WARRINGTON is a place which has something for all people. Squeezed almost equidistant between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, it’s got an extensive motorway network which is both a blessing and a curse.
Warrington town centre quickly snarls up if there are problems on the motorways that encircle our town.
So too, are its rail links to the Lake District and Scotland on the much-criticised West Coast mainline with London to the south in under two hours. From Warrington Central, you can get through from the west coast to east across the Pennines with great views of Yorkshire’s old mill towns along the route.
But for those who prefer to stay closer to home, the town has some quirky features that you might not immediately notice or recognise.
There’s the stone tablet outside the old Post Office in the Cultural Quarter in the town centre.
A snort hop from the Parr Hall and the Town Hall, part of the building is now a boutique hotel which references its original heritage.
Warrington’s old Post Office in Springfield Street has had a number of uses since it shut down. It’s a Grade II listed site due to its architectural significance.
The lower part of the building is the popular Grill on the Square restaurant while the upper floors were transformed into a boutique hotel.
The Old Post Office by Deuce Hotel opened in 2022 and gets rave reviews.
Nearby, the sweeping drive of Warrington Town Hall sits the intricately clawed metal base of one of the lamps.
The detail of the metalwork is a thing of beauty. And the whole structure sits on a stone plinth.
The town hall building dates back to 1750 when it was built for Thomas Patten. It originally stood in open fields on the edge of Warrington surrounded by landscaped gardens. A perimeter wall was added in the 19th Century as the town and its industries grew.
Less than half a mile away, is the old Joseph Crosfields and Sons building. For visitors straight off the train at Bank Quay Station, it could be the first thing that they see as they disembark. The white towers are decorated with vibrant blue graphics to make them seem less industrial. Crosfield established the soap manufacturing business in Warrington in 1814.
He chose Warrington as the base for his business due to its location on the River Mersey, its connections to the canal network, and its proximity to other large scale soap manufactories in St Helens, Runcorn and Liverpool.
And near the main entrance of the original building are some beautifully carved stone fish statues with gargoyle-like faces. They are distinctive and often overlooked by passersby on their way into town or home.
A few miles south of the town centre is the village of Grappenhall.
It’s now surrounded by modern housing with new properties being built on fields reserved for development. Squeezed among the new build housing is Grappenhall Walled Garden. It’s all that is left of a sprawling country home which was demolished after World War Two.
Now all that remains is the kitchen gardens with a large pond with ducks and large cafe in the restored conservatory buildings.
There are bee hives and fruit and vegetables grown on-site and often sold at bargain prices to visitors.
At the front and rear of the gardens is a wonderful wrought iron and wooden gate that picks out the Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden logo of the gardens in its ironwork.
It’s a place which draws families and dog walkers.
Further afield still, is the small village of Thelwall. It has a fascinating past and was once a city many hundreds of years ago.
The black and white Pickering Arms with its low beams and original features is a reminder of its history. Opposite it, a pretty row of cottages where the Post Office once stood.
The pub leads down a small road Ferry Lane where the Penny Ferry still takes people across the Manchester Ship Canal. Running since 1894, it gave people access to farm tracks and footpaths which were cut off by the construction of the canal. It runs in two- hour blocks three times a day.
