Sandbach (pronounced ) is the name of a historic market town and a civil parish in the unitary authority of

Cheshire East Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council. Towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Sandbach, Wilmslow, H ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

, England. The civil parish contains four settlements: Sandbach itself as the largest, Elworth,

Ettiley Heath Ettiley Heath is a village in the civil parish of Sandbach which is in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The Sandbach ward is called Ettiley Heath and Wheelock. The population of this ward at ...

and Wheelock. Sandbach is perhaps best known as the original home of Foden and ERF lorries, though neither company now exists in the town; twelve-times National Brass Band Championship winners

Foden's Band Foden's Band (originally Foden's Motor Works Band, and variants with sponsors' names) is a brass band from Sandbach in Cheshire. The band derives its name from the Foden manufacturer of trucks in Sandbach. Foden's Band are one of the top bra ...

; the ancient Saxon

Sandbach Crosses The Sandbach Crosses are two 9th-century stone Anglo-Saxon crosses now erected in the market place in the town of Sandbach, Cheshire, England. They are unusually large and elaborate examples of the type and are recorded in the National Heritag ...

; and

Sandbach services Sandbach services is a motorway service station on the M6 in Sandbach, Cheshire, England. History The services originally opened in 1976 and have always been operated by Roadchef. National Express use it for the drivers' 45 minute breaks. I ...

on the M6 motorway.

History

Known as Sanbec in 1086, Sondbache (also Sondebache) in 1260, and Sandbitch in the 17th–18th centuries, Sandbach derives its name from the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

''sand bæce'', which can mean "sand stream" or "sand valley". The modern German word ''Bach'', with a similar origin as ''bæce'', means "brook"; thus, the meaning of Sandbach can be understood correctly in German. In Germany, there are two places and several small waterways of that name, see German disambiguation page "Sandbach". Traces of settlement are found in Sandbach from Saxon times, when the town was called Sanbec. Little is known about the town during this period, except that it was subjected to frequent

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

and Danish raids. The town's inhabitants were converted to Christianity in the 7th century by four priests: Cedda, Adda, Betti and Diuma. The town has an entry in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

from 1086, at which time it was sufficiently large to need a priest and a church. The entry states:

Sanbec: Bigot de Loges. 1 hide and 1½ virgates pay tax. Land for 2 ploughs. 1 Frenchman has ½ plough, 3 slaves. 2 villagers have ½ plough. Church. Woodland. Value TRE 4s; now 8s.

By the 13th century, during the reign of King John, much of the land around the township of Sandbach was owned by Richard de Sandbach who was the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1230. Richard de Sandbach specifically owned a manor; he claimed an interest in the living of Sandbach. This claim against Earl Randle de Blundeville was unsuccessful. His son, John, however, was slightly more successful as he won an 'interest' temporarily against the Abbot of Dieulacres, only for it to be lost when it went to the King's Bench.Sandbach Official Guide 1970 Sandbach Town Crier

The manor in Sandbach passed through numerous families, including the Leghs and Radclyffes. It was eventually bought by Sir Randulph (or Randle) Crewe, who became the Lord of the Manor. Sandbach has been a market town since 1579, when it was granted a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

due to the petitioning of Sir John Radclyffe of Ordsall who, as the largest landowner in Sandbach and the owner of the Sandbach Old Hall, encouraged the farmers of the area to hold a market in the town on Thursdays. The charter also allowed for right to establish a

Court-leet The court leet was a historical court baron (a type of manorial court) of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts. Etymol ...

and a Court of Pied-powder. The original charter is still preserved, and can be found in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

; a reproduction can be found in the Sandbach Town Council chamber, which is at the Literary Institution. The charter also granted the town the right to hold two annual fairs, which lasted for two days, and were held around

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...

and early September. The Thursday market is still held outdoors on Scotch Common, and in and around the town hall.

17th century to present day

During the 17th century, the town used to be famous for its ale: And about 1621 William Webb writes that "Our ale here at Sandbach being no less famous than that t Derbyof a true nappe". During the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 Bi ...

, a Scottish army swept down into England before being forced to retreat at the

Battle of Worcester The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell d ...

