Grappenhall
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{infobox UK place
| official_name = Grappenhall
| map_type = Cheshire
| static_image_name = Grappenhall.jpg
| static_image_caption = Parr Arms and St Wilfrid's Church
| coordinates = {{coord|53.373|-2.543|display=inline,title}}
| os_grid_reference = SJ639863
| population = 9,651
| population_ref =
| civil_parish = Grappenhall and Thelwall
| unitary_england = Warrington
| lieutenancy_england = Cheshire
| region = North West England
| country = England
| constituency_westminster = Warrington South
| post_town = WARRINGTON
| postcode_district = WA4
| postcode_area = WA
| dial_code = 01925
}}
Grappenhall is a village within the civil parish of Grappenhall and Thelwall in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. The parish had a population of 9,377 at the 2001 census,{{citation|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790890&c=Grappenhall&d=16&e=15&g=388221&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=7792001|title=2001 Census: Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=10 June 2007|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306070545/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790890&c=Grappenhall&d=16&e=15&g=388221&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=7792001|url-status=dead}} 9,687 at the 2011 census,{{NOMIS2011|id=E04000325 |title=Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish}} and 9,651 at the 2021 census.{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/admin/warrington/E04000325__grappenhall_and_thelwall/ |title=Grappenhall and Thelwall |website=Citypopulation.de/ |access-date=27 August 2024}}
History
Grappenhall is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 with the name Gropenhale and with a valuation of five shillings.
File:Sandstone carving of 'Cheshire Cat', St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall.jpg carving of a 'Cheshire Cat', St Wilfrid's Church]]
St Wilfrid's Church has a carving of a cat on the west face of the tower. This may have been Lewis Carroll's inspiration for the grinning Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.{{citation |url=https://www.stwilfridschurch.org.uk/home/history/ |title=History |accessdate=9 January 2021 |publisher=St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall}} The church itself was first constructed in 1120, though was rebuilt 400 years later. The church was also, at a time, in the possession of the Boidelle (Boydell) family.{{cn|date=January 2023}}
Along with the church, the centre of the village contains two pubs, the Parr Arms and the Ram's Head, and Grappenhall Hall Residential School (closed down) and St Wilfrid's Primary School. Bradshaw Community Primary School is located north of the village centre.
On 1 April 1936 the parish of Thelwall was abolished and merged with Grappenhall,{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10211402|title=Relationships and changes Thelwall CP/Ch through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=2 May 2024}} on 1 April 1974 the merged parish was renamed "Grappenhall and Thelwall".{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/warrington.html|title=Warringtin Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=2 May 2024}} In 1931 the parish of Grappenhall (prior to the merge) had a population of 2449.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10007320/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Grappenhall AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=2 May 2024}}
Leisure
Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden is near the village.{{cite web|url=http://grappenhallandthelwallpc.org.uk/grappenhall-heys-walled-garden/|title=Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden |publisher=Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council|year=2018|access-date=13 December 2021}}
Grappenhall is home to the 25th Warrington East (St Wilfred's) Scout Troop.{{cite web|url=http://www.grappenhallscouts.org.uk/about/history |title=25th Warrington East Scout Group » History |publisher=Grappenhallscouts.org.uk |date=3 August 1914 |accessdate=6 August 2013}}
Sport
There is a cricket ground, which is the home of Grappenhall Cricket Club.{{cite web|url=http://www.grappers.co.uk/ |title=Grappenhall Cricket Club |publisher=Grappers.com |date= |accessdate=6 August 2013}} Australian cricketer Steve Smith was signed for the club for five weeks in 2007, when he was 17.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-49688278 |title=Cheshire village cricket club recalls 'homesick' Steve Smith |work=BBC News |date=13 September 2019 |accessdate=13 September 2019}}
Library
The Grappenhall Community library is a community-run library in the village. It was opened by the local authority in 1959 before being handed over to the Friends of Grappenhall Library after closure on 2 April 2011{{cite web|title=A brief history of Grappenhall Library|url=http://www.grappenhall.org.uk/about-us/grappenhall-library-history|website=Grappenhall.org.uk|publisher=Grappenhall Community Library|accessdate=13 December 2016|archive-date=12 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012095335/http://grappenhall.org.uk/about-us/grappenhall-library-history|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Grappenhall Community Library|url=http://libraries.communityknowledgehub.org.uk/resource/grappenhall-community-library|website=Community Knowledge Hub|date=21 January 2013 |accessdate=13 December 2016}} due to local authority cuts.{{cite web|title=Grappenhall villagers win campaign to take ownership of former council library|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/9452421.Villagers_take_ownership_of_former_council_library/?ref=twtrec|website=Warringtonguardian.co.uk| date=5 January 2012 |publisher=The Warrington Guardian|accessdate=13 December 2016}} The library is run by the Friends of the Grappenhall library who pay £10 a year to help with its upkeep.{{cite web|title=Community libraries: 10 case studies|url=http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Community-Libraries-10-Case-Studies.pdf|website=locality.org.uk|accessdate=13 December 2016|archive-date=30 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730232044/http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Community-Libraries-10-Case-Studies.pdf|url-status=dead}}
In popular culture
Parts of the Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes were filmed in the centre of Grappenhall.{{Cite web|title=Filming Location Matching "Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)|url=http://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Grappenhall,+Warrington,+Cheshire,+England,+UK|access-date=2021-12-13|website=IMDb}} The village name appears in the title of the song "Grappenhall Rag", by the Darwen singer-songwriter Bryn Haworth.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb57BtNev9M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Fb57BtNev9M |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Bryn Haworth Grappenhall Rag |publisher=YouTube |date=20 November 2012 |accessdate=6 August 2013}}{{cbignore}}
Notable people
Grappenhall is the birthplace of actor and singer Tim Curry (born 19 April 1946).{{Cite book |last=Whittaker |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q14SAQAAMAAJ |title=Cosmic Light: The Birth of a Cult Classic |date=1998 |publisher=Acme Books |page=31 |language=en |lccn=98232656 |quote=Timothy James Curry was born in Cheshire, England, on April 19, 1946, the son of a Methodist Navy chaplain who died when Curry was twelve.}}
See also
{{Portal|Cheshire}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Grappenhall}}
- [http://www.virtual-knutsford.co.uk/frameset.php?main=/archaeology/j_cheshirecat1.htm Images of the church and its cat.]
- [http://www.grappenhall.com Grappenhall Youth & Community Association]
- [https://www.flickr.com/groups/grappenhall/ The Flickr Grappenhall Photography Group]
- [http://www.thewdcc.org.uk/ WDCC, Warrington District Camera Club, which is based in Grappenhall]
- [http://www.boydellfamilyhistory.com/grappenhall.html St Wilfrids, Grappemhall] at boydellfamilyhistory.com
{{Cheshire, Borough of Warrington}}
{{Cheshire}}
{{Authority control}}