire, a civil parish in Cheshire, England.*Waverton, Cumbria, a civil parish in Cumbria, England.*Waverton, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
1850 - Joe Wright (greyhound trainer)Joe Wright (greyhound trainer)Born Joseph Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the eldest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm, previous of The White Lion Inn.Initially employed as a farm servant on his father’s farm he moved to Ditton, Cheshire and worked with his brother Jack Wright to establish his kennels for training...
, born in WavertonWavertonWaverton is any of the following places:*Waverton, Cheshire, a civil parish in Cheshire, England.*Waverton, Cumbria, a civil parish in Cumbria, England.*Waverton, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
1855 - Robert Kelsell WrightRobert Kelsell WrightRobert Kelsell Wright was the third eldest son of Joseph & Ann Wright of Avenue Farm, Waverton, Cheshire.Robert obtained his middle name from his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Kelsell and did not follow his brothers, Jack Wright, Joseph Wright & Tom Wright into greyhound training...
, born in WavertonWavertonWaverton is any of the following places:*Waverton, Cheshire, a civil parish in Cheshire, England.*Waverton, Cumbria, a civil parish in Cumbria, England.*Waverton, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
1858, slipped the Waterloo CupWaterloo CupThe Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches...
finals in 1890 & 1895. He farmed at Well House Farm. - Tom Wright (greyhound trainer)Tom Wright (greyhound trainer)Thomas Edward Wright is an English greyhound trainer. His family was known for its success during the late 19th century. He is the youngest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm in Waverton, Cheshire...
, born in WavertonWavertonWaverton is any of the following places:*Waverton, Cheshire, a civil parish in Cheshire, England.*Waverton, Cumbria, a civil parish in Cumbria, England.*Waverton, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
1861