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Coordinates: 53°05′56″N 2°26′24″W / 53.099°N 2.44°W / 53.099; -2.44
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{{about|the town in North West England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name = Crewe
|country = England
|type = Town
|official_name= Crewe
|King= Samuel Evans
| static_image_name = {{multiple image
|border = infobox
|Queen= Emma Hewitt
|welsh_name = Cryw
|total_width = 280
|image_style = border:1;
|latitude= 53.099
|perrow = 1/2/2
|longitude= -2.44
|image1 = Crewe Municipal Buildings - geograph.org.uk - 1546693.jpg
|population = 83,650
|image2 = Crewe (24310910094).jpg
|population_ref = + ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]])
|image3 = Voyager to Preston - geograph.org.uk - 3281944.jpg
|civil_parish= Crewe
|image4 = Crewe Arms Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 1409408.jpg
|unitary_england= [[Cheshire East]]
|image5 = Crewe Market Hall (1).JPG
|lieutenancy_england= [[Cheshire]]
|region= North West England
|constituency_westminster= [[Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe and Nantwich]]
|post_town= CREWE
|postcode_district = CW1, CW2, CW3, CW4, CW98
|postcode_area= CW
|dial_code= 01270
|os_grid_reference= SJ705557
|london_distance= {{convert|174|mi|km|0|abbr=on}}
|static_image= [[File:Crewe Market Hall.jpg|240px]]
|static_image_caption= Crewe town centre looking towards the Market Hall (mainly red brick building).
}}
}}
| static_image_caption = Clockwise, from top: [[Crewe Municipal Buildings]], [[Crewe railway station]], Market Hall, [[Crewe Arms Hotel]] and Crewe Town Clock
'''Crewe''' is a [[railway town]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] within the [[unitary authority|unitary authority area]] of [[Cheshire East]] and the ceremonial county of [[Cheshire]], England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683. Crewe is perhaps best known as a large railway junction and home to [[Crewe Works]], for many years a major railway engineering facility for manufacturing and overhauling locomotives, but now much reduced in size. From 1946 until 2002 it was also the home of [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] motor car production. The Pyms Lane factory on the west of the town now produces [[Bentley]] motor cars exclusively.
| static_image_width = 280
|coordinates = {{Coord|53.099|-2.44|display=inline,title}}
|population = 76,437
|population_ref = (built-up area, [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])<ref name="CPBUA">{{cite web |title=CREWE in Cheshire East (North West England) Built-up Area Subdivision |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/cheshire_east/E35001040__crewe/ |publisher=City Population |access-date=5 February 2023}}</ref>
|os_grid_reference = SJ705557
|london_distance = {{convert|147|mi|km}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Coordinate Distance Calculator |url=http://boulter.com/gps/distance/?from=53.099+-2.44&to=51.507+-0.127&units=m |work=boulter.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308225319/http://boulter.com/gps/distance/?from=53.099+-2.44&to=51.507+-0.127&units=m |archive-date=8 March 2016 |access-date=8 March 2016}}</ref>
|london_direction = SE
|civil_parish = Crewe
|unitary_england = [[Cheshire East]]
|lieutenancy_england = [[Cheshire]]
|region = North West England
|country = England
|post_town = CREWE
|postcode_district = CW1, CW2
|postcode_area = CW
|dial_code = 01270
|constituency_westminster = [[Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe and Nantwich]]
|website = [https://www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk Crewe Town Council]
}}

'''Crewe''' ({{IPAc-en|k|r|uː|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Crewe.wav}}) is a [[railway town]] and [[civil parish]] in the unitary authority of [[Cheshire East]] in [[Cheshire]], England. The civil parish of Crewe had a population of 55,318 in the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]].<ref name="CPpar">{{cite web |title=CREWE Parish in North West England |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/admin/cheshire_east/E04012281__ |publisher=City Population |access-date=5 February 2023}}</ref> The larger Crewe built-up area, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of [[Willaston, Cheshire East|Willaston]], [[Shavington cum Gresty]] and [[Wistaston]], had a total population of 76,437 in 2021.<ref name="CPBUA"/>

Crewe is perhaps best known as a large railway junction and home to [[Crewe Works]]; for many years, it was a major railway engineering facility for manufacturing and overhauling locomotives, but now much reduced in size. From 1946 until 2002, it was also the home of [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] motor car production. The [[Pyms Lane factory]] on the west of the town now exclusively produces [[Bentley]] motor cars. Crewe is {{convert|158|mi|abbr=}} northwest of [[London]], {{convert|28|mi|abbr=}} south of [[Manchester]] city centre, and {{convert|31|mi|abbr=}} southeast of [[Liverpool]] city centre.


==History==
==History==
{{further2|[[History of Cheshire]]}}
{{further|History of Cheshire}}


=== Medieval ===
Although the name ''Creu'' first appears in the [[Domesday Book]], the modern urban settlement of Crewe was not formally planned out until 1843 by [[Joseph Locke]] to consolidate the "railway colony" that had grown up since around 1840–41 in the area near to the [[Crewe railway station|railway junction station opened in 1837]], even though it was called Crewe by many, from the start.<ref name="2003hist">{{cite web | last = | first = |title= Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Crewe – Archaeological Assessment |url= http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/visiting/heritage/archaeology/archaeology_planning_advisory/historic_towns_survey/historic_towns_survey_reports/idoc.ashx?docid=e3527012-1bd3-4b98-bb7e-c213b3bf0c8d&version=-1 |year= 2003 |publisher = [[Cheshire County Council]] & [[English Heritage]] |accessdate= 25 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|pp=7, 10, 16}}; {{Harvtxt|Chambers|2007|pp=76, 94}}</ref> Crewe was thus named after the railway station, rather than the other way round.
The name derives from an [[Old Welsh]] word ''criu'', meaning '[[weir]]' or 'crossing'.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tXucAQAAQBAJ&q=crewe+welsh+weir&pg=PA138|title=A Dictionary of British Place-Names|last=Mills|first=David|date=20 October 2011|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=9780199609086|access-date=19 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120005607/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tXucAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=crewe+welsh+weir&source=bl&ots=D1pm97BrvO&sig=UGBNOx93gbidhi2CsLwYLs8BqQg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim4L-zr7XQAhWpL8AKHY3sBTE4FBDoAQgaMAA#v=onepage&q=crewe%20welsh%20weir&f=false|archive-date=20 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The earliest record is in the [[Domesday Book]], where it is written as ''Creu''. The original settlement of Crewe lies to the east of the modern town. It was a [[Township (England)|township]] in the parish of [[Barthomley]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Crewe Township / Civil Parish |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10156002 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Youngs|1991|pp=15–16}}; {{Harvtxt|Dunn|1987|p=26}}; {{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|p=10}}</ref> The original settlement of Crewe later became known as [[Crewe Green]] to distinguish it from the newer town to its west.


=== Modern ===
Crewe was founded in the township of Monks Coppenhall which, with the township of Church Coppenhall, formed the [[Ancient parishes of Cheshire|ancient parish of Coppenhall]].<ref>{{Harvtxt|Youngs|1991|pp=15–16}}; {{Harvtxt|Dunn|1989|p=26}}; {{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|p=10}}</ref> The railway station was named after the ''[[Crewe Green|township of Crewe]]'' (then, part of the ancient parish of [[Barthomley]]) in which it was located.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Youngs|1991|p=16}}; {{Harvtxt|Chambers|2007|pp=76, 94}}</ref> Eventually, the ''township of Crewe'' became a civil parish in its own right also named, rather confusingly, Crewe.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Youngs|1991|p=16}}</ref> This civil parish changed its name to Crewe Green in 1974 to avoid confusion with the adjacent town, which had been made a municipal borough in 1877.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/chs/crewe1.html |title=Crewe (near Wybunbury) |publisher=GENUKI (UK & Ireland Genealogy) |accessdate=3 February 2009 |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref>
[[File:Municipal Buildings, Crewe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Crewe Municipal Buildings]]]]
The town of Crewe owes its existence to [[Crewe railway station]], which opened in 1837 on the [[Grand Junction Railway]]. When the route for the railway was being planned, alternative routes and locations for the main station in this area were considered; [[Winsford]], 7 miles (11&nbsp;km) to the north, had rejected an earlier proposal, as had local landowners in neighbouring [[Nantwich]], 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) away. The company then settled on the route through Crewe and the station was built in fields near [[Crewe Hall]]. The station was in the township of Crewe, but the land north-west of the station was in the neighbouring township of Monks Coppenhall, which formed part of the parish of [[St Michael's Church, Coppenhall|Coppenhall]].


The company built its main [[Crewe railway works|locomotive works]] to the north of Crewe railway station, and a "[[railway town|railway colony]]" soon started developing in the area north-west of the station. In 1840 [[Joseph Locke]], chief engineer of the Grand Junction Railway, produced plans for a new town there. The railway company built much of the early town itself in the 1840s and 1850s.<ref name=guardian>{{citation|url=https://www.theguardian.com/Columnists/Column/0,,1658974,00.html|newspaper=The Guardian|title=The beauty of Crewe|date=6 December 2005|access-date=10 August 2007|location=London|first=Jonathan|last=Glancey}}</ref> Although the nascent town was in the township of Monks Coppenhall rather than the Crewe township, it was known as Crewe from the start.<ref name="2003hist">{{cite web|title =Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Crewe – Archaeological Assessment|url =http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/visiting/heritage/archaeology/archaeology_planning_advisory/historic_towns_survey/historic_towns_survey_reports/idoc.ashx?docid=e3527012-1bd3-4b98-bb7e-c213b3bf0c8d&version=-1|year =2003|publisher =[[Cheshire County Council]] & [[English Heritage]]|access-date =25 August 2010|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20111003092227/http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/visiting/heritage/archaeology/archaeology_planning_advisory/historic_towns_survey/historic_towns_survey_reports/idoc.ashx?docid=e3527012-1bd3-4b98-bb7e-c213b3bf0c8d&version=-1|archive-date =3 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|pp=7, 10, 16}}; {{Harvtxt|Chambers|2007|pp=76, 94}}</ref> The modern town of Crewe was thus named after the railway station, rather than the other way round.
The railway station remained part of the civil parish of Crewe, outside the boundary of the municipal borough until 1936.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|p=10}}</ref> So, throughout its history, the town of Crewe has neither been part of, nor has it encompassed first the ''township of Crewe'', later the ''civil parish of Crewe'', and later still the ''civil parish of Crewe Green'' adjacent to it, even though these places were the direct origin of the name of the town via the railway station which was also not part of the town before 1936. An old, local riddle describes the somewhat unusual states of affairs: "The place which is Crewe is not Crewe, and the place which is not Crewe is Crewe."<ref name=changeatcrewe>{{Harvtxt|Curran|Gilsenan|Owen|Owen|1984|p=2}}</ref>


In 1859 the township of Monks Coppenhall was made a [[Local board of health|local board district]], giving the town its first form of local government.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22321|page=3923|date=1 November 1859}}</ref> The district's name was changed from Monks Coppenhall to Crewe in 1869.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chaloner |first1=William Henry |title=The social and economic development of Crewe, 1780–1923 |date=1950 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |isbn=9780678007549 |page=105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I4vQAAAAIAAJ |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Supplemental Act 1870 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/33-34/114/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref> Townships were redefined as [[civil parish]]es in 1866, and whilst the local board district was renamed in 1869 the civil parish was not. As such, there was a Crewe district which contained the parish of Monks Coppenhall, but did not contain the parish of Crewe.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Youngs|1991|p=16}}; {{Harvtxt|Chambers|2007|pp=76, 94}}</ref> An old, local riddle describes the somewhat unusual states of affairs: "The place which is Crewe is not Crewe, and the place which is not Crewe is Crewe."<ref name=changeatcrewe>{{Harvtxt|Curran|Gilsenan|Owen|Owen|1984|p=2}}</ref>
Until the [[Grand Junction Railway]] (GJR) company chose Crewe as the site for its [[Crewe railway works|locomotive works]] and [[Crewe railway station|railway station]] in the late 1830s, Crewe was a village with a population (c. 1831) of just 70 residents.<ref name=guardian>{{citation |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1658974,00.html |newspaper=The Guardian |title=The beauty of Crewe |date=6 December 2005 |accessdate=10 August 2007 | location=London | first=Jonathan | last=Glancey |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref> [[Winsford]], 7 miles (11&nbsp;km) to the north, had rejected an earlier proposal, as had local landowners in neighbouring [[Nantwich]], 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) away. Crewe railway station was built in fields near to [[Crewe Hall]] and was completed in 1837.


