Sandbach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sandbach | |
  Sandbach shown within Cheshire |
|
| Population | 17,630 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 158 mi (238 km) SE |
| District | Congleton |
| Shire county | Cheshire |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SANDBACH |
| Postcode district | CW11 |
| Dialling code | 01270 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Congleton |
| List of places: UK • England • Cheshire | |
Sandbach is a market town and civil parish within the Congleton borough of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements; Sandbach itself, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock.
Sandbach is probably best known as the original home of both Foden and ERF lorries, both companies founded by members of the Foden family. Neither company now exists in Sandbach, having been taken over and production moved elsewhere. As of Monday 9 September 2007 there is no trace of Fodens within Sandbach, with the former mansion home of the Foden family at Westfields, being demolished to make way for a new council building. However, the world famous Foden's Brass Band, originally created for employees, still exists and is based in Sandbach under the title Foden's Richardson Brass Band. They have won the National Brass Band Championsips twelve times and recently won the United States Open Championship.
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[edit] History
[edit] Toponymy
Known as Sanbec in 1086, and Sondbache in 1260, Sandbach derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon sand bæce, which can mean sand stream or sand valley.[1]
[edit] Early history
Sandbach has been a market town since the 16th century when it was granted a royal charter. It started with a small market each Thursday and two annual fairs, which lasted for two days, and were held around Easter and early September. Today the Thursday market is still held outdoors, around the town hall and on Scotch Common. Nearby are some wetlands called Sandbach Flashes.
[edit] Landmarks
Sandbach has two very important historical features in the cobbled market square. These are the Saxon Crosses that were reportedly built in the 7th, 8th or 9th century. A plaque is situated on the crosses and mentions the 9th century, so there is some debate about when they came into being. The plaque states:
Saxon crosses completed in the 9th century A.D. to commemorate the advent of Christianity in this kingdom of mercia about 653 A.D. in the reign of the Saxon king Penda. Restored in 1816 by Sir John Egerton after destruction by iconoclasts.
[edit] Transport
The town is served by Sandbach railway station which is actually located to the west of the town in Elworth. Pressure of road traffic going from Greater Manchester to Crewe has forced the building of a bypass for Sandbach, Wheelock, Wheelock Heath, Winterley, and Haslington for the A533. This is largely due to the M6 motorway which has a junction (J17) at Sandbach, which is close to the eponymous RoadChef service station.
Local bus services are provided by Arriva and D&G Bus and Coach.
[edit] Local Government
Sandbach has an active Town council[2] and active youth council. Sandbach Town Council is striving for Quality town status, and has created a vision document[3] to give direction to the council. The Council has also applied for Fairtrade Town Status.
[edit] Development
[edit] Sandbach Partnership
In Sandbach there is a Partnership of groups which form the Sandbach Partnership. The Partnership goal is to
is to realise the Vision of local people set out in the current Sandbach Action Plan, by creating a vibrant and inclusive market town providing convenient access to retail and professional services, training and jobs, leisure and cultural opportunities. We will achieve this by working to create a ‘can do’ atmosphere to ensure the successful and smooth implementation of projects
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary Schools
- Sandbach Community Primary School [1]
- Offley Primary School [2]
- Sandbach Heath St John's CE Primary School [3][5]
[edit] Secondary schools
Sandbach School was founded as a boarding grammar school for boys in 1677. Now it is a Independent comprehensive boys school funded by Cheshire LEA but controlled by a board of governors. The school's motto is Ut Severis Seges meaning approximately "what you sow, so shall you reap" though literally meaning "You sow in order to reap". The school and its sixth form educate 1200+ pupils, and is still growing. The school has its own Combined Cadet Force (CCF). This is a cadet force in which all three British armed forces (Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force) are represented. On September 4, 2006 the success of the school's theatre company (made up of its pupils and occasionally staff) led to the school's accreditation as a 'Specialist Arts College'. This change is to have an impact on the future ethos of the school; with a more direct focus on Art, music and dance.
Within Sandbach there is also a comprehensive Girls school Sandbach High[4]. It was originally the Towns mixed Secondary Modern when Sandbach School served as the local Boys grammar school, but has been a single sex comprehensive since 1979.
[edit] Accommodation
There are a few places to stay in Sandbach. The old, 18th-century church rectory – now the Chimney House Hotel – offers a modern, easily accessible place to stay. The hotel is very popular with business travellers and is also well known to play frequent host to TV stars and comedians working in the area. Other hotels include the historic Old Hall Hotel, claimed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the UK.[6] The Most Haunted television show featured the hotel in series 5.[7] The Old Hall Hotel is one of the last remaining examples of Tudor architecture typical of the buildings in the town. As of late 2007, the hotel was closed and undergoing refurbishment. A small selection of public houses in the town centre can offer bedrooms.
[edit] Festivals
[edit] The Transport Festival
Sandbach has an annual transport festival this usually takes place during April. the Festival is run by an organising committee in partnership with Congleton Borough Council, Sandbach Town Council and the North West Development Agency who provide much of the funding for the free event. Many volunteers are used to help run the actual event.[8]
[edit] The Arts in Sandbach
[edit] Sandbach Players
Sandbach Players were a community theatre company formed in 1946 and which performed regularly up to 2007. The productions started with Without the Prince performed at the town hall, where all productions were held up until 1977. In 1977 the society acquired a building in the town which became 'The Little Theatre' where productions were then held. A period of great prosperity followed and the 'House Full' sign was put to frequent use. However, in 1992, the society was forced to leave the building after a survey revealed dry rot. Far from being despondent, the society bounced back to perform John Chapman's Dry Rot at Sandbach School. The school was their home until 2005 when Sandbach Players returned to Sandbach Town Hall where all productions were staged. Sandbach Players was dissolved in June 2007 following ever-increasing difficulty in obtaining cast and crew members.
[edit] Sandbach Voices
Sandbach Voices is a local choir that was founded in 1947[9] and is a registered charity. The choir makes it its mission to bring choral music into the community and regularly stages concerts often in Sandbach Town Hall or at St Mary's Church, Sandbach.
[edit] Notable people
- Blaster Bates
- Shaun Goater
- George Roper (comedian b. 1934 - d. 2003)
- Michael Edwards (aka Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards)
- Yvette Fielding
- Paul Shaw (Bassist for Northwich based Metal Band "Fall.Out")
- Fred Van Buren (illusionist aka Yoxani)
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Nicolaisen, Gelling & Richards, The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain, p. 168
- ^ http://www.sandbach.gov.uk/
- ^ http://www.sandbach.gov.uk/Vision.htm
- ^ http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/ruraldevelopment/market_towns/sandbach.htm
- ^ http://www.congleton.gov.uk/?t=873
- ^ Haunted Hotels. Retrieval Date: 23 October, 2007.
- ^ Most Haunted (series 5). Retrieval Date: 23 October, 2007.
- ^ http://www.sandbachtransportfestival.co.uk/index.html
- ^ http://www.sandbachvoices.co.uk/
[edit] Bibliography
- Nicolaisen W. F. H., Gelling M., & Richards M. (1970). The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain. B. T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0713401133.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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