Thelwall, Bell Cottage c.1955

Photo ref: T328010

I use to live in Bell Lane at Braycrest. It was a pair of houses built by Jack Hylands I was told. They owned property in the Warrington area and would go out every Friday evening to collect the rents. They had a dog - white chow with a blue tongue I remember. Bell Cottage had a ghost supposedly. Rachel lived there and when her sweetheart died or didn't return from wherever, she hung herself on a tree opposite ...see more

If you took the right turn at Bell Cottage and then right again on the main road then a left up a cinder track you came to the Bridgewater canal that was in the higher part of the village. It was the acknowledged meeting place for the youth of the village. Pete Guthrie used to come up on his scooter, my brother Hugh also had a Lambretta and the dirt track there was ideal for showing off. We also used to gather ...see more

I used to live in Bell Lane from when my parents moved there aroudn 1960 and moved out in 1977. This corner was known as Rachel's Corner and it was said that Bell Cottage was haunted. Rachel hanged herself on a tree after her lover didn't return - from where I don't know, the stories changed so much...