Knutsford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Knutsford |
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 Knutsford Town Hall |
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 Knutsford
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| Population | 13,259 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SJ753782 |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KNUTSFORD |
| Postcode district | WA16 |
| Dialling code | 01565 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | www.knutsford towncouncil.gov.uk/ |
Knutsford is a lively market town and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is about 14 kilometres (9 miles) south-west of Manchester. The town is also 9 kilometres (6 miles) north-west of Macclesfield. In 2011, about 13,191 people lived here.
The main streets in Knutsford town centre are Princess Street and King Street. King Street has an entrance to Tatton Park. This large estate used to belong to the Egerton family. The area around Knutsford is known as the Tatton parliamentary area.
Knutsford is located near Cheshire's "Golden Triangle," a wealthy area. It sits on the Cheshire Plain, with the Peak District hills to the east. Some famous people live in Knutsford. These include actress Barbara Knox from Coronation Street and footballers like Peter Crouch.
Contents
A Look at Knutsford's Past
Knutsford has a long and interesting history. It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. Back then, it was called Cunetesford, which means "Canute's ford."
King Canute's Connection
Local stories say that King Canute once blessed a wedding in the town. He is also said to have crossed the River Lily here. This river was thought to be quite dangerous at the time. The name "Knutsford" likely comes from "Knutr's ford" in Old English.
The Old Gaol
Knutsford had a gaol (jail) built in 1817. It was expanded in 1853. This building held people who had committed crimes. During World War I, it became a military prison. Soldiers found guilty of offences were kept there. From 1916, it also held conscientious objectors. These were people who refused to fight in the war.
In April 1916, a rebellion called the Easter Rising happened in Ireland. Many rebels from this event were brought to Knutsford Gaol. The gaol was eventually taken down in 1934.
A Famous Speech
Before the Normandy invasion in World War II, General George S. Patton gave a speech in Knutsford. This speech caused some controversy. It was seen as critical of the Soviets. The speech almost ended his military career.
New Homes After the War
After the Second World War, new housing estates were built in Knutsford. These were for families moving from Manchester. The Longridge estate was one of these, built in the 1960s.
House Prices Today
In 2005, Knutsford was named the most expensive town in Northern England for buying a house. House prices here can vary a lot. In late 2017, they ranged from about £175,000 to nearly £4,000,000. The average price is over £400,000.
How Knutsford is Run
Knutsford is part of the Cheshire East council area. This started in April 2009. Before that, it was in the Borough of Macclesfield.
Knutsford Town Council
The Knutsford Town Council was set up in 1974. This happened after the old urban district council was removed. The town is divided into five areas called wards. Each ward chooses three councillors. These councillors serve for four years. The Town Council is elected every four years.
The current mayor of Knutsford is Cllr Peter Coan. He is also the chairman of the town council.
Getting Around Knutsford
Knutsford has good connections to major roads and railways.
Roads
Knutsford is close to the M6 (Junction 19) and M56 (Junction 7). This makes it easy to travel by car. However, the A50 road goes through the town centre. If the M6 motorway is closed, a lot of traffic uses the A50. This can cause big traffic jams in Knutsford.
Trains
Knutsford railway station is on the Mid-Cheshire Line. This line runs from Chester to Manchester Piccadilly. It also stops at Altrincham.
The station was built in 1862. Today, Northern Trains usually runs an hourly service. Trains go to Northwich and Chester to the south-west. Northbound trains go to Altrincham, Stockport, and Manchester. More trains run during busy times on weekdays. On Sundays, trains run every two hours.
Buses
Local bus companies in Knutsford include D&G Bus and Warrington's Own Buses. Since April 2018, there are fewer regular bus routes.
- Route 88: This bus runs hourly between Altrincham, Wilmslow, and Knutsford. Most buses continue to Macclesfield or Northwich. It runs Monday to Saturday.
- Route 89: Buses run every two hours during the day between Knutsford and Northwich. Extra services run on Saturdays.
- Route 47: There are two buses per day to Warrington, only on weekdays.
- A free daily bus service goes to Handforth Dean for shoppers.
- A special "Flexilink" service is available for people with disabilities or those over 80. This is a flexible "dial-a-ride" service.
Airport
Manchester Airport is only about 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Knutsford. However, there are no direct bus or train links from Knutsford to the airport.
Knutsford's Businesses
Knutsford town centre has many shops and places to eat. You can find restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and unique boutiques. There are also antique shops and art galleries.
Knutsford has several supermarkets. These include Booths, Aldi, and a small Little Waitrose. There is also a Sainsbury's Local and two Co-Op stores.
Barclays has a large office campus called Radbroke Hall just outside Knutsford. About 3,000 people work there in IT and support roles. Before Barclays, this site was owned by The Nuclear Power Group.
Places of Worship
Knutsford has several churches for different faiths.
St John the Baptist Church was built between 1741 and 1744. It is an active Church of England church. It is a Grade II* listed building, meaning it is very important historically.
St Cross is another Anglican church. It was built between 1880 and 1887. It is also a Grade II* listed building.
St Vincent de Paul is a Catholic church. The current church opened in 1983. It replaced an older church that had to be taken down. The first St Vincent de Paul church is now The Little Theatre. The current church has a special plaque. It was blessed by Pope John Paul II when he visited Manchester in 1982.
There is also a Methodist church in Knutsford. The Unitarian church dates back to 1689. The famous novelist Elizabeth Gaskell is buried there. Knutsford also has a Gospel church. It is located in the old ticket office at Knutsford railway station.
