The Evolution of Prestbury

An exhibition illustrating how the village has evolved – and yet in some ways remained unchanged - from the late 19^th Century until the present day.

The exhibition as displayed in Prestbury had thirty stands with text and a hundred photographs. The present version has thirty panels with text and sixty photographs.

Another version of the exhibition can be downloaded as an electronic book (33MB).

A CENTURY OF MEMORIES

Since the late 1800s - when the first photographs of Prestbury were taken – the beautiful and ‘iconic’ views of the village centre have in some ways hardly changed.

Yet at the same time, the village and its community have evolved radically, in many respects reflecting the far-reaching economic and social changes typical in rural communities across Britain.

This exhibition illustrates how Prestbury has evolved from an agricultural and industrial community, and how it has acquired the unique mix of characteristics for which it is known today.

This is an informal exhibition and makes no claims of being definitive. We hope the photographs will be found to be interesting and that some at least will find something new about the history of Prestbury. Most of all, we hope that it will be a memorable experience for all, and will add another dimension to a shared appreciation of this very special village.

Prestbury was originally a farming and industrial village

As recently as the early 1930s, the population of the civil parish of Prestbury was only about 10% of current levels. During the post war period, and especially during the 1960s and 1970s, the population grew dramatically.

In recent years, with less new house building in the village and as the children of families who settled in the ‘boom’ years have grown up and moved away, the population has remained at about 3500.

As the population grew, the character of the community changed. The combination of unspoilt old centre and modern family housing attracted commuting professionals, and Prestbury became largely a residential ‘dormitory’ village rather than an agricultural or industrial community. New residential areas were created outside the centre, built in various styles as tastes, the property market and building techniques changed.

Before the river had been bridged in the early part of the 19^th Century, the village of Prestbury consisted of one long street, at one end of which was Prestbury Hall and at the other end Butley Hall. Although the village street is greatly loved and valued by residents, it represents just one of Prestbury’s many faces. Today, many residents live in pre-war family houses or on one of several estates built between the 1950s-1980s, some of which is social housing. We now have a large retired population, some of whom have ‘downsized’ to new, smaller homes as their families have grown up.

Butley, an ancient hamlet in its own right where evidence of pre-Christian Anglo Saxon settlement was discovered when the ‘turnpike’ road (now the A523) was built in the early 1800s, is home to a significant number of parish residents and has buildings which date from different eras.

So, Prestbury today – its people and its buildings – reflects in a very real sense the way the village has developed over time.

Prestbury from Ford House to Butley Hall (in the distance), 1880

“There’s the Prestbury, of many outward charms, at which day trippers throw a quick, admiring, but unsearching glance.

“There’s the Prestbury of the commuter. Almost half the village’s male population travels to work in Manchester, two-thirds are engaged in administrative, managerial, professional, technological or artistic activities. Many of their wives find temporary work in the village. This Prestbury sleeps, shops and socialises for up to five years, then moves up in the professional scale and moves on.

“There’s the Prestbury in which people settle, either on retirement, or having discovered the better living surroundings which success has enabled them to buy. These people often contribute notably to village life.

“And finally, there’s the core of truly ‘local’ families who have survived to see Prestbury mushroom to its present 4,000 size, and wish that someone would now put in the village window the seaside-landlady’s notice… ‘No Vacancies’.”

Robert Stead in “Prestbury – Not Just a Pretty Place”, Cheshire Life October 1974

NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESTBURY - A TRADITIONAL VILLAGE

In the late 19th century, Prestbury was still very much a traditional rural community.

The village school admission rolls and census information from that time contain details about the villagers’ occupations - most of the 300 residents worked in agriculture, domestic service, in the mill on Bollin Grove or perhaps in one of the two smithies.

Prestbury was also the centre of a large and important ecclesiastical parish. Until 1878, St Peter’s was the only church in the area where couples could get married. Although the parish of Bollington was constituted in 1842, its patron was the Vicar of Prestbury, and Adlington’s ‘tin tabernacle’ was not built until 1892.

Traditional cattle fairs were still held twice a year in the village street, a tradition which continued until the early 20th Century and which provided seasonal trade for the village inns.