. On 3 September 1651, the Sandbach summer fair was being held, and a Scottish army of around 1,000 exhausted cavalry men passed through the town under the command of David Leslie on their way back to Scotland. The town proved to be a difficult retreat route, however, as the people of Sandbach and the market stallholders attacked the Scottish army. A newspaper of the time said:

The dispute was very hot for two or three houres, and there were some townsmen hurt and two or three slaine, the Townesman slew about nine or ten and tooke 100 prisoners.

This was the only notable event of the Civil War to have happened in Sandbach. As the fair and the fight took place on the

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

of the town, after this event the common gained the name Scotch Common. In 1836 Sandbach silk mills employed 554 people, including 98 boys and girls under 12 years old. In 1801 the population was 1,844; by 1851 this had reached 4,659. The town centre is shown on an 1840 map. Sandbach became a civil parish in 1866. The records from 1901 show a population of 5,568. The Sandbach Corn Mill was a three-story brick building built in the late 19th century, on what is now Mill Hill Lane. In 1933 the ERF lorry company was founded. In 1936 parts of the area of

Bradwall Bradwall is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, about northwest of Sandbach in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, and about south of Manchester. According to the United ...

, all of Elton and Wheelock were added, significantly increasing the size of the parish. The hamlets transferred from Bradwall were Boothlane Head, Brickhouses, Ettiley Heath, Forge Fields, Hindheath, Elworth and Marsh Green. By 1951 the population had reached 9,253. During Warship Week in December 1941 Sandbach adopted HMS ''Vimiera'' as its affiliated ship. The ''Vimiera'' was lost on 9 January 1942 when it was sunk by a mine in the

Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...

off East Spile Buoy with the loss of 96 hands.

Governance

Sandbach hosts the administrative headquarters for Cheshire East Council. For the Cheshire East unitary authority elections the town is divided into two wards. From 1875 until 1894 Sandbach was governed by Sandbach Urban Sanitary District. Between 1894 and 1974 the town was governed by Sandbach Urban District Council. In 1974, it was merged with other urban and rural councils to form

Congleton Borough Council Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town is by the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 26,482. Topo ...

, which was later dissolved on 31 March 2009. The new authority Cheshire East took over its responsibilities and those of Cheshire County Council on 1 April 2009. Sandbach Town Council has jurisdiction over the parish of Sandbach, not just the town. All meetings are held in the Town Hall. For the purposes of the town council and borough council elections Sandbach is divided into four wards: Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock, Sandbach Heath and East, and Town Ward, and town councillors are elected for terms of four years. A partnership of groups forms the Sandbach Partnership, which is part of the South East Cheshire Enterprise (SECE).

Constituencies

The town is in the Congleton constituency and the current MP is

Fiona Bruce Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader, and television presenter. She joined the BBC as a researcher for '' Panorama'' in 1989, and has since become the first female newsreader on the ''BBC News at Ten' ...

. Before the 2010 General Election the town's MP was

Ann Winterton Jane Ann, Lady Winterton (''née'' Hodgson; born 6 March 1941 in Sutton Coldfield) is a retired British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Congleton from 1983 to 2010. She is married to Sir Nicholas Winter ...

, who served the constituency since 1983. Before its current constituency, Sandbach has been part of five other constituencies: South Cheshire from 1832 to 1867, Mid Cheshire from 1868 to 1885, Crewe from 1885 to 1948, Knutsford from 1949 to 1954 and Crewe from 1955 to 1974.

Geography

As with most of the United Kingdom, Sandbach has an oceanic climate. The land area of Sandbach (including its four settlements) totals about 10.7 square kilometres (4.1 sq mi). The distance from London to Sandbach is . The nearest large town is Crewe, which is 6 miles (10 km) to the south-west by road and can be reached either via the A534 Wheelock/Haslington bypass or via Winterley and Haslington. The nearest city is

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

in the neighbouring county of

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

, approximately away by road. The town is served by the

M6 motorway The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 and the western end of the A14 at ...

, junction 17 and Sandbach Station on the

Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

mainline.