Schools in Knutsford
Knutsford has five primary schools. One of these is a Roman Catholic school. The town also has a high school called Knutsford Academy. This academy also has a Sixth Form for older students.
Some students from Knutsford travel to high schools in other towns. These include Altrincham, Hartford, and Macclesfield. Some older students go to colleges in Northwich and Timperley.
Sports and Activities
Knutsford offers many sports for young people and adults.
Knutsford Cricket Club started in 1881. They play their home games on Mereheath Lane. Toft Cricket Club is also nearby. It won a national trophy at Lords in 1989.
Knutsford Hockey Club plays at Knutsford Leisure Centre. This club is over 100 years old. It has teams for men, ladies, and mixed groups.
Knutsford Football Club was formed in 1948. They play at their Manchester Road ground. The club has two Saturday teams and two veteran teams. In 2015, a youth team was started again after many years.
Every 10 years, Knutsford hosts a special race. It is a three-hour endurance race for Penny-farthing bicycles.
Media and News
You can get local news and TV from BBC North West and ITV Granada. These channels get their signals from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Manchester and Greatest Hits Radio Manchester & The North West. There is also Capital North West & Wales and Heart North West. Cheshire's Silk Radio is another local station.
The Knutsford Guardian and Knutsford Times are the local newspapers.
Culture and Community Life
Knutsford has many events throughout the year. These include the May Day festivities. There is also the RHS Flower show at Tatton Park. The Cheshire County Show is held nearby.
Knutsford Royal May Day
The annual Knutsford Royal May Day festival is a big event. Hundreds of people march through the streets. A May Queen is crowned during the celebration. There is also a funfair on 'The Heath'. This is a large field near the town centre. The funfair is one of the biggest travelling funfairs in the UK. It has many rides and games.
Local stories say that a highwayman named Edward "Highwayman" Higgins had a secret tunnel under The Heath. He supposedly hid his stolen treasures there.
Sanding the Streets
A special May Day custom in Knutsford is "sanding the streets." People decorate the streets with coloured sand. They create patterns and pictures. The tradition says that King Canute started it. He supposedly threw sand from his shoes into the path of a wedding party. He wished them as many children as the grains of sand. This custom has been around since the late 1600s. Queen Victoria even wrote about it in her journal in 1832.
Cranford and Films
Knutsford was the inspiration for Elizabeth Gaskell's famous novel Cranford. She lived in the town for some time. Many places and people in her books are based on Knutsford. In 2007, the BBC made a popular TV series called Cranford. Even though it was set in a town like Knutsford, it was filmed in Lacock, Wiltshire.
Knutsford has also been a filming location. In 1987, Legh Road in Knutsford was used for scenes in Steven Spielberg's film Empire of the Sun. These scenes were meant to look like Shanghai. Also, parts of the George C. Scott film Patton were filmed in front of Knutsford Town Hall.
Arts and Heritage
Knutsford Amateur Drama Society started in 1925. They are now known as the Knutsford Little Theatre. They put on many plays each year, including a pantomime.
The Knutsford Heritage Centre is in a 17th-century building. It used to be a blacksmith's shop. It has a museum, garden, and shop. It also hosts exhibitions and walking tours. You can see the May Queen's dress shoes and crown from 1887 there.
Famous People from Knutsford
Many notable people have connections to Knutsford.
From the Past
- Sir Peter Leycester (1614–1678): A historian who wrote about English history.
- Edward Penny (1714–1791): A painter and one of the first members of the Royal Academy.
- James Neild (1744–1814): A jeweller and a reformer who worked to improve prisons.
- John Leicester, 1st Baron de Tabley (1762–1827): A landowner and artist who supported the arts.
- Selina Davenport (1779–1859): An English novelist who later ran a small shop in Knutsford.
- Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet (1788–1873): A British doctor and travel writer.
- Edmund Sharpe (1809–1877): An architect and railway engineer.
- Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865): A famous English novelist and short story writer. She grew up in Knutsford.
- Evelyn Gleeson (1855–1944): An English designer of embroidery and carpets.
- Sir Henry Royce (1863–1933): An English engineer and car designer. He co-founded the Rolls-Royce company. He lived in Knutsford from 1898 to 1912.
- Sir Edward Peel (1884–1961): A British army officer and businessman.
More Recent Figures
- Barrie Cooke (1931–2014): An Irish abstract painter.
- Martin Edwards (born 1955): A British crime novelist and critic.
- John Bason (born 1957): A British businessman.
- Robert Heaton (1961–2004): An English musician and drummer for the band New Model Army.
- Edward Timpson (born 1973): A British politician.
- Tom Walker (born 1991): A Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter who grew up in Knutsford.
- Ruby Barnhill (born 2004): An English child actress. She played the main role in Steven Spielberg's 2016 film The BFG.
Sports Stars
- John Payne (born 1828): A cricketer who played for the North of England team.
- Tom Barber (1894–1936): An English professional golfer.
- Lucy Morton (1898–1980): An English swimmer who won a gold medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
- Emma Davies (born 1978): A British Olympic cyclist.
- Aaron Wilbraham (born 1979): An English professional footballer and manager.
Images for kids
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Knutsford Town Hall
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Knutsford motorway service station
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A resident of the town sanding the street in celebration of May Day 1920. The custom continues to this day.
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Peter Leycester in 1665
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Elizabeth Gaskell in 1832
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Edward Timpson in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Knutsford para niños
