Crewe departure

Heading off to Derby.

Crewe views

Yesterday i headed up to Crewe to take some photographs of trains. There was nothing that unusual running but plenty of interesting workings to see, and the good sunlight always seems to make Crewe, and it's faded glory, much more welcoming. You can see my photos here.

Churches (264) : St Luke, Goostrey

St Luke's is the parish church of the village of Goostrey in Cheshire, however it isn't the first church on the site. The village has had a church since at least 1244, though this church was timber framed, and much changed over the years. Finally, it was replaced by the current church in the 1790s. The church has a three bay nave with a small chancel and an apse. There is a tower to the west.

The church is built from red brick with an ashlar dressing.

Churches (256) : St Elphin, Warrington

The parish church of St Elphin in Warrington in Cheshire has existed since at least the mid-14th century though a church has been on the site since 650CE. The oldest parts of the current church are the chancel and crypt which date from 1354. The church was rebuilt following damage in the Civil War, including the tower rebuilt in 1696. The nave was rebuilt in the 1770s. The church was extensively restored and expanded in the 19th century including a south aisle and a spire for the tower. The spire (86m tall) is the fifth highest parish church spire in the country.

The church has a central tower and a nave with north and south aisles. There is a chapel dedicated to St Anne at the north transept.

Churches (252) : St Mary, Acton

The parish church of St Mary in Acton, Cheshire is Norman, though a church has been on this site since Saxon times, a church being mentioned in the Domesday Book. The tower of the church is from about 1180 and it is the oldest church tower in the county. However, the top did collapse in a storm in 1757! The tower was rebuilt though is not as tall as it was originally. The north aisle was added in the 14th century.

The four bay nave has six bay aisles. There is also a three bay chancel with a vestry to the side. There is a chapel on the east side of the north aisle. The church is built from red sandstone.

Runcorn & Widnes

Originally, i planned to go to Derbyshire last weekend but a train cancellation forced me to change my plans. Instead, i went up to Runcorn in Cheshire on the Mersey. Runcorn and Widnes are linked by the rather fine Silver Jubilee Bridge. When i was a kid, and i went up to Liverpool to see family, my Dad often drove across the bridge. This time i walked across!

You can see my photos from both sides of the bridge here, Runcorn and Widnes. There are also some photos taken along the Manchester Ship Canal.

Freight through Alderley Edge

On a cold morning.

Churches (248) : St Luke, Holmes Chapel

The parish church of St Luke in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire dates from about 1430. The church was timber framed and in the Perpendicular style. The nave has four bays with north and south aisles. There is a vestry to the north. The west tower was built out of sandstone. 

The chancel and nave were encased in brick in the 18th century.

Alderley Edge

Time for the first railway adventure of 2025, and i went up to Alderley Edge in Cheshire. A fine place with a decent church and some other interesting sites. Getting there from Crewe also meant travelling on one of the old Cross City Line trains now transferred North, it was nice travelling on an old friend. You can see my photos here.

Crewe 807

A new Class 807 unit departing Crewe.

Departing Crewe

Transport for Wales service heads off.

A pre-Christmas trip to Crewe

On Monday, with my work finished for a few days, i headed up to Crewe to watch some trains. I saw some good stuff too including the new Class 807s. You can see my photos here.

Arriving at Lostock Gralam

In Cheshire.

Freight at Acton Bridge

A freight train heads through.

Hartford and Lostock Gralam

Yesterday, i headed up to revisit Hartford which i have not been to for some time. My plan though was to walk the mile to Greenbank station and then take a short local train trip to a new Cheshire village. That village was Lostock Gralam. I didn't spend a lot of time there due to needing to get the train back to Greenbank but i saw the interesting church. You can see my photos here.

Churches (243) : St Peter, Elworth

The parish church of St Peter in Elworth, near Sandbach in Cheshire was built in 1845-6, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott whose other work included St Pancras railway station! The church has a nave, chancel and a north porch. To the west is an open turret with one bell. The church has two small vestries.

The church has a stone exterior and a dark stained deal roof with oak mountings.

Acton Bridge times three

At the weekend i went to Acton Bridge in Cheshire, to see Acton Bridge! This is a rather fine swing bridge over the river Weaver. The village is also called Acton Bridge, as is the railway station. So, i visited all three Acton Bridges! You can see my photos of the bridge and Weaver here, and other Acton Bridge photos here.

Churches (238) : Christ Church, Alsager

Christ Church in Alsager, Cheshire was built in 1789 as a chapel of ease for St Bertoline's church in Barthomley. It became a parish church in it's own right in 1946. The church has a six bay nave and a three bay chancel with apse. There is a tower to the west. The church is in the Georgian style with features such as Tuscan demi-columns on the exterior.

The church is built from yellow ashlar Keuper sandstone.

Cheshire Places (5) : Goostrey

Goostrey is a village to the east of the centre of the county. There have been traces of settlement found in the area dating back to before the Iron Age. The village appears in the Domesday Book as Gostrel which may mean Godhere's tree. A timber-framed church dedicated to St Luke was built in the village in the early 13th century though this was replaced by the current church in the 1790s.

Goostrey's economy has remained primarily agricultural in nature, with farms continuing to exist around the village to this day. Although the railway began passing through Goostrey in 1842, it had to wait until 1891 to get a station! Postwar, new housing developments increased the size of the village notably.

Visible from the village is the Lovell radio telescope at the famous Jodrell Bank Observatory which is a short distance away from the village.

Cheshire Places (4) : Weaverham

Weaverham is a village in central Cheshire, near to Northwich. Weaverham is next to Owley Wood which is part of the Mersey Forest.

Weaverham has Saxon origins, the name means the village near the winding river (the nearby river Weaver). The crossing of the river is likely to be why the village was formed in the first place. Weaverham remained a quiet village for centuries though grew notably in the 1930s due to an influx of workers for an ICI facility.

Weaverham's parish church is dedicated to St Mary. The tower dates from the 15th century, much of the rest from the 16th, though there has been a church on the site since Saxon times.

Weaverham has no railway station of it's own but is a short walk away from Action Bridge station.