PROBATE VALUATIONS IN NANTWICH
The History of Nantwich
The history of the town of Nantwich dates back to the time of the Romans. Originally, Nantwich provided the salt that was needed by the garrisons in Stoke-on-Trent and Chester. It is believed that the location could once have been a sacred grove or Celtic nemeton, due to a record from AD 1194, which refers to Nantwich under the name of Nametwhic; a combination of the Welsh word for brook and the word ‘wich’, which means brine springs.
Salt continued to be an important industry in Nantwich, with the Domesday Book of 1086 stating that the town held eight salt houses, along with a castle owned by the Earls of Chester, built before 1180. Almost the entire town was destroyed during the Norman Conquest, and again during a fire that broke out in the December of 1583. Before the fire, Nantwich had been a market town with a thriving tanning industry.
Nantwich was an important site during the Civil War, with the town supporting Cromwell. During this time, Royalists attacked the town multiple times, resulting in a siege that lasted for six weeks until Cromwell won the Battle of Nantwich in 1644.
From the recorded eight salt houses in the Doomsday Book, Nantwich grew to house about 400 salt houses by 1530, with the salt industry in Nantwich reaching its peak around this time; eventually ending in the middle of the 19th century with the closure of the final salt house. During the 19th century, Nantwich was central in the important route between London, Wales, and Ireland.
More than a hundred years after the end of the salt industry, in 1974, the last tannery in Nantwich also closed. Today, Nantwich is still considered a thriving market town, with multiple festivals throughout the year celebrating agriculture and music. The recorded population of Nantwich, as of 2011, was almost 17,500.