[[File:Crewe War Memorial 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Crewe War Memorial]]
[[File:Crewe War Memorial 2007.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Crewe War Memorial]]
The population expanded rapidly to reach 40,000 by 1871.<ref name=guardian /> In 1877 the Crewe local board district was incorporated to become a [[municipal borough]]. The town has a large park, [[Queen's Park, Crewe|Queen's Park]] (laid out by engineer [[Francis Webb (engineer)|Francis Webb]]), the land for which was donated by the [[London and North Western Railway]], the successor to the GJR. It has been suggested that their motivation was to prevent the rival [[Great Western Railway]] building a station on the site, but the available evidence indicates otherwise.<ref>[http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens-1/crewe_area/queens_park,_crewe.aspx] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621045702/http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens-1/crewe_area/queens_park,_crewe.aspx|date=21 June 2015}} states: "This can now be totally dispelled as records show the LNWR Co. originally thought their line to [[Chester]] would run alongside the river. However, it was discovered the ground was not firm enough and a more northerly route was decided upon. Had the original thought gone ahead it would have taken the land that was eventually used for Queens Park. It is obvious that a rumour became mixed with a proposal to open a station on the present Chester line called Queens Park Halt. To further clarify the situation an entry on 18 December 1886, in the Minute Book of the board of directors of the LNWR, refers to the area being given for a public park."</ref>
A new town grew up, in the parishes of Monks Coppenhall and Church Coppenhall, alongside the increasingly busy station, with the population expanding to reach 40,000 by 1871. GJR chief engineer [[Joseph Locke]] helped lay out the town.<ref name=guardian />


Webb took a great interest in local politics and was "the most influential individual in the town".<ref name=Redfern121>Redfern, p.121</ref> "Described just before his retirement as 'the King of Crewe', Webb came to exercise control over the working lives of over 18,000 men - one third of the total LNWR workforce. Over half these lived in Crewe, around 8,000 being employed at the locomotive works. Several recreational and sporting organisations were a direct result of Webb's influence and others received benefit from his support."<ref name=Redfern121/> These included the LNWR Cricket Club (established in 1850) and the Crewe Alexandra Athletic Club (established in 1867).<ref>Redfern, p.119</ref> However, Webb's influence allegedly also extended to intimidation of [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] sympathisers. In September 1885, the editor of the ''[[Crewe Chronicle]]'' published charges against Webb, saying "That through the action, direct and indirect, of Tory railway officialism, the political life of Crewe is cramped and hindered beyond recognition".<ref name="Chaloner">{{cite book |last1=Chaloner |first1=William Henry |title=The Social and Economic Development of Crewe 1780-1923 |date=1950 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |pages=308–309}}</ref> In November 1889, [[Crewe Town Council]] debated a motion which accused LNWR managers of working with Crewe Tories "to crush Liberalism altogether out of the town": "... by intimidation and persecution of your Liberal workmen, and by making the chances of promotion depend upon subserviency to the Tory political demands of the Management, they have created a state of political serfdom in the works."<ref name="Chaloner"/> In December 1889, Liberal statesman [[William Ewart Gladstone]] wrote a letter to the ''Chronicle'' condemning the company's behaviour in the town.<ref name="Chaloner"/>
The town has a large park, [[Queen's Park, Crewe|Queen's Park]] (laid out by engineer [[Francis Webb (engineer)|Francis Webb]]), the land for which was donated by the [[London and North Western Railway]], the successor to the GJR. It has been suggested that their motivation was to prevent the rival [[Great Western Railway]] building a station on the site, but the available evidence indicates otherwise.<ref>[http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens-1/crewe_area/queens_park,_crewe.aspx] states: "This can now be totally dispelled as records show the LNWR Co. originally thought their line to [[Chester]] would run alongside the river. However, it was discovered the ground was not firm enough and a more northerly route was decided upon. Had the original thought gone ahead it would have taken the land that was eventually used for Queens Park. It is obvious that a rumour became mixed with a proposal to open a station on the present Chester line called Queens Park Halt. To further clarify the situation an entry on the 18th December, 1886, in the Minute Book of the board of directors of the LNWR, refers to the area being given for a public park."</ref>


The railway provided an endowment towards the building and upkeep of Christ Church. Until 1897 its vicar, non-conformist ministers and schoolteachers received concessionary passes, the school having been established in 1842. The company provided a doctor's surgery with a scheme of health insurance. A gasworks was built and the works water supply was adapted to provide drinking water and a [[public bath]]s. The railway also opened a cheese market in 1854 and a clothing factory for John Compton who provided the company uniforms, while [[McCorquodale]] of [[Liverpool]] set up a printing works.<ref name=guardian />
The railway provided an endowment towards the building and upkeep of Christ Church. Until 1897 its vicar, non-conformist ministers and schoolteachers received concessionary passes, the school having been established in 1842. The company provided a doctor's surgery with a scheme of health insurance. A gasworks was built and the works water supply was adapted to provide drinking water and a [[public bath]]s. The railway also opened a cheese market in 1854 and a clothing factory for John Compton who provided the company uniforms, while [[McCorquodale]] of [[Liverpool]] set up a printing works.


The railway station remained part of the neighbouring parish of Crewe rather than the borough of Crewe until 1936. The borough boundary was significantly enlarged in 1936 to absorb the parish of Church Coppenhall and parts of several other neighbouring parishes, including the area of Crewe parish around the railway station.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ollerhead|2008|p=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Crewe Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10003349 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref> The reduced Crewe parish to the east of the town formally changed its name to Crewe Green in 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cheshire |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221201173827/https://www.lgbce.org.uk/resources/database-of-local-government-orders/north-west/cheshire |website=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref>
During [[World War II]] the strategic presence of the railways and Rolls-Royce engineering works (turned over to producing aircraft engines) made Crewe a target for enemy air raids, and it was in the flight path to [[Liverpool Blitz|Liverpool]].<ref name=dwc1>{{cite book|title=Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945|year=1985|publisher=Cheshire County Council Countryside and Recreation|pages=47–48|isbn=0-906759-20-X}}</ref> The borough lost 35 civilians to these,<ref>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/CREWE,%20MUNICIPAL%20BOROUGH] CWGC civilian casualty record, Crewe Municipal Borough.</ref> the worst raid was on 29 August 1940 when some 50 houses were destroyed, close to the station.<ref name=dwc2>{{cite book|title=Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945|page=49}}</ref>


During [[World War II]] the strategic presence of the railways and Rolls-Royce engineering works (turned over to producing aircraft engines) made Crewe a target for enemy air raids, and it was in the flight path to [[Liverpool Blitz|Liverpool]].<ref name=dwc1>{{cite book|title=Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945|year=1985|publisher=Cheshire County Council Countryside and Recreation|pages=47–48|isbn=0-906759-20-X}}</ref> The borough lost 35 civilians to these.<ref>[https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/4003954/crewe,-municipal-borough/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004811/https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/4003954/crewe,-municipal-borough/|date=8 February 2018}} CWGC civilian casualty record, Crewe Municipal Borough.</ref> The worst raid was on 29 August 1940 when some 50 houses were destroyed, close to the station.<ref name=dwc2>{{cite book|title=Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945|page=49}}</ref>
[[Crewe crater]] on [[Mars]] is named after the town of Crewe. Crewe was described by author [[Alan Garner]] in his novel ''[[Red Shift (novel)|Red Shift]]'' as "the ultimate reality". [[Bill Bryson]] described Crewe as "the armpit of Cheshire" in his 1995 book ''[[Notes from a Small Island]]''.


[[Crewe crater]] on [[Mars]] is named after the town of Crewe. Crewe was described by author [[Alan Garner]] in his novel ''[[Red Shift (novel)|Red Shift]]'' as "the ultimate reality".
==Government==

[[File:Municipal Buildings, Crewe.jpg|thumb|right|Crewe Municipal Building – Home of the New [[Crewe Town Council]]]]
Crewe was mentioned in 1984 as the setting of the 19th episode ''The Flying Kipper'', in the [[Thomas & Friends (series 1)|first series of ''Thomas & Friends'']].

==Governance==
Crewe is within the United Kingdom [[Parliamentary constituency]] of [[Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe and Nantwich]]. Crewe is within the [[ceremonial county]] of [[Cheshire]].
Crewe is within the United Kingdom [[Parliamentary constituency]] of [[Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe and Nantwich]]. Crewe is within the [[ceremonial county]] of [[Cheshire]].


At local government level, Crewe is a community administered by [[Cheshire East|Cheshire East Council]] and, from 4 April 2013, by [[Crewe Town Council]].
Since April 2009 Crewe has been administered by the [[unitary authority]], [[Cheshire East|Cheshire East Council]]; at parish level, since 4 April 2013, local matters have been dealt with by [[Crewe Town Council]], which is based at 1 Chantry Court, Forge Street, Crewe, CW1 2DL.<ref>{{cite web |date= 7 May 2021|title=Crewe Town Council Contact Us |url=https://www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/contact-us/ |publisher=Crewe Town Council |accessdate=22 July 2022}}</ref>


Crewe applied for [[City status in the United Kingdom|City status]] as part of the [[Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1/11/2021 - Cheshire East Council supports town council's 'city status' bid |url=https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/cheshire-east-council-supports-town-councils-%27city-status%27-bid.aspx |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=www.cheshireeast.gov.uk}}</ref> The application was unsuccessful and Crewe remains a town.<ref name="Joyner-20May2022">{{cite news |last1=Joyner |first1=Lisa |title=Queen's Platinum Jubilee city status: 8 new cities created as part of celebrations |url=https://www.countryliving.com/uk/news/a38968502/city-status/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=Country Living |date=20 May 2022}}</ref>
==Economy==


==Climate==
[[File:Bentley Motors, Crewe - geograph.org.uk - 247611.jpg|thumb|300px|Bentley's Pyms Lane factory]]
Like most of the United Kingdom, Crewe has an [[oceanic climate]], with warm summers and cool winters and relatively little temperature change throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/europe/united-kingdom/england/crewe-46521/|title=Crewe Climate}}</ref>


==Economy==
The railways still play a part in local industry at [[Crewe Works]], which carries out train maintenance and inspection. It has been owned by [[Bombardier Transportation]] since 2001. At its height, the site employed over 20,000 people; in 2005 fewer than 1,000 remained, with a further 270 redundancies announced in November of that year. Much of the site once occupied by the works has been sold off and is now occupied by a supermarket, leisure park, and a large new health centre.
[[File:Bentley Motors, Crewe - geograph.org.uk - 247611.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Bentley]]'s [[Pyms Lane factory]]]]
The railways still play a part in local industry at [[Crewe Works]], which carries out train maintenance and inspection. It has been owned by [[Alstom]] since 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A transformational step for Alstom: completion of the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation |url=https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2021/1/transformational-step-alstom-completion-acquisition-bombardier |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Alstom |language=en}}</ref> At its height, the site employed over 20,000 people, but by 2005 fewer than 1,000 remained, with a further 270 redundancies announced in November of that year. Currently Alstom employs 6000 people across the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alstom in the UK and Ireland |url=https://www.alstom.com/uk-and-ireland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027044806/https://www.alstom.com/alstom-uk-and-ireland |archive-date=2023-10-27 |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Alstom}}</ref> Much of the site once occupied by the works has been sold and is now occupied by a supermarket, leisure park, and a large new health centre.


