wei Earlier titles in this series of histories of Cheshire villages are "Alpraham" 1969 "Tilstone Fearnall" 1970 "Tiverton" 1971 By Frank A. Latham "Tarporley" 1973 "Cuddington & Sandiway" 1975 "Tattenhall" 1977 "Christleton" 1979 "Farndon" 1981 "Barrow" 1983 "Tarvin" 1985 "Frodsham" 1987 "Bunbury" 1989 By Local History Groups Edited by Frank A. Latham Cover entitled DE LA MARE - THE FOREST OF THE LAKES by Donald G. Wilson DELAMERE The History of a Cheshire Parish (Including Notes on the extra-parochial parish of WILLINGTON) DELAMERE Research Organiser and Editor: FRANK A. LATHAM The Local History Group: JAMES G. BLECKLY VERA M. CALVELEY G. MARY CARTER W. MORRIS DAVIES JOHN E. ELSWORTH JOAN M. FAIRHURST E. J. V. HAWORTH N. A. HAWORTH ARTHUR C. MILLER MARJORIE NIXON MARJORIE E. RUTTER DONALD G. WILSON Illustrations and Maps by DONALD G. WILSON Photographs by JOHN E. ELSWORTH Published by the Local History Group 1991 and printed by Herald Printers (Whitchurch) Ltd., Whitchurch, Shropshire. ISBN 0 9518292 0 3 (Hardback) ' ISBN 0 9518292 1 1 (Softback) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the editor, F. A. Latham, Hilbre Grange, Alpraham, Tarporley, Cheshire. CONTENTS Page Foreword 6 Editor's Preface 7 "A Happy Place" 8 PART I Introduction 9 Prehistory 10 The Romans 13 The Dark Ages 16 After the Norman Conquest 19 The Old Order Changeth 28 Religious and Political Strife 36 The Birth of Methodism 47 The Formation of the Parish 50 Modern Times 59 PART II Church and Chapels 73 Farming 78 Commercial Enterprises 85 Education 90 Cakes and Ale 98 Sporting Life 102 Transport and Communications 112 Wherein Man Dwells 118 The Forestry Commission 125 Delamere Habitats and Wildlife 128 Willington 136 APPENDICES The Norman Earls 144 The Master Foresters 144 The Medieval Townships Within the Forest 146 Names and Dwellings taken from the Cheshire Directories 147 Rectors of Delamere Church 160 Church Wardens at Delamere Church 160 Parish Council Officers 162 Roll of Honour (British Legion) 164 Bibliography 166 FOREWORD Cheshire is once again indebted to Frank Latham for the latest volume of his local history series. This time he has chosen the ecclesiastical parish of Delamere and as usual he has gathered together an enthusiastic group of local historians and edited their contributions in his inimitable way. I am fortunate to have breathed the Forest air all my life, despite the petrol fumes, living as I do at Sandy Brow, built some time before 1820, on what is now a busy (and notoriously dangerous) crossroads, the junction of what was originally a Roman road with a Saxon one, called Peytfinsty. As we in Delamere act as hosts to an inordinate number of visitors throughout the year to enjoy the leisure facilities in the area, not least of which is the famous forest itself, the book will be of interest to a wide readership. The profits are for local benefit, so the hard work of the authors should be well rewarded. All who delve into it will gain immense pleasure from this fund of information, and from the legends, anecdotes, facts and figures about The Old Brown Forest of Rowland Egerton-Warburton's famous poem. On a note of personal reminiscence, I can claim to have served in the Delamere Platoon of the Home Guard as a schoolboy. We were regularly on guard at the Golf Course in true "Dad's Army" tradition, patrolling the course with rifle and bayonet, ready to repel any German parachutist who dared to come. When off duty, we slept in very uncomfortable bunks beside a smelly stove in the caddies' hut. As a golf course, Delamere Forest has a high reputation and was used for the qualifying rounds when the Open Championship was last held at Hoylake in 1967, in keeping with the fact that, for the opening exhibition match of the Club in 1910, Arundell had been joined by The Great Triumvirate themselves — Vardon, Braid and Taylor, the world's leading golfers of the day, playing in Norfolk jackets and knickerbockers and wearing stiff white collars. As it happens, Delamere Forest Golf Club is in the parish of Oakmere, and in the same way the highly commendable Delamere Community Centre just as much serves Oakmere and the rest of the neighbourhood. It was immensely satisfying when only last year, at incredibly short notice, the Oakmere parishioners rallied to their council to buy a six-acre woodland site at Bowyer's Waste for their own quiet enjoyment. There has also been a spirited attempt to ward off further sand quarrying in the area and so hopefully present-day and future inhabitants will be able to preserve our heritage and we, who are