A Brief Description of Calveley Parish
The Parish of Calveley is situated in the centre of the Cheshire Plain on the A51 between Nantwich and Tarporley. It is immediately adjacent to the Parish of Alpraham. In addition to the A51 main road, the Shropshire Union Canal and the Railway pass through the parish.
There is a cluster of houses in the centre of the village with the remainder spread throughout the parish in rural locations. The houses in the centre comprise both newly built dwellings on the site of an old dairy plus older cottages which include Mason’s Row named after the man who built a nearby brickworks in Alpraham.
Service buses run in both directions throughout the day providing a service to Chester, Nantwich, Crewe and the Potteries. The railway station is no longer used.
Calveley is a mainly agricultural Parish although farming is declining with some farmhouses being converted to private housing. There is some tourist activity on the canal in Summer.
A brief history of Calveley
This township (“Calve’s Clearing”) is principally known for it’s association with Sir Hugh Calveley, one of Bunbury’s most famous sons. Sir Hugh Calveley was the eldest son of Sir Richard de Calveley of Lea who held the manor of Calveley which had belonged to the family since the time of King John. The date of Sir Hugh’s birth is unknown but it must have been about 1320.
Calveley was given to Sir Hugh’s ancestors by the Vernon family during the reign of Richard I (1189-1199). It passed, however, to the Davenports towards the end of the fourteenth century, and they continued to be lords of the manor until the twentieth century.
According to “Cheshire Country Houses”, the half-timbered Old Hall, surrounded by a wall with arrow slits, was demolished about 1800. There was, however, another Calveley Hall which stood until the nineteen fourties and which was described a hundred years ago as “an ancient mansion embosomed in foliage and delightfully situated in a small but well-timbered park of sixty acres. After the Second World War the future of Calveley Hall was always in doubt. In 1945 it was reported to have been sold to Mrs. Gapp of Beeston Towers for conversion into a private school, and a year later Bootle Corporation was anxious to acquire the premises for conversion into an Approved School for Girls. Both of these schemes failed for financial reasons and Calveley Hall was demolished between 1951 and 1952.
In 1838 a Chapel of Ease was built as a private chapel to Calveley Hall, although it was open to all who wished to worship there. In 1850 the officiating minister came from Acton but from 1890 to 1945 the duties were undertaken by the Vicar of Wettenhall. After WWII it came under the active jurisdiction of the Vicar of Bunbury. The interior style is Jacobean; two medieval wooden Relief Panels of Germanic origin depict the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi.
Mason’s Row in Calveley is named after Edward G. Mason. He built Hilbre in Alpraham in 1881 and lived there until his death in 1901. In 1892 he owned brick and tile making firms at Calveley and Wardle and must have supplied many of the bricks and tiles used for building.
Calveley once boasted football prowess. In 1907, Calveley Choir Boys beat Bunbury Choir Boys, but, the records state, “the Calveley boys were bigger and fatter, if not fairer”.
Calveley, a century ago
Kelly’s Directory of 1896 states that . . .
Calveley is a small scattered village and township with a station on the Chester and Crewe section of the North Western railway, three and a half miles south east from Tarporley. The chapel of ease to Bunbury, erected here about 1838 is an edifice of brick and stone consisting of nave only. There is a sum of £25 yearly for the repairs of the causeway, arising from land given in exchange for the Hermitage lands given by Lord Tollemache. Calveley Hall, the residence of De F. Pennefather Esq. is an ancient mansion pleasantly standing in a well wooded park of about sixty acres. William Bromley Davenport, Esq M.P. of Capesthorne Hall is lord of the manor and chief landowner, The nearest post office is Alpraham. The National School (mixed) was built in 1875 for 220 boys and girls. The average attendance is 106.
Calveley, the last 100 years
Throughout the 1900s Calveley continued as a mostly agricultural parish but there were additions which have now been altered or completely done away with.
The corn mill was situated on the edge of the parish and received and supplied corn etc to the farming community but was closed down in the 1950s. It was used as a small industrial area for a while and is now housing.
Milk from the farms was sent to the local dairy situated by the railway station and this continued until the 1960s. Lorries picked the milk up in ten gallon tankards from the farms and after attention at the dairy it was despatched to local towns.
The railway over the years was added to, sidings connection being made to the dairy, the coal yard and the canal.
The dairy which became part of the United Dairies Group covered quite a large area and had garaging for about twelve lorries plus workshop facilities. A large laboratory and office block being built in 1936. The area was cleared and sold off and is now a housing estate.
Railway operations over the years were considerable with trains attaching and detaching vehicles into the dairy, coal yard and canal sidings. In addition, attached to the station was a warehouse and cattle dock, cattle being unloaded and then driven to the nearby farms. For operational purposes the station had the usual waiting rooms on either side of the line, a signalbox and a siding on both sides for freight trains to take refuge whilst passenger trains took precedence. All of these facilities have now been done away with.
The canal had a large docking area with two cranes for the transfer of goods from and to railway vehicles. Corn for the mill and other goods were also transferred via the warehouse which still stands. The cranes and railway track have been removed and the area is now a boat yard. The early canal boats were horse-drawn and when moored overnight the horses were stabled at the Davenport Arms which was demolished and is now housing.
The coal yard operated through the years having various changes of ownership, but latterly received it’s coal direct from the pits etc by road after the rail connection was removed.
Calveley Hall became empty and was sold off and demolished in the 1950s but the adjacent church remains in use as does the school which has had added classrooms and playing fields.
The population was 144 in 1801, 212 in 1851, 312 in 1901 and 202 in 1951.