There is still an [[Crewe Electric TMD|electric locomotive maintenance depot]] to the north of the railway station, operated by [[DB Schenker Rail (UK)|DB Schenker Rail]]. The [[Crewe Diesel TMD|diesel locomotive maintenance depot]] is now closed and is used for storing surplus rolling stock.
There is still an [[Crewe Electric TMD|electric locomotive maintenance depot]] to the north of the railway station, operated by [[DB Cargo UK]]. The [[Crewe Diesel TMD|diesel locomotive maintenance depot]], having closed in 2003, reopened in 2015 as a maintenance facility for [[Locomotive Services Limited]], having undergone major structural repairs.<ref>Crewe Diesel depot is biggest loss as EWS prepares for closure ''[[Rail (magazine)|Rail]]'' issue 475 26 November 2003 page 6</ref><ref>Hosking to lease Crewe depot ''[[Railways Illustrated]]'' issue 135 May 2014 page 10</ref>


The [[Bentley]] car factory is on Pyms Lane to the west of town. As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.caranddriver.com/going-back-in-time-at-the-bentley-factory/|title=Going Back in Time at the Bentley Factory |date=10 May 2010 |author=Mark Gillies |publisher=Car and Driver blog |accessdate=25 June 2010 }}</ref> The factory used to produce [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] cars, until the licence for the brand transferred from Bentley's owners [[Volkswagen]] to rival [[BMW]] in 2003.
The [[Bentley]] [[Bentley Crewe|car factory is on Pyms Lane]] to the west of town. As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.caranddriver.com/going-back-in-time-at-the-bentley-factory/|title=Going Back in Time at the Bentley Factory|date=10 May 2010|author=Mark Gillies|publisher=Car and Driver blog|access-date=25 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809135049/http://blog.caranddriver.com/going-back-in-time-at-the-bentley-factory/|archive-date=9 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The factory used to produce [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] cars, until the licence for the brand transferred from Bentley's owners [[Volkswagen]] to rival [[BMW]] in 2003.


There is a [[BAE Systems Global Combat Systems]] [[ROF Radway Green|factory]] in the village of [[Radway Green]] near [[Alsager]], producing [[small arms]] ammunition for the British armed forces.
There is a [[BAE Systems Land & Armaments]] [[ROF Radway Green|factory]] in the village of [[Radway Green]] near [[Alsager]], producing [[small arms]] ammunition for the British armed forces.


The headquarters of [[Focus DIY]], which went into administration in 2011, was in the town. Off-licence chain [[Bargain Booze]] is also Crewe-based. It was bought-out in 2018 by Sir [[Anwar Pervez]]' conglomerate [[Bestway]] for £7m,<ref name="Fisher-06Apr2018">{{cite news|last1=Fisher|first1=Martyn|title=Bestway buys Bargain Booze|url=http://www.betterwholesaling.com/bestway-bargain-booze/|access-date=6 April 2018|work=Better Wholesaling|date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406232042/http://www.betterwholesaling.com/bestway-bargain-booze/|archive-date=6 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> putting drinks retailing alongside its Manchester-based [[Well Pharmacy]].
The headquarters of the off-licence chain Bargain Booze is in the town, as was the head office of [[Focus DIY|Focus DIY plc]], which went into administration in 2011.


There are a number of business parks around the town hosting light industry and offices. Crewe Business Park is a 67-acre site with offices, research and IT manufacturing. Major presences on the site include [[Air Products]], [[Barclay's Bank]] and [[Fujitsu|Fujitsu Services Ltd]]. The 12 acre Crewe Gates Industrial Estate is adjacent to Crewe Business Park, with smaller industry including the [[ice cream van]] manufacturer Whitby Morrison. The Weston Gate area has light industry and distribution. Marshfield Bank Employment Park is to the west of the town, and includes offices, manufacturing and distribution. There are industrial and light industrial units at Radway Green.
Several business parks around the town host light industry and offices. Crewe Business Park is a 67-acre site with offices, research and IT manufacturing. Major corporations with a presence in the park include [[Air Products]], [[Barclays]], and [[Fujitsu]]. The 12 acre Crewe Gates Industrial Estate is adjacent to Crewe Business Park, with smaller industry including the [[ice cream van]] manufacturer [[Whitby Morrison]]. The Weston Gate area has light industry and distribution. Marshfield Bank Employment Park is to the west of the town, and includes offices, manufacturing and distribution. There are industrial and light industrial units at Radway Green.


The town has two small shopping centres: the Victoria Centre and the Market Centre. There are indoor and outdoor markets throughout the week. Grand Junction Retail Park is just outside the centre of town. Nantwich Road provides a wide range of secondary local shops, with a variety of small retailers and estate agents.
The town has two small shopping centres: the Victoria Centre and the Market Centre. There are outdoor markets throughout the week. Grand Junction Retail Park is just outside the centre of town. Nantwich Road provides a wide range of secondary local shops, with a variety of small retailers and estate agents.


The Market Centre is the largest shopping centre in Crewe. It is situated in the heart of the town centre with 22 national retailers including River Island, Wilkinsons, Argos, Iceland and Dorothy Perkins. There are three large car parks nearby and Crewe Bus Station is a five-minutes walk from the shopping centre. It has a weekly footfall of approximately 100,000 visitors.
The Market Centre is the largest shopping centre in Crewe. It is situated in the heart of the town centre with a few national retailers, including [[B&M]], [[Poundstretcher]] and [[Peacocks (clothing)|Peacocks]]. There are three large car parks nearby and [[Crewe bus station]] is a five-minute walk from the shopping centre. It has a weekly footfall of approximately 100,000 visitors.


===Developments===
===Developments===
A planned redevelopment of Crewe's town centre, including the current bus station and main shopping area, was abandoned because of "difficult economic conditions" during 2008.<ref>{{citation|title=Developer confident of town upgrades in the face of downturn|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Developer-confident-town-upgrades-face-downturn/article-577729-detail/article.html|publisher=Staffordshire Sentinel News and Media|date=31 December 2008|access-date=3 February 2009}}</ref>


There were also plans to revamp the railway station which involved moving it to [[Basford, Cheshire|Basford]]. This was pending a public consultation by [[Network Rail]] scheduled for autumn 2008, but no such public consultation was done. The plan was abandoned and maintenance work was carried out on the current station instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Cuts-derail-plan-163-2m-station-facelift/article-2307470-detail/article.html|title=The Sentinel|access-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621010344/http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Cuts-derail-plan-163-2m-station-facelift/article-2307470-detail/article.html|archive-date=21 June 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
A planned redevelopment of Crewe's town centre, including the current bus station and main shopping area have currently been abandoned because of "difficult economic conditions".<ref>{{citation |title=Developer confident of town upgrades in the face of downturn |url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Developer-confident-town-upgrades-face-downturn/article-577729-detail/article.html |publisher=Staffordshire Sentinel News and Media |date=31 December 2008 |accessdate=3 February 2009 |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref>


Cheshire East Council developed a new regeneration master plan for Crewe,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx|title=Cheshire East Council Crewe Vision documents|access-date=12 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913092404/http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx|archive-date=13 September 2010}}</ref> which included the opening of a new Lifestyle Centre, with a new swimming pool, gym and library.
There were also plans to revamp the railway station moving it to [[Basford, Cheshire|Basford]]. This was pending a public consultation by [[Network Rail]] scheduled for autumn 2008, however, no such public consultation was made. The plan has now been abandoned and instead maintenance work is being carried out on the current station.<ref>{{cite web|url=
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Cuts-derail-plan-163-2m-station-facelift/article-2307470-detail/article.html |title=The Sentinel|accessdate=13 October 2010}}</ref>


After a £3 million refurbishment, the Crewe Market Hall re-opened its doors on 19 May 2021, the start of many new developments in Crewe.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
Cheshire East Council is completing a new regeneration master plan for Crewe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx |title=Cheshire East Council Crewe Vision documents|accessdate=12 October 2010}}</ref>

Crewe had been planned as the site of a transport hub for the Phase 2a [[High Speed 2]] (HS2) railway line, which received royal assent in 2021 with planned completion in 2027. The plan included a new HS2 railway station, surrounded by a commercial hub providing 37,000 jobs and 7,000 homes by 2043. However on 4 October 2023, Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]] announced the cancellation of this phase of the HS2 development at the [[Conservative Party Conference (UK)|Conservative Party Conference]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154|title=HS2 Birmingham to Crewe link planned to open six years early|work=BBC News|date=30 November 2015|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121010338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154|archive-date=21 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=guardian-20231004>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/04/we-feel-forgotten-anger-in-crewe-at-scaling-back-of-hs2 |title='We feel forgotten': anger in Crewe at scaling back of HS2 |last=Pidd |first=Helen |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 October 2023 |access-date=4 October 2023}}</ref>


==Transport==
==Transport==
[[File:Crewe station platform12.jpg|250px|thumb|Platform 12 at Crewe railway station, before the roof over it was replaced]]


===Railway===
[[File:Crewe station platform12.jpg|290px|thumb|Platform 12 at Crewe railway station]]
[[Crewe railway station]] is located less than a mile from the town centre, although it was not incorporated into the then Borough of Crewe until 1937. It is one of the largest stations in the [[North West England|North West]] and is a major interchange station on the [[West Coast Main Line]]. It has 12 platforms in use.


The station is served by several [[train operating companies]]:
[[Crewe station|Crewe railway station]] is less than a mile from Crewe town centre, although it was not incorporated into the then Borough of Crewe until 1937. It is one of the largest stations in the [[North West England|North West]] and a major interchange station on the [[West Coast Main Line]]. It has 12 platforms in use and has a direct service to London ([[Euston railway station|Euston]]) (average journey time of around 1 hour 35 minutes), [[Edinburgh]], [[Cardiff]], Liverpool, [[Manchester]], Birmingham, Glasgow, [[Derby]], [[Stoke-on-Trent]], [[Chester]], [[Wrexham]], [[Holyhead]] for the ferry connections to [[Dublin Port]]. Many other towns and cities also have railway connections to Crewe.
* [[Avanti West Coast]] operates inter-city trains to [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] (average journey time of around 1 hour 35 minutes), [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow]], [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]], [[Manchester Piccadilly station|Manchester]], [[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool]] and [[Holyhead railway station|Holyhead]] for the ferry connections to [[Dublin Port]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our latest timetables and ticket info |work=Avanti West Coast |date=May 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/plan-your-journey/timetables |quote=}}</ref>
* [[Transport for Wales Rail]] provide services to [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]], [[Chester railway station|Chester]] and [[Wrexham General railway station|Wrexham]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetables |work=Transport for Wales |date=May 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://tfw.wales/service-status/timetables |quote=}}</ref>
* [[London Northwestern Railway]] operates routes to [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham]], [[Stoke-on-Trent railway station|Stoke-on-Trent]], London and Liverpool<ref>{{Cite web |title=Train timetables and schedules |work=London Northwestern Railway |date=May 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/journey-planning/train-timetables-and-schedules |quote=}}</ref>
* [[East Midlands Railway]] runs trains to [[Newark Castle railway station|Newark]], [[Derby railway station|Derby]] and [[Nottingham railway station|Nottingham]]<ref> {{Cite web |work=East Midlands Railway |title=Timetables |date=May 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/timetables |quote=}}</ref>
* [[Northern Trains|Northern]] operates stopping services on two routes to Manchester Piccadilly, via [[Stockport railway station|Stockport]] and via [[Manchester Airport railway station|Manchester Airport]] on the [[Styal Line]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern |work=Northern Railway |date=May 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/timetables |quote=}}</ref>


===Roads===
Crewe is on the [[A500 road|A500]], [[A530 road|A530]] and [[A534 road|A534]] roads, and is less than {{convert|5|mi}} from the [[M6 motorway]].<ref>https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/53.0897986,-2.433159/53.0685327,-2.3350259/@53.0771832,-2.3987671,14z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-2.3635334!2d53.0718906!3s0x487a5e8c65ea82d5:0x8316b99ec1d06719!1m0!3e0</ref>
Crewe is on the [[A500 road|A500]], [[A530 road|A530]] and [[A534 road|A534]] roads; it is located less than {{convert|5|mi|0}} from the [[M6 motorway]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/53.0897986,-2.433159/53.0685327,-2.3350259/@53.0771832,-2.3987671,14z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-2.3635334!2d53.0718906!3s0x487a5e8c65ea82d5:0x8316b99ec1d06719!1m0!3e0|title=Google Maps}}</ref>


===Buses===
The main bus company in Crewe is D&G Coach and Bus following the reduction of funding given to [[Arriva]], who still run longer distance services to Chester, Northwich and Winsford. Other operators include [[GHA Coaches]] and Bakerbus, as well as a single [[First Potteries]] service running into Stoke-on-Trent.
Bus services in Crewe are operated predominantly by [[D&G Bus]]; their routes link the town with Congleton (route 42), Leighton Hospital (12), Macclesfield (38), Nantwich (84X) and Northwich (31/37).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stops in Crewe |work=Bus Times |date=2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |url= https://bustimes.org/localities/crewe |quote=}}</ref>


[[Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire]] runs route 84 to Chester and [[First Potteries]] operate a single service (route 3) running to Stoke-on-Trent, via Kidsgrove.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstgroup.com/potteries/plan-journey/timetables|title=Timetables {{!}} Potteries|website=First Bus|language=en-GB|access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref>
The closest airport to Crewe is [[Manchester Airport]] which is {{convert|30|mi}} away followed by [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport]] which is {{convert|40|mi}} away.