Cattle fairs were held twice yearly until just before the First World War

In the 19th Century, there were open fields and farmland in areas which are now residential developments. The village experienced many changes over the 19th century and these are reflected in buildings which date from that time. The railway station was constructed in 1847, the Post Office opened in 1851, and in 1855 the new road bridge over the River Bollin and New Road itself was built, improving links to the turnpike road (now the A523). Before that, the main road through the village crossed the river on a much smaller bridge and then continued down Pearl Street. Many villagers, especially women, now worked in domestic service; farming no longer employed a majority of the population. Late 18^th century weavers’ houses built on the main street had enabled small scale cottage industry connected to the Macclesfield silk trade to develop. There was a small silk factory near the river close to Bollin Grove. It was pulled down in the 1960s. Workers were housed in cottages built in the early 19^th century (“Factory Houses” or “Irish Row”). There had also been a corn mill in Prestbury since early medieval times. It burned down in 1940 and there are now retirement flats on the site.

Dale Brow/ School Lane/ Macclesfield Road

The old corn mill, burned down in the 1940s

The population of the village peaked at about 470 in the 1830s but then declined to around 300 towards the end of the century. With the Macclesfield silk industry by now in decline, people left to find work in the thriving cotton mills of Stockport and Manchester. As a result, some buildings had fallen into disrepair and others were demolished.

Despite this, the village street is instantly recognisable. An article in the Manchester Guardian of 1888 (one of a series called ‘Summer Rambles Round Manchester’) described Prestbury as ‘one of the old unspoiled settlements that happily are still found in every English county’.

Before long, the village’s population would start to increase again – and that growth would bring in an era of significant change for Prestbury.

The main street in need of restoration at the end of the 19^th Century

PRESTBURY AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY – THE BRINK OF TRANSFORMATION

Around the turn of the century, as the Victorian era came to an end, Prestbury’s population reached a low point. At the same time, the village was being affected by wider changes and had started to become a much more modern community. The village’s textile mill closed in the late 19^th Century, and the cattle fairs were in decline. Although there was still a smithy, traditional occupations were under threat. In 1870, the Education Act marked the beginning of free schooling for poorer rural children. The church-aided ‘National School’ moved to a new building on Dale Brow in 1875 (now the Village Hall), replacing the 1720 schoolhouse and providing modern facilities. This put the school firmly at the heart of village and family life. Until well into the 19^th Century the Church was responsible for many civil as well as ecclesiastical matters and played a vital role in local administration. But the Civil Parish was created following the Local Government Act of 1894, bringing a new dynamic to community life.

The smithy at the corner of Chelford Road and Castle Hill. Prestbury had a second smithy where J W Brocklehurst’s is today.

In 1902 Prestbury celebrated the coronation of Edward VII in style!

During the last few years of the 19th century and the first few years of the 20^th century, some interesting new buildings appeared - some of which continue to play an important role in village life today – and existing buildings in some cases acquired a new purpose. A new vicarage was built to replace Prestbury Manor which became a private house. The new vicarage remained in use by the church until the 21^st century, and was the venue for many Rose Queen celebrations and parish bonfires. The old 18^th century school building was turned into a reading room for working men in 1898 - the trust which owned it required the building to keep an educational purpose, and this new role also reflected the popular trend of the time for ‘self improvement’. The building still fulfils that purpose today as it houses the library and the Parish Council chamber. In 1896 the village street was looking in need of improvement, but within a decade or so it was thriving after a facelift and a fresh coat of paint.

The village street at the end of the 19th Century

The village street was vibrant early in the 20th century and had been smartened up considerably. One of the shops now has a new, fashionable ‘mock Tudor’ shop front.

Around the turn of the century, a number of brick houses on Macclesfield Road were built, and some have black and white half-timbered ‘Tudor revival’ gables typical of this type of architecture. The Village Hall, completed two decades earlier, is also in this style. In 1908, the Village Club was built on Bollin Grove, also in red Accrington brick with some half timbered features. The building was funded by Mr Waterhouse of Collar House (in whose memory the east window of St Peter’s was commissioned in 1915), and it provided a modern new social venue for the working men of the village. There was no bar, and no alcohol was sold on the premises. Members of the club occupied themselves with dominoes and other games, and women were not allowed in. During the war, cookery classes for women in the village were held in the Club. After the war, the rules were relaxed and they were allowed to meet and socialise there too.

