Linking local business & community in Congleton

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley Out and about this August? Lots here to discover, rediscover, or just take a good, closer look at. Buildings, streets, even spaces all tell their story. And it’s always fun to find out ‘stuff’ for yourself. First skill? Keen observation. Learn to spot any clues to history… then ask your questions. Incredibly, this is number 50 in a series exploring all things heritage in the local landscape. I’ve been amazed to find aspects of Congleton I hadn’t ima

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley Paperwork! Victorian Congleton produced plenty. Official agents and clerical duties were the proud lifeblood of an expanding, imperial society. Who was involved locally, and in what capacity? Central to the functioning of the town, located in Market Square, was the Post Office. Managed in the 1880’s by Thomas George Sheldon, it was a round-the-clock operation. Letters arrived at 3:30 in the early morning. Outgoing mail was delivered at 7am. Another

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley Silk: a textile that is unmistakably a by-word for luxury. Nothing new in that – it has a history of thousands of years already. For Congleton, from the time it joined in with the world’s fascination for the fabric, the silk trade was often lucrative… but not always luxurious. It’s also a bit bewildering. So maybe we should unravel some of its mysteries. What did workers do to make this precious product? As for silk itself, how was it worn and used?

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley Streets lined with brick homes…a central civic and commercial area…outlying industries…people’s park… Typical of today’s town plans, and certainly true of Congleton. Of course it wasn’t always that way. Almost on our doorstep is a most astonishing example of just how different ‘home life’, for some, once was. We’re talking Little Moreton Hall, from 500 years ago. Already familiar to many, this des-res dwelling was not merely a single house, impressi

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley This time, it’s Victorian Congleton… specifically 1883. How did people meet up, relax, or refresh mind and body? Let’s explore some of the social side of life, as revealed by Slater’s Directory. Any hints of 19th century ‘romanticism’? Saturday was market day, with a modest corn market at the Bull’s Head Hotel. But fairs were big events. ‘Goodit’, or ‘Good Tide’, cattle fair was held the Thursday before Shrove Tuesday, whilst the 12th May (‘chief of

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley Making comparisons? Proverbially, they shouldn’t happen. Yet contrasts between then and now, especially when a place is familiar, are not at all wrong but instead often intriguing. Let’s explore more of old Congleton, just over a century ago. What was new? What’s disappeared? Picture the scene. In 1910 Edwardian Congleton was lit by gas (no electricity until 1931 - almost unimaginable nowadays). The sooty services of chimney sweep Alfred Tilley were

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley A clever, if maybe mysterious, piece of branding. A design style containing codes, and amusing wordplay. Very historical. Loaded with local heritage. We’re talking ‘coats-of-arms’. All that surely warrants a closer look. What does Congleton’s reveal? Origins are key to interpretation. So what brought about the practice of heraldry? ‘Herald’, incidentally, includes the Anglo-Saxon word-element ‘here’ meaning army. Military roots are both obvious and

By Julie Elizabeth Smalley A satisfying tradition? Looking back (reflectively)… and ahead (with hope) is the norm for New Year. Likewise with concepts of heritage. Compared to now, which local aspects of life and landscape were viewed differently? How did people before us think about Congleton? Insights are available, at least in part. In the 19th century, trade directories across the country contained handy commercial listings – preceded by exclusive sections on ‘Clergy and