===Airport===
The closest airport to Crewe is [[Manchester Airport]], which is {{convert|30|mi}} away; [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport]] is {{convert|40|mi}} away.


==Culture==
==Culture==


The [[Crewe Heritage Centre]] is located in the old [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway|LMS]] railway yard for [[Crewe railway station]]. The museum has three signal boxes and an extensive miniature railway with steam, diesel and electric traction. The most prominent exhibit of the museum is the [[British Rail]] [[British Rail Class 370|Class 370]] [[Advanced Passenger Train]].
[[Crewe Heritage Centre]] is located in the old [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway|LMS]] railway yard for [[Crewe railway station]]. The museum has three signal boxes and an extensive miniature railway with steam, diesel and electric traction. The most prominent exhibit of the museum is the [[British Rail Class 370]] [[Advanced Passenger Train]].


[[File:Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, Cheshire UK.jpg|thumb|left|Lyceum Theatre]]
[[File:Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, Cheshire UK.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Lyceum Theatre]]


The [[Listed building|Grade II-listed]] Edwardian [[Lyceum Theatre (Crewe)|Lyceum Theatre]] is in the centre of Crewe. It was built in 1911 and shows drama, ballet, opera, music, comedy and pantomime.<ref>[http://www.lyceumtheatre.net/ Lyceum Theatre website]</ref> The theatre was originally located on Heath Street from 1882. The http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk Axis Arts Centre is on the [[Manchester Metropolitan University]] campus in Crewe. It relocated from the university's Alsager Campus when it closed. The centre has a programme of touring new performance and visual art work.<ref>[http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/cms/page.php?page=about Axis Arts Centre website]</ref> The Box on Pedley Street is the town's main local music venue.
The [[Listed building|Grade II-listed]] Edwardian [[Lyceum Theatre (Crewe)|Lyceum Theatre]] is in the centre of Crewe. It was built in 1911 and shows drama, ballet, opera, music, comedy and pantomime.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyceumtheatre.net/|title=HQ Theatres|work=lyceumtheatre.net|access-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905160122/http://www.lyceumtheatre.net/|archive-date=5 September 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The theatre was originally located on Heath Street from 1882. The Axis Arts Centre is on the [[Manchester Metropolitan University]] (MMU) campus in Crewe. It relocated from the university's Alsager Campus when it closed. The centre has a programme of touring new performance and visual art work.<ref>[http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/cms/page.php?page=about Axis Arts Centre website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322213332/http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/cms/page.php?page=about|date=22 March 2010}}</ref> The Axis centre closed at the end of the spring 2019 season with the withdrawal of MMU from the Crewe campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/ |title=Spring Season 2019 – Welcome and goodbye! |author=Neil Mackenzie |publisher=Axis Arts Centre |date=Spring 2019 |access-date=9 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509180544/http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/ |archive-date=9 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Box on Pedley Street is the town's main local music venue.


Both the Lyceum Theatre and the Axis Arts Centre feature galleries. The private Livingroom art gallery is on Prince Albert Street. The town's main library is on Prince Albert Square, opposite the Municipal Buildings.
Both the Lyceum Theatre and the Axis Arts Centre feature galleries. The private Livingroom art gallery is on Prince Albert Street. The town's main library is on Prince Albert Square, opposite the Municipal Buildings.


Crewe has six [[Church of England|Anglican]] churches, three [[Methodist]], one [[Roman Catholic]] (which has a weekly mass in [[Polish language|Polish]]) and two [[Baptist]].<ref>[http://www.city-visitor.com/crewe/placesofworship.html Crewe Places of Worship, for Places of Worship in Crewe, Cheshire, UK<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Crewe has six [[Church of England|Anglican]] churches, three [[Methodist]], one [[Roman Catholic]] (which has a weekly Mass in [[Polish language|Polish]]) and two [[Baptist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-visitor.com/crewe/placesofworship.html|title=Crewe Places of Worship, for Places of Worship in Crewe, Cheshire, UK|work=city-visitor.com|access-date=8 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722181215/http://www.city-visitor.com/crewe/placesofworship.html|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>


There is a museum dedicated to [[Primitive Methodism]] in the nearby village of [[Englesea-Brook]].<ref>[http://www.engleseabrook-museum.org.uk/ Englsea Brook Chapel and Museum website]</ref>
There is a museum dedicated to [[Primitive Methodism]] in the nearby village of [[Englesea-Brook]].<ref>[http://www.engleseabrook-museum.org.uk/ Englsea Brook Chapel and Museum website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430035006/http://www.engleseabrook-museum.org.uk/|date=30 April 2010}}</ref>


The [[Jacobean architecture|Jacobean]] mansion [[Crewe Hall]] is located to the east of the town near [[Crewe Green]]. It is a [[Listed building|grade I]] listed building, built in 1615–36 for [[Ranulph Crewe|Sir Randolph Crewe]]. Today, it is used as a hotel, restaurant and health club.
The [[Jacobean architecture|Jacobean]] mansion [[Crewe Hall]] is located to the east of the town near [[Crewe Green]]. It is a [[Listed building|grade I]] listed building, built in 1615–36 for [[Ranulph Crewe|Sir Randolph Crewe]]. Today, it is used as a hotel, restaurant and health club.


There is a multiplex [[Odeon Cinemas|ODEON]] cinema on Phoenix Leisure Park on the edge of the town centre, as well as a bowling alley.
There is a multiplex [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] cinema on Phoenix Leisure Park on the edge of the town centre, as well as a Mecca bingo hall and a Tenpin bowling alley.


[[Queens Park, Crewe|Queen's Park]] is the town's main park, and is currently undergoing a £6.5 million transformation.<ref>[http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens/crewe_area_parks/queens_park,_crewe.aspx Queen's Park, Cheshire East Council]</ref> It features walkways, a children's play area, crown green bowling, putting, a boating lake, grassed areas, memorials and a café. Jubilee Gardens are in Hightown and there is also a park on Westminster Street.
[[Queens Park, Crewe|Queens Park]] is the town's main park; £6.5 million was spent on its restoration in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Queen's Park, Crewe|url=http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens/crewe_area_parks/queens_park,_crewe.aspx|work=cheshireeast.gov.uk|access-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208182537/http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens/crewe_area_parks/queens_park,_crewe.aspx|archive-date=8 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> It features walkways, a children's play area, crown green bowling, putting, a boating lake, grassed areas, memorials and a café.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens/crewe_area_parks_and_gardens/queens_park_crewe/queens_park_crewe.aspx|title=Queens Park, Crewe|website=www.cheshireeast.gov.uk|access-date=9 March 2020|archive-date=11 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611055522/http://cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_open_spaces/parks_and_gardens/crewe_area_parks_and_gardens/queens_park_crewe/queens_park_crewe.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jubilee Gardens are in Hightown and there is also a park on Westminster Street.


In 2019, Crewe hosted Pride in the Park (previously held at [[Tatton Park]] in 2018) in Queens Park. The 2020 event, which had been due to take place on 12 September, was cancelled on 20 May, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 May 2020|title=Council cancels this year's Pride event|url=https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/council-cancels-this-year%27s-pride-event.aspx|access-date=24 October 2020|website=Cheshire East Council|archive-date=26 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026231228/https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/council-cancels-this-year%27s-pride-event.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Crewe Carnival does not take place each summer now due to lack of funding by CEC.


===Media===
===Media===
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC North West]] and [[ITV Granada]] from the [[Winter Hill transmitting station|Winter Hill]] TV transmitter.


The weekly ''[[Crewe Chronicle]]'', the ''Crewe and Nantwich Guardian'' and the daily ''[[The Sentinel (Staffordshire)|Sentinel]]'' newspapers all cover the town. Local radio stations are [[Silk 106.9]] from Macclesfield, [[Signal 1]] and [[Signal 2]] from Stoke-on-Trent and [[BBC Radio Stoke]]. Crewe-based ''RedShift Radio'' and ''The Cat'' are both community internet radio stations covering Crewe, with The Cat starting FM Broadcasting in the Crewe and Nantwich area on 107.9FM in February 2015. ''Crewe TV'' and ''The Crewe News'' are [[Hyperlocal]] blogs covering local events and issues.
The weekly ''[[Crewe Chronicle]]'' and the daily ''[[The Sentinel (Staffordshire)|Sentinel]]'' newspapers cover the town. Cheshire Live, an online news source that covers news across Cheshire, also has a section dedicated to Crewe news.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crewe - Cheshire Live |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/all-about/crewe |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=www.cheshire-live.co.uk}}</ref>

The local radio station is The Cat<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://thisisthecat.com/about-us/ |website=The Cat 107.9 |publisher=The Cat Community Radio C.I.C. |access-date=22 January 2020}}</ref> broadcasting on 107.9FM from the Cheshire College South and West building covering the town along with Nantwich and other local settlements. Other radio stations that cover the area include [[Silk 106.9|Cheshire's Silk Radio]] from Macclesfield, [[Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire|Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire (formerly Signal 1)]] and [[Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire]] from Stoke-on-Trent and [[BBC Radio Stoke]].


==Education==
==Education==


{{further2|[[List of schools in Cheshire East]]}}
{{further|List of schools in Cheshire East}}

Cheshire has adopted the [[comprehensive school]] model of secondary education, so all of the schools under its control cater for pupils of all levels of ability.<ref>{{citation|title=Secondary Education|url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/schools/admissions/Secondary.htm|publisher=Cheshire County Council|access-date=3 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014081220/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/schools/admissions/Secondary.htm|archive-date=14 October 2008}}</ref> Until the late 1970s Crewe had two [[grammar school]]s, Crewe Grammar School for Boys, now [[Ruskin High School, Crewe|Ruskin High School]] and Crewe Grammar School for Girls, now [[the Oaks Academy]] (formerly Kings Grove School). The town's two other secondary schools are [[Sir William Stanier School]], a [[specialist school|specialist]] technology and arts academy, and [[St Thomas More Catholic School, Crewe|St. Thomas More Catholic High School]], specialising in mathematics and computing and modern foreign languages.


Although there are eight schools for those aged 11–16 in Crewe and its surrounding area, [[Cheshire College – South & West|Cheshire College South & West]] is one of only two local providers of education for pupils aged 16 and over, and the only one in Crewe. The college also provides educational programmes for adults, leading to qualifications such as [[Higher National Diploma]]s (HNDs) or foundation degrees. In the 2006–07 academic year 2,532 students aged 16–18 were enrolled, along with 3,721 adults.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/(id)/95779/(as)/130619_318909.pdf|title=South Cheshire College|publisher=Ofsted|access-date=3 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090127050332/http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/(id)/95779/(as)/130619_318909.pdf|archive-date=27 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Cheshire has adopted the [[comprehensive school]] model of secondary education, so all of the schools under its control cater for pupils of all levels of ability.<ref>{{citation |title= Secondary Education |url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/schools/admissions/Secondary.htm | publisher=Cheshire County Council |accessdate=3 February 2009 |postscript= <!--none-->}}{{dead link|date=February 2010}}</ref> Until the late 1970s Crewe had two [[grammar school]]s, Crewe Grammar School for Boys, now [[Ruskin High School, Crewe|Ruskin High School]] and Crewe Grammar School for Girls, now [[King's Grove High School]]. The town's two other secondary schools are [[Sir William Stanier Community School]], a [[specialist school|specialist]] technology and arts academy, and [[St Thomas More Catholic School, Crewe|St Thomas More Catholic High School]], specialising in mathematics and computing and modern foreign languages.