School Lane leading to Dale Brow

The Village Club was built in 1908

FROM THE TURN OF THE CENTURY TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Although by now far fewer villagers were directly involved in agriculture, during the First World War Prestbury played its part in food production for the local area. With adult labour in short supply, the schoolchildren were often sent to help out in the fields, particularly with the potato harvest. Many young local men went to fight – in the west porch of St Peter’s Church, there is a memorial to the 48 who lost their lives. Nor could Prestbury escape the effect of the 1915 flu pandemic which killed millions across the world. Many villagers were infected and some lost their lives. However, the population began to increase again and by 1931 had returned to mid 19^th century levels of nearly 500. In 1936 Butley, Fallibroome and parts of Upton were added to the civil parish of Prestbury, increasing the population to over 1000.

Prestbury was modernising and changing

yet the village still retained much of its traditional character

During the 1920s and 1930s, Prestbury began to develop a new character as it evolved into a commuter village. Along or very close to the main roads, new houses were being built. Many were large family homes with extensive gardens aimed at well-off professionals and commuters. There are houses along Heybridge Lane and Macclesfield Road which are typical of this period. Some smaller cottage style houses including some on Bollin Grove, Dale Brow and Ashbrook Drive were also built at this time.

Telecommunications came to the village during the 1920s: the telephone kiosk in the village street is still in use. In 1935, Macclesfield Rural District Council introduced the village’s first social housing at The Fold and Coachway just off Butley Lanes, providing modern family homes for some of the working people of the village. Other new buildings such as commercial garages began to appear, reflecting changing needs of the community. The Priest House had become a bank and the golf club was founded. Electric lighting was first installed in the church in 1936.

Prestbury as it looked in the 1930s

During this period, Prestbury also began to attract interest as a destination for day trippers. It was easily accessible by bicycle and train, and as motor vehicles came into more widespread use, people would also visit by car and bus. Visitors came to see the pretty old buildings in the village centre, the beautiful ancient church, and to enjoy the surrounding countryside. There were also plenty of good inns and hotels for refreshment! Perhaps partly as a result of the growing ‘tourist trade’, a strong sense of heritage began to develop – which is still a characteristic of present day Prestbury. Restoration of the Norman Chapel began, and postcards and souvenirs were produced showing the ‘iconic’ street scenes which the visitors came to see.

Day trippers pause for refreshment at a farm’s tearoom on Heybridge Lane.

Motorised transport made Prestbury more accessible to visitors

WARTIME PRESTBURY

During the Second World War, Prestbury was fortunate to escape the bombing which devastated Manchester and Stockport, and the relative peace and tranquility enabled it to play a wartime role.

The busy maternity hospitals of central Manchester run by the St Mary’s Hospitals Board had to close because of air raids. In December 1939, an article in ‘Cheshire Life’ commented: “Although faced by national needs, rising costs and shrinking income, the board of St Mary’s Hospitals for Women and Children courageously took over Collar House Prestbury, as an extension of their maternity hospitals.” For the duration of the war and several years beyond, Collar House (now the Beaumont Care Community just off Chelford Road), a grand and very beautiful private house with extensive gardens, was converted into a maternity hospital for Manchester women. Collar House was originally a farmhouse, but was improved and extended by successive wealthy merchant and industrialist owners. By the time war broke out, it was owned by the Moseley family, but they were living in Anglesey and were willing to rent it to St Mary’s. Another ‘Cheshire Life’ article, in June 1940, explained the particular advantages of Collar House which led to it being chosen: “It is particularly fortunate in these times in having its own water and electrical supplies, as well as its own laundry. The Hospital has forty-five beds with labour wards, nurseries, operating theatre, dispensary, and accommodation for a staff of thirty….these delightful surroundings, so greatly in contrast with the noise and dirt of the city, and yet so accessible.” Prestbury and Adlington Halls were also converted for use as hospitals. A total of 14,500 babies were born at these three hospitals between 1939 and 1952 when they finally closed. Those babies are now adults approaching or in retirement, and many still visit Prestbury to find out more about the place where they were born.

