Moulton, Cheshire

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Map of civil parish of Moulton within the former borough of Vale Royal

Moulton is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and near the centre of the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Northwich and 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Winsford.

History

Moulton church

The village can trace its history back to the Norman Conquest. Moletune is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being among the estates of Baron Richard de Vernon of Shipbrook. George Ormerod described the village in 1882 thus: 'Moulton occupies a high ridge of ground, running parallel with the general course of the Weaver, and commanding a most extensive view over the vales of that river, and of the Mersey, in the several directions of Delamere Forest and Lancashire.'

During the 19th century the character of the village changed from purely agricultural to a more mixed economy. Many workers in the salt mining industry, which lined the banks of the River Weaver, made their homes in Moulton. The factory owners built the terraced housing in Church Street and Regent Street for their employees.

After the Second World War this industry quickly declined as new methods of abstracting salt by solution mining replaced the old fashioned pumping of wild brine and its attendant subsidence. The village quickly became a residential area with most folk working in nearby Northwich or Winsford. New housing development in the mid-1960s increased the population by over 60%.

During World War II, Moulton was bombed several times. On one occasion, German bombers fire-bombed down the backs of the Regent Street houses, thereby missing all dwellings and resulting in no casualties.

Moulton is now a thriving community of about 3,000 people. Moulton and District Community Association is active in the community while the Moulton Adventure Group provides a wealth of activities for young people.

Moulton School provides primary education to the children of the village. The school has strong links with the local secondary school, the County High School Leftwich, which is a Media Arts College.

Moulton is home to Lion Moulton FC, which plays in the Mid Cheshire Sunday League.

Buildings

The Methodist Chapel dates from 1875; the Co-Operative Store was built in 1894; and nearby Moulton Cottage with its dated clock of 1871 was formerly Mr. Wilson's Shoe Shop, where clogs were made. In 1877 the Revd Thomas France-Hayhurst of Bostock Hall sponsored the building of a new church dedicated to St Stephen the Martyr. A War Memorial in Main Road was unveiled in 1920.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ English Heritage, "War Memorial, Moulton (1139210)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 16 January 2014 
  2. ↑ Moulton War Memorial, Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, retrieved 16 January 2014 

External links

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Coordinates: 53°13′N 2°31′W / 53.217°N 2.517°W / 53.217; -2.517

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