Whats in a Name?
Some of the history of the area reflected in local place names:-
Hartford
The name of the village itself was probably derived from a deer crossing over the River Weaver.
The Coachman
A name which identifies with the pub's history as a staging post on the Chester Turnpike (there is still a turnpike milestone on Chester Road - see the listed buildings section). The inn provided an important stopping point for travellers by coach. Built to serve the new Hartford railway station on the Grand Junction Railway that opened in 1837, it was originally called the Hartford Station Inn. It became the Railway Inn in 1891, the Station Hotel in 1903 and finally The Coachman in 1971. It was a Free House until 1926.
The Red Lion
This was once called the White Lion and there was a Red Lion pub on the north side of Chester Road opposite the war memorial. The White Lion was renamed by its new landlord who moved from the original Red Lion when it closed - some time after 1857.
At one time it was the home of the village's fire fighting equipment and the fire bell still survives on the wall outside.
Littledales Lane
The lane was named after Mr John Bolton Littledale who lived in Sandiway Bank circa 1900 (presently known as Sandiway House and used as the offices of AMEC). He was a landowner, a magistrate and a keen huntsman with the Cheshire Hunt; also giving his name to Littledales Covert, a small wood between Hartford and Sandiway. In the 1881 census he is shown as a retired broker from Liverpool. He was born in 1823 and died in 1889. He is buried in Hartford churchyard and a window at the west end of St John's Church was given by his friends and dedicated to his memory.
Chester Road
An obvious one, but it's easy to forget that, before the days of the bypass, this was the main road from Chester to Manchester and hence the road to London. It was originally a Roman Road that was an extension of Watling Street.
Marshall's Arm Nature Reserve
The name comes from the Marshall family who lived in Hartford Greenbank Manor from the early 1700s until the early 1900s. They were involved in the salt trade for five generations before the business was sold in the late 1800s. The "Arm" is the old course of the River Weaver that was cut off when, between the 1730s and the end of the century, the river was straightened and locks built in order to allow the passage of larger commercial barges.
River Weaver
Weaver originates from the Old English word "wefer" meaning "wandering stream".
