Aldford Village Hall
Aldford
A short history of a picturesque village and ancient Cheshire parish.
There are no recorded prehistoric sites in the immediate vicinity of Aldford, but Mesolithic flints (10,000-4,000 B.C.) have been found on the banks of the River Dee, southwest of the village. Additionally, Stone Age axe heads and other artefacts have been unearthed by ploughing in the surrounding area.
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The Roman ford on the River Dee, which gave the village its name, is no longer visible under normal conditions due to the construction of the weir in Chester, which raised the river’s level. Watling Street, a significant Roman road, passed through Aldford, crossing the River Dee to the north and continuing as Ford Lane.
This was a major route south towards Whitchurch. Given its proximity to the Roman road, the river crossing at Aldford, and the Roman tile works at Holt, it is likely that a Roman settlement of some kind existed in the area. Roman soldiers would certainly have passed through on their way south.
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The Domesday Survey records: "Bigot holds of Earl Hugh, Ferentone (Aldford)..." There are four hides that pay geld. The land is sufficient for eight ploughs. In demesne are two ploughs, with seven villeins and three bordars holding two additional ploughs. There is a mill and a fishery with two fishermen, as well as one acre of meadow. The land was found waste" - likely a result of the rebellion of 1069–70, which left much of the region devastated. The extensive estate of Bigot de Loges included Lea, Newbold, and Ferentone, which encompassed both Aldford and Farndon.
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As recorded in the Domesday Survey, before 1066 Farndon had belonged to the Church, while Aldford was held by Earl Edwin of Mercia, and a royal residence was noted at Aldford. The separation of Aldford and Farndon occurred early in the twelfth century, around the time when Watling Street was replaced by a new road from Chester, which crossed Aldford Brook.
The parish boundary established at that time still exists today, dividing the village of Churton. An ancient cross once stood at the corner of Pump Lane, marking the division: Churton-by-Farndon belonged to the Bishop of Chester, while Churton-by-Aldford was associated with Earl Edwin and later Bigot.
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The Lords of Aldford, descendants of Bigot, continued to hold the manor, and a motte-and-bailey castle was constructed in the mid-12th century by one of them, Robert de Aldford, who died in 1184. It was common for Norman builders to select former Roman sites for the construction of their castles.
Aldford Castle earthworks
In the early 13th century, the manor passed into the hands of the Arderne family through marriage. There was likely a settlement around the castle by 1254, when Walkelin de Arderne received royal grants to hold a market and fair at Aldford—suggesting he was eager to maximise profits from the manor. The local economy was presumably based on agriculture, with considerable evidence of fishing activity along the River Dee. Another medieval moated site existed at Lea Hall, which later became the home of the Calveley family.
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Although there is no recorded evidence of a church at Aldford before 1350, a priest was known to be in residence at the castle. A local newspaper in 1850 described the tower of the previous church as having been built during the reign of Edward III (1312–1377). The Ardernes served as patrons of the early church until 1409, when Matilda Arderne married Sir Thomas de Stanley of Holt, who then became Lord of the Manor.
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The manor of Aldford was seized by King Henry VII in 1495 following the execution of Sir William Stanley, who was accused of involvement in the rebellion of Perkin Warbeck. The Stanleys had famously changed sides during the Wars of the Roses to support Henry, playing a decisive role in his victory; an event commemorated on the memorial stones at the Battle of Bosworth.
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Around 1526, the manor was sold to Sir William Brereton, Chamberlain of Chester and Groom of the Privy Chamber to Henry VIII. However, Sir William was later accused of “dalliance” with Anne Boleyn and was subsequently executed, leading to the manor once again being seized by the Crown. Thereafter, the manor of Aldford was sold and resold multiple times, as recorded on the Patrons’ Board in the church.
Rectors and Patrons of Aldford board, at St John the Baptist, Aldford
James I apparently stayed at Lea Manor with the Calveley family during his grand tour of his new kingdom. There are interesting references to the Calveley family and this magnificent house available online. The Calveleys were great patrons of the earlier church, alongside the Ardernes and Duttons. Dame Calveley is listed on the ancient charity board in the church.