lucky enough to live here, will continue to provide recreation for all who care to visit us. Even Maria Hollingsworth, "the Old Woman of Delamere Forest" (she actually lived at Oak Mere) was a tourist attraction in her day. Gordon Fergusson, Sandy Brow EDITOR’S PREFACE For most of the inhabitants of Cheshire and the adjoining counties the title of this book will conjure up memories of jaunts to the country, of picnics and of rambles through the forest. Certainly being sited in the heart of Cheshire and therefore conveniently placed for day trips from all the major towns, it has the reputation of being the most visited area for such purposes in the whole county. However, it is much more than just a place for sight-seers to visit at the weekends. It is rich in history and, partly because they have not been developed, both the forest and the parish which was created out of it early in the nineteenth century, have been the scenes of many important archaeological discoveries over the years, while the very nature of the area makes it a paradise for naturalists. Many articles have extolled the beauties of its countryside, and some learned papers have been published regarding its pre-history in particular, but no general history of the forest and its townships has previously been written. This book is an attempt to redress the balance, although it does not pretend to be scholarly. Like others in this series of village histories, it has been researched and written by local people, partly for past, present and future inhabitants of Delamere but, equally, for visitors to the forest and the parish who increase in numbers year by year. It was about two years ago that work on the book began and the Delamere Local History Group was formed. Since then its members have searched continuously to gather information from libraries, museums and many other sources within the county, as well as from the parish itself, where numerous people have been interviewed. Firstly I must thank the members of the Group for their diligence and co-operation. They have been a marvellous team and I am most grateful to them for allowing me to be their guide. I must also thank the inhabitants of the parish for supplying so much information and so many photographs, diaries and other documents without which the book could never have been written. In particular I would also like to thank an old friend, Gordon Fergusson, who is well known in the parish and has been kind enough to write the Foreword. We are all most grateful to him for writing the sections on the Map of 1687, Racing, Training, the Sandy Brow Estate and the Oakmere Logboat, as well as for his reminiscences of the last fifty years. His help has been invaluable. We would like to thank the County and City Libraries, the Grosvenor Museum and the County and City Archivists for their assistance, as well as certain others, both from inside the parish and from other areas, who have been especially helpful. These include Norman Ackerley, John Boumphrey, John Cherry (British Museum), Geoffrey Culey, Peter Done (notes on the Done family), Dilys Fowler, Arthur Heap, Tony Legward, Margaret M. Nixon, Dr. David Norman, Michael Platt, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Reade, Dr. Adrian Tyndall, Harry Vickers, E. Waddelove (former Manager of Delamere Forest), Derek Wallis, Miss E. Wright, Mr. and Mrs. John Wright, as well as the Rector, Rev. S. W. Winton. I would also like to add my personal thanks to Ann, my wife, for her continuing support and for undertaking some of the typing. We have done our best to write a history that is both accurate and interesting. For lack of space there are bound to be omissions, but (hopefully) not too many inaccuracies. For these we ask your forgiveness. F. A. LATHAM, Hilbre Grange, Alpraham A HAPPY PLACE In Mara's wood the catkins sway, Young larch sends forth new green, A warbler pipes his merry note, And badger cubs are seen. For Spring to Mondrem lends her grace To Ethelfleda's "happy place". In Mara's woods the shade lies deep Where peaty paths wind cool Beneath Scots pine, bedecked with cone, To reed encircled pool, For June to forest grants her grace, To Saxon settlers' "happy place". The time of rustling leaves is come, When beech leaves are a-blaze, When chestnuts shed their prickly fruit, And dawn's a misty haze. As Autumn grants her mellow grace To Norman huntsman's "happy place". Then conifers are tipped with snow. Frost sparkles in the sun, While eager children choose their tree, Festivity's begun, As Christmas brings its joy and cheer, In darkest season of the year.