IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Lion Street, CONGLETON, CW12 4BH

There has been a chapel on this site from 1766. This church was dedicated in 1968. Its design is highly respected as it was the first in the area to deviate from traditional design.

The first chapel on this site was built in 1766 and had seating for a congregation of 400 people, the next two hundred years saw a number of different buildings- all used as chapels. When, in the mid 1960's, remedial work uncovered some potentially dangerous faults the last building was condemned. The present building was consecrated in 1968 and brought together the three congregations of Brook Street, Queen Street and Wagg Street, forming the Trinity of its name. The white building to the left is the Church Hall.

Looking towards Image and the junction with Swan Bank and West Street, the junction with Lion Street is in the foreground to the left.

See Image for context. The stables building presumably belongs with the pub historically, but does not form part of the grade II listing.

A historic pub at the top of Swan Bank, currently closed for refurbishment. Was the pub named after the street or vice-versa? It dates from the 17th century (according to Historic England) or possibly earlier (see link below). The building is grade II listed (list entry 1325197) but the timbered frontage is a 19th century adaptation. To the right is a bridge to the former stables. Another contributor gives a fuller history and explanation for the name Image

There is a one-way system in the town centre, and maybe has been for a long time, given the apparent age of this road sign. The building behind is the Lion and Swan pub.

This cut mark is on the wall of Image that faces onto Wagg Street. Before Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were invented the Ordnance Survey used benchmarks to determine accurate heights above sea level. For more information on this and other benchmarks visit http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm36096 .

Built in the 16th century, this Tudor building dominates the top of Swan Bank. there were originally two hostelries, the Lion and the Swan, that were built using recycled ships timbers with a wattle and daub infill. The two inns merged and were extended during the 18th century to accommodate a growing number of travellers using the canals, roads and railways. Reputedly the hotel is haunted by a brown haired young lady every new moon wearing nothing but a pair of clogs and a smile. As a bit of an anticlimax after that- there is a benchmark on the wall facing Wagg Street, behind the sign post just visible on the left of the picture (Image). For a close up of the sign see Image

This cut mark is on the corner of the house visible in Image For more information on this and other bench marks see http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm36319 .

This is the sign attached to Image Although both the lion and the swan feature heavily in heraldry, the lion depicting strength and courage and the swan being a lover of poetry and music, they also have links with the Church in that the lion depicts the dignity of Christ with the swan standing for innocence; the Church and the inn have always been closely related with early monastic institutions often having a hostelry attached to them. In this case, however, the Lion and the Swan were two adjacent public houses that merged in the 18th century, so there are two separate interpretations of this name. But we mustn't forget, and this is very important, the spectre of the brown haired young lady who appears every new moon wearing nothing but a smile and a pair of clogs! On a more mundane, but equally as important note- there is a bench mark on the wall directly below this sign (Image).