Latchford, Cheshire
| Latchford | |
|---|---|
 Christ Church | |
  Latchford Location withinCheshire | |
| Population | 7,856 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SJ624871 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WARRINGTON |
| Postcode district | WA4 |
| Dialling code | 01925 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Latchfordis a suburb andelectoral wardofWarrington,in the ceremonial county ofCheshire,England. It is around one mile south-east ofWarringtontown centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.[1]
Latchford is a predominantly residential area, Latchford lies between theRiver Merseyand theManchester Ship Canal,and broadly consists of 19th-century terraced housing and some open space. The canal is crossed here by aswing bridge,a high-level road bridge and the now disused Latchford railway viaduct.
Its name came fromAnglo-SaxonLæccfordmeaning "boggy-stream ford".[citation needed]
History
[edit]Latchford was originally atownshipandchapelry[2]in theancient parishofGrappenhall,inCheshire.It was also part ofBucklow Hundred,and was close to the border withLancashire.[3][4][5]
In 1866 Latchford became a separatecivil parish,on 30 September 1898 the parish was abolished and merged with Warrington. In 1891 the parish had a population of 6225.[6]Between 1894 and 1974, part of Latchford was placed within theCounty Borough of Warrington,and theregistration countyofLancashire,whilst the rest of Latchford became a civil parish namedLatchford Withoutand was transferred toLancashire.[3][5]
With thelocal government reforms of 1974,as part of the newly formed Cheshire borough of Warrington, Latchford was transferred back to Cheshire.[3]
Latchford Railway Viaduct
[edit]Latchford viaduct was opened on 8 July 1893 to carry theLondon and North Western Railway's Stockport to Warrington line over the Manchester Ship Canal. Thewrought ironviaduct, with a span of 250 feet (76 m), weighed more than 1,200 tonnes. The last passengers service ran in 1962, but the line continued to carry freight. It finally closed to all traffic in July 1985, when it was deemed too expensive to make extensive repairs to keep Latchford viaduct operational.
Latchford Locks
[edit]
Latchford was chosen as the location of intermediate locks on the Manchester Ship Canal. These comprise a larger lock for ocean-going vessels and a smaller lock to its south for coasters, tugs and barges. A ship mooring area was provided on the canal's south bank and enabled two large vessels to pass each other at this point. The locks are still used, but less often than before, as hardly any ships now go to the terminal docks at Manchester and Salford.
Geography
[edit]Latchford is bounded to the south by theManchester Ship CanalandStockton Heathand to the north by theRiver MerseyandHowley.
Communal facilities
[edit]Victoria Park
[edit]Victoria Park is an open space beside the Mersey, with a modern sports stadium and a skateboard park. It contains a large Georgian manor house, previously the Old Warps maternity hospital, subsequently converted into flats. Nearby is a narrow Victorian suspension bridge, Howley Bridge, which provides pedestrian access between Howley and Latchford.
Victoria Park is on the site of the Old Warps Estate. In 1897 the local council bought the estate from the owners and converted it into a park to provide an amenity for the local working-class people of the terraced housing of industrial Latchford. To mark the Diamond Jubilee ofQueen Victoriathe park was named "Victoria Park". The Georgian manor house "Old Warps" still stands and has been converted to a restaurant.
Before work on the Mersey commenced[clarification needed],Victoria Park was under[clarification needed]theRiver Mersey,in an area that was considered dangerous by even the most experienced seamen. In 1724 various newweirswere built along the course of the River Mersey due to its often treacherous nature. The course of the Mersey was then altered and the land was converted into the Old Warps Estate. A weir was built and is still monitored 24 hours a day by a "weir man" from a wooden building situated about the weir, which is the tidal limit of the Mersey. The Mersey is so improved now that salmon and trout are often seen, as are herons, kingfishers and cormorants, especially in the wide pool on the river bend below the weir.
Access toHowleyis provided by asuspension bridgefor pedestrians, recently renovated by Warrington Borough Council.
Victoria Park has a largerunning trackwhich is the home of Warrington Athletic Club, and hasbowlinggreens, askate-parkand various other leisure facilities. A 5 km run against the clock is organised by the groupParkrunmost Saturday mornings.[7]Old Manor Lock marks the northern end of the park.
Victoria Park has also been used for the past 2 years for a new festival called Neighbourhood Weekender, which is an extended, larger version of the Neighbourhood inner-city festival in Manchester, and has taken place on May bank holiday, in 2018 and 2019.
Black Bear Park
[edit]Black Bear Canal,now infilled and used as Black Bear Park, once ran from docks on the Manchester Ship Canal near Wilderspool Causeway (to the west of Latchford) to the Mersey at Manor Lock in Howley, providing a shortcut for shipping, avoiding a large river bend and weir.
In 1804, an eight-mile long canal was built between Latchford andRuncorn.It was named the Old Quay Canal. Once theManchester Ship Canalwas dug, in the 1890s, it was shortened to one mile, fromStockton Heathto theRiver Mersey,at Manor Lock. It was renamed the Black Bear Canal. The Black Bear Canal remained in use for the transport of South American hides to tanneries, until the 1960s, when it fell into disuse.
Warrington Borough Councilbought the land. After a local boy drowned in the late 1960s, it was converted in 1981 into a parkland forming a line fromVictoria Parkand the banks of theRiver Mersey,through toStockton Heath.The park also forms a part of theTrans Pennine Trail.
References
[edit]- ^United Kingdom Census 2001."Latchford (Ward)".neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.Retrieved14 June2007.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^"History of Latchford, in Warrington and Cheshire".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved2 May2024.
- ^abcA vision of Britain through time."A vision of Latchford CP/Ch".Retrieved14 June2007.
- ^GENUKI."Latchford".Retrieved14 June2007.
- ^abGENUKI."Latchford".Retrieved2 January2021.
- ^"Population statistics Latchford CP/Ch through time".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved2 May2024.
- ^"Warrington Parkrun".Parkrun information.Prkrun Warrington.Retrieved12 June2015.
External links
[edit]
Media related toLatchfordat Wikimedia Commons- Latchford History Group
