Ancient Villages - Seven Miles Round Nantwich’ exhibition

Ancient Villages - Seven Miles Round Nantwich’ exhibition.‘

Nantwich Museum aims to record the past of not just the town itself but also the surrounding countryside, and this year the museum’s Research group have focussed on villages around Nantwich, many of which are older than the town itself. ‘Ancient Villages – Seven Miles Round Nantwich’ has opened at the Pillory Street Museum and is due to run until Saturday 11 October. The exhibition was inspired in part by Nantwich historian James Hall’s notebook ‘7 Miles Round Nantwich’, which will be on display during the exhibition on loan from the Grosvenor Museum in Chester.

The notebook was compiled at the end of the nineteenth century encompassing census details, notes about the local villages and interpretations of a range of topics. Key buildings and features were noted, anecdotes and stories recounted by the inhabitants recorded, plus detailed sections including geology and natural features, fluctuations in populations and picturesque spots – almost a travel guide. The suspicion is that James had in mind a sequel to his major history book published in 1883, but never completed the task. From this base, the Research Group has developed an informative and interactive exhibition covering a wide range of local village-related topics including Place Names, Churches and Chapels, Rural Pubs, Transport, Zoos, Prominent People all interspersed with Quirky Stories.

Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Admission is free.