Scoutmaster Don Foden and District Commissioner Miss Hannan took on responsibility for both Scouts and Guides in the area as there was a shortage of male leaders due to the war. The Cubs and Scouts had a room at Prestbury Hall for their meetings and they were allowed to use the gardens for activities. Prestbury Cubs in 1943

Doctors and nurses at Collar House when it was a wartime maternity hospital. The medical staff came from St Mary’s in Manchester, but local girls would often help out in the evenings serving cocoa and changing nappies.

A postcard from the 1940s showing Collar House

POST – WAR PRESTBURY

The pace of change in the role and character of the village accelerated dramatically in the post-war period. The village was getting much bigger as a result of all the new building and by 1951 the parish had almost 1700 residents. More social housing was built close to Butley Lanes, and although it was partly intended to provide homes for villagers, some of the new occupants were from outside Prestbury. Other areas of family housing - aimed at commuters and professionals - developed. The growing community of incomers, who in many ways were very different from the ‘old Prestbury’ families, now formed the majority of the population. During the 1950s, the annual Rose Queen Festival began in Prestbury, introduced by Canon Harold Rogers who felt that the children of the village would enjoy such an occasion. The event - now much bigger and linked with the School as well as the Church - is still a highlight of the village year.

Prestbury Football Team celebrating a successful season

The Rose Queen Festival when it was first introduced in the 1950s

The open fields and farmland in the village itself were gradually disappearing, a process which would gain further momentum in the next two decades. In the 1940s, horse drawn vehicles were still in widespread use in the village, and continued to play an important role in farming. But a traffic survey on Manchester Road, Tytherington in 1950 revealed that almost no horse-drawn vehicles were now using the road. Having once boasted two smithies, the need for their services in the village had now gone. Meanwhile, motor traffic in the village was increasing rapidly. With a larger and more affluent population, the age of private car ownership had well and truly arrived. Some residents may remember that there was actually a petrol pump at the Swanwick garage just off the main street until the 1980s. The rise of car ownership would have a strong influence in the next stage of Prestbury’s growth.

In the 1940s, horse-drawn vehicles were still a feature of village life. Here, local farmers George and Reginald Parrott are haymaking on Parrotts Field.

The age of the private car had well and truly arrived in Prestbury

PRESTBURY IN THE LATER PART OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

During the 60s and 70s Prestbury underwent further fundamental changes. Several new housing estates were built, aimed at managers of factories and large businesses. Many stayed only for a short time before being moved on, but some settled and are today enjoying their retirement here. The tennis club and many other societies were set up. Prestbury had a reputation as an exciting and lively place to live, offering an attractive environment and a good social life, and so it continued to grow.

Willowmead Drive in the 1960s

Minis and a Rover 2000 in the village in the 1970s

The village began to attract a lot of attention and comment about its exceptionally beautiful old centre with lovely shops and restaurants and the expensive and exclusive new housing estates. There was a divide between wealthy and celebrity incomers and ‘old Prestbury’ residents whose families had lived in the village for generations. “There is still plenty of the atmosphere of the countryside, but we are acquiring all the trappings of a modern town. Prestbury is becoming a dormitory village.” Canon Harold Rogers quoted in “The Anatomy of Prestbury”, Cheshire Life October 1963

“The number of people who were born and bred here now form a tiny remnant. Our population – grown to 4,000 from the 800 I found when I first came here – has come from all over the country, from all sections and classes. They have blended well, and although there have been struggles, we now have a strongly united community.” Canon Harold Rogers, quoted by Robert Stead in “Down Prestbury Way…” Cheshire Life May 1979

Cheshire Life, May 1979, p.57

By the 1970s, a lively debate was already well underway within the village on topics still familiar to villagers today - traffic volumes and noise, the impact of development, whether outsiders’ perceptions of Prestbury reflects its real character, if street lights would be a good idea, and where might be a suitable location for a village green! One point on which there was some consensus was the wish to protect and preserve the ancient and most beautiful parts of Prestbury. With two conservation areas (in the centre and Butley Town) and many listed buildings, in 1970 a group of residents founded the Amenity Society to champion the cause of keeping the village unspoilt.

Aerial view from 1970s showing how the village had grown. Bridge Green and Bollin Mews, still relatively new developments, can be seen.

