Chelford, Astle Hall 1896

Photo ref: 37487

More about this scene

CHELFORD is better known as a village that is passed through rather than a destination in itself for it stands on an important crossroads, where the route between Manchester and the Midlands crosses the Knutsford to Macclesfield road. Consequently, when the railway was built from Manchester to Crewe, it had an important rail- way station, for, until the Macclesfield and Knutsford lines were both built about 20 years later, the stage coaches still had to come out to Chelford from those two towns to link up with the London train. Not surprisingly, a flourishing livestock market grew up here and, in the last 50 years, other transport firms have made Chelford their base and more markets have developed in the area. So, it is a village that presents a rather reserved face to the world, and the heavy traffic quartering the village makes it difficult to pinpoint a centre. The church is opposite the entrance to Astle Park, some way from the station and shops, and the Dixon Arms, which used to provide a focal point, has recently been demolished to make way for yet more residential development, whose chief attraction will probably be the ease with which future residents can leave the place.