Handbridge

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Handbridge
Handbridge, Chester.JPG
Cheshire UK location map.svg
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Handbridge
Location within Cheshire
Population4,223 
OS grid reference SJ415655
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CHESTER
Postcode district CH4
Dialling code 01244
Police Cheshire
Fire Cheshire
Ambulance North West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cheshire
53°11′N2°53′W / 53.18°N 2.89°W / 53.18; -2.89

Handbridge is a district of Chester, England on the south bank of the River Dee. A settlement has existed on the site since the Iron Age [ citation needed ], but the site saw major expansion during the collapse of the Roman occupation of Britain, as the city grew too large for its walls. The site was originally mainly a quarry for the abundant red sandstone that much Chester is built from, [1] but in later years became a centre for salmon fishing in the Dee.

Contents

The area runs continuously into Queens Park. Within Handbridge there is a primary school, Overleigh St Mary's, and two secondary schools: Chester Catholic High School and Queens Park High School. There are also colleges, Cheshire College - South and West, formerly known as West Cheshire College and Chester International School (CIS) that provides a range of courses including International Baccalaureate.

History

Roman era

The Minerva Shrine Minerva's Shrine.jpg
The Minerva Shrine

Although there has been some activity on the site since the Iron Age,[ citation needed ] the first settlement on the site was built around 74 CE [ citation needed ] shortly after the foundation of the fort at Deva, now the Chester city centre. The site was used as a quarry; Handbridge is built on a large sandstone outcrop, material from which was used to construct the city walls and buildings, although the quarry ceased production at the end of the fourth century CE. [1] The quarry was also the site of a small shrine to the goddess Minerva which is still visible in what is known as Edgar's Field. The shrine is protected as a Grade I listed building but has suffered from weathering. [2] [3]

Post-Roman

After the Romans left Britain, the city fell into disrepair. Little is known of Handbridge from this time, as Chester was repeatedly attacked by Viking raiders, leading one commentator to describe it as "an abandoned city on The Wirral". Nevertheless, by the time of the Domesday Book, the site had grown large enough to be divided into three manors: Overleigh, Netherleigh and Royal Handbridge. [4] The book also tells of the constant repairs that had to be made to the river crossing there, the first written record of what would eventually become known as the Old Dee Bridge. [1]

By the Old Dee Bridge is a large field known as Edgar's field; this is one of a few sites that may have been the royal palace of Edgar of England. There is no archaeological evidence of this however. Legend tells that, to pledge an oath to him, six lesser kings rowed him up the Dee to his palace, where they pledged allegiance to the king "on both land and sea". [1]

Middle Ages

Chester Weir as seen from the Old Dee Bridge. River Dee Chester England.jpg
Chester Weir as seen from the Old Dee Bridge.

The Welsh name for Handbridge is Treboeth, meaning either "the hot town" or "the burnt town". The latter meaning has traditionally been thought to suggest that the town was burnt at some point in its medieval history. However, research in the 21st century suggests that the settlement may have been referred to as "the hot town" because of its long history of metal working. [5]

During the medieval period, multiple river crossings were built on the site of the bridge noted in the Domesday Book to replace others lost to flooding; the current Old Dee Bridge dates from 1353, but at least four other bridges existed on the site beforehand. The bridge became a choke point in Welsh invasions, leading to both ends of the bridge being fitted with sentry posts. Although the bridge formed the only crossing at that point, residents were reluctant to repair the bridge, leading Richard II of England to pay for the crossing to be restored in 1374 "for consideration that as many have been drowned in the water of the Dee since the bridge has been destroyed and broken", being rebuilt with large towers and a drawbridge to further deter Welsh raids. [1]

Handbridge, the weir, the Old Dee Bridge, and St. Mary's Church as seen from the Chester walls. Handbridge.JPG
Handbridge, the weir, the Old Dee Bridge, and St. Mary's Church as seen from the Chester walls.

Chester Weir across the river was built in 1093, under the orders of Hugh Lupus, to provide power to water powered mills along the banks of the river, and to improve the navigability of the river, which was still a major trade route at the time. The mills ran a legally enforced monopoly, with all Cestrians being forced to have their corn ground at these mills. The millers were reputed to be lazy and greedy, taking many times what they should in tithes. The song "Miller of Dee" was written about these millers, which led to "Miller of the Dee" becoming an insult in Mediaeval culture, meaning a thief or a cheat. [1]

English Civil War

During the English Civil War, Chester was one of the last Royalist strongholds, and as such was heavily besieged. Handbridge was burnt once again and the bridge heavily damaged to impede the progress of the Roundhead armies. This forced the Parliamentarians to cross the river at a ford ten miles (16 km) upstream, leading to the Battle of Rowton Heath, at which the Royalists lost and Chester became invested. [6] In the summer of 1645, with the siege less close, the Royalist defenders built a new fort at Handbridge to protect the approaches to the Dee Bridge. [7] By September, the besieging Parliamentarian forces had closed in and linked their positions on either side of the River Dee with a bridge of boats from Dee Lane to the Earl's Eye in Handbridge (the "Welsh side"), protected by gun emplacements at the south end. [8]

Victorian era

During the Victorian era many of the corn mills which lined the river closed down, to be replaced with hydroelectric power stations to provide electricity to the growing city. However, the suburb itself was considered a poor area, with one contemporary commentator, John Hemingway, describing the area as "almost exclusively inhabited by the lower orders". The population were primarily industrial workers who worked in the many factories that surrounded Chester, including several tobacco works on the Dee banks, and the neighbouring area of Saltney. However, many of the larger properties in the east of Handbridge, towards Queens Park, were middle and upper class residents who desired attractive riverside properties.

