Helsby
Helsby maps (2 available)
Map of Cheshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Helsby books (10 available)
- 2 photos on Helsby appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Helsby
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Helsby and Cheshire
Helsby memories
Read and share memories of Helsby and Cheshire inspired by Frith photos
Church school
I also went to the church school from 1954 to 1960. Miss Kinread was still Headmistress. The Chapel near the church was also used as a class room. Teachers I remember are Miss Heaton, Miss Williams and Mr Edge. It was a lovely time and I would love to hear from any class mates from that time.
Contributed by robert orford
Church School
When I attended the Church School Miss Kinraid was Headmistress. Miss Price and Miss Hattan were also teachers. My father Frederick Charles Clarke attended before me. My brother Frederick Charles and my sister Olive May also attended this school. When I went to see the school in 1983 I was disappointed to find it had been demolished. My brother, sister and I later attended the Council School which I had a look round in 1983. I was a member of the Helsby Cubs and Scouts and have very happy memories of my childhood in Helsby.
Contributed by Harry Clarke
Avenue Methodist Church
I left the Sunday School at this chapel in summer 1962 after several very happy years. Mrs Davies was the Superintendent and our expert pianist was Phyllis Jones (later Pritchard). My membership gave me a good grounding in the scriptures and lots of fun and friendship too. The Sunday School post-Christmas party and prizegiving events stand out as an especially happy memory. Many years after leaving Helsby I returned to Methodism and in due course became a local preacher. I'll always be grateful to my Sunday School teachers for what they did for me.
Contributed by Ian Warburton
Cheshire memories
Avenue Methodist Church
I left the Sunday School at this chapel in summer 1962 after several very happy years. Mrs Davies was the Superintendent and our expert pianist was Phyllis Jones (later Pritchard). My membership gave me a good grounding in the scriptures and lots of fun and friendship too. The Sunday School post-Christmas party and prizegiving events stand out as an especially happy memory. Many years after leaving Helsby I returned to Methodism and in due course became a local preacher. I'll always be grateful to my Sunday School teachers for what they did for me.
A memory of Helsby contributed by Ian Warburton
Extracts From Helsby & Cheshire books
With so many workers
arriving here in the 1800s
from Ireland there was a
strong Roman Catholic
presence and this
enormous church was
built in the 1870s to serve
that congregation. For
the first 23 years it was
also a collegiate church
for Jesuits with, at one time, 32 priests, 22 scholastics and 17 lay brothers.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".
There have
been several
Ditchfield Halls
near here. In the
1500s and 1600s the
Dychfield family
that lived here
were strong Roman
Catholics and
refused to attend
the Protestant
services at their local
parish church at
Farnworth. Instead
they built their own
chapel but they were
still fined for not
attending the official
church services! The
last Ditchfield Hall
was demolished in
the 1960s.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".
It would have been near here that the ferry landed. The first ferry was established in 1178 by the baron who owned Halton
Castle on the southern side of the estuary. His estates included lands on the northern side and, apparently, the ferry was set
up primarily so his tenants could cross the river more easily in order to pay him their taxes.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".
St Mary’s Church
was consecrated in
1910 and has room
for a congregation of
over 750 people. The
church has a most
unusual feature - built
into the wall around
the churchyard,
overlooking the road,
there is a pulpit from
where, perhaps, the
vicar could harangue
those people taking
their ease here in the
gardens on a Sunday afternoon.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".
Despite the title of the photograph there are, in fact, two bridges depicted here. The railway bridge,
in the foreground, was opened in 1868 when a train with 500 passengers on board crossed over. The
main part of the bridge consists of a lattice of iron girders. Built by William Baker, the chief engineer
for the London and North Western Railway, it used 48,115 rivets.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".