ACTON Bridge and its surrounding hamlets, including Acton Cliffe were amalgamated in 1967 under the name Acton, writes Paul Hurley.

There is another Acton near Nantwich, and it’s a popular place and surname throughout the country originating from the Old English ‘ac’ meaning oak tree, and ‘tun’ meaning settlement.

In 1837 a station was built at this small hamlet, and in those days the importance of the railway was to carry goods.

So building it nearer to the larger Weaverham, as they could easily have done, was secondary to its primary task of serving the farming community.

As the stations were built along the route of the new railway they invariably built a hotel to serve its customers.

Acton Bridge was no exception, and in 1841 a farmhouse nearby was converted and named The Railway Hotel.

In those early days, people would come from the smoky cities to spend holidays at the pub in order to explore the beautiful Cheshire countryside.

The regular train service from Liverpool and elsewhere made the journey easy.

Eventually, the name Railway Hotel went out of favour, and most pubs of that name saw it changed.

One of the most common pears in the area was the Hazel or Hessle Pear, and there was an orchard of them at the rear of the pub.

So in 1972, the pub’s name was changed to The Hazel Pear.

Arthur Garner and his wife had the pub through the bleak years of the Second World War, and the story goes that Mrs Garner served a double whisky to General Patton as he waited with his troops to board the train at Acton Bridge.

He knocked it back and asked her for another she refused; pointing out that it was rationed and there was a war on.

The ivory handled pistols and the four silver stars on Americas most outspoken of generals did not faze this country landlady.