Whitchurch History
All visitors to Whitchurch know of its excellent road communications.
Fewer are, however, aware that it was also a key staging point on the
Llangollen Canal. This still runs to within a mile from the town centre,
but the arm which brought canal traffic to the very heart of Whitchurch
was filled-in many years ago.
At Grindley Brook there is a famous flight of seven locks that is always a draw with recreational users of the canal.The town has an ambitious plan to re-open the canal to the centre of Whitchurch, including what would be the only working inclined plane in the country.
No visit to Whitchurch is complete without taking in a trip to the “Heritage
Centre”. This contains information and artefacts that bring the
history and culture of the town to life. There are interesting activities
for children at the centre too.
It is the people that make a town and Whitchurch people are very active
in creating events and occasions to celebrate. In her foreword, the Mayor
alluded to
the band of the Welsh Guards that will march down the high street and
play a concert for us in Jubilee Park.
In 2006 there will be a Festival celebrating the life of Sir Edward German and the people organising this would like to hear from anybody interested in taking part or just helping for this event.The telephone number is 01948 880221.
The Civic Centre is a major recreational facility and there is very
often a special event taking place within its many function rooms. Many
events are open to the public and you should check at the office to see
what is on. The rooms are also available to hire at extremely reasonable
prices for your own social, recreational or organisational needs.
WHITCHURCH
is one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the country.
It has been a busy town since the Romans named it Mediolanum. It was
at the heart of their road network in this part of Britain – a fact reflected
today and one that still makes Whitchurch so accessible for visitors.
The Romans used the hill at the heart of the town to build a fort that
served as an overnight stop on the march from Uriconium (Wroxeter) to
Deva (Chester) as early as 70AD.The town’s high street was built
over the original Roman road, known as “Watling Street”,
that connected London to Chester. Emperors, such as Hadrian and Constantine
would almost certainly have passed through Whitchurch.
Since Roman times Whitchurch has played its part in the historical development
of Britain. A dreamy town with charm and heritage.
This was reflected in the changing name of the town which became known as Westune (West Town) under the Saxons and Album Monasterium (White Church in Latin) under the Normans before settling on Whitchurch.
John Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury, had his heart buried under
the porch of St.Alkmund’s church at his bequest. One of the greatest
soldiers of his time he fought for Kings Henry IV, V and VI until he
was killed in 1453 at the battle of Castillon, near Bordeaux – the
last major battle of the hundred years war. His memory was immortalised
by William Shakespeare in “Henry VI”, in which he is a principal
character.
Sir Henry Percy (“Hotspur”) was another famous soldier, who was killed in the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. His corpse was brought back to Whitchurch, but was later exhumed and displayed in Shrewsbury to prove to doubters that he really was dead.
Whitchurch is not, however, only famous for its military contribution.
Sir Edward German, the renowned composer of “Tom Jones” and “Merrie
England” was born in St. Mary’s Street in a building that
is now a popular public house. This eminent son of Whitchurch was laid
to rest in his home town in 1936.
Randolph Caldecott, the famous Victorian illustrator, lived and worked in Whitchurch for several years and many of the town’s buildings feature in his popular drawings. Caldecott gained worldwide acclaim when he illustrated the works of American author Washington Irving. Whitchurch continues to be proud of its title as the “Home of Tower Clocks”. The firm of JB Joyce has been making these quality timepieces since 1690 and there are examples of their work throughout the world in palaces from Singapore to Kabul. The “Whitchurch Clock Trail”, starting at the Heritage Centre allows visitors to see examples of the firm’s work around the town.