Prestbury – Best Kept Village

PRESTBURY SCHOOL

Prestbury has had a village school for nearly 300 years. Originally, the school was based right in the middle of the village in the building which now houses the Parish Council Chamber, a bank, the library and an estate agency.. It was established in 1720 with a £100 endowment from Ann Whittaker to teach 10 of the poorest children of the parish. During the 19^th Century, it became a National School - funded by the ‘National Society’ connected to the Church of England. From the late 19^th Century, education reform created a local authority system, and Prestbury School came under the dual auspices of the Church and the County Council – as is still the case today. On April 13^th 1876 the school moved into a new building at Dale Brow funded by the Legh Family – the old building was no longer large enough and in recent years the Norman chapel had been used as an overflow schoolroom. School attendance had also become compulsory, and within a few years the roll had increased from about 45 to around 90. Later, some of the most able children would win grammar school scholarships, but many Prestbury children completed their entire education in the village school.

The original school building from 1720

Prestbury National School, 1900, Head Master Mr. Barber

The lives of village children in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries are recorded in beautiful copperplate in the school’s old log books.

Times were often hard. Deaths of pupils from illness – scarlet fever, pneumonia, diphtheria, typhoid, flu – were common. In December 1877, the school had to close for a month when 5 children died from fever in just three weeks. On 11^th November 1918, the Headmaster gave a half day holiday to celebrate the end of the war, but also had to report a child’s death from influenza. During the winter, heating in the school building often failed, with temperatures falling to 40-50 Fahrenheit.

Children were needed as extra labour at busy times of the farming year. Attendance was poor on 19^th June 1874 because many pupils were helping bring in the hay. During the First World War, children were often sent to pick potatoes or collect blackberries - in 1918 they supplied the Food Commissioner with 246 lbs of blackberries- and the teachers helped distribute ration books in the village.

But there were many happy times, too. Even during the First World War, the children enjoyed trips to the Electric Cinema in Macclesfield, delightful rambles to Gawsworth, Bosley Cloud and Shuttlingslow, and a trip to Chester on a char-a-banc was described as ‘the best day of their lives’. They celebrated Empire Day every year with a parade, and had days off to attend fairs. Local ladies would often invite the whole school to tea in their gardens during the summer months.

Health and hygiene featured prominently in the curriculum at this time, and the school often received visits from specialist instructors. The older girls were taught – in great detail – how to wash, feed and care for babies, and all the children attend regular talks by local temperance organisations about ‘Alcohol and the Human Body’.

Prestbury school pupils, nineteen thirties

By the late 1960s, the population of Prestbury had greatly increased, and the old Dale Brow School was getting too small, despite having been extended in 1888 and 1961. The school celebrated its 250^th anniversary at Dale Brow, but in 1974, a new, modern school building was completed on Bollin Grove. Dale Brow continued to house around 100 of the junior children until 1992, which is why many longer-term residents still refer to ‘Bollin Grove School’.
The children celebrated the school’s 250th anniversary in 1970. The guest of honour was Walter Dawson, a former pupil, who owned the village hardware store.	Headmaster Victor Trill pictured with some junior pupils in 1979.
The new school was officially opened by the former Education Secretary, Mrs Margaret Thatcher. A huge amount of organisation went into preparing for her visit which was also attended by many local dignitaries. Mrs Thatcher also opened the new nursery classroom which had been built in memory of a much-loved teacher, Marijke Koopman, who had been killed in an accident two years earlier. By now, the school had acquired its distinctive girls’ winter uniform – kilts – which was allegedly first introduced to take advantage of a special offer at Marks & Spencer!
Bollin Grove School	Mrs Thatcher opening the new school building in 1974

ST PETER’S CHURCH

St Peter’s archives date back to the time of Elizabeth I, when the role of parishes was extended to include many secular functions. Until the late 19^th Century when civil parishes were established, churches played a key role in local administration and had authority in many areas of day-to-day life. They kept detailed records which now provide a rich source of historical information about the people who lived here. St Peter’s also played an important role in communities beyond the village, because until the mid 19^th Century it was the mother church for 35 ‘townships’ including Adlington, Kettleshulme, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Macclesfield Forest, North Rode, Rainow, Wildboarclough, and Woodford. Hundreds of people got married here each year, often queuing up in the Unicorn Inn (now the Village Pharmacy) while they waited their turn. All the babies of the parish were brought to Prestbury to be baptised – quite a journey on foot from more distant villages. Gradually the other townships became independent parishes in their own right, but even today, all the main roads in the village converge close to the church and radiate out towards the ancient communities that were part of Prestbury parish. Today, the civil and ecclesiastical parishes have different boundaries, and each has its own council. The Parochial Church Council was established in the 1870s; Prestbury Parish Council was set up in 1894.