Landmarks

The

are an important historical feature on the cobbled market square: the two Saxon crosses, reportedly built in the 7th, 8th or 9th century, constitute a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

. A plaque near the crosses reads: :Saxon crosses completed in the 9th century to commemorate the advent of Christianity in this Kingdom of Mercia about AD 653 in the reign of the Saxon king Penda. They were restored in 1816 by Sir John Egerton after destruction by iconoclasts. Sandbach is also home to many

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

s, including Sandbach School, St Mary's Church and the

Old Hall Hotel The Old Hall Hotel is a hotel in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, and is one of the oldest buildings in the town. The current building dates from the Restoration period, built around and incorporating an earlier fortified tower. According to the ''De ...

. Many of the local public houses, which were formerly stage coach stops, are listed, for example the Lower Chequer. Many of the buildings of the town were designed by the renowned architect

Sir George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

; he designed Sandbach Literary Institution, Sandbach School, St John's, Sandbach Heath and the Almshouses. He also restored St Mary's Church. The town has

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

and

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

churches.

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...

has designated Sandbach Flashes, a group of 14 separate waterbodies, as a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

(SSSI), described as: :"a site of physiographical and biological importance. It consists of a series of pools formed as a result of subsidence due to the solution of underlying salt deposits ..that show considerable variation in their plant and animal communities". At least 225 species of bird have been recorded on the Flashes.

Economy

Sandbach has been a market town since 1579 when it was granted a

. Today the Thursday market is still held outdoors on Scotch Common, and in and around Sandbach Town Hall. Sandbach is probably best known as the original home of both Foden and ERF lorries, both companies founded by members of the Foden family. Neither company now exists in Sandbach, having been taken over and production moved elsewhere. As of 2007 there is no trace of Fodens within Sandbach, with the former mansion home of the Foden family at Westfields being demolished to make way for a new council building. However, Foden's Brass Band, originally created for employees, is still based in Sandbach. There is also a farmers' market which takes place on the second Saturday of each calendar month. There are a number of shops and bars concentrated in the town centre. Sandbach is now in large part a dormitory town for the adjacent conurbations of

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wir ...

and

the Potteries The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing the six towns Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall, which is now the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. North Staffordshire became a centre of ...

. A large number of people work at Cheshire East Council, which has its headquarters at Westfields. There is light industry, manufacturing and warehouses at Millbuck Industrial Area.

Transport

The town is served by Sandbach railway station, on the Crewe to Manchester Line, which is located to the west of the town in Elworth. Services are operated by

Northern Trains Northern Trains, branded as Northern, (legally Northern Trains Limited) is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail N ...

between

Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...

and

Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool Lime Street is a terminus railway station and the main station serving the city centre of Liverpool. Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world. A branch of the West Coast ...

. Trains operate generally twice an hour in both directions; northbound services alternate between trains to Manchester (via Stockport) and to Liverpool (via Styal and Manchester). There is a branch line north of the station leading to

Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...

, which is mainly used by goods traffic and express passenger trains heading to

. Some organisations have been campaigning to restore a local passenger service between Northwich and Crewe. Pressure of road traffic going from

has forced the building of a bypass for Sandbach, Wheelock, Wheelock Heath, Winterley and Haslington for the A534. This is largely due to the

which has a junction (J17) at Sandbach, which is close to the

RoadChef Roadchef is a company which operates 21 motorway service areas in the United Kingdom. It is the third-largest motorway service area operator in the country, behind Moto and Welcome Break and followed by Extra. History Roadchef was founded in ...

service station. Local bus services are provided by Arriva Midlands and D&G Bus.

Public services

In Sandbach water services are provided by

United Utilities United Utilities Group plc (UU), the United Kingdom's largest listed water company, was founded in 1995 as a result of the merger of North West Water and NORWEB. The group manages the regulated water and waste water network in North West Engla ...

. Healthcare is provided at Ashfields Primary Care Centre. The primary care centre is overseen by Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust. The nearest local hospital is

Leighton Hospital Leighton Hospital is a hospital located to the northwest of the town of Crewe in the county of Cheshire, England. It is managed by the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History Built at a cost of £6 million, Leighton Hospital was off ...

in Crewe. Sandbach is served by the North West Ambulance Service. Policing is provided by Cheshire Constabulary. Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service runs the fire station in the town.

