Austerson is a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the unitary authority of
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council, which is based in the town of Sandbach. Other towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilms ...
and the ceremonial county of
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
, England, lying immediately south of the town of
Nantwich
Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture ...
and north of the village of
Audlem
Audlem ( ) is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cheshire, North West England. In 2021, it had a population of 1,832.
The largest village in southern Cheshire, Audlem is approximately south of Nantwich, just north of t ...
. Predominantly rural with scattered farms, the civil parish includes the small settlement of Old Hall Austerson at , about two miles south of Nantwich centre. In 2001, the total population was a little under 150, increasing to 194 at the 2011 Census. Nearby villages include
Broomhall Green,
Hack Green,
Hankelow,
Sound Heath and
Stapeley
Stapeley is a hamlet (at ) and former civil parish, now in the parish of Stapeley and District, in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet lies 2¼ miles to the south east of Nantw ...
.
History
Austerson derives from the Saxon ''Essetune'', meaning "Aelfstan's Farm". The civil parish was originally a
township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
in the
ancient parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of
Acton in the
Nantwich Hundred; it was served by
St Mary's Church, Acton
St Mary's Church is an active Anglican parish church located in Monk's Lane, Acton, Cheshire, Acton, a village to the west of Nantwich, Cheshire, England. Since 1967 it has been designated a Grade I listed building. A church has been prese ...
. Major early landowners include the families of Bulkeley, Wettenhall, Praers and Bromley. In the late 15th century the land was acquired by Sir William Needham of
Shavington. Part of Austerson and the adjacent parish of
Baddington
Baddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies immediately to the south-west of Nantwich and north of Audlem. Predominantly rural with scattered farms, the civil ...
was forest until at least the mid-17th century, with wood being used as fuel for salt production in nearby
Nantwich
Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture ...
. A kiln field marked on tithe maps suggests that the parish formerly had a brick kiln. A small council estate was built between 1953 and 1965.
Governance
Austerson is administered by the Sound and District Parish Council. From 1974 the civil parish was served by
Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population (2001 census) of 111,007. It contained 69 ci ...
Borough Council, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the new
unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
of
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council, which is based in the town of Sandbach. Other towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilms ...
. Austerson falls in the parliamentary constituency of
Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population (2001 census) of 111,007. It contained 69 ci ...
, which has been represented by
Kieran Mullan
Kieran John Mullan (born 6 June 1984) is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bexhill and Battle. He was previously the MP for Crewe and Nantwich between 2019 and 2024. He has been Shadow Minister f ...
since 2019, and previously by
Gwyneth Dunwoody
Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody (née Phillips; 12 December 1930 – 17 April 2008) was a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe (later Crewe and Nantwich) from February ...
(1983–2008),
Edward Timpson
Anthony Edward Timpson, (born 26 December 1973) is a British former Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Eddisbury in Cheshire from 2019 to 2024.
Timpson was previously the MP for neighbouring Crewe ...
(2008–17) and
Laura Smith (2017–19).
Geography and transport
The civil parish has a total area of .
[Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council: Parish Statistics (downloaded fro]
5 April 2010) The
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1721 and the work, which included ...
forms much of the eastern boundary of the civil parish, and an unnamed brook forms part of the western boundary. The land is generally flat with an average elevation of around 50 metres, sloping downwards near the eastern boundary to the narrow river valley of the Weaver. There are several small meres and unnamed brooks. A narrow strip of broad-leaved woodland runs along a brook south of Dairy House Farm ().
[Cheshire County Council: Interactive Mapping: Austerson]
(accessed 27 January 2009)[Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 257]
The
A530 (Baddington Lane) runs immediately to the west of part of the north-western boundary of the civil parish. Coole Lane runs from the A530 north–south through the northern part of the civil parish. The
Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk
The Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk is a long-distance walkers' path in the Cheshire East area of Cheshire, England. As the name suggests, the walk forms a circuit around the towns of Crewe and Nantwich. It is one of two circular walks in ...
also runs broadly north–south through the northern part.
Demography
In 2006, the total population of the civil parish was estimated as 140.
The 2001 census recorded a population of 145, in 37 households. The historical population figures were 59 (1801), 55 (1851), 36 (1901), 68 (1951) and 114 (1971).
[Latham, p. 59]
Landmarks
Austerson Hall () is a farmhouse dating from the late 17th century. In brick with a roughcast finish, it follows a T-shaped plan and is
grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. Church House Farm () is an L-shaped, red-brick former farmhouse dating from around 1820. It has been used as a nursing home since 1989, and is also listed at grade II.
The
timber-framed
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
Elizabethan building of
Austerson Old Hall or Old Hall Farm was moved to
Alvanley
Alvanley is a small rural village and civil parish near Helsby, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village is on the B5393 road and near junction 14 of the M56 motorway. A ...
in 1974. A grade-II-listed barn remains which dates from the late 16th century, and is brick nogged with a timber frame.
Education
There are no educational facilities within the civil parish. The parish falls within the catchment areas of Sound and District Primary School in
Sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
and
Brine Leas High School in
Nantwich
Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture ...
.
Cheshire County Council: Interactive Mapping: Brine Leas High School
(accessed 27 January 2009)
See also
* Listed buildings in Austerson
References
Sources
*Latham FA, ed. ''Acton'' (The Local History Group; 1995) ()
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Villages in Cheshire
Civil parishes in Cheshire