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A Brief Outline of Trade & Transport in Cheshire

A royal charter granted to William de Tabley by Edward the First, giving the right to hold a Saturday market in Knutsford.This town grew steadily during the middle ages, mainly along the 2 parallel streets Princess Street and King Street, and by the 17th century was a prosperous market town.
In the 16th Century Sandbach was well-know for its malt liquor and worsted yarns. Sir John Radcliffe of Lancashire obtained a market charter from Queen Elizabeth the first to enable Sandbach to hold markets and fairs.
The number of Cheshire markets ironically had been halved from 22 to 11 from the Middle Ages to 1673. This demise was especially so around Chester. Then in the 18th Century farmers tended to desert these markets; going through middle men instead, except in Chester itself, where farmers still patronised the market in large numbers in 1807. It was during this time that Saturday became more popular as a market day; being more important to townsmen rather than the farmer.

Chester's port had always been one of its life lines; very important in trade, especially with Ireland. During the 17th and 18th Centuries imports from Ireland included sheep, cattle, skins, wool and linen. The exports being coal, oak bark, mentals, food, drink and salt.
It was only with road improvements to Holyhead that Chester's trade with Ireland really declined. Though, its isolation from certain parts of Cheshire - mainly because of the large Delamere Forest being a problem for the mid-Cheshire salt trade - didn't help. Another problem was the barrier of the Saltney Marsh between Chester and the mineral trade of N. Wales.
Finally, the port area just silted up and the river's course changed.

Then in 1772, amongst other Acts was one for the construction of a canal that would link Nantwich and Chester. The first artificial canal was the Bridgewater (part in Lancashire and part in Cheshire) linking Salford with Runcorn. Unfortunately, the building was delayed and made no difference to the port's trade. Though a cheap form of transport, canals were a lot more difficult to build than new roads. Thus the canals were left to decline during the 20th Century. Now being more or less for tourism.

During the Elizabethan period, wheeled vehicles could travel over surprisingly bad roads, though much transport was still by packhorse. Up until the 18th Century a good deal of Cheshire roads were pavement causeways of 2-3 ft wide, made of pebbles or cobbles. As such carriages could often overturn or lose a wheel on these well-worn and uneven roads.
It was during the 18th Century that many of the roads were greatly improved, allowing a definate increase in waggon traffic. It took an average of 6 days to reach London from Chester. In1762 there were 34 inns and public houses in Nantwich, having now become an important stopping off point for the horse and coach. 
By the early 19th Century Sandbach was also a busy stage-coaching point; having coaches running daily to London, Liverpool and Manchester. In fact, the centre has changed little from those days.
Knutsford, being a popular place for wealth county families, also became an important coaching stop.

Then in the 1800s came the railway. Cheshire's first railway was Birmingham to Warrington, entering the county a few miles south of Crewe. Crewe had its first railway station opened in 1837. Then in 1840 the Crewe-Chester-Birkenhead line was opened. By 1873 over 1,600 locomotives had been built in Crewe - which grew around its railway industry.