[[Manchester Metropolitan University]]'s (MMU) Cheshire Faculty is based in Crewe, in a part of town which has been rebranded as the ''University Quadrant''. The campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in five areas: business and management, contemporary arts, exercise and sport science, interdisciplinary studies, education and teacher training.<ref>{{citation|title=Profile: Manchester Metropolitan University|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166614.ece|date=19 June 2008|periodical=Times Online|publisher=Times Newspapers|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508020803/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166614.ece|archive-date=8 May 2009|access-date=25 September 2018|location=London}}</ref> The campus underwent a £70 million investment in its facilities and buildings in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=MMU Cheshire|url=http://study.whycheshire.com/universities/mmu-cheshire|website=Study in Cheshire|access-date=25 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403061643/http://study.whycheshire.com/universities/mmu-cheshire|archive-date=3 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The campus was used as a pre-games training camp for the London 2012 Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/2012camp/|title=2012 Pre-Games Training Camp|work=mmu.ac.uk|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713191855/http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/2012camp/|archive-date=13 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Although there are eight schools for those aged 11–16 in Crewe and its surrounding area, [[South Cheshire College]] is one of only two local providers of education for pupils aged 16 and over, and the only one in Crewe. The college also provides educational programmes for adults, leading to qualifications such as [[Higher National Diploma]]s (HNDs) or foundation degrees. In the 2006–07 academic year 2,532 students aged 16–18 were enrolled, along with 3,721 adults.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/(id)/95779/(as)/130619_318909.pdf |title=South Cheshire College |publisher=Ofsted |accessdate=3 February 2009 |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref>


Since 2016, there has been a [[University Technical College]] for 14-19 year olds interested in automotive or railway engineering.<ref name="Rail Eng">{{cite news |last1=Darlington CEng FIET |first1=Paul |title=New UTC for Crewe – Rail Engineer |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/new-utc-for-crewe/ |access-date=7 May 2021 |date=26 February 2016}}</ref>
[[Manchester Metropolitan University]]'s (MMU) Cheshire Faculty is based in Crewe, in a part of town which has been rebranded as the ''University Quadrant''. The campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in five areas: business and management, contemporary arts, exercise and sport science, interdisciplinary studies, education and teacher training.<ref>{{citation |title=Profile: Manchester Metropolitan University |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166614.ece |date=19 June 2008 |periodical=Times Online |publisher=Times Newspapers |accessdate=3 February 2009 | location=London |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref> The campus has recently undergone a £70 million investment in its facilities and buildings.<ref>http://study.whycheshire.com/universities/mmu-cheshire</ref> The campus was used as a pre-games training camp for the London 2012 Olympic Games.<ref>http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/2012camp/</ref>


==Sport==
==Sport==


[[File:Gresty Road, Crewe.jpg|thumb|250px|The Alexandra Stadium]]
[[File:Gresty Road, Crewe.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Gresty Road|Mornflake Stadium/Gresty Road]]]]


Crewe's local [[association football|football]] club is [[Crewe Alexandra]]. During the late 20th century the club enjoyed something of a renaissance under the management of [[Dario Gradi]], playing in the First Division – the second tier of the professional pyramid – for five seasons from 1997 to 2002. Crewe Alexandra currently play in League One (the third tier) having gained promotion via the play-offs in May 2012 after a 19-game unbeaten run. In 2013 the club also won its first-ever major silverware after beating Southend United 2-0 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final at Wembley.
Crewe's local [[association football|football]] club is [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]], founded in 1877 and initially managed by railway workers. During the late 20th century the club enjoyed something of a renaissance under the management of [[Dario Gradi]], playing in the second tier of the professional pyramid for eight seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Crewe Alexandra currently play in [[EFL League Two|League Two]] (the fourth tier), having been relegated from [[EFL League One|League One]] in April 2022. In 2013 the club won its first major silverware after beating [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]] 2–0 in the [[EFL Trophy]] final at Wembley.


Crewe Alexandra has a reputation of developing young players through its youth ranks; in recent times{{When|date=April 2015}} the likes of [[Geoff Thomas (footballer born 1964)|Geoff Thomas]], [[Danny Murphy (footballer born 1977)|Danny Murphy]], [[Craig Hignett]], [[David Platt (footballer)|David Platt]], [[Rob Jones (footballer born 1979)|Rob Jones]], [[Neil Lennon]], [[Dean Ashton]] and [[Nick Powell]] have all passed through the club, whilst internationals [[Bruce Grobbelaar]] and [[Stan Bowles]] were also on the books at one time in their careers. Possibly their most famous home-grown player was [[Frank Blunstone]], born in the town in 1934, who was transferred from "The Alex" to [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in 1953, and went on to win five England caps.
From the early 1980s, Crewe Alexandra built a reputation for developing young players through its youth ranks: England internationals [[Geoff Thomas (footballer born 1964)|Geoff Thomas]], [[Danny Murphy (footballer born 1977)|Danny Murphy]], [[David Platt (footballer)|David Platt]], [[Rob Jones (footballer born 1979)|Rob Jones]] and [[Dean Ashton]], plus Northern Ireland's [[Neil Lennon]] and [[Steve Jones (footballer, born 1976)|Steve Jones]], and Wales's [[Robbie Savage]] and [[David Vaughan (footballer)|David Vaughan]] all passed through the club. Among their earlier most notable home-grown players was [[Frank Blunstone]], born in the town in 1934, who was transferred from "The Alex" to [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in 1953, and went on to win five England caps. Internationals [[Bruce Grobbelaar]] and [[Stan Bowles]] were also on the books at one time in their careers.


Crewe's local rugby clubs are both based in or near [[Nantwich]]. The [[Crewe & Nantwich Steamers]] (formerly Crewe Wolves), who play in the [[Rugby League Conference]], are based at Barony Park, Nantwich, while [http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/creweandnantwich/ Crewe and Nantwich RUFC] play their home games at the Vagrants Sports Ground in [[Willaston, Cheshire East|Willaston]].
Crewe's local rugby clubs are both based in or near [[Nantwich]]. The [[Crewe & Nantwich Steamers]] (formerly Crewe Wolves), who played in the [[Rugby League Conference]], were based at Barony Park, Nantwich, while Crewe and Nantwich RUFC play their home games at the Vagrants Sports Ground in [[Willaston, Cheshire East|Willaston]].


[[Motorcycle speedway|Speedway racing]] was staged in Crewe in the pioneer days of the late 1920s to early 1930s. The venue was the stadium in Earle Street which also operated in the 1970s. The [[Crewe Kings]] raced in the lower division – British League Division Two, then the National League – from 1969 until 1975. At the time the track was the longest and fastest in the UK.<ref>Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3</ref> Amongst their riders were [[Phil Crump]] (father of [[Jason Crump]]), [[Les Collins]] (brother of [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]]), [[Dave Morton]] (brother of [[Chris Morton]]), Geoff Curtis, John Jackson, Jack Millen and Dave Parry. The stadium has since been demolished to be replaced by a retail park housing a number of national companies.
[[Motorcycle speedway|Speedway racing]] was staged in Crewe in the pioneer days of the late 1920s to early 1930s; the stadium in Earle Street also operated from 1969 until 1975 when the [[Crewe Kings]] raced in [[British League Division Two]], then the National League. At the time the track was the longest and fastest in the UK.<ref>Bamford, R & Jarvis J. (2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. {{ISBN|0-7524-2210-3}}</ref> Crewe Kings riders included [[Phil Crump]] (father of [[Jason Crump]]), [[Les Collins]] (brother of [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]]), [[Dave Morton]] (brother of [[Chris Morton]]), Geoff Curtis, John Jackson, Jack Millen and Dave Parry. Grand Junction Retail Park occupies the site of the now demolished stadium.<ref name="Sandhu-14Oct2015">{{cite news |last1=Sandhu |first1=Nathan |title=Retail hotspot was once home of the Crewe Alexandra Cricket Club |url=https://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/news/crewe-south-cheshire-news/retail-hotspot-once-home-crewe-10249259 |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Crewe Chronicle |date=14 October 2015}}</ref>


The [[Crewe Railroaders]] are the town's [[American football]] team, currently competing in the [[British American Football Association|BAFA]] Central League Division 2 and the subject of the film ''Gridiron UK'' (currently in production).{{When|date=April 2015}}
The [[Crewe Railroaders]] are the town's [[American football]] team, currently competing in the [[British American Football Association|BAFA]] Central League Division 2 and the subject of the film ''Gridiron UK'', which premiered at the Lyceum Theatre on 29 September 2016.


Crewe also has its own [[roller derby]] team, Railtown Loco Rollers, founded in September 2013. They skate at Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and compete with skaters and teams from all over the North West.
Crewe also has its own [[roller derby]] team, Railtown Loco Rollers, founded in September 2013. They skate at Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and compete with skaters and teams from all over the North West.


Crewe's main leisure facility is the Crewe Lifestyle Centre, which now houses Crewe's main public swimming pool after the Flag Lane premises closed in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everybody.org.uk/centres/crewe-lifestyle-centre/|title=Crewe Lifestyle Centre - Everybody Sport & Recreation|date=31 May 2016 |access-date=15 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625065307/http://everybody.org.uk/centres/crewe-lifestyle-centre/|archive-date=25 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Other notable leisure facilities include Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and Victoria Community Centre.
Crewe's main leisure facilities are at Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and Victoria Community Centre. Crewe Swimming Pool is on Flag Lane.

Since 17 February 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parkrun.org.uk/crewe/results/eventhistory/|title = Results &#124; Crewe parkrun}}</ref><ref name="Morse-21Feb2018">{{cite news |last1=Morse |first1=Peter |title=Running: Parkrun has come to Crewe - and it's annoyingly brilliant |url=https://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/sport/other-sport/running-parkrun-come-crewe-its-14319028 |access-date=23 May 2023 |work=Crewe Chronicle |date=21 February 2018}}</ref> Crewe's [[Queens Park, Crewe|Queens Park]] has hosted a [[parkrun]] each Saturday morning at 9am.


== Notable people ==
== Notable people ==
[[File:Dunwoody.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|Gwyneth Dunwoody]]
<!--Notable means HAVING A WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE-->
[[File:William Hope photographer.png|thumb|upright=0.65|William Hope]]
* Samuel Evans (King of Everything)
[[File:Lordprice.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|Mark Price, Baron Price]]
* Emma Hewitt (Assistant to the King of Everything)
[[File:Cardiff Mardi Gras 2010 MMB 27 Adam Rickitt.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|Adam Rickitt in 2010]]
* [[Jimmy MacDonald (sound effects artist)|Jimmy MacDonald]], voice of [[Mickey Mouse]].
[[File:Sir Philip Craven, MBE.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|Sir Philip Craven]]
* [[Carl Ashmore]], children's author.
* [[Richard Beckinsale]], actor, worked at the [[repertory theatre]] in Crewe before start of his television career.
* [[Neil Brooks]], Australian Olympic swimming gold medallist.
* [[Ada Nield Chew]], [[suffragette]] who began her activism in Crewe by writing a series of letters to the ''Crewe Chronicle'', signed ''"A Crewe Factory Girl"'', critical of the pay and conditions of women working in factories. At that time in 1894 she was working in Compton Brothers' clothing factory in Crewe.<ref>{{citation |last=Doughan |first=David |contribution=Chew, Ada Nield (1870–1945) |title=Dictionary of National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39080 |accessdate=15 November 2008 |postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref>
* [[Mark Cueto]], international rugby and lions player currently playing for the [[Sale Sharks]]
* [[David Gilford]], [[European Tour]] and [[Ryder Cup]] golfer (1991, 1995) is from Crewe.
* [[Christopher Hughes (quiz contestant)|Chris Hughes]] one of Britain's top quizzers, featuring in [[Eggheads (TV series)|Eggheads]], and noted [[karaoke]] singer with four octave vocal range.
* [[John Morris (cricketer)|John Edward Morris]], former English cricketer who played in 3 Tests and 8 ODIs from 1990 to 1991. A stocky, right-handed, middle-order batsman, Morris played most of his first-class cricket for [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]].
* [[Shanaze Reade]], world [[BMX]] and [[track cycling]] champion.
* [[Adam Rickitt]], former ''[[Coronation Street]]'' actor.
* [[Beth Tweddle]], world champion [[gymnastics|gymnast]], was coached in her formative years at the Camm Street Gymnastics Centre in Crewe.
Terence Maynard who plays Tony in coronation Street


