Pictures of England

Search:

Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Museum

Crich

in the county of Derbyshire

Binham Priory, Norfolk. April 2005

Binham

in the county of Norfolk

Rufford Old Hall, Lancashire

Rufford

in the county of Lancashire

Pictures of Crewe

in the county of Cheshire

About Crewe

The large industrial town of Crewe is close to Nantwich, to which it contrasts greatly. Crewe has always been associated with its great railway junction, and it is from this point in the "hey-day" of rail travel that Crew began to prosper. It developed from a combination of two villages and some importance is still attached to its 19th century railway activities. Locomotives were rolling out of the railway sheds from 1843, and for the next 100 years Crewe was famous for its engines.

Crewe has undergone great changes, it has a modern town centre offering a rich shopping experience and a sprawl of new housing developments. Blessedly, it still possesses some of its old Victorian charm and a few historic properties. This can mostly be seen in the old part of the town where there are some striking Victorian and Edwardian houses, some of rustic brick with attractive stone dressings. Rows of terraced workers cottages make a sharp contrast to the larger homes occupied by former rail and factory managers. The old style corner public house in much in evidence, recalling the days when the "bookies" runner stood outside the pub taking bets on racing days.

The grandest house in the area is Crewe Hall, a magnificent Jacobean building set in 35 acres of parkland and owned until recently by the Queen. The building has undergone major refurbishment and is now re-opened as a delightful country hotel with a wealth of original features, including what is believed to be the finest staircase in the country, an ornate library, and a private chapel.

Crewe Market Hall in the town centre began life as a 19th century cheese market, it is a vibrant busy place which now operates as an outdoor and indoor market offering a tempting range of merchandise.

Crewe's fine Municipal Square is currently undergoing costly refurbishment and will have as its centrepiece the town's war memorial which has been removed from Market Square.

A place of stunning Edwardian beauty is Crewe's Lyceum Theatre. Built in 1911 and refurbished in 1994, the theatre retained its exquisite auditorium with beautiful carvings, stalls, circle, upper gallery and lovely gilded boxes. The theatre offers drama, ballet, opera, musical productions and comedy - truly a range to suit all tastes. The refurbishment has included relaxing bars and a restaurant for a pre-theatre dinner or after show drink.

The town has many pleasant green spaces and playing fields. Parkfield is a pretty area off Broad Street and there are fine gardens for relaxing. Even the old cemetery makes an interesting visit, it is crowded with old tombs and ancient gravestones lying silently beneath a canopy of tree branches.

Crewe's museum dedicated to the railway age is a must for all visitors. This museum is full of exhibits and memorabilia from the great age of steam when the town was at the forefront of railway engineering, thus preserving its history and heritage. Presently closed for refurbishment, the museum, sited in Vernon Way, is due to re-open at Easter 2007.

There is plenty here to occupy and interest visitors, clubs and pubs offer lively entertainment, there is theatre, historic buildings, museums, and shops in abundance. The nearby Shropshire Union Canal and The Trent and Mersey Canal give visitors the opportunity to enjoy quiet canal banks from which to take a peep at colourful narrow boats and enjoy rewarding waterscapes, and canal wildlife. In the wider countryside surrounding Crewe, there are plenty of quaint little Cheshire villages, a battle site of 1644 and Stapely Water Gardens, the World's largest leading water garden centre.

Recommended towns & villages near Crewe

Magnificent Looking Building, Corner of Pillory Street & Hospital Street, Nantwich, Cheshire

Nantwich (36 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Cheshire

(4.1 miles, 6.5 km, direction SW of Crewe)

Today, Nantwich is a busy bustling place of business and commerce that still manages to retain its unique 'Elizabethan' flavour...

Mow Cop at sunset

Mow Cop (15 Pictures) in the county of Staffordshire

(9.3 miles, 15.0 km, direction E of Crewe)

The sheer scale of the height of this village with the quaint sounding name has made it famous, for it is believed that on a clear day the hill is visible to no less than five counties...

Beeston Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire.

Tarporley (15 Pictures) in the county of Cheshire

(10.4 miles, 16.8 km, direction NW of Crewe)

Attractive large village which developed as a coaching stop on the main London to Liverpool road during the 17th and 18th-centuries...

Potteries, Stoke on Trent

Stoke-on-Trent (31 Pictures) in the county of Staffordshire

(11.7 miles, 18.9 km, direction SE of Crewe)

Town known best as "the potteries" but in reality Stoke-on-Trent is a 1906 amalgamation of six towns, each of which still maintain their own individuality and character...

Lake Rudyard, Nr Leek, Staffordshire

Rudyard (3 Pictures) in the county of Staffordshire

(15.4 miles, 24.8 km, direction E of Crewe)

A pretty village with a delightful cluster of cottages and houses with lovely gardens, bordered by woods at the south end of the picturesque Rudyard Reservoir...

All towns & villages in Cheshire
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Little Moreton Hall

Little Moreton Hall (48 Pictures)

(7.9 miles, 12.7 km, direction E)

Little Moreton Hall is without doubt the finest example of timber-framed architecture in England. The building overflows with.....

Mow Cop Castle, Staffordshire

Mow Cop Castle (12 Pictures)

(9.5 miles, 15.2 km, direction E)

Mow Cop Castle is a Grade 2 listed building and dates back to 1754 when Randle Wilbraham of nearby Rode Hall built it as a.....

Beeston Castle

Beeston Castle (41 Pictures)

(10.5 miles, 16.9 km, direction W)

Set on a lonely hillside along the run of the Peckforton Hills, lie the ruins of Beeston Castle. It was built in the.....

Lovell telescope: scan of an old 6x4 print

Lovell Radio Telescope and Arboretum (2 Pictures)

(10.9 miles, 17.5 km, direction NE)

For over 40 years the giant Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank has been a familiar feature of the Cheshire landscape and an.....

Cholmondeley Castle. A soldiers view in 1940. Tim Croft.

Cholmondeley Castle (19 Pictures)

(10.9 miles, 17.6 km, direction W)

The village of Cholmondeley is famous for its fascinating, romantic castle, built in 1801 in the Gothic style. Built as the seat.....

Peckforton Castle, Cheshire, taken from the outer walls of Beeston Castle.

Peckforton Castle (9 Pictures)

(10.9 miles, 17.6 km, direction W)

This modern day version of a 12th-century castle is set in the heart of the Cheshire Plains, an area which is scattered with.....

Biddulph Grange Garden

Biddulph Grange Garden (42 Pictures)

(11.8 miles, 19.0 km, direction E)

This remarkable garden surrounds a grand house with a history of fluctuating fortunes. The gardens were originally the creation.....


All attractions in Crewe
All attractions in Cheshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England