In the extreme west of Handbridge, the Grosvenor Bridge, connecting the city to the main roads to Wales, was built by Thomas Harrison and opened by Queen Victoria in November 1833, as part of a larger trade route to Holyhead and the Irish ports. At 200 feet (60 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) tall, it was the largest single-span bridge in the world for 30 years until 1864. [9]

20th century

Handbridge continued to grow in the 20th century with several large schools and a college being built to serve the population of Handbridge and Queen's Park, which both underwent major expansion. Among the buildings built were the "Salmon Leap" flats, designed by Gilling Dod and Partners and constructed in 1967/68. [10] On the riverside is a small cottage named "Nowhere", believed to have originally been a secret tavern. However, during a 1963 gig in Chester by The Beatles, John Lennon heard about the house and was intrigued by the name, with the song "Nowhere Man" being inspired by this cottage. [9]

Greenway Street Greenaway.jpg
Greenway Street

Governance

Cheshire West and Chester

Since 1 April 2009 Handbridge is within the new Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority area; prior to that it was within both Chester City Council and Cheshire County Council boundaries.

Handbridge forms part of the Handbridge Park Cheshire West and Chester ward, which is represented by two councillors: [11]

The first elections to the council were held on 1 May 2008, [12] with the council acting as a shadow council until the abolition of the Chester City Council and Cheshire County Council authorities on 1 April 2009. The wards of the authority are identical to the previous county council electoral divisions.

Handbridge and Queens Park were formerly a single Chester City Council ward, Handbridge & St Mary's.

United Kingdom Parliament

Handbridge is in the City of Chester parliamentary constituency and is represented by Samantha Dixon of the Labour Party, who held the seat in a by-election in 2022 with an increased majority. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester</span> City in Cheshire, England

Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, close to the England-Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester. It is also the historic county town of Cheshire and the second-largest settlement in Cheshire after Warrington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farndon, Cheshire</span> Village in England

Farndon is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Dee, south of Chester, which here forms the England–Wales border. The Welsh village of Holt lies just over the River Dee from Farndon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Dee, Wales</span> River in Wales and England

The River Dee is a river flowing through North Wales, and through Cheshire, England, in Great Britain. The length of the main section from Bala to Chester is 113 km and it is largely located in Wales. The stretch between Aldford and Chester is within England, and two other sections form the border between the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens Park, Chester</span> Human settlement in England

Queens Park is a suburb of Chester. It is in the south of the city of Chester, just east of Handbridge. It includes a secondary school, Queens Park High School and also has a pedestrian suspension bridge link with the main city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Rowton Heath</span> 1645 battle of the First English Civil War

The Battle of Rowton Heath, also known as the Battle of Rowton Moor, occurred on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War. Fought by the Parliamentarians, commanded by Sydnam Poyntz, and the Royalists under the personal command of King Charles I, it was a significant defeat for the Royalists with heavy losses and prevented Charles from relieving the siege of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dee Bridge</span> Bridge in Cheshire, England

The Old Dee Bridge in Chester, Cheshire, England, is the oldest bridge in the city. It crosses the River Dee carrying the road that leads from the bottom of Lower Bridge Street and the Bridgegate to Handbridge. A bridge on this site was first built in the Roman era, and the present bridge is largely the result of a major rebuilding in 1387. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grosvenor Bridge (Chester)</span> Bridge in Chester

The Grosvenor Bridge is a single-span stone arch road bridge crossing the River Dee at Chester, England. Located on the A483 Grosvenor Road, it was designed by Thomas Harrison and opened by Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld on 17 October 1832. The first traffic passed over it in November 1833.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deva Victrix</span> Roman fort, Mid 70s AD

Deva Victrix, or simply Deva, was a legionary fortress and town in the Roman province of Britannia on the site of the modern city of Chester. The fortress was built by the Legio II Adiutrix in the 70s AD as the Roman army advanced north against the Brigantes, and rebuilt completely over the next few decades by the Legio XX Valeria Victrix. In the early 3rd century the fortress was again rebuilt. The legion probably remained at the fortress until the late 4th or early 5th century, upon which it fell into disuse.