St Peter’s in the late 19th Century viewed from the south west

The Norman Chapel in the late 19th Century. It was restored in the 1920s.

Although the church is ancient and in some ways seems unchanged, many of its features have altered over the generations - often in ways that tell us something about the people who lived and worshipped in Prestbury at that time. For example, many of the stained glass windows are Victorian, installed after major restoration work was completed and paid for by wealthy local families in memory of loved ones. The hassocks were individually designed and hand-embroidered by a group of women and men of the village over a decade in the 1970s and 80s – there are 400, and each took six months to complete. An altar frontal is embroidered with a hawthorn tree to commemorate the much-respected Walter Dawson, who was known as ‘everybody’s friend’. His shop on Bollin Grove, which many residents remember well, was an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of essential hardware and garden items; at its entrance stood an ancient hawthorn tree. Other details offer glimpses into the role of the church in village life. 18^th Century Bread Boards at the west end remind us that until the 1830s, bread was distributed every week by the churchwardens to the poor of the parish, the only form of welfare available at that time. Since the 19^th Century the church has helped provide universal free education in our village, a role which continues in the present day. In the annual Plough Service and Blessing of the New Born Lamb as well as the Harvest Festival, we are reminded that St Peter’s has been at the very heart of community life since it was an early agricultural settlement.
The church choir at the Christmas Street Fair, December 2010.
The east window, which depicts the ‘Tree of Life’, can been seen in all its splendour when the mid morning sunlight shines through it.	Beautifully dressed girls carrying the St Peter’s Sunday School banner in 1948. They are: Audrey Oldfield, Ruth Cattle, Beryl Oldfield and Mavis Ridler.

The graveyard offers fascinating insights into the lives of Prestbury people over many generations. Like the village itself, it has grown larger as the population has increased. The oldest graves are found closest to the church, with more recent ones in the outer areas of the churchyard. The style of gravestones has changed over time much as the village’s buildings differ depending on when they were constructed. The early 19^th century tombs have a neo-classical look; whereas later Victorians preferred a ‘Gothic’ style. Some of the graves from the 1940s are in the distinctive style of Alan Brough – a local artist and sculptor who appears on a Prestbury school photo from the 1930s elsewhere in this exhibition. Graves from the 1960s and 70s often have a simple polished dark granite headstone. More recently, as plots have run out in the churchyard, much smaller commemorative stones have been placed beneath the lime trees towards the south side. Some of the gravestones tell extraordinary stories. One of the best known is the tragic Maria Rathbone of Henbury, who died in 1821 aged 8, when she lost her way in the snow while running an errand for her parents. Her body lay undiscovered under a hedge in Lower Peover – 16 miles away - for more than three weeks over Christmas and New Year. She had begged for help many times as she wandered helplessly, but was turned away over and over again until she collapsed with exhaustion and died. There is also the tomb of William Wyatt of Adlington, who was shot in 1848 while bravely trying to catch two armed highwaymen, leaving a widow and children. In gratitude, the community rallied round and raised money to provide for them. In a quiet corner of the churchyard is a small stone which marks the final resting place of the babies born at the wartime maternity hospitals - Collar House, Prestbury Hall and Adlington Hall – who did not survive. The church gravedigger in the late 19th Century was believed to be George Tester. Originally from Gloucestershire, he worked at St Peter’s for 31 years.

