Nine o’ clock in Nantwich

I got there just after nine in fact, but thought the title added a hint of action movie to South Cheshire on a quiet but sunny morning. Nantwich is a pleasant market town sometimes overlooked due to its larger neighbour Crewe.

It’s an ancient town standing on the River Weaver and its name is derived from its history of manufacturing salt. Indeed ‘wich’ crops up in many places in Staffordshire and Cheshire as it’s old English for salt.

If you like to delve there is more about the town and sodium chloride here: https://nantwichmuseum.org.uk/permanent-exhibitions/nantwich-salt/

The bookshop (by the awning)

I had only a few hours and was really on the hunt for books. Above is the family-run Nantwich Bookshop Coffee Lounge. It does good food and the staff are very friendly. They have great events and book signings. I like the variety on their shelves, with selections of travel, poetry, philosophy and art among others. https://nantwichbookshop.co.uk/

St Mary’s and town centre

I also went to Oxfam which has an exclusively books store in Pepper Street. I got a great Taschen art book on Peter Bruegel and an Ian McMillan bio CD. The town is a cracking place for food. Chatwins is a first class baker with a proper selection of cakes and there is a specialist cheese shop and a great butcher called Clewlows where they do fantastic pies. Nantwich has some wonderful old buildings and great street names too (see below).

For the romantics

Just a brief visit but an attractive overlooked town. And according to Cheshire Live Ben Miller is their most famous person appearing in the most online searches. https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/map-reveals-most-famous-people-16398701

Another final bit of trivia is that Phil Jupitus’s memoir of breakfast radio is called Good Morning Nantwich.