The history of Chester extends back nearly two millennia, covering all periods of British history in between then and the present day. The city of Chester was founded as a fort, known as Deva Vitrix, by the Romans in AD 70s, as early as AD 74 based on discovered lead pipes. The city was the scene of battles between warring Welsh and Saxon kingdoms throughout the post-Roman years until the Saxons strengthened the fort against raiding Danes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester city walls</span> Fortification in Chester, England

Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester in Cheshire, England. Their construction was started by the Romans when they established the fortress of Deva Victrix between 70 and 80 [CE]. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a wooden palisade. From about 100 CE they were reconstructed using sandstone, but were not completed until over 100 years later. Following the Roman occupation nothing is known about the condition of the walls until Æthelflæd refounded Chester as a burgh in 907. The defences were improved, although the precise nature of the improvement is not known. After the Norman conquest, the walls were extended to the west and the south to form a complete circuit of the medieval city. The circuit was probably complete by the middle of the 12th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire West and Chester</span> Borough in England

Cheshire West and Chester is a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. It superseded the boroughs of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Vale Royal and the City of Chester; its council is a unitary authority, having also assumed the functions and responsibilities of the former Cheshire County Council within its area. The remainder of ceremonial Cheshire is composed of Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington. Cheshire West and Chester has three key urban areas: Chester, Ellesmere Port and Northwich/Winsford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minerva's Shrine, Chester</span> Historic site in Chester, England

Minerva's Shrine is a shrine to the Roman goddess Minerva in Edgar's Field, Handbridge, Chester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The shrine dates from the early 2nd century and is carved into the face of a sandstone quarry. It is the only monument of its kind in Western Europe that remains in its original location. It is protected by a 19th-century stone surround with a hood, which was refurbished in the late 20th century. The carving has weathered over the centuries and has also been damaged by human activity. Next to the shrine is an opening into the rock face which is possibly a natural fissure that has been enlarged and which is known as Edgar's Cave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Baptist's Church, Chester</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St John the Baptist's Church is the former cathedral of Chester, Cheshire, England during the Early Middle Ages. The church, which was first founded in the late 7th Century by the Anglo Saxons, is outside Chester's city walls on a cliff above the north bank of the River Dee. It is now considered to be the best example of 11th–12th century church architecture in Cheshire, and was once the seat of the Bishop of Lichfield from 1075 to 1095.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Weir</span> Grade I listed weir in England

Chester Weir is a weir which crosses the River Dee at Chester, Cheshire, England, slightly upstream from the Old Dee Bridge. The weir and the associated salmon leap are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Handbridge</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is located on Overleigh Road in Handbridge, an area south of the River Dee, in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is also known as the Church of St Mary-without-the-Walls, which was to distinguish it from Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill across the River Dee within the city walls. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farndon Bridge</span> Bridge between England and Wales

Farndon Bridge, also known as Holt Bridge, crosses the River Dee and the England-Wales border between the villages of Farndon, Cheshire, England and Holt, Wrexham, Wales. The bridge, which was built in the mid-14th century, is recorded in the National Heritage List for England and by Cadw as a designated Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. It is built from locally quarried red sandstone and had eight arches, of which five are over the river. On the Farndon side there is one flood arch and two flood arches are on the Holt side.

The timeline of Cheshire history shows significant events in the history of the English county of Cheshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Chester</span> Siege during the First English Civil War

The siege of Chester occurred over a 16-month period between September 1644 and February 1646 during the First English Civil War. In the engagement, Sir William Brereton and the Parliamentarians were ultimately successful in taking possession of the city and Royalist garrison commanded by Lord Byron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overleigh Cemetery</span> Municipal burial ground in Cheshire, England

Overleigh Cemetery is a large municipal burial ground adjacent to the approaches to Grosvenor Bridge on the south side of the River Dee in Chester, Cheshire, England. The cemetery was created in the mid-19th century by a private company but was taken into public ownership in the 1930s. The original part of the cemetery is listed at Grade II in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Since 2009, it has been owned and managed by the unitary authority Cheshire West and Chester.

The city of Chester in Cheshire, England, contains over 650 structures that are designated as listed buildings by English Heritage and included in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, over 500 are listed at Grade II, the lowest of the three gradings given to listed buildings and applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest". This list contains the Grade II listed buildings in the unparished area of the city to the south of the River Dee. Immediately to the south of the river is the area of Handbridge.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 BW Pics – History of Bridgegate
  2. "Images of England: Roman shrine to Minerva". English Heritage . Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  3. "Minerva's Shrine". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  4. Chester City Council (Web Archive), URL accessed 13 August 2010
  5. Archibald, Ian G; Archibald, Zosia H (2005), "Treboeth  the burnt town: a preliminary investigation of early Christian to early Modern industrial activity in Handbridge, Chester", Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, 80: 9–67, doi: 10.5284/1070368
  6. Battlefields Trust – Rowton Heath, URL accessed 19 August 2006
  7. Ward, Civil War Siegeworks, Morris, Siege of Chester, Dore, Civil Wars in Ches.
  8. Ward, Civil War Siegeworks; Letter Books of Brereton
  9. 1 2 BW Pics – History of Grosvenor Bridge
  10. "Twentieth century Chester 1914–2000: Housing and suburban development, 1974–2000". A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 part 1: The City of Chester: General History and Topography. pp. 271–272. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  11. "Your Councillors". 25 June 2023.
  12. "Overleigh (Declared) 2008 Council Election Result". Cheshire West and Chester Council. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  13. "Chester by-election: Labour hold seat in Rishi Sunak's first electoral test". BBC News . 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.