Life In The Region Of Crewe

Rail travel became popular in England in the 19th century and Crewe was built purposely to serve the railways. Named after Crewe Hall, Crewe was simply the meeting point for many train junctions although there was no town at this point. A station was subsequently built and once it became established the main workshops of the Grand Junction Railway Company were expanded and consequently the town was built around the station. Industry came to the town in the early 20th century. Rolls Royce produced Merlin aircraft engines at their factory in Crewe in the late 1930s and later Bentley and Rolls Royce cars were produced here. Today the factory still builds Bentley cars for the high end car market. With easy links to Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham airports Crewe makes an excellent base to tour many parts of the north of England. There are a good selection of new hotels close to the station and rail travellers can enjoy trips from the town to destinations as far away as Edinburgh which it is possible to visit in one day. Chester, with its timber framed buildings and excellent shopping centre, is 20 minutes away and the coast of North Wales less than 60 minutes by train. Mention the name Crewe to anyone with an interest in trains and it is certain they will have been there or will do so at some point. Railway enthusiasts enjoy visiting the Crewe Heritage Centre, originally called The Railway Age. Visitors to the centre enjoy seeing old locomotives including many old steam trains. There are other exhibits including the LNWR Travelling Post Office and many more aspects of the town. There are working signal boxes and a cafe. There is a miniature railway and children's corner for the little ones too as well as a shop selling railway memorabilia. Crewe's Queens Park is one of England's finest parks. Extensive renovation has brought it back to how it looked in Victorian times with 45 acres of trees, planting and walkways. Millions of pounds of investment has brought the park back to its former glory. There is a children's play area, boating lake, bowling green and cafeteria. The park was originally given to the people of Crewe by the railways and locals and visitors enjoy its pleasures on a daily basis. Crewe has a large market with wide ranging items on sale such as clothing and bric a brac. The market is next to the Lyceum Theatre and Municipal buildings and is open on Monday mornings and from 9am till 4pm on Saturdays. Crewe is situated in Cheshire's beautiful countryside where pastoral lowlands, wooded hillsides and wild heather covered hills can all be enjoyed by walker or motorists alike. The county is not too hilly and therefore offers many opportunities for cyclist and ramblers. There are superb walking routes across the county, many through wooded lanes and sleepy villages. There are many miles of bridleways too with circular tours encompassing much of Cheshire's peaceful and idyllic natural landscape.