== In popular culture ==
=== Politicians ===
*[[Thomas Nevitt]] (1864 in Crewe – 1932), member of the [[Queensland Legislative Council]]
In ''[[Threads]]'' (1984), Crewe is destroyed by a single [[megaton]] [[Soviet| Soviet Union]] [[nuclear weapon]], given its strategic roles as a transport hub and manufacturer of small arms for the British Army. [[Fallout]] from the [[ground burst|ground-burst]] blast contaminates [[Sheffield]] and other adjacent cities, worsening their existing problems after being hit in a fictional nuclear exchange between [[NATO]] and the USSR in this television drama. {{citation needed|reason=Reference needed for this claim|date=January 2015}}
*[[William Wheeldon|William Edwin Wheeldon]] (1898 in Crewe – 1960), British co-operator<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-wheeldon/index.html HANSARD 1803–2005 → People (W) Mr William Wheeldon 1898-1960] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305022045/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-william-wheeldon/|date=5 March 2016}} retrieved December 2017</ref> and municipal politician from Birmingham and MP
*[[Gwyneth Dunwoody|Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody]] (1930 – 2008), British Labour Party politician,<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/apr/19/gwynethdunwoody.labour The Guardian, Edward Pearce, Sat 19 Apr 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212144713/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/apr/19/gwynethdunwoody.labour|date=12 December 2013}} retrieved December 2017</ref> MP for [[Exeter (UK Parliament constituency)|Exeter]] from 1966 to 1970, then for [[Crewe (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe]], later [[Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Crewe and Nantwich]] from 1974
*[[Janet Dean|Janet Elizabeth Ann Dean]] (born 1949 in Crewe), British Labour Party MP for Burton from 1997 to 2010
*[[Tom Levitt]] (born 1954 in Crewe), Labour Party politician who was the MP for [[High Peak (UK Parliament constituency)|High Peak]]
*[[Kali Mountford|Carol Jean Mountford]] (born 1954 in Crewe), known as ''Kali'', Labour Party politician and MP for [[Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Colne Valley]]
*[[Edward Timpson|Anthony Edward Timpson]] (born 1973), British Conservative MP for [[Crewe and Nantwich]] ([[2008 Crewe and Nantwich by-election|2008]]–2017) and [[Eddisbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Eddisbury]] (from 2019).
*[[Paul Maynard|Paul Christopher Maynard]] (born 1975 in Crewe), British Conservative MP for [[Blackpool North and Cleveleys]] and Rail Minister
*[[Lauren Moss|Lauren Jane Moss]] (born 1987 in Crewe), Australian politician


=== Public service and commerce ===
==Town twinning==
*[[Francis Webb (engineer)|Francis Webb]] (1836 – 1906) English railway engineer who, as LNWR's chief mechanical engineer, also exercised great influence in political and public life in Crewe, once being described as the 'King of Crewe'.
*[[William Hope (paranormal investigator)|William Hope]] (1863 – 1933), based in Crewe, pioneer of [[spirit photography]],<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2010/oct/29/haunted-photographs-william-hope-halloween The Guardian, Fri 29 Oct 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053227/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2010/oct/29/haunted-photographs-william-hope-halloween|date=22 December 2017}} retrieved December 2017</ref> member of the Crewe Circle
*[[Ada Nield Chew]], (1870 – 1945), [[suffragist]], wrote a series of letters to the ''Crewe Chronicle'', signed ''"A Crewe Factory Girl"''<ref>{{cite ODNB|last=Doughan|first=David|contribution=Chew, Ada Nield (1870–1945)|title=Dictionary of National Biography|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/39080 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39080|access-date=15 November 2008}}</ref>
*[[Blaster Bates]] a.k.a. Derek Macintosh Bates (1923 in Crewe – 2006), an English explosives and demolition expert and raconteur
*[[Harold Hankins]] (1930 in Crewe – 2009), was a British electrical engineer<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/aug/05/universityofmanchester-engineering The Guardian, John Garside, Wed 5 Aug 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053245/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/aug/05/universityofmanchester-engineering|date=22 December 2017}} retrieved December 2017</ref> and the first [[Vice-Chancellor]] of [[UMIST]].
*Professor [[Christine Dean]] (born in Crewe 1939), London psychiatrist, attended Crewe County Grammar School
*[[Christopher Hughes (quiz contestant)|Chris Hughes]] (born 1947), one of Britain's top quizzers, featuring in ''[[Eggheads (TV series)|Eggheads]]''. Lives in Crewe
*[[Mark Price, Baron Price]] (born 1961 in Crewe), businessman, was MD of [[Waitrose]] and Deputy Chairman of [[John Lewis Partnership]]


=== Arts ===
* [[Mâcon]], France
*[[William Cooper (novelist)|William Cooper]] (real name Harry Summerfield Hoff) (1910 – 2002), novelist,<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/sep/07/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries The Guardian, Norman Shrapnel, Sat 7 Sep 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053042/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/sep/07/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries|date=22 December 2017}} retrieved December 2017</ref> lived at 99 Brooklyn Street
*[[John Mark Ainsley]] (born 1963 in Crewe), English lyric tenor of baroque music and the works of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]
*[[Carl Ashmore]] (born 1968), children's author
*[[Any Trouble]], a British rock band, originating from Crewe in 1975, best known for their early 1980s recordings
*[[Carey Willetts]] (born 1976 in Crewe), British musician, songwriter, and producer.
*[[Lee Oakes]] (born 1976), British actor, from [[Haslington]] near Crewe
*[[Mackenzie Taylor]] (1978–2010), British comic, writer and director. Born in Crewe
*[[Adam Rickitt|Adam Peter Rickitt]] (born 1978), English actor, singer and model and charity fundraiser

=== Sport ===
*[[John Warburton (footballer)|John Warburton]] (1903–?), English Football League player, mostly for [[Wrexham A.F.C.|Wrexham]] and [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]].<ref name="ref1">{{cite web|title= Bangor City Players 1876-1939 Who Progressed Into The English Football League |url=http://www.the-citizens-choice.co.uk/LeagueGradscity1888.html | work=The Citizens Choice |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref>
*[[Frank Blunstone]] (born 1934 in Crewe), English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Chelsea and England.<ref name=eng>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131005124241/http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=123 Profile at englandfc.com]</ref>
*[[Philip Craven|Sir Philip Craven]] (born 1950), president of the [[International Paralympic Committee]] (IPC) 2001–2017, lives in Shavington.<ref>[http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/crewe-lifestyle-centre-officially-opens.aspx Crewe Lifestyle Centre officially opens] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531174354/http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/crewe-lifestyle-centre-officially-opens.aspx|date=31 May 2016}} Cheshire East Council. 27 May 2016.</ref>
*[[Neil Brooks]] (born in Crewe 1962), Australian Olympic swimming gold medallist
*[[John Morris (cricketer, born 1964)|John Edward Morris]] (born 1964), former English cricketer, played most for [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]].
*[[David Gilford]] (born 1965), [[European Tour]] and [[Ryder Cup]] golfer (1991, 1995) is from Crewe
*[[Mark Rivers]] (born 1975 in Crewe), English footballer who played as a forward for Crewe Alexandra and [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]].
*[[Kevin Street]] (born 1977 in Crewe), English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra and [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], among others.
*[[Neil Critchley]] (born 1978 in Crewe), a former [[Crewe Alexandra]] footballer and now head coach at [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]].
*[[Mark Cueto]] (born 1979), former England rugby union international and player for the [[Sale Sharks]]
*[[Craig Jones (motorcycle racer)|Craig Jones]] (1985 in Crewe – 2008), English motorcycle racer who grew up in Northwich
*[[Shanaze Reade]] (born 1988), world [[BMX]] and [[track cycling]] champion
*[[Muthu Alagappan]] (born c. 1990 in Crewe), medical student known in the US for his professional basketball analytics
*[[Bryony Page]] (born 1990 in Crewe), an Olympic gold medal-winning [[Trampolining|trampolinist]], raised in the village of [[Wrenbury]], 8.5 miles from the town.

==Town twinning==
Crewe is [[sister city|twinned]] with:
* [[Bischofsheim (Mainspitze)|Bischofsheim]], near [[Mainz]], Germany
* [[Bischofsheim (Mainspitze)|Bischofsheim]], near [[Mainz]], Germany
* [[Dzierżoniów]], Poland (since 2005)<ref>{{cite web|title=Miasta partnerskie|url=https://www.dzierzoniow.pl/pl/page/miasta-partnerskie|website=dzierzoniow.pl|publisher=Dzierżoniów|language=pl|access-date=2022-07-29|archive-date=2012-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229060404/http://www.dzierzoniow.pl/pl/page/miasta-partnerskie|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Dzierżoniów]], [[Poland]] <small>''(since 2005)''</small>.<ref>[http://www.canta.org.uk/towns.htm Linked Towns], Crewe & Nantwich Twinning Association</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{portal|Cheshire}}
{{portal|Cheshire}}
*[[Listed buildings in Crewe]]
*[[Listed buildings in Crewe]]
*[[Crewe Alexandra F.C.]]


==References==
==References==
'''Notes'''
'''Notes'''
{{reflist|30em}}
{{reflist}}


'''Bibliography'''
'''Bibliography'''
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*{{citation|last=Dodgson|first=J. McN.|year=1971|title=The place-names of Cheshire. Part three: The place-names of Nantwich Hundred and Eddisbury Hundred |publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=0-521-08049-5|postscript=<!--none-->}}
*{{citation|last=Ollerhead|first=P|title=Crewe: History and guide|year=2008|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|publisher=Tempus Publishing|isbn=978-0-7524-4654-7}}
*Redfern, Allan (1983) "Crewe: Leisure in a railway town" in Walton, John K., and Walvin, James, ''Leisure in Britain, 1780-1939'', Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp.117-136. ISBN 0-7190-0912-X
*{{citation|last=Dunn |first=F. I. |year=1987|title=The ancient parishes, townships and chapelries of Cheshire|publisher=Cheshire Record Office and Cheshire Diocesan Record Office|location=Chester|isbn=0-906758-14-9|postscript=<!--none-->}}
*{{citation|last=Langston|first=K|year=2006|title=Made in Crewe: 150 years of engineering excellence|publisher=Mortons Media Group|location=Horncastle, Lincolnshire|isbn=978-0-9552868-0-3|postscript=<!--none-->}}
*{{citation|last=Youngs|first=F. A.|title=Guide to the local administrative units of England. (Volume 1: Northern England)|year=1991|location=London|publisher=Royal Historical Society|isbn=0-86193-127-0}}
*{{citation|last=Ollerhead|first=P|year=2008|title=Crewe: History and guide|publisher=Tempus Publishing|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|isbn=978-0-7524-4654-7|postscript=<!--none-->}}
*{{citation|last=Youngs |first=F. A. |year=1991 |title=Guide to the local administrative units of England. (Volume 1: Northern England) |location=London |publisher=Royal Historical Society |isbn=0-86193-127-0|postscript=<!--none-->}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Crewe}}
{{Wikivoyage|Crewe (England)|Crewe}}
*[http://www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/ Crewe Town Council]
*[http://www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/ Crewe Town Council]
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Crewe|volume=7|short=x}}
*[http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/default.aspx Cheshire East Council]
*[http://www.creweheritagecentre.co.uk/ Crewe Heritage Centre railway museum]


{{Cheshire, Cheshire East}}
{{Cheshire, Cheshire East}}
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{{Duchy of Lancaster}}
{{Duchy of Lancaster}}


{{authority control}}
[[Category:Railway towns in England]]

[[Category:Towns in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Crewe| ]]
[[Category:Crewe| ]]
[[Category:Post towns in the CW postcode area]]
[[Category:Towns in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Railway towns in England]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Cheshire]]

Latest revision as of 10:15, 17 December 2024

This article is about the town in North West England. For other uses, see Crewe (disambiguation).