Gravedigger

Gravestones

LANDMARK BUILDINGS

Ford House, at one time a private residence, for many years housed ecclesiastical offices and meeting rooms. Other village organisations, particularly Youth Club, also used it for their activities. Its closure a few years ago - due to the need for extensive repairs – caused controversy in the village. There are now plans to restore Ford House to its original glory with some new development in its grounds. Debate continues about whether it should be rendered in white or rebuilt with its original brick façade. The distinctive half-timbered building directly opposite the church lychgate is estimated by some people to date back as early as 1448, although others suggest it may have been built as late as 1580. It was the vicarage until Prestbury Manor was built in 1709, and was a private residence thereafter. For the last few decades it has housed a bank (now the NatWest). During the Civil War and the subsequent ‘Commonwealth’ period, the vicar was allegedly banned from entry to the church and preached from the balcony of the Priest House to the congregation assembled in the street below.

Ford House

Priest’s House

PUBS AND INNS OF PRESTBURY

Prestbury’s pubs have always been an important part of village life. They did a roaring trade during the twice yearly Cattle Fairs, offering hospitality to travellers and visitors, and providing villagers with a place to socialise. During the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, the Temperance movement became influential and the Village Club was built to encourage working men to socialise in a teetotal environment. There was also a Temperance Hotel in the village which is now the Saffron Room. As Prestbury evolved into a commuter village, the pubs began to cater for a more affluent clientele, offering fine dining as well as a place to enjoy a drink. In 1963, a Cheshire Life article described Prestbury’s pubs, saying: “…the inns are elegant places with a 17^th-century flavour, haunted by the sophisticated young…the village is a night-spot for people for miles around.” Today, both residents and visitors value the number, range and quality of the pubs, hotels and restaurants in the village. In the 2006 Plan for Prestbury survey, around 97% of households rated them an essential ingredient of parish life.
Legh Arms; Tudor building around 1580 The Admiral Rodney	Bridge Hotel and brigade of chefs	Temperance Hotel, now the Saffron Room Around 1880, Admiral Rodney landlady Sarah Shadwell and customers

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Chocolate Box Sweet Shop and White House restaurant	Dawson’s on Bollin Grove
Bollin Café and local baker	Post Office

1990 – 2010

Large scale development in the village came virtually to a halt, although new retirement and mews housing was built on some village centre sites.

The new trend in property at this time was ‘knock down and rebuilds’ - large early 20^th century houses on big plots being replaced with even bigger new mansions, many of them gated. This fuelled further debate about the effect of property prices and development on the character of the village, and Prestbury attracted attention in the national media.

Some businesses in the centre of the village began to find trading conditions difficult as once again village demographics changed and spending habits altered. The village centre was photographed looking very much less than its best with numerous empty units and ‘To Let’ signs. The community was shocked to lose its Victorian post office.

However, the village centre gradually recovered as new businesses arrived, and village institutions and organisations continued to thrive.

“There are two Prestburys. One exists in the feverish brains of breathless social diary journalists who rarely venture into Cheshire and is populated by WAGs and dripping with bling.

“The real Prestbury is one of the county's most charming and unspoilt villages, nestling in the sylvan Bollin Valley and boasting a fine mediaeval church, a delightful Georgian high street and a cluster of traditional half-timbered buildings.”

Cheshire Life 2007

Street Party, December 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The exhibition, under the auspices of the Friends of Prestbury Charitable Trust and sponsorship by Co-operative Food Prestbury and the Stanneylands Hotel Wilmslow, was first displayed at the opening of Parrotts Field (Village Green) to the public in June 2011.

Many village residents made the exhibition possible by lending to Friends of Prestbury their photographs and sharing anecdotes about the village and people who have lived there. Their contributions were much appreciated and brought the exhibition alive.

Photographs were provided by:

Jimmy Jackson	Rex Brocklehurst	Walter Morley	Margaret Higginbottom	Peter Brady, Admiral Rodney	Duncan Broomhead
Prestbury CE Primary School	The Beaumont Care Community	The Bridge Hotel	Prestbury.com	Macclesfield Express	St Peter’s Church

References consulted:

Tony Cartmell’s 1977 “History of Prestbury”

Gordon Hindle’s “St Peter’s Prestbury: A personal Response”

Articles in ‘The Rock’ magazine and in Cheshire Life from 1939 to the present.

Organising Committee:

Gerald Sokl (Chairman)	David Rogers
Catherine Tooher	John Clayton