The area was agricultural, with a roughly equal mix of dairy and arable land in the 19th century.[3] Chorlton Methodist Chapel, a red-brick former Wesleyan Methodist church on Chorlton Lane, closed in 2018.[4][5]
Chorlton was formerly a township in the parish of Wybunbury,[11] from 1866 Chorlton was a civil parish in its own right,[12] on 1 April 2023 the parish was abolished to form "Hough and Chorlton".[13]
Geography and transport
The civil parish has an area of 377.13 hectares (931.9 acres).[14] The area is undulating, sloping gently upwards to the south and east, with an average elevation of around 65 metres (213 ft) and a high point above 80 metres (260 ft) in the south east, around West Heath. Outside Chorlton village, the land use is predominantly agricultural, with several farms including Chorlton Bank Farm, Heath Farm, Jubilee Farm and West Heath Farm. Several minor watercourses run through the parish, including Mere Gutter and Swill Brook, and numerous small meres and ponds are scattered across the area. There are a few small areas of woodland.[2][15]
The Crewe-to-Stafford railway line runs north west to south east through the civil parish; there are no stations within Chorlton. Chorlton Lane/Waybutt Lane runs broadly north–south from a T-junction at the northern boundary to Chorlton village; south of the village, the lane turns to run eastwards, and connects to the A531 just beyond the parish boundary in Staffordshire. Another lane runs westwards from the T-junction through the north of the parish to the village of Hough.[2][15] The Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk and South Cheshire Way long-distance footpaths cut through the north of the parish; the route of both follows part of Chorlton Lane and then crosses the railway at a footbridge near Heath Farm.[15]
Demography
According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 113,[4] increasing to 897 in 338 households at the 2011 census.[14] The historical population figures are 106 (1801), 114 (1851), 79 (1901) and 78 (1951).[4]
Landmarks
The parish contains one structure designated by English Heritage as a listed building. This is Basford Bridge Cottage, a timber-framed and brick building dating from the 17th century.[16] The cottage is listed at Grade II, the lowest of the three grades of listing, which is applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest".[17]
There are no educational facilities in Chorlton. The civil parish falls within the catchment area of Shavington Academy; most falls within the catchment area of Weston Village Primary School, but the western part is in that of Shavington Primary School.[2]
Geoffrey Scard. Squire and Tenant: Rural Life in Cheshire 1760–1900. A History of Cheshire Vol. 10 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council; 1981) (ISBN0 903119 12 9)
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