Education

Primary schools

The following primary schools are in Sandbach Town and Civil Parish. * Sandbach Community Primary School * Offley Primary School * Sandbach Heath St John's CE Primary School *Wheelock Primary School *Elworth Church of England Primary School *Elworth Hall Primary School

Secondary schools

Sandbach School was founded as a parish

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

for boys in 1677. The school became a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

for boys after 1955. In 1979 the school became an independent comprehensive boys school, with charitable status, funded by Cheshire Local Education Authority but controlled by a board of governors. In September 2011, Sandbach School became a free school, one of the first free schools to be established in England. The school also contains a sixth form which is open to both boys and girls. Within Sandbach there is also a girls comprehensive school, Sandbach High. It was originally the town's mixed

secondary modern A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usuall ...

when Sandbach School served as the boys' grammar school, but has been a single-sex comprehensive since 1979. It now has a college attached to it, which accepts boys as well as girls and offers a more vocational side of education along with A levels.

Cadets

1873 (Sandbach) Squadron is the local squadron of the Air Training Corps. Founded in 1952, it is part of Staffordshire Wing and the West Midlands Reserve Forces. Cadets here parade twice a week; Wednesdays and Fridays from 19:15 to 21:30. The squadron usually parades about 20–30 cadets per parade night. 24 Sandbach Detachment, Cheshire

Army Cadet Force The Army Cadet Force (ACF), generally shortened to Army Cadets, is a national youth organisation sponsored by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and the British Army. Along with the Sea Cadet Corps and the Air Training Corps, the ACF mak ...

is based in the Army Cadet Centre behind the police station. Meeting every Monday and Thursday evening 19:30 – 21:30 hrs Sandbach Fire Station Cadets consists of around 20 young people and meet every Tuesday evening. The

Combined Cadet Force The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, and normally includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a ...

(CCF) is based at Sandbach School.

Culture

Sandbach has an annual transport festival which usually takes place during April. It originally started in 1992 as ‘Transport Through the Ages Parade', and was such a success that it became an annual event; since its inception it has been run alongside the National Town Criers' competition. The Festival is run by an organising committee made up of local councils and volunteers. Foden's Brass Band is still based in the town, despite the truck manufacturer from which it derives its name no longer having a presence. In 2008 Foden's became British Open Brass Band Champions. The Lions Youth Brass Band and Roberts Bakery Band are also based in the town. Sandbach Voices is a local choir that was founded in 1947 and is a registered charity. The choir's mission is to bring choral music into the community, and it regularly stages concerts, often in Sandbach Town Hall or at St Mary's Church.

Sandbach Concert Series The Sandbach Concert Series is a series of eight monthly concerts per year, that takes place in Sandbach, Cheshire. Each event begins with a Spotlight Concert that showcases a number of young musicians from local schools, before the main concert ...

features classical, jazz and brass music. At the end of November every year the Christmas lights are turned on by the chairman of the town council.

Media

Local newspapers distributed in Sandbach include ''The Chronicle'' (Sandbach & Middlewich edition), published on Wednesdays (and now incorporated into the ''

Crewe Chronicle The ''Crewe Chronicle'', originally known as the ''Crewe and Nantwich Chronicle'', is a UK weekly newspaper first published on 21 March 1874. It was founded by the editor of the ''Chester Chronicle'' as a Radical alternative to the Tory A To ...

''); the Chronicle Series paper ''Sandbach Chronicle'', published on Thursdays; ''Crewe Guardian'' on Thursdays; the ''South Cheshire Advertiser''; and the daily ''Sentinel'' (Cheshire edition). ''The Saxon'' is a free 8-page bimonthly delivered to 7,000 homes, and the ''Sandbach & District Talking Newspaper'' is a weekly local talking newspaper aimed at assisting the visually impaired, with over 1000 issues since the first in December 1986. South Cheshire is served by

BBC Radio Stoke BBC Radio Stoke is the BBC's local radio station serving Staffordshire and South Cheshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, Freeview and via BBC Sounds from studios in the Hanley area of Stoke-on-Trent. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekl ...

