Tattenhall is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Tattenhall and District, 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Chester, in the unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In the 2001 census, the population was recorded as 1,986,[1] increasing to 2,079 by the 2011 census.[2]

Tattenhall
Tattenhall is located in Cheshire
Tattenhall
Tattenhall
Location within Cheshire
Population2,079 (2011 census)
OS grid referenceSJ486585
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCHESTER
Postcode districtCH3
Dialling code01829
PoliceCheshire
FireCheshire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cheshire
53°07′N 2°46′W / 53.12°N 2.76°W / 53.12; -2.76

History edit

The settlement of Tatenale was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.[3] The name is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name Tata and halh, meaning "a meadow" or "nook of land".[4] The spelling of the village has altered over the centuries: Tatenhala (1280), Tattenhall (1289), Tatnall (1473), Tottenhall (1553) and Tettenhall (1649).[5]

The village was a self-sustained settlement in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[5] The building of the Chester Canal (now part of the Shropshire Union Canal) provided an economic boost to the village, improving transportation and allowing local produce to be exported. Tattenhall Road railway station opened in 1840 and linked Tattenhall to Chester and Crewe. Tattenhall railway station opened in 1872,[6] linking the village with Whitchurch. The railways led to the establishment of industries including the manufacture of glue, gelatine, fertiliser and bricks.

Tattenhall railway station closed in 1957,[7] as did the Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway between Chester and Whitchurch. Tattenhall Road railway station closed in 1966.[8] New housing developments saw the village expand through the second half of the twentieth century.[9]

Tattenhall was a township and parish within Broxton Hundred, which became a civil parish in 1866. The population was recorded at 606 in 1801, 982 in 1851, 975 in 1901, 1,049 in 1951 and 1,986 in 2001.[10] The civil parish was abolished on 1 April 2015 to form "Tattenhall and District".[10][11]

Community edit

 
Ice cream farm

St Alban's Church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. Parts of the building are thought to date from the early sixteenth century. Its benefice is combined with that of All Saints, Handley.[12] St Plegmund's Roman Catholic church in the village closed in 2012. Its 1970s building was demolished in 2014.[13]

Tattenhall Park Primary School is a coeducational community primary school, teaching pupils aged 3–11. Older pupils travel to schools in Malpas and Tarporley for state-provided secondary education.

The village centre has a number of shops including a post office and butcher. There are three pubs in Tattenhall: The Sportmans, The Letters Inn and The Bear & Ragged Staff. A number of buildings in the centre of the village are now used as offices.[9] Within Tattenhall are several houses designed in 1927 by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis, famous for creating the Italianate village of Portmeirion in north west Wales.

Although agriculture remains an important element of the local economy, tourism has also become more significant. The Ice Cream Farm, owned by Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, is to the north of the village in nearby Newton-by-Tattenhall. Established in 1986,[14] it is the Guinness World Records ‘Largest Ice Cream Shop’.[15] The 300 berth Tattenhall Marina on the Shropshire Union Canal opened in 2009.[9]

Governance edit

The unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester Council replaced Chester City Council and Cheshire County Council on 1 April 2009. The Tattenhall electoral ward includes the villages of Beeston, Burwardsley and Handley, stretching east to Tilstone Fearnall and south to Broxton. In the 2001 census, the total population of the ward was recorded at 4,374.[16][17]

Tattenhall is within the parliamentary constituency of Eddisbury.

There are fifteen parish councillors for Tattenhall and District, with the most recent election taking place on 4 May 2023, although it was uncontested.[18]

Notable residents edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ UK Census (2001). "Local Area Report – Tattenhall Parish (13UB104)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  2. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Tattenhall Parish (E04011175)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Cheshire L-Z: Tattenhall". Domesday Book Online. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Key to English Place-Names: Tattenhall". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Tattenhall: the beginning". Tattenhall & District Parish Council. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Tattenhall Railway Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  7. ^ Oppitz, Leslie (1997). Cheshire Railways Remembered. Countryside Books. p. 147. ISBN 1-85306-458-0.
  8. ^ Oppitz, Leslie (1997). Cheshire Railways Remembered. Countryside Books. pp. 33, 147–148. ISBN 1-85306-458-0.
  9. ^ a b c "Tattenhall: to present". Tattenhall & District Parish Council. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Tattenhall". GENUKI UK & Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Cheshire West and Chester Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Tattenhall, St Alban". Church of England. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
  13. ^ "St Plegmund's Roman Catholic Church". Tattenhall & District Local History. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  14. ^ "About Us: Our Story". Cheshire Farm Ice Cream. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Largest ice cream shop". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  16. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Tattenhall Ward (E05008698)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Parish Notice of Uncontested Elections" (PDF). www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk. Cheshire West and Chester Council. pp. 90–91. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

External links edit