And Finally...
- Virtual Traveller 86
- May 29, 2020
- 3 min read
Day Four: Country No.28
ENGLAND Arrival Time: 2:01pm
Well as I had 5 minutes left I decided to add England to my list! No flight required, just a quick drive across the border.
Cuddington
Cuddington is a rural village in the county of Cheshire, northwest England. It is about 4 miles west of Northwich, 13 miles east of Chester and 11 miles south of Warrington. Within the civil parish of Cuddington are two villages: Cuddington and Sandiway. It has a history dating back to the 7th century. In nearby Norley and Eddisbury there is a burial ground and hill forts. The burial ground dates back to the Bronze Age and the hill forts to the Iron Age (Source: village website).
Using Google Street View I was able to spend five minutes ‘walking’ around the village.
1,2,3 & 4: Cuddington railway station (built 1869). No. 2 is of the pathway leading to and from the station.
5. Norley Road Playing Field: known by many children of the 70s and 80s as the “players”. Prior to building a brick hall, the pavilion had a wooden building. A venue for village events and clubs, eg. Brownies and Youth Discos.
6. Cuddington Primary School: one of two village schools
7-9. Mere Lane Shops: including the “paper shop” and Littler’s Butchers.
Village Landmarks
1 Round Tower: Sitting on a central reservation of the A356 at the outskirts of the village is the Round Tower. A key local landmark and often used when giving directions to the village. Constructed from local sandstone in the early 19th century as “part of a gate lodge built at the entrance of the Vale Royal Abbey” (village website); it is also a listed National Heritage site. It is now the only part of the lodge remaining. Much “about the Round Tower remains a mystery...The story abounds of a secret dungeon within the building that served as King Charles II’s hiding place in the olden days.” (village website). 2. The tower was partially demolished in 2013 after a car crashed into it. Thanks to the campaigning of village residents and others the tower was rebuilt using as much of the original materials as possible. The sandstone needed to be refaced so it now looks much like it would have done when originally built. It was officially reopened in 2015 (and a certain relative of mine was a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony).
3. & 4. Oakmere Hall: Grade 2 listed building on the edge of the village, set in 13 acres of parkland. It was built in the French Gothic syle and dates back to 1867. It was one of the earlier works of architect John Douglas. Born in Cuddington, Douglas was architect for numerous building and restoration projects including several Cheshire churches.
5. The Blue Cap Inn: dates back to 1712 and was built on the old Chester to London coaching route. The inn is named after a famous local hunting hound.
Well that’s it folks! I have managed to quickly throw in another two countries, making my total 28. All visited within the equivalent of 2.6 days - 62 hours 24 minutes. It’s been an amazing journey and I have seen some incredible scenery and architecture. It is such a privilege to be able to access our world in a virtual way and my bucket list has consequently got a lot longer! We have been given a stunningly beautiful creation to enjoy (and take care of)!
However this challenge was set with a single aim - raising much needed funds for charity. The money donated will be hugely helpful to both the Scoliosis Association UK and the charities that support the work of our NHS. So a massive thank you on their behalf. At present the total, including gift aid, stands at £350.00 My target had been set at £150.
If you would still like to donate, my virgin money-giving page will remain open for a while yet.
The only problem with finishing my challenge is that I now have no excuse not to do my housework!
Leaving England: 2:06pm
Sources
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakmere_Hall Google Earth and Street View
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