Crewe
Town
Clockwise, from top: Crewe Municipal Buildings, Crewe railway station, Market Hall, Crewe Arms Hotel and Crewe Town Clock
Crewe is located in Cheshire
Crewe
Crewe
Location within Cheshire
Population76,437 (built-up area, 2021)[1]
OS grid referenceSJ705557
• London147 miles (237 km)[2] SE
Civil parish
  • Crewe
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCREWE
Postcode districtCW1, CW2
Dialling code01270
PoliceCheshire
FireCheshire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
WebsiteCrewe Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Cheshire
53°05′56″N 2°26′24″W / 53.099°N 2.44°W / 53.099; -2.44

Crewe (/kruː/ ⓘ) is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The civil parish of Crewe had a population of 55,318 in the 2021 census.[3] The larger Crewe built-up area, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston, Shavington cum Gresty and Wistaston, had a total population of 76,437 in 2021.[1]

Crewe is perhaps best known as a large railway junction and home to Crewe Works; for many years, it was a major railway engineering facility for manufacturing and overhauling locomotives, but now much reduced in size. From 1946 until 2002, it was also the home of Rolls-Royce motor car production. The Pyms Lane factory on the west of the town now exclusively produces Bentley motor cars. Crewe is 158 miles (254 km) northwest of London, 28 miles (45 km) south of Manchester city centre, and 31 miles (50 km) southeast of Liverpool city centre.

History

[edit]
Further information: History of Cheshire

Medieval

[edit]

The name derives from an Old Welsh word criu, meaning 'weir' or 'crossing'.[4] The earliest record is in the Domesday Book, where it is written as Creu. The original settlement of Crewe lies to the east of the modern town. It was a township in the parish of Barthomley.[5][6] The original settlement of Crewe later became known as Crewe Green to distinguish it from the newer town to its west.

Modern

[edit]
Crewe Municipal Buildings

The town of Crewe owes its existence to Crewe railway station, which opened in 1837 on the Grand Junction Railway. When the route for the railway was being planned, alternative routes and locations for the main station in this area were considered; Winsford, 7 miles (11 km) to the north, had rejected an earlier proposal, as had local landowners in neighbouring Nantwich, 4 miles (6 km) away. The company then settled on the route through Crewe and the station was built in fields near Crewe Hall. The station was in the township of Crewe, but the land north-west of the station was in the neighbouring township of Monks Coppenhall, which formed part of the parish of Coppenhall.

The company built its main locomotive works to the north of Crewe railway station, and a "railway colony" soon started developing in the area north-west of the station. In 1840 Joseph Locke, chief engineer of the Grand Junction Railway, produced plans for a new town there. The railway company built much of the early town itself in the 1840s and 1850s.[7] Although the nascent town was in the township of Monks Coppenhall rather than the Crewe township, it was known as Crewe from the start.[8][9] The modern town of Crewe was thus named after the railway station, rather than the other way round.

In 1859 the township of Monks Coppenhall was made a local board district, giving the town its first form of local government.[10] The district's name was changed from Monks Coppenhall to Crewe in 1869.[11][12] Townships were redefined as civil parishes in 1866, and whilst the local board district was renamed in 1869 the civil parish was not. As such, there was a Crewe district which contained the parish of Monks Coppenhall, but did not contain the parish of Crewe.[13] An old, local riddle describes the somewhat unusual states of affairs: "The place which is Crewe is not Crewe, and the place which is not Crewe is Crewe."[14]

Crewe War Memorial

The population expanded rapidly to reach 40,000 by 1871.[7] In 1877 the Crewe local board district was incorporated to become a municipal borough. The town has a large park, Queen's Park (laid out by engineer Francis Webb), the land for which was donated by the London and North Western Railway, the successor to the GJR. It has been suggested that their motivation was to prevent the rival Great Western Railway building a station on the site, but the available evidence indicates otherwise.[15]

Webb took a great interest in local politics and was "the most influential individual in the town".[16] "Described just before his retirement as 'the King of Crewe', Webb came to exercise control over the working lives of over 18,000 men - one third of the total LNWR workforce. Over half these lived in Crewe, around 8,000 being employed at the locomotive works. Several recreational and sporting organisations were a direct result of Webb's influence and others received benefit from his support."[16] These included the LNWR Cricket Club (established in 1850) and the Crewe Alexandra Athletic Club (established in 1867).[17] However, Webb's influence allegedly also extended to intimidation of Liberal Party sympathisers. In September 1885, the editor of the Crewe Chronicle published charges against Webb, saying "That through the action, direct and indirect, of Tory railway officialism, the political life of Crewe is cramped and hindered beyond recognition".[18] In November 1889, Crewe Town Council debated a motion which accused LNWR managers of working with Crewe Tories "to crush Liberalism altogether out of the town": "... by intimidation and persecution of your Liberal workmen, and by making the chances of promotion depend upon subserviency to the Tory political demands of the Management, they have created a state of political serfdom in the works."[18] In December 1889, Liberal statesman William Ewart Gladstone wrote a letter to the Chronicle condemning the company's behaviour in the town.[18]

The railway provided an endowment towards the building and upkeep of Christ Church. Until 1897 its vicar, non-conformist ministers and schoolteachers received concessionary passes, the school having been established in 1842. The company provided a doctor's surgery with a scheme of health insurance. A gasworks was built and the works water supply was adapted to provide drinking water and a public baths. The railway also opened a cheese market in 1854 and a clothing factory for John Compton who provided the company uniforms, while McCorquodale of Liverpool set up a printing works.

The railway station remained part of the neighbouring parish of Crewe rather than the borough of Crewe until 1936. The borough boundary was significantly enlarged in 1936 to absorb the parish of Church Coppenhall and parts of several other neighbouring parishes, including the area of Crewe parish around the railway station.[19][20] The reduced Crewe parish to the east of the town formally changed its name to Crewe Green in 1984.[21]

During World War II the strategic presence of the railways and Rolls-Royce engineering works (turned over to producing aircraft engines) made Crewe a target for enemy air raids, and it was in the flight path to Liverpool.[22] The borough lost 35 civilians to these.[23] The worst raid was on 29 August 1940 when some 50 houses were destroyed, close to the station.[24]

Crewe crater on Mars is named after the town of Crewe. Crewe was described by author Alan Garner in his novel Red Shift as "the ultimate reality".

Crewe was mentioned in 1984 as the setting of the 19th episode The Flying Kipper, in the first series of Thomas & Friends.

Governance

[edit]

Crewe is within the United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich. Crewe is within the ceremonial county of Cheshire.

Since April 2009 Crewe has been administered by the unitary authority, Cheshire East Council; at parish level, since 4 April 2013, local matters have been dealt with by Crewe Town Council, which is based at 1 Chantry Court, Forge Street, Crewe, CW1 2DL.[25]

Crewe applied for City status as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours in 2022.[26] The application was unsuccessful and Crewe remains a town.[27]

Climate

[edit]

Like most of the United Kingdom, Crewe has an oceanic climate, with warm summers and cool winters and relatively little temperature change throughout the year.[28]

Economy

[edit]
Bentley's Pyms Lane factory

The railways still play a part in local industry at Crewe Works, which carries out train maintenance and inspection. It has been owned by Alstom since 2021.[29] At its height, the site employed over 20,000 people, but by 2005 fewer than 1,000 remained, with a further 270 redundancies announced in November of that year. Currently Alstom employs 6000 people across the UK and Ireland.[30] Much of the site once occupied by the works has been sold and is now occupied by a supermarket, leisure park, and a large new health centre.

There is still an electric locomotive maintenance depot to the north of the railway station, operated by DB Cargo UK. The diesel locomotive maintenance depot, having closed in 2003, reopened in 2015 as a maintenance facility for Locomotive Services Limited, having undergone major structural repairs.[31][32]

The Bentley car factory is on Pyms Lane to the west of town. As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at the site.[33] The factory used to produce Rolls-Royce cars, until the licence for the brand transferred from Bentley's owners Volkswagen to rival BMW in 2003.

There is a BAE Systems Land & Armaments factory in the village of Radway Green near Alsager, producing small arms ammunition for the British armed forces.

The headquarters of Focus DIY, which went into administration in 2011, was in the town. Off-licence chain Bargain Booze is also Crewe-based. It was bought-out in 2018 by Sir Anwar Pervez' conglomerate Bestway for £7m,[34] putting drinks retailing alongside its Manchester-based Well Pharmacy.

Several business parks around the town host light industry and offices. Crewe Business Park is a 67-acre site with offices, research and IT manufacturing. Major corporations with a presence in the park include Air Products, Barclays, and Fujitsu. The 12 acre Crewe Gates Industrial Estate is adjacent to Crewe Business Park, with smaller industry including the ice cream van manufacturer Whitby Morrison. The Weston Gate area has light industry and distribution. Marshfield Bank Employment Park is to the west of the town, and includes offices, manufacturing and distribution. There are industrial and light industrial units at Radway Green.

The town has two small shopping centres: the Victoria Centre and the Market Centre. There are outdoor markets throughout the week. Grand Junction Retail Park is just outside the centre of town. Nantwich Road provides a wide range of secondary local shops, with a variety of small retailers and estate agents.

The Market Centre is the largest shopping centre in Crewe. It is situated in the heart of the town centre with a few national retailers, including B&M, Poundstretcher and Peacocks. There are three large car parks nearby and Crewe bus station is a five-minute walk from the shopping centre. It has a weekly footfall of approximately 100,000 visitors.

Developments

[edit]

A planned redevelopment of Crewe's town centre, including the current bus station and main shopping area, was abandoned because of "difficult economic conditions" during 2008.[35]

There were also plans to revamp the railway station which involved moving it to Basford. This was pending a public consultation by Network Rail scheduled for autumn 2008, but no such public consultation was done. The plan was abandoned and maintenance work was carried out on the current station instead.[36]

Cheshire East Council developed a new regeneration master plan for Crewe,[37] which included the opening of a new Lifestyle Centre, with a new swimming pool, gym and library.

After a £3 million refurbishment, the Crewe Market Hall re-opened its doors on 19 May 2021, the start of many new developments in Crewe.[citation needed]

Crewe had been planned as the site of a transport hub for the Phase 2a High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line, which received royal assent in 2021 with planned completion in 2027. The plan included a new HS2 railway station, surrounded by a commercial hub providing 37,000 jobs and 7,000 homes by 2043. However on 4 October 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the cancellation of this phase of the HS2 development at the Conservative Party Conference.[38][39]

Transport

[edit]
Platform 12 at Crewe railway station, before the roof over it was replaced

Railway

[edit]

Crewe railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre, although it was not incorporated into the then Borough of Crewe until 1937. It is one of the largest stations in the North West and is a major interchange station on the West Coast Main Line. It has 12 platforms in use.

The station is served by several train operating companies:

Roads

[edit]

Crewe is on the A500, A530 and A534 roads; it is located less than 5 miles (8 km) from the M6 motorway.[45]

Buses

[edit]

Bus services in Crewe are operated predominantly by D&G Bus; their routes link the town with Congleton (route 42), Leighton Hospital (12), Macclesfield (38), Nantwich (84X) and Northwich (31/37).[46]

Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire runs route 84 to Chester and First Potteries operate a single service (route 3) running to Stoke-on-Trent, via Kidsgrove.[47]

Airport

[edit]

The closest airport to Crewe is Manchester Airport, which is 30 miles (48 km) away; Liverpool John Lennon Airport is 40 miles (64 km) away.

Culture

[edit]

Crewe Heritage Centre is located in the old LMS railway yard for Crewe railway station. The museum has three signal boxes and an extensive miniature railway with steam, diesel and electric traction. The most prominent exhibit of the museum is the British Rail Class 370 Advanced Passenger Train.

