Bunbury, Cheshire
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Bunbury is a village and civil parish in the county of Cheshire, England, south of Tarporley, north west of Nantwich, and on the Shropshire Union Canal. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1308.[1]
Bunbury Locks is a working wharf with some "high-rise" staircase locks and canal horse stables. These locks are known to canal users as "Bunbury Two-step". Picture of Bunbury Locks
Bunbury Mill is a watermill from the 1840s although there has been a watermill on this site for about 700 years. Records show that a mill has existed at Bunbury since 1290. The present building dates from around 1850 and worked commercially until 1960, when a massive flood ended its working life.
After years of decay it was fully restored by United Utilities in 1977 during one of the company's first programme of joint working with Local Authorities and voluntary groups.
United Utilities takes its responsibilities very seriously, and continues to finance comprehensive repair and renewal programmes in order to maintain the mill in working order.
The mill is open to the public as a working museum and is used by school groups as a learning resource.
When Thomas Parker first began milling at Bunbury, flour was manufactured and taken by horse and cart and delivered to bakeries in chester. As technology advanced Bunbury Mill faced increasing competition in flour production and concentrated solely on the manufacture of animal feedstuff, which it then continued to do, up to the end of its working life.
Today, Bunbury Mill is once again manufacturing flour, which is available for sale to visitors. (Source: Plaque outside Bunbury Mill. Bunbury mill Plaque)
The main lane in Bunbury is Bunbury Lane which contains three shops and three pubs. Bunbury Aldersey C of E Primary school is in School Lane. Bunbury's parish church is dedicated to Saint Boniface and is built on the highest point of the village. It is over one thousand years old and is built on an older pagan site.
Bunbury has amenities such as a cricket pavilion, sports pitches, tennis courts, and a village hall and has some clubs and societies.
Some prominent gentlemen of the county of Cheshire met in Bunbury on December 23, 1642 and drew up the Bunbury Agreement. The terms of the agreement were intended to keep Cheshire neutral during the English Civil War. It proved to be a forlorn hope, because of the national strategic importance of Cheshire and of the city port of Chester meant that national interests overruled local ones.
Historically, Bunbury was a victim of the Blitz during World War II. A German bomber was returning from a night raid on Liverpool, but, realising they had surplus bombs, promptly dropped one. The bomb hit Church Row, obliterating the houses (which have since been rebuilt), the blast causing minor damage to the exterior of St Boniface's Church and the immediate area.
The original village centre surrounding the church was hit, damaging shops beyond repair. This has largely caused the current centre to evolve in the geographical heart of the village.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Neighbourhood Statistics: Bunbury CP (accessed 12 August 2007)
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