daffodil waves

A Letter from Nantwich

April 2015

All at once, "waves" of golden daffodils

DAFFODILS are a familiar sight on the green areas of Nantwich each spring. Pupils from local schools have played their part in the past, planting bulbs on various areas such as roadside plots in Crewe Road or Beam Street.

This year, however, Ansa Environmental Services Ltd, the Pyms Lane company that is "owned and controlled by Cheshire East Borough Council", have used some high tech planting.

Asked about this, Charlie Griffies, Business Manager - Parks and Grounds, of Ansa, joked: "Our secret is out - we did use a machine to plant the bulbs en masse!"

Fair enough, it would have been a mammoth task, involving a large team of gardeners on their hands and

knees planting by hand. Mr Griffies said: "The project was funded by Cheshire East Council to provide a lift in the spring. I certainly feel this has been achieved judging by all the positive comments received."

He added he was happy to pass on the kind words to "the teams that do all the hard work."

He also said: "One of the best parts is that even when these displays fade we can look forward to many of them again next year.

Not all the planting was done with the machinery. Mr Griffies said: "There was, of course, some hand planting carried out and this can be seen where bulbs have been incorporated into the spring bedding displays in towns and parks across Cheshire East".

Ian Hope, Nantwich Town Clerk, said: "I agree the displays are fabulous, but the Town Council can't take credit on this occasion.

"The praise for this initiative is due to Ansa".

The pictures on this page were taken in Coronation Gardens in Beam Street; on Mill Island off the Water Lode by the River Weaver; near to Beam Bridge in Barony Road; and next to another stretch of The Waterlode near to the Nantwich Pool (open-air swimming baths).

l Of course, by now the daffodils have all gone, along with some tall grasses, mown down by Ansa.

The displays above and left are in Coronation Gardens - above looking towards the town centre and left towards Park View and Barony Road.

Pictures: "A Dabber's Nantwich"

Above: The "wave" sweeps around Mill Island in this view towards Welsh Row.

At the front of this picture (right) the "wave" heads towards Riverside, off Queen's Drive. And in the middle of the left-hand side of the picture is a path that goes to St Anne's Lane and Welsh Row.

To the right of the picture, The Waterlode and the town centre can be seen in the distance.

Pictures: Andrew Lamberton

The distinctive roofing facia of the Nantwich Pool (the town's brine-fed swimming baths) is a backdrop to the daffodil "wave" at the side of The Waterlode.

Another wave. This time in Barony Road, at the Reaseheath end near to Beam Bridge (see below). The building on the left is Fairfax Court and to the right is part of Weaver Court.

Picture: "A Dabber's Nantwich"

[Fairfax Court occupies the former site of an engineering company. See changes.htm and

spotlight-houses_00-09.htm ]

Letter Extra

Was there a place called Beam Bridge?

Beam Bridge is the river bridge over the B5074 near to the Reaseheath Roundabout by Reaseheath College. But is it, or was it, more than that?

Look on a current map and the river crossing is shown as Beam Brdge. (Don't forget that some maps, on line or printed, refer to the area as Rease Heath while calling the educational establishment Reaseheath College).

Local historian, Andrew Lamberton, told me: "Historically, Beam Bridge was a bridge over the River Weaver but also gave its name to the hamlet later known as The Green, Reaseheath. That is, the houses at the original entrance to the Front Drive at Reaseheath College. There was even a pub and a pump."

The Green and the college Principal's house, The Bield, are also marked.

Andrew added: "When mentioning Beam Bridge, Hall's History of Nantwich refers to the hamlet called The Green. Reaseheath is further north, nearer to Cinder Lane

which leads to Poole Hall."

Picture: The Green, the former hamlet of Beam Bridge,

in the 1960s. Taken by Andrew Lamberton

Where did the name come from?

THIS two-sided information board standing near to the current road bridge over the River Weaver mentions the number of times the word Beam appears in Nantwich names - Beam Street, Beam Heath Trust, and Beam Bridge.

It goes on to explain that Beam is a Saxon word meaning tree and that it was likely the original bridge was made of beams or even a single log.

The board was funded by Nantwich Town Council, Greenspaces South Cheshire CIC, Nantwich Civic Society, Nantwich in Bloom, Riverside Concern, Nantwich Angling Society, and Nantwich Mill Hydro Generation Ltd. The project leader was Nantwich Civic Society and the board was implemented by Greenspaces.

It is one of seven such signs guiding people along the river banks. The completion of that programme is featured here.