Sandbach

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Sandbach
Coordinates: 53.1466° N 2.3674° W
Population	17,630
OS grid reference	SJ755611
District	Congleton
Shire county	Cheshire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SANDBACH
Postcode district	CW11
Dial code	01270
Police	Cheshire
Fire	Cheshire
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Congleton
European Parliament	North West England
List of places: UK • England • Cheshire

Sandbach a market town in Cheshire, England. Since 1974 it has been part of Congleton borough. The town is formed of three communities: Sandbach itself, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock.

Sandbach is probably best known as the original home of both Foden and ERF lorries, both companies founded by members of the Foden family. Neither company now exists in Sandbach, having been taken over and production moved elsewhere. The world famous Foden Brass Band, originally created for employees, still exists and is based in Sandbach under the title Foden's Richardson Brass Band. They recently won the United States Open Championship.

Sandbach has been a market town since the 16th century. It started with a small market each Thursday and two annual fairs, which lasted for two days, and were held around Easter and early September. Today the Thursday market is still held outdoors and is sited around the Town Hall and on Scotch Common. Nearby are some wetlands called Sandbach Flashes.

Sandbach is supposedly one of the most haunted towns in Great Britain, including a rumour that there is a ghost of a boy in the boys' school bell tower.

Since the decline in railway use, pressure of road traffic going from the Manchester area to Crewe has forced the building of a bypass for Sandbach, Wheelock, Wheelock Heath, Winterley, and Haslington for the A533. This is largely due to the M6 motorway which has a junction (J17) at Sandbach, which is close to the eponymous RoadChef service station.

Sandbach has two very important historical features in the cobbled market square. These are the Saxon Crosses that were reportedly built in the 7th, 8th or 9th century. A plaque is situated on the crosses and mentions the 9th century, so there is some debate about when they came into being.

Local transport is provided by Arriva and First PMT (Potteries).

The plaque states, "Saxon crosses completed in the 9th century A.D. to commemorate the advent of Christianity in this kingdom of mercia about 653 A.D. in the reign of the Saxon king Penda. Restored in 1816 by Sir John Egerton after destruction by iconoclasts."

Contents 1 Sandbach School 2 Sandbach Players 3 Etymology 4 Notable residents 5 External links

[edit] Sandbach School

Sandbach School was founded as a boarding grammar school for boys in 1677. Now it is a comprehensive boys school. The school's motto is Ut Severis Seges meaning approximately "what you sow, so shall you reap" though literally meaning "You sow in order to reap". The school and its sixth form educate 1200+ pupils, and is still growing. The school has its own Combined Cadet Force (CCF). This is a cadet force in which all three British armed forces (Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force) are represented.

[edit] Sandbach Players

Sandbach Players are a community theatre company formed in 1946 and have performed regularly ever since. It started with 'Without the Prince' in the Town Hall where all productions were held up until 1977 when the society acquired a building in the town which became 'The Little Theatre'. A period of great prosperity followed and the 'House Full' sign was put to frequent use until, in 1992, the society were forced to leave the building after a survey revealed dry rot. Far from being despondent, the society bounced back to perform John Chapman's 'Dry Rot' (what else?) at Sandbach School. This was the home until 2005 when Sandbach Players returned to their roots, and to Sandbach Town Hall where all productions are now staged.

[edit] Etymology

Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Sandbæce = "sandy valley-stream".

[edit] Notable residents

• Blaster Bates
• Shaun Goater
• George Roper (comedian b. 1934 - d. 2003)
• Michael Edwards (aka Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards)
• Yvette Fielding
• Chris Warburton

[edit] External links

• grid reference SJ755611
• Sandbach United Football Club
• Sandbach 1651 Civil War Re-Enactment
• Sandbach School
• Sandbach Players
• Sandbach Voices
• Sandbach Baptist Church

The Borough of Congleton, Cheshire
Principal Settlements	Alsager • Congleton • Holmes Chapel • Middlewich • Sandbach
Civil Parishes	Alsager • Arclid • Betchton • Bradwall • Brereton • Church Lawton • Congleton • Cranage • Goostrey • Hassall • Holmes Chapel • Hulme Walfield • Middlewich • Moreton cum Alcumlow • Moston • Newbold Astbury-cum-Moreton • Odd Rode • Sandbach • Smallwood • Somerford • Somerford Booths • Swettenham • Twemlow