Lyceum Theatre

The Grade II-listed Edwardian Lyceum Theatre is in the centre of Crewe. It was built in 1911 and shows drama, ballet, opera, music, comedy and pantomime.[48] The theatre was originally located on Heath Street from 1882. The Axis Arts Centre is on the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) campus in Crewe. It relocated from the university's Alsager Campus when it closed. The centre has a programme of touring new performance and visual art work.[49] The Axis centre closed at the end of the spring 2019 season with the withdrawal of MMU from the Crewe campus.[50] The Box on Pedley Street is the town's main local music venue.

Both the Lyceum Theatre and the Axis Arts Centre feature galleries. The private Livingroom art gallery is on Prince Albert Street. The town's main library is on Prince Albert Square, opposite the Municipal Buildings.

Crewe has six Anglican churches, three Methodist, one Roman Catholic (which has a weekly Mass in Polish) and two Baptist.[51]

There is a museum dedicated to Primitive Methodism in the nearby village of Englesea-Brook.[52]

The Jacobean mansion Crewe Hall is located to the east of the town near Crewe Green. It is a grade I listed building, built in 1615–36 for Sir Randolph Crewe. Today, it is used as a hotel, restaurant and health club.

There is a multiplex Odeon cinema on Phoenix Leisure Park on the edge of the town centre, as well as a Mecca bingo hall and a Tenpin bowling alley.

Queens Park is the town's main park; £6.5 million was spent on its restoration in 2010.[53] It features walkways, a children's play area, crown green bowling, putting, a boating lake, grassed areas, memorials and a café.[54] Jubilee Gardens are in Hightown and there is also a park on Westminster Street.

In 2019, Crewe hosted Pride in the Park (previously held at Tatton Park in 2018) in Queens Park. The 2020 event, which had been due to take place on 12 September, was cancelled on 20 May, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[55]

Media

[edit]

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.

The weekly Crewe Chronicle and the daily Sentinel newspapers cover the town. Cheshire Live, an online news source that covers news across Cheshire, also has a section dedicated to Crewe news.[56]

The local radio station is The Cat[57] broadcasting on 107.9FM from the Cheshire College South and West building covering the town along with Nantwich and other local settlements. Other radio stations that cover the area include Cheshire's Silk Radio from Macclesfield, Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire (formerly Signal 1) and Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire from Stoke-on-Trent and BBC Radio Stoke.

Education

[edit]
Further information: List of schools in Cheshire East

Cheshire has adopted the comprehensive school model of secondary education, so all of the schools under its control cater for pupils of all levels of ability.[58] Until the late 1970s Crewe had two grammar schools, Crewe Grammar School for Boys, now Ruskin High School and Crewe Grammar School for Girls, now the Oaks Academy (formerly Kings Grove School). The town's two other secondary schools are Sir William Stanier School, a specialist technology and arts academy, and St. Thomas More Catholic High School, specialising in mathematics and computing and modern foreign languages.

Although there are eight schools for those aged 11–16 in Crewe and its surrounding area, Cheshire College South & West is one of only two local providers of education for pupils aged 16 and over, and the only one in Crewe. The college also provides educational programmes for adults, leading to qualifications such as Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) or foundation degrees. In the 2006–07 academic year 2,532 students aged 16–18 were enrolled, along with 3,721 adults.[59]

Manchester Metropolitan University's (MMU) Cheshire Faculty is based in Crewe, in a part of town which has been rebranded as the University Quadrant. The campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in five areas: business and management, contemporary arts, exercise and sport science, interdisciplinary studies, education and teacher training.[60] The campus underwent a £70 million investment in its facilities and buildings in 2015.[61] The campus was used as a pre-games training camp for the London 2012 Olympic Games.[62]

Since 2016, there has been a University Technical College for 14-19 year olds interested in automotive or railway engineering.[63]

Sport

[edit]
Mornflake Stadium/Gresty Road

Crewe's local football club is Crewe Alexandra, founded in 1877 and initially managed by railway workers. During the late 20th century the club enjoyed something of a renaissance under the management of Dario Gradi, playing in the second tier of the professional pyramid for eight seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Crewe Alexandra currently play in League Two (the fourth tier), having been relegated from League One in April 2022. In 2013 the club won its first major silverware after beating Southend United 2–0 in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley.

From the early 1980s, Crewe Alexandra built a reputation for developing young players through its youth ranks: England internationals Geoff Thomas, Danny Murphy, David Platt, Rob Jones and Dean Ashton, plus Northern Ireland's Neil Lennon and Steve Jones, and Wales's Robbie Savage and David Vaughan all passed through the club. Among their earlier most notable home-grown players was Frank Blunstone, born in the town in 1934, who was transferred from "The Alex" to Chelsea in 1953, and went on to win five England caps. Internationals Bruce Grobbelaar and Stan Bowles were also on the books at one time in their careers.

Crewe's local rugby clubs are both based in or near Nantwich. The Crewe & Nantwich Steamers (formerly Crewe Wolves), who played in the Rugby League Conference, were based at Barony Park, Nantwich, while Crewe and Nantwich RUFC play their home games at the Vagrants Sports Ground in Willaston.

Speedway racing was staged in Crewe in the pioneer days of the late 1920s to early 1930s; the stadium in Earle Street also operated from 1969 until 1975 when the Crewe Kings raced in British League Division Two, then the National League. At the time the track was the longest and fastest in the UK.[64] Crewe Kings riders included Phil Crump (father of Jason Crump), Les Collins (brother of Peter Collins), Dave Morton (brother of Chris Morton), Geoff Curtis, John Jackson, Jack Millen and Dave Parry. Grand Junction Retail Park occupies the site of the now demolished stadium.[65]

The Crewe Railroaders are the town's American football team, currently competing in the BAFA Central League Division 2 and the subject of the film Gridiron UK, which premiered at the Lyceum Theatre on 29 September 2016.

Crewe also has its own roller derby team, Railtown Loco Rollers, founded in September 2013. They skate at Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and compete with skaters and teams from all over the North West.

Crewe's main leisure facility is the Crewe Lifestyle Centre, which now houses Crewe's main public swimming pool after the Flag Lane premises closed in 2016.[66] Other notable leisure facilities include Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre and Victoria Community Centre.

Since 17 February 2018,[67][68] Crewe's Queens Park has hosted a parkrun each Saturday morning at 9am.

Notable people

[edit]
Gwyneth Dunwoody
William Hope
Mark Price, Baron Price
Adam Rickitt in 2010
Sir Philip Craven

Politicians

[edit]

Public service and commerce

[edit]

Arts

[edit]

Sport

[edit]

Town twinning

[edit]

Crewe is twinned with:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ a b "CREWE in Cheshire East (North West England) Built-up Area Subdivision". City Population. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". boulter.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  3. ^ "CREWE Parish in North West England". City Population. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  4. ^ Mills, David (20 October 2011). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780199609086. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Crewe Township / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  6. ^ Youngs (1991, pp. 15–16); Dunn (1987, p. 26); Ollerhead (2008, p. 10)
  7. ^ a b Glancey, Jonathan (6 December 2005), "The beauty of Crewe", The Guardian, London, retrieved 10 August 2007
  8. ^ "Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Crewe – Archaeological Assessment". Cheshire County Council & English Heritage. 2003. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  9. ^ Ollerhead (2008, pp. 7, 10, 16); Chambers (2007, pp. 76, 94)
  10. ^ "No. 22321". The London Gazette. 1 November 1859. p. 3923.
  11. ^ Chaloner, William Henry (1950). The social and economic development of Crewe, 1780–1923. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780678007549. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Local Government Supplemental Act 1870". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  13. ^ Youngs (1991, p. 16); Chambers (2007, pp. 76, 94)
  14. ^ Curran et al. (1984, p. 2)
  15. ^ [1] Archived 21 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine states: "This can now be totally dispelled as records show the LNWR Co. originally thought their line to Chester would run alongside the river. However, it was discovered the ground was not firm enough and a more northerly route was decided upon. Had the original thought gone ahead it would have taken the land that was eventually used for Queens Park. It is obvious that a rumour became mixed with a proposal to open a station on the present Chester line called Queens Park Halt. To further clarify the situation an entry on 18 December 1886, in the Minute Book of the board of directors of the LNWR, refers to the area being given for a public park."
  16. ^ a b Redfern, p.121
  17. ^ Redfern, p.119
  18. ^ a b c Chaloner, William Henry (1950). The Social and Economic Development of Crewe 1780-1923. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 308–309.
  19. ^ Ollerhead (2008, p. 10)
  20. ^ "Crewe Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Cheshire". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The National Archives. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  22. ^ Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945. Cheshire County Council Countryside and Recreation. 1985. pp. 47–48. ISBN 0-906759-20-X.
  23. ^ [2] Archived 8 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine CWGC civilian casualty record, Crewe Municipal Borough.
  24. ^ Discovering Wartime Cheshire 1939-1945. p. 49.
  25. ^ "Crewe Town Council Contact Us". Crewe Town Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  26. ^ "1/11/2021 - Cheshire East Council supports town council's 'city status' bid". www.cheshireeast.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  27. ^ Joyner, Lisa (20 May 2022). "Queen's Platinum Jubilee city status: 8 new cities created as part of celebrations". Country Living. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Crewe Climate".
  29. ^ "A transformational step for Alstom: completion of the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation". Alstom. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  30. ^ "Alstom in the UK and Ireland". Alstom. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  31. ^ Crewe Diesel depot is biggest loss as EWS prepares for closure Rail issue 475 26 November 2003 page 6
  32. ^ Hosking to lease Crewe depot Railways Illustrated issue 135 May 2014 page 10
  33. ^ Mark Gillies (10 May 2010). "Going Back in Time at the Bentley Factory". Car and Driver blog. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  34. ^ Fisher, Martyn (6 April 2018). "Bestway buys Bargain Booze". Better Wholesaling. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  35. ^ Developer confident of town upgrades in the face of downturn, Staffordshire Sentinel News and Media, 31 December 2008, retrieved 3 February 2009
  36. ^ "The Sentinel". Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  37. ^ "Cheshire East Council Crewe Vision documents". Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  38. ^ "HS2 Birmingham to Crewe link planned to open six years early". BBC News. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  39. ^ Pidd, Helen (4 October 2023). "'We feel forgotten': anger in Crewe at scaling back of HS2". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  40. ^ "Our latest timetables and ticket info". Avanti West Coast. May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  41. ^ "Timetables". Transport for Wales. May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  42. ^ "Train timetables and schedules". London Northwestern Railway. May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  43. ^ "Timetables". East Midlands Railway. May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  44. ^ "Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern". Northern Railway. May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  45. ^ "Google Maps".
  46. ^ "Stops in Crewe". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  47. ^ "Timetables | Potteries". First Bus. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  48. ^ "HQ Theatres". lyceumtheatre.net. Archived from the original on 5 September 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  49. ^ Axis Arts Centre website Archived 22 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ Neil Mackenzie (Spring 2019). "Spring Season 2019 – Welcome and goodbye!". Axis Arts Centre. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  51. ^ "Crewe Places of Worship, for Places of Worship in Crewe, Cheshire, UK". city-visitor.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  52. ^ Englsea Brook Chapel and Museum website Archived 30 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  53. ^ "Queen's Park, Crewe". cheshireeast.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  54. ^ "Queens Park, Crewe". www.cheshireeast.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  55. ^ "Council cancels this year's Pride event". Cheshire East Council. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  56. ^ "Crewe - Cheshire Live". www.cheshire-live.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
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Bibliography

  • Chambers, S (2007), Crewe: A history, Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore, ISBN 978-1-86077-472-0
  • Curran, H; Gilsenan, M; Owen, B; Owen, J (1984), Change at Crewe, Chester: Cheshire Libraries and Museums
  • Dunn, F. I. (1987), The ancient parishes, townships and chapelries of Cheshire, Chester: Cheshire Record Office and Cheshire Diocesan Record Office, ISBN 0-906758-14-9
  • Ollerhead, P (2008), Crewe: History and guide, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7524-4654-7
  • Redfern, Allan (1983) "Crewe: Leisure in a railway town" in Walton, John K., and Walvin, James, Leisure in Britain, 1780-1939, Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp.117-136. ISBN 0-7190-0912-X
  • Youngs, F. A. (1991), Guide to the local administrative units of England. (Volume 1: Northern England), London: Royal Historical Society, ISBN 0-86193-127-0
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