As well as arranging interesting talks, we also offer a range of inexpensive booklets which cover local history subjects in a readable and informative way. They are available from the Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse; and at Society meetings.
The booklets below can be purchased through the Society. To do this please download a PDF order form, Complete it and send your cheque to the address on the form. Click here to download.
Note: the form is in PDF format. If you are unable to open this file, you may need to download the Reader from Adobe using the button.
Some out of print books can be accessed from the PDF Book page.
“Terracotta Thompson – Revealing a Forgotten Northwich Industry” by David North
16 pages. £7.00
The story of Jabez Thompson, and his Terracotta manufacturing company based in Northwich. This largely forgotten industry provided ornamental terracotta items for many buildings, not only in Northwich, but also further afield. This booklet is generously illustrated with many photographs, mostly in full colour.
“Northwich Goes to War - The district’s response to the start of World War I” by Tony Bostock
30 pages, £4.00.
“Northwich Goes To War” tells the town’s story in the first six months of the War, in which eventually, Northwich and the surrounding areas were to lose many of their young men – regular soldiers, volunteers and conscripts. For most people the war seemed far away, nevertheless the war brought change to mid-Cheshire with disruptions to traditional social and economic patterns of life. It is intended that ‘Northwich Goes to War’ will be the first in a series of booklets telling the story of Northwich during World War I and in its aftermath.
Northwich’s WW1 Memorials
40 pages, £5.00.
To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War on 4 August 2014, N&DHS is publishing a series of booklets. “Northwich’s WW1 Memorials” is an act of remembrance, recording the names of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country from Northwich and the surrounding areas. It describes and illustrates the memorials erected after the War, in the area, on which the names of the fallen were inscribed.
Northwich’s WW1 Roll of Honour
60 pages, £6.00.
To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War on 4 August 2014, N&DHS is publishing a series of booklets. “Northwich’s WW1 Roll of Honour” is an act of remembrance, to those from Northwich area who fought and died in that War. It lists them with their regimental details, the memorial on which they are commemorated, and any family and residence information. The booklet is intended to be a single source of reference for those who wish to find out more about men from the Northwich area who deserve to be commemorated and remembered.
Vale Royal Abbey and the Cistercians 1277 - 1538.
14 pages, 14 illustrations, £4.00.
This booklet by Tony Bostock and Stuart Hogg is the result of much historical research on what was the largest Cistercian abbey in Britain, situated in Cheshire, close to the village of Whitegate and the valley of the River Weaver. The abbey’s history is described from its founding under a charter from Edward I through to its dissolution under warrant from Henry VIII. Backgound information on the Cistercian order, its monasteries and monastic life is also provided.
Saving the best for tomorrow - Viscount Ashbrook talks about managing the Arley Estate. 14 pages, £4.00.
The talk by our Patron, Lord Ashbrook, about the Arley estate was one of the highlights of our 20th anniversary season. It has now been reproduced as an attractive booklet, illustrated in colour throughout.
The Discovery of Polythene and its rôle in World War II. 4 pages, £0.60.
From a "waxy solid" to the largest tonnage polymer in the world, polythene (polyethylene) was discovered in Northwich, and played an important role on the Battle of the Atlantic.
Life at Vale Royal House Great House 1907 - 1925, the memoirs of Mary Hopkirk (née Dempster). 16 pages, 31 illustrations, £2.40.
The young Mary Dempster's grandfather leased Vale Royal Great House from Lord Delamere for 18 years while the latter was in Kenya and this is her vivid account of grand, country house life in Edwardian England. She takes readers for a conducted tour of the historic house with its opulent furnishings and its acres of glorious gardens.
John Douglas 1830 - 1911 The outstanding Cheshire architect by Roger King. 16 pages and 32 illustrations, £3.60.
This booklet was described by the Victorian Society as 'An admirable introduction to the works of John Douglas in Mid Cheshire'. The booklet focuses on 10 buildings designed by Douglas in the Parish of Cuddington and Sandiway where he was born and a further 12 in Whitegate, Over, Arley, Great Budworth and Northwich. Cover includes 14 colour illustrations.
Cold Comfort at the Northwich Union Workhouse 1839 - 1948 by Stuart Hogg. 12 pages and 15 illustrations, £4.80.
The Northwich Workhouse, now the Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, was built to house 300 inmates and served much of mid Cheshire, not just the town. This well researched booklet sets it in the context of Victorian Poor Law and describes the grim conditions deliberately designed as an incentive to stay out or get out.
Picturing Old Northwich and District. 64 pages, 115 illustrations, £5.00.
A nostalgic trip down memory lane with over 100 photos from the collection of the late Alan Peat whose slide shows were enjoyed by so many. A brief history of the town and evocative memories of local people bring the past to life for young and old alike. The society's Millennium tribute to the area.
W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., Shipbuilders of Northwich 1896 - 1966 by Clive Guthrie. 20 pages, 64 illustrations, £5.00.
Shipbuilding was part of Northwich's hidden heritage until we published this history in 1996. Yarwood's built around 1,030 vessels, mostly coasters, tugs and barges, and this fascinating booklet by the authority on the subject, is a testimony to the skilled and dedicated craftsmen and women who built vessels which achieved a worldwide reputation for quality and innovation.
The Extraordinary Life of Robert Westall (1929 - 1993) - a short biography of the award-winning writer, by Lindy McKinnel. 12 pages and 18 illustrations, £3.60.
The acclaimed children's author came to Northwich in 1960 when he was appointed Head of Art at Sir John Deane's. His most well-known book is "The Machine Gunners" which was awarded the Carnegie Medal in 1975 and was adopted as a popular television serial. This is a fascinating biography.
