About Tarporley

Tarporley is located in England on the west of the Cheshire Plain, 100metres above sea level at longitude 2° 40' W, latitude 53º 10' N (Ordnance Survey SJ5463). The fertile Cheshire Plain is a rural, predominately farming area, famous for it's dairy herds with meadows, pasture and some woodland. The fertile farmland with it's Cheshire black and white buildings overlays glacial and sandstone deposits. The sandstone is evident where it is exposed on the Mid-Cheshire Ridge running from Helsby in the North via Beeston and Peckforton through to Bickerton.

On the ridge Beeston Castle gives fines views of Tarporley and the surrounding countryside. Tarporley siltstones have been used for building purposes and foot prints of Chirotherium and Rhynchosauroides have been discovered in the deposits.

Beeston Castle

It is not known when the first identifiable settlement occurred at Tarporley however there are nearby ancient hillforts at Eddisbury Hill and Maiden Castle. The earliest record is when "Torpelei" received a Royal Charter in 1292 and was recorded to be a Borough with Mayor and market in 1297. The name Tarporley is thought by some to originate from the pear tree on the tor, hence the logo of tarporley.net which is the logo of Tarporley C.E. Primary School.

Tarporley was on the route used by many traders travelling by coach between London and Chester and those dealing in salt mined in nearby Nantwich.

The village developed along the High Street in the 18th and 19th centuries with many hostelries to revive the weary traveller. The development of the Chester and Ellesmere Canal as part of the Shropshire Union canal system and the railway station at Beeston on the Chester and Crewe Railway line further increased the number of travellers.

Notable buildings include the Manor House dated 1586 built by Ralph Done whose family also built a small hall "The Done Room". The Done Family of Utkinton were the Kings Master Foresters of Delamere Forrest.

The Manor House

Adjacent to the Done Room is the splendid St Helens Church which has been altered many times in the 18th and 19th century. Also of interest is the Swan Hotel dating from 1769 but incorporating older portions of the Market House which is the home of the famous Cheshire Hunt.

Tarporley has it's own fire brigade which has a historic tradition dating from 1869 when it was founded as the first voluntary fire brigade in the country by the Earl of Haddington.

The development of Tarporley has been recorded by many local people. A series of photographs "Tarporley Then and Now" has been compiled and published by The Rotary Club of Tarporley.