PAUL Hurley’s excellent article relating the history of Hartford Beach unfortunately alleges a possible beach at one time.

However, I’ve been told the ‘beach’ comes from the ‘beck’, or stream, that starts nearby, in Beach Wood (between Northwich and Wallerscote Roads), and that flows into the old River Weaver near Owley Wood.

A look at the origin of the word ‘beach’ reveals that it’s thought the word originates from the same ‘bece’ that means beck.

It also creeps into such names as Sandbach, which is even more likely to refer to a sandy beck than a sandy beach, being further from the sea.

Anthony Powell Weaverham