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A garrison was established by the motte during the reign of Charles I. This location played an important role in the Civil War and during the siege of Chester, becoming a strategic post for the defence of the city as the first river crossing south of Chester. Between 1645 and 1646, Brereton led his Parliamentarian troops to break the siege of Chester, culminating in the nearby Battle of Rowton Moor.
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Older listed buildings in Aldford include Bank Farm farmhouse (mid-18th century), a shippon at Lea Manor Farm (early 19th century), the thatched cottage (pre-1837) attached to an oak-framed 17th-century thatched cottage, and wattle and daub construction found in Green Lake farmhouse. The stocks are presumed to be from the 17th century, with later stonework additions.
The Thatch
Ormerod’s History of Cheshire, published in 1819, provides a detailed account of the history of the village and its former church. He describes:
“The village of Aldford is a picturesque assemblage of farm-houses, cottages, and orchards, on the road from Chester to Farndon... with a handsome bridge. Below the town is the ford... under the park of Eaton.”
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The iron bridge near Blobb Hill, constructed in 1824 for the 1st Marquis of Westminster and designed by William Hazeldine to cross the River Dee, replaced the earlier ferry crossing.
The Iron Bridge
In 1831, Aldford had a free grammar school with an endowment, along with a school for boys and girls supported by contributions from local inhabitants. A schoolhouse was also funded by Earl Grosvenor. Additionally, six almshouses were provided for poor widows.
Samuel Lewis, in his Topographical Dictionary of England (1836), noted Aldford as
“A parish comprising the townships of Aldford and Churton... and the chapelry of Churton Heath or Bruera, and the townships of Great Boughton, Buerton, and Edgerley... of the hundred of Broxton, county of Palatine of Chester... 491 inhabitants in the township of Aldford.”
He remarked on the presence of a good bridge, which is thought to be the mid-19th century structure noted in listed building records today, potentially replacing an earlier one.
The tithe map of 1837 provides an interesting outline of the village’s layout and is available online (CWAC TITHE MAP 1837). It depicts a rural community characterised by a strip system for agriculture and common land for grazing. The village included two schools, two inns, a smithy, a malt kiln, and a pinfold. Tithes were paid to various landowners, including the Church, which is commemorated today in the name “Glebe.”
An ancient Tithe Barn still stands on Church Lane, adjacent to the old Rectory, where cottagers would bring their produce from the strips and common land, each portion labelled by name. The Enclosure Acts, seen as an effort to improve agriculture and animal husbandry, reshaped the prevailing open field system and transformed both the land layout and the village itself.
According to the 1851 census, most residents were listed as farmers or labourers. By 1860, a local directory recorded a more diverse range of occupations: a tailor, two butchers, a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a builder, seven farmers, three shoemakers, and three shopkeepers, including one with a post office.
By 1881, occupations had shifted, particularly to trades associated with the rebuilding of the village, with changes also affecting those in service. The 1891 census listed a dressmaker, a schoolmaster and postmaster, an estate bailiff, a policeman, an organist (Mr Scorah), a naval pensioner, an artiste, a gamekeeper, a butcher, and a rate collector and inspector of nuisances!
Almost the entire village was rebuilt by the 2nd Marquis of Westminster during the mid-Victorian period. Some of the earliest cottages, constructed in the 1850s and 1860s, were probably built by Edward Hodkinson. The architect responsible for the design of the church (1866) and many of the houses, with their distinctive barley-sugar twist chimney stacks and fine shaped windows, was John Douglas (1829–1911).
The new houses featured large gardens for growing fruit and vegetables, and many cottagers kept one or two cows, as well as pigs and hens, to feed their families. Fields were designated for grazing cottagers’ cows and for making hay. Other plots were set aside for growing root crops, fodder corn, and potatoes, with each plot marked by boulders. Cows were often tethered to graze on the verges.
