Frodsham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frodsham |
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|---|---|
| Town and civil parish | |
 Frodsham from Overton/Frodsham Hill |
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 Frodsham
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| Population | 9,300 (2021) |
| GSS code | E04011099 |
| OS grid reference | SJ 5151 7776 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FRODSHAM |
| Postcode district | WA6 |
| Dialling code | 01928 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Frodsham 
i/ˌfrɒdʃəm/ is a lively market town in Cheshire, England. It is also a civil parish and an electoral ward. About 9,300 people lived there in 2021.
Frodsham is about 16 miles (26 km) south of Liverpool. It is also 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Manchester. The River Weaver flows to its northeast. To the west, the town looks out over the estuary of the River Mersey. Important roads like the A56 road and the M56 motorway pass near Frodsham. The Chester–Manchester railway line also goes through the town.
In the Middle Ages, Frodsham was an important town and port. It belonged to the Earls of Chester. The local church, St. Laurence's, has parts that are from the 12th century. This church is even mentioned in the Domesday Book. Today, a market is held every Thursday. Frodsham continues to be a good place for trade. Many small, special shops operate in the town centre.
Contents
Exploring Frodsham's Past
What Frodsham Means
The name Frodsham is quite old, and its meaning isn't fully clear. In the Domesday Book, it was called Frotesham. One idea is that it comes from an old name, Frod, or an old word for ford. The word ham means a village or home. So, it could mean "Frod's village" or "the village on the ford."
Another idea suggests the name means "a point of land reaching into marshy ground." This makes sense because Frodsham had a castle on a point of land near marshes. Frodsham is a unique name for a place in the British Isles. Over time, the name has been spelled in different ways, like Fradsham and Frodisham.
Early Days of Frodsham
On Frodsham Hill, you can still see the outline of an Iron Age hill fort. This shows people lived here a very long time ago.
The town itself started in Saxon times. Its church, built in the 11th century, is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Frodsham was a key area for the medieval Earls of Chester. It became a borough (a town with special rights) in the early 1200s.
Frodsham became an important port because of the River Weaver. The river joins the Mersey nearby. This made it easy to ship Cheshire salt down the river from places like Northwich. The main house of the area, called the manor house, was in Castle Park. It was a stone building and had defenses. In 1315, it was even called a 'castellum', meaning "little castle."
Frodsham in Recent Times
Frodsham used to be the main office for the Runcorn Rural District Council. In 1974, this district was divided into other councils. The offices at Castle Park in Frodsham were then used less.
Castle Park House was fully renovated in 2005–2006. Now, it's a "one-stop shop" for Cheshire West and Chester Council. It offers many services for the community and local businesses.
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In 1992, the local council became the Frodsham Town Council. This meant Frodsham was no longer just a village; it was a town. The head of the council became the Mayor of Frodsham.
Frodsham was home to Frodsham School, which focused on science and technology. It closed in 2009 because fewer children were being born. The school joined with Helsby High School. The old school site was rebuilt and is now a new health centre for the town.
Frodsham, like nearby Helsby, has a hill that looks over the Mersey estuary. This hill is popular for walking dogs and enjoying nature. Frodsham Hill is a large sandstone hill. It offers great views of Frodsham and the Liverpool skyline. It is home to farms and the Forest Hills Hotel.
Understanding Frodsham's Location
Frodsham is located beneath a large, wooded hill called Beacon Hill. This hill is also known as Frodsham Hill or Overton Hill. Its top is just over 500 feet (150 m) high. This hill is the northern end of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. This ridge is a line of sandstone hills that stretches south towards Delamere Forest.
The northern edges of Frodsham are marked by the River Weaver. This river flows into the inner Mersey Estuary. The Manchester Ship Canal runs next to the Mersey. It follows the northern edge of the low-lying Frodsham Marsh.
The town is close to where the A56 road meets the B5152 road. The A56 is a main road connecting Chester and Warrington. The B5152 goes southeast towards Northwich. The Chester–Manchester railway line goes through the town. The M56 motorway runs along the edge of the marsh. The areas of Netherton and Overton are now part of the southern parts of the town. The eastern part, near Frodsham Bridge, is called Newtown.
Frodsham's Rocks and Land
The ground beneath Frodsham is made of sedimentary rocks. These rocks formed during the Triassic Period. The harder sandstone rocks make up the higher ground of Beacon Hill.
