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Congleton
Congleton maps
Historic maps of Congleton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Congleton maps
Congleton area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Congleton and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Congleton
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memories of Congleton.
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Congleton Baths
Congleton Open Air Baths during the 50/60s.
It had the entrance of a theatre, 2 steps up with an overhanging portico and glass doors that opened up to a foyer. It was well painted in the colours of the day, council green and white. You could see the pool from inside the entrance and it looked so nice with the calm water. At the point of payment there was a turnstile that was painted council silver. There was a lady who collected your 6d for swimmers and 2d (I think) for spectators, some people had a season ticket that cost 7/6d which entitled you to as many admissions as you wanted. There was a competition amongst the kids to have the lowest numbered season ticket, number 1 or 2 being the prize. I bet there were favourites when it came to dishing them out (no proof, just a hunch), the lowest I got was number 6. Each year the colour of the season tickets used to change, and... Read more
I Rowed Those Boats!
In memories on another photo I mention as a youngster spending much time in the Congleton Park. I would imagine I will have rowed all of the boats shown in the photograph. When I first went on the river I would have been under 10 years old, and for someone so young and small I was a pretty good rower! :)
Kelvin Fagan
Delivery Days
I was born and bred in the (then village) of Biddulph, south of the hall. My closest memories of the Old Hall were the stories my mother related to me, especially about the incidence of the siege during the Civil War and the use of the cannon, Roaring Meg, which was sent for from Stafford to assist in the siege, and according to her was fired from Nick o' the Hill on Congleton edge. Further to that as a school boy I delivered newspapers in that area and one of my calls was to the people who lived in the Hall at that time, and I must add it was mighty spooky at seven o'clock on a dark winter's morning, and also I was given permission to wander the ruins of the main house and dream a little.
CONGLETON PARK
I remember being taken to Congleton Park and going on the big slide. I liked it most when it was so slippy, you fell off at the bottom. Now with Health & Safety the slide has disappeared, although there is a play area for children with more up-to-date equipment, there is nothing there like the big slide.
Hiking up The Cloud
In the 1950s as a young Scout, our Troop regularly did a day hike to The Cloud - getting the NorthWestern bus from Crewe to Congleton, then walking to Cloud End as we called it. there we played 'wide games', and brewed up on primus stoves - happy memories.
Wonderful Memories
My great grandfather - Charles Dale was living at Moreton Old Hall when this photograph was taken.
His family, the Dales, had become tenant farmers for Moreton Old Hall in the 1860s and the Hall was the farmhouse that was provided. Thomas and Ann Dale had 15 children - Charles was the youngest, so the size of the Hall would have been greatly appreciated.
I remember being told about secret doors and invisible panels and how the children used to love playing hide and seek.
Ann Dale used to open the door of the Hall to tourists even in the early 1900s. I've been told about people having afternoon teas, provided by Ann and her daughters, on the front lawns of Moreton Hall. They said that her scones were something to die for and people still spoke about them 50 years later.
Ann and subsequently her children farmed the farm until it was passed into the care of the National Trust
William & Jane Kay Marriage 1865
My Great, Great, Grand parents William & Jane Kay came from Congleton Cheshire.
They were married 20-February 1865 in St Peters Church Congleton (marriage certificate)
Witnesses were John Frost and Ann Braithwaite, Married by John Hughes if I have read the spelling correct.
William was born in 1820 Leigh, Lancashire and Jane Kay nee Astle was born 1844 Aston Derby. They had 7 children. William B 1862, Herbert B 1864 Stillborn, Sarah E B 1868 , Alice B 1870, George B 1872, Charles B 1874 Stillborn, and Frank B 1874 all born Congleton, Cheshire except for Sarah & Alice who were born in Hulme Lanc.
In 1881 Hulme, William Kay was a Weaver, Cotton Tape. It looks like the Kay family moved around with the weavers looking for where the work was.
I think Williams Kays first marriage was to Elizabeth Fox married 1852 Congleton Cheshire but I an not sure. I have not proved this marriage.
In 1862 William son William was born, at this time... Read more
Congleton Baths, Late '50s, '60s.
I too have very fond memories of the open air swimming baths in Congleton in the late fifties and the sixties. I can even remember Alec Coles. Happy days. The water was freezing and it was always best to run and dive in to get it over with! For me it was a cup of warm orange squash and a bag of Smiths crisps (with salt in a twisted blue wrapper) at the snack hut. Alec has really said it all but I recall the top board, which was 5 yards high I think, ultimately being closed off because a depth of 8' 6" of water was deemed not to be deep enough for the height of the board yet people had been diving off it for 30 years! The shallow end was 3' deep and there were red danger signs on the side of the pool just before it really started to dip. The baths was also a meeting place; a real focal point for the youngsters of the... Read more