. It is also in the broadcast area of Cheshire FM,

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its eas ...

based Silk FM and

-based

Signal 1 Signal 1 is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Staffordshire and South Cheshire. As of September 2022, the station has a weekly audience of 172,000 listeners a ...

and

Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from studios in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, to Staffordshire and Cheshire. The station was owned by Wireless Group and ran a "gold format" playlist. I ...

Sport

The local football club is Sandbach United, an "FA Charter Standard Community Club" which has over 40 teams and 600 players aged from 5 through to veteran. The club was founded in 2004 when Sandbach Albion and Sandbach Ramblers merged. In 2009 it completed work with the borough council in developing its new sports facility. The first team turned semi-professional and were promoted to the North West Counties League within the English non-league football pyramid at step 6 in 2016, reaching the league cup final and a play-off position in their first season. Other local teams include Sandbach Curshaws and Sandbach Town, who play in the Crewe & District Football League. The local rugby union club is Sandbach RUFC. The club is the largest sports club in the area. Sandbach 1st XV play in the RFU National 3 Midlands; many levels higher than other local rivals. Currently at Level 5, they are one of the few truly amateur clubs in the RFU National League structure. Many old boys have gone on to play Premiership and International Rugby. Sandbach Rugby Club offers playing opportunities for both sexes of all ages. Every Tuesday evening at 7.00pm the club offers Social Touch (a non-contact game) to all adults. Touch rugby is open to the public and is free of charge. The local cricket club is Sandbach Cricket Club. In 2008 the First XI won the Cheshire Cricket Alliance League – Division 1 on the last day of the season to gain promotion to the Meller Braggins League – Division 3. Another local side is Elworth Cricket Club which plays in the North Staffs & South Cheshire Cricket League – Championship Division 1. The Club operates 5 senior teams, a midweek team and 9 junior teams at U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17 levels. Sandbach Squash Club enters two teams in the North West Counties League. There are two golf clubs in Sandbach. Sandbach Golf Club is located on Middlewich Road, approximately ½ a mile west of the town centre. It was founded in 1895 and is a challenging 9-hole parkland course (with 16 tees) welcoming both members and visitors during the week and at weekends. Malkins Bank Golf Course is an 18-hole course formerly operated by Cheshire East Council. Sandbach also has a thriving darts league – with both men's and ladies' leagues playing in most of the many pubs in the area. Sandbach Leisure Centre is on Middlewich Road and is run by Cheshire East Council. Sandbach School offers community sports facilities.

Notable people

* John M. Allegro (1923–1988), an English archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, lived and died in Sandbach * Sir John Barlow, 1st Baronet (1857–1932), Liberal Party politician. * Alfred Barratt (1844–1881), philosophical writer, went to school in Sandbach. * Derek Macintosh "Blaster" Bates (1923–2006), demolition expert. *

Karl Beattie Karl Beattie is an English television director, producer and cameraman. Beattie and wife Yvette Fielding co-own and run Antix Productions. Career Karl Beattie's documented life has references to him teaching martial arts within the US. In 2002, ...

(born 1963), an English television director, producer and cameraman who lives in Sandbach *

John Brereton, 4th Baron Brereton John Brereton (1659–1718) was an English baron in the Peerage of Ireland. He was born on 2 December 1659, the son of the William Brereton, 3rd Baron Brereton, and his wife Frances Willoughby. He lived at Brereton Hall near Sandbach, Cheshire ...

(1659–1718), an English baron in the Peerage of Ireland, lived at Brereton Hall * Denise Coates CBE (born 1967), an English billionaire businesswoman, the founder and joint chief executive of Bet365, lives in Betchton * David Eastwood (b. 1959), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, was educated at Sandbach School. * Yvette Fielding (b. 1968), TV presenter, lives near Sandbach. * Edwin Foden (1841–1911), vehicle manufacturer. * Neil and Rob Gibbons, (b. 1976 or 77), screenwriters * Sir George Ernest Haynes (1902–1983), director of the

National Council of Social Service The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Social and Family Development of the Government of Singapore The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore to mean the ...

, was educated at Sandbach School. * Samuel Henshall (1764/65–1807),

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined ...

