A-Z of Knutsford Places-People-History

by Bradburn, Jean; Bradburn, John

• ISBN13: 9781445696782
• ISBN10: 1445696789
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2021-12-15
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Summary

Despite its size the Cheshire town of Knutsford is full of history, with its Italianate architecture and quirky buildings. It is also surrounded by stately homes built by the landed gentry including Tabley House and Tatton Park. According to legend its name was derived by King Canute fording the river here. However, this has been disputed by historians as the River Lily is really no more than a brook. Knutsford has an established place in literary history as it provided the inspiration and setting for Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel ‘Cranford’ in which she describes its characters with gentle humour and affection. She lived in the town for many years and is buried in the churchyard of Brook Street Unitarian Chapel.In ‘A-Z of Knutsford’ local authors Jean and John Bradburn take readers on an alphabetical tour of the town’s heritage and discover the stories behind its streets and buildings. Interesting facts and intriguing tales are revealed, and the authors introduce some of the town’s famous sons and daughters. Local events such as the May Day celebrations, which started in the 1860s, are highlighted together with the Penny Farthing Museum, which organises a three-hour race round the town every ten years. Readers will also learn more about well-known people with connections to Knutsford including the Second World War US General George Patton, the mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing and Sir Henry Royce of Rolls-Royce fame.Fully illustrated throughout, this book will be of interest to residents, visitors and those with links to the town.

Author Biography

Jean and John have lived in Knutsford for 30 years and Jean spent much of her childhood in the town. Now retired they have written a number of Amberley local history books including A-Z of Manchester and Central Manchester Through Time. Jean is now an adult tutor, offering courses in family history. John has numerous production credits in theatre, TV & film (BBC & Granada). He has worked mainly for the last decade in portrait, film and artscape photography.