John Douglas, Architect. From Wikipedia.
In 1868, the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland described the church at Aldford as “in the patronage of the Marquis of Westminster... dedicated to St John the Baptist... and the courts leet and baron, for the manor are held here.” The Shrewsbury railway was conveniently nearby, with local carters available to transport goods and visitors to the village.
The church was completely rebuilt in 1866, as the earlier structure was described by the rector as being “in a ruinous state and unfit for worship.” Boys were reportedly paid to clear out “sparrows and urchins” (hedgehogs!). A charming watercolour of the previous church still exists in the church today.
A Primitive Methodist Chapel is marked on the 1837 Tithe Map, but in 1891 a new Wesleyan Chapel was built on the same site. Today, it has been converted into a house. The rectory was rebuilt in 1892, designed by Thomas Lockwood and Sons. Reflecting the era’s domestic arrangements, it was built with many bedrooms and intended for a household with servants.
However, the Revd Stoneman, a bachelor, found it too large and moved into the Grosvenor Arms, which provided accommodation for professional gentlemen. He later resided in Rectory Cottage at the corner of Green Lake Lane, where his sister, upon retirement, kept house for him.
During the war and the years following, the old rectory was requisitioned by Western Command to house officers’ families, who became part of village life.
The Grosvenor Arms
Defending King and Country has always been important to the community. Archers once met in earlier times behind the church, and the Cheshire Yeomanry (a cavalry regiment) assembled at Eaton Hall, with many joining—mostly on foot! The village boasted a rifle range, and during the Second World War, a Home Guard was formed, along with a platoon of the Observer Corps. Although disbanded after the war, the Observer Corps was revived during the Cold War, complete with its very own nuclear bunker in Mill Lane.
In the 20th century, Aldford was a lively community, very much centred around the Grosvenor Estate, which took great care of the village and provided an important source of employment. Many people worked on the estate—in the park, in Eaton Hall, and at the estate yard. There was also a gasworks, a sawmill, two mills, and the Home Farm at Woodhouse offered good employment. In addition, several tenant farms with tied cottages provided work for farm workers and milkmaids. Few residents left the village for work, and some had never travelled far until they found themselves called to serve during the First World War.
A Reading Room was established for men to read newspapers or socialise after the day’s work, with a comprehensive set of rules displayed in the Village Hall. The Lord Belgrave Oddfellows Lodge, established in the 19th century, helped cover the cost of healthcare and funerals, while a Clothing Club was set up to encourage saving. The Grosvenor family and the church supported widows in winter with gifts of blankets and clothes, and the community rallied around those in need. Aldford Charities were founded to support educational opportunities in particular.
The Cruck Barn, built in 2013
The annual Wakes was a joyful community event, featuring ox roasting on the pub field, dancing on the pub lawn, and a fair. The Oddfellows organised a parade with a banner, a church service, sports, and a tea. Football matches, including ladies’ teams, were held to mark special occasions, and numerous activities celebrated national events, often arranged by the Rosebuds and Stooges, who still manage an annual dinner for the over-sixties. The community gathered to help with the harvest, and pig killing was a communal affair. When animals were ready, pork was shared, with local farmers holding slaughter licences. The village men enjoyed taking part in shoots and beating.
Perhaps the biggest change to village life has been the modernisation of agriculture. In the early 1960s, there were ten tenant farms in the parish employing workers, and the Home Farm was central to village life. A bustling estate yard offered training for school leavers, and it was common for sons to follow fathers and grandfathers into local employment. Yet, even as the village has changed and evolved, it remains a community characterised by strong friendships and a spirit of service to others - a wonderful place to live!
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales plays crown green bowls as he shelters under an umbrella during a visit to Aldford Villiage Hall on March 26, 2009 in Aldford, England. (Photo by Dave Thompson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
We would like to thank Ruth Clarke for writing this interesting compilation.
All photos by Neil Farbon except otherwise indicated.