by Nick Colley, chairman of Northwich and District Heritage Society

BRUNNER and Mond first came to Winnington in 1872, and the following year moved into Winnington Hall and set about creating their chemical business in the grounds, which extended to 130 acres of mostly woodland.

After an initial shaky start the business slowly grew. As the business expanded more workers were needed, but the Winnington Hall estate had little to offer in the way of accommodation for these workers.

There was just the hall and a few outbuildings, and the gatehouses were occupied by John Done, who acted as gatekeeper and estate manager as he had done for many years before Brunner and Mond arrived.

Northwich was a mile and a half away and Barnton a mile off.

In 1879 the decision was made to build 20 cottages and eight villas for managers and workers, then three years later 107 more cottages were added to what was to become Solvay Road and Hemming Street. Those original eight villas were called Dyar Terrace.

This ever-growing new village needed a shop for basic supplies, so a Co-operative Society was formed and a shop built to serve the families who were now living here.

In 1886 they built a school in Winnington so the children of employees did not have to travel for their education - 115 pupils attended in its first year of opening, increasing to more than 230 the following year.

In 1889 a further 121 houses were built, extending Solvay Road and adding Faraday Road.

By 1910 the demand for housing for workers was still growing, so in 1912 50 corrugated iron and timber bungalows were built along Winnington Avenue.

These were relatively simple four-roomed houses with a central brick chimney stack that provided an open fire to each of the four rooms.

They had gardens to the front and rear and had water and waste fully connected along with electricity. These houses were popular and are fondly remembered by those who lived in or visited them.

At the same time they constructed what was known as the Bachelors Hall which provided accommodation for 200 men.

The Bachelors Hall and the bungalows have long since disappeared, and Faraday Road and part of Solvay Road were demolished to allow the works to be extended, but most of the remaining Brunner Mond houses still stand as well as others built elsewhere in the area.

For more local history photographs visit the Northwich History Past and Present Facebook group