There are also several faults (cracks in the Earth's crust) that run through the area. These faults caused the land to lift up. This lifting created springs where water comes out of the ground.
On top of these rocks, there are different types of loose material. This includes glacial till (boulder clay) from the last ice age. There are also sand and gravel deposits. Recent alluvium (silt and clay) fills the valley of the Weaver River. It also spreads across the marsh to the Mersey estuary.
Frodsham's Weather
Frodsham is close to the west coast and the Irish Sea. This means it has a generally temperate climate. Temperatures and weather are not usually extreme. The average temperature between 1971 and 2000 was about 9.4 to 9.7 °C. This is slightly warmer than the average for the United Kingdom.
The town also gets a good amount of sunshine, about 1391 to 1470 hours per year. The average yearly rainfall is 741 to 870 mm, which is a bit less than the UK average. Snow is rare, with only 0 to 6 days a year when it's on the ground. The number of days with frost is also low, at 2 to 39 days.
People of Frodsham
In 2021, the population of Frodsham was 9,300 people.
Most of the people (97.1%) identified as White. A smaller number identified as Mixed (1.3%), Asian (1.0%), or Black (0.3%).
Christianity was the most common religion in 2021, followed by 57.5% of the population. Many people (36.2%) said they had no religion. Other religions included Buddhism (0.4%), Islam (0.3%), and Hinduism (0.2%).
Getting Around Frodsham
Frodsham has its own railway station. Transport for Wales manages this station. Trains run hourly between Manchester Piccadilly and Llandudno. They stop at Frodsham and Chester. There are also some services by Northern trains.
Bus services connect Frodsham to nearby towns like Chester, Runcorn, and Northwich. Frodsham is also close to two major airports. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is about 14 miles (23 km) away. Manchester Airport is about 22 miles (35 km) away.
Learning in Frodsham
There are four primary schools in Frodsham:
- Frodsham Manor House Primary School
- St Luke's Catholic Primary School
- Frodsham Church of England Primary School
- Frodsham Weaver Vale Primary School
The only secondary school in the town, Frodsham School, closed in 2009. It has since been turned into a health clinic, library, and leisure centre.
Places of Worship in Frodsham
Frodsham has one Anglican church, St Laurence's. It is located on Church Road in Overton. Frodsham Methodist Church is on Kingsley Road. This is also just outside the town centre. In the past, Frodsham had several Methodist churches. The spire of Trinity Methodist Church is still a well-known landmark in the town.
The Roman Catholic church is St. Luke's on High Street. There are also two Evangelical chapels: Main Street Community Church and King's Church (Free Methodist).
Frodsham in the News
Local news and TV shows for Frodsham come from BBC North West and ITV Granada. TV signals are received from the Winter Hill transmitter. Because Frodsham is close to North Wales, you can also get signals from BBC Wales and ITV Cymru Wales.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Merseyside and Capital North West & Wales. The town's local newspaper is the Chester and District Standard.
In 2014, Frodsham made national news because of a funny hoax. Someone claimed that actor William Shatner (Captain Kirk from Star Trek) would turn on the town's Christmas lights. A Twitter account pretended to be official. Many local news outlets and politicians believed it. But then William Shatner himself tweeted that it wasn't true! The person who started the hoax was never found.
Famous People from Frodsham
Many interesting people have connections to Frodsham:
- William Charles Cotton (1813–1879) was a vicar in Frodsham. He helped introduce beekeeping to New Zealand.
- Harriet Shaw Weaver (1876–1961) was born in Frodsham. She was a feminist activist and supported writer James Joyce.
- Bob Carolgees (born 1948) is a TV entertainer from the 1980s. He owns a candle shop near Frodsham.
- Caradog Jones (born 1962) was the first Welshman to climb Mount Everest. He lives in Frodsham.
- Alice Coote (born 1968) is a famous opera singer (mezzo-soprano). She was born in Frodsham.
- Daniel Craig (born 1968) is a well-known actor, famous for playing James Bond. He lived in Frodsham from 1972 until his teenage years. His father was the landlord of the Ring o' Bells pub.
- Gary Barlow (born 1971) is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He was born and grew up in Frodsham. He is famous for being in the band Take That.
- Emma Cunniffe (born 1973) is an actress in film, stage, and television. She grew up and went to school in Frodsham.
- Djibril Cissé (born 1981) is a former professional footballer. He played for Liverpool and the French national team. He lived in Frodsham for a time.
See also
In Spanish: Frodsham para niños