, was baptised in Sandbach. * The Rt Revd

William James William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher, historian, and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James is considered to be a leading thinker of the lat ...

(1542 in Sandbach – 1617), an English academic and bishop *

Charles Latham Sir Charles George Latham (26 January 1882 – 26 August 1968), often shortened to simply C. G. Latham, was an Australian politician, former leader of the opposition in Western Australia and the 10th President of the Western Australian Legisla ...

MRCS LSA (1816–1907), physician, recognised by public memorial statue. * George William Latham (1827–1886), English landowner and barrister. * John Latham (1761–1843), physician, bought an estate in Sandbach.Norman Moore, ‘Latham, John (1761–1843)', rev. Anita McConnell, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 23 October 2011
/ref> * John Latham (1787–1853), magistrate and poet, is buried at Sandbach. *

Peter Mere Latham Peter Mere Latham (1789–1875) was an English physician and "a great medical educator". Life The son of John Latham (1761–1843), he was born on 1 July 1789 in London. Described as "a very delicate child", he attended Sandbach School where he ...

(1789–1875), physician, son of John Latham (1761–1843), was educated at Sandbach School. * Sir Charles Lidbury (1880–1978), president

Institute of Bankers The London Institute of Banking & Finance is the oldest training and professional body for banking and financial services in England and Wales, and works internationally with partners to establish ethical and professional standards across th ...

(1939–46), worked in Sandbach. * Fred Mortimer (1880–1953), brass band conductor, Foden's Brass Band. * Harry Mortimer (1902–1992), brass band conductor, Foden Brass Band musician, Professor of trumpet at

RNCM The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education, ...

. *

Henry Newcome Henry Newcome (November 1627 – 17 September 1695) was an English nonconformist preacher and activist. Life Henry Newcome was born at Caldecote, Huntingdonshire, the fourth son of Stephen Newcome, rector of Caldicote. He was baptised on 27 ...

(1627–1695), clergyman, was ordained as Presbyterian minister in Sandbach. * Wally Oakes GC (1932–1965), a BR train driver who died from fatal burns after staying in his cab to stop his damaged train, lived at Wheelock Heath * Anthony Palmer VC (1819 Brereton Green – 1892), an English recipient of the Victoria Cross * Ivor Armstrong Richards (1893–1979), English literary critic. * George Roper (1934–2003),

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

, lived in the town at the time of his death. * William Steele (1610–1680), Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was born in Sandbach.

Sport

* Matt Beesley (born 1992 in Sandbach) an English rugby union player, currently playing at Northampton Saints *

Philip Dunkley Philip Dunkley (born 3 March 1951) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman who played for Cheshire. He was born in Sandbach, Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales ...

(b. 1951), English cricketer. * Thomas Hilditch (1885 in Sandbach – 1957), an English first-class cricketer * Charles Kelly (1894–1969), footballer for Tranmere Rovers and Stoke. * Frank Roberts (1893–1961),

Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

footballer. * Bert Sproston (1914–2000), former England footballer, was signed by

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...

from Sandbach Ramblers.Brian Glanville,
Bert Sproston
(Obituary), ''The Guardian'', Friday 4 February 2000. Retrieved 22 October 2011 * Barrie Wheatley, former English footballer, played for Sandbach Ramblers,

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, Crewe Alexandra, and

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Bor ...

References

;Bibliography * *
Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Sandbach Archaeological Assessment
2003, Cheshire County Council
Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Sandbach Archaeological Strategy
2003, Cheshire County Council

External links

Sandbach Town Council

Sandbach – Ancient Market Town

Cheshire Market Towns

Sandbach United Football Club

Sandbach United Community Football Centre

Sandbach Community Hub

at Sandbach Town Council *
Sandbach
Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Cheshire (1828–29) *
Sandbach
Kelly's Directory of Cheshire, 1902
Portable Antiquities Scheme Database: Sandbach

Sandbach in Welsh Newspapers online
{{authority control Market towns in Cheshire Civil parishes in Cheshire Towns in Cheshire

History

17th century to present day

Governance

Constituencies

Geography

Landmarks

Economy

Transport

Public services

Education

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Culture

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Notable people

Sport

See also

References

External links