Sandstone Ridge Trust – new project

Dear Members, Volunteers and Supporters

We are beginning a new project for the Sandstone Ridge Trust that I hope you may be able to help with.  As you know, we are working towards having the Cheshire Sandstone  Ridge designated as an AONB. Natural England will include ‘Cultural Heritage’ as well as ‘Landscape’ in their assessment for this.  Although there are several histories of the County of Cheshire, there is no written history of the Ridge itself and so the Trust is keen to build a body of knowledge that brings together geology, landscape, wildlife, economy, architecture and people in one place. That place is our website. Many of you will have read or contributed to the various articles and project reports that are already published there: https://www.sandstoneridge.org.uk

One thing that is still missing is a ‘Gallery of Portraits’ of all the varied people who have made their mark on the appearance and life of the Ridge over the centuries. Our hope, therefore, is to feature a weekly portrait of one of these people, ranging from the landowners and politicians, through the professions and artists, to the humblest workers such as farm-labourers and sand-gatherers. Anyone with a story that illustrates life on the Ridge can be featured in the gallery.

I am therefore asking for your help in identifying any individuals from the past that you think should be included in the gallery. The only limit is that they should have either lived on the Ridge or made a significant mark on some aspect of life on the Ridge. They should also be deceased. A gallery of living people may follow in a different context.

Each portrait should consist of a picture, either of the person themselves, or of some image that represents them, and a text of no more than 300 words. I am only asking for the names and dates of individuals at this stage but if you have a picture or would like to write the text then that would be very welcome, subject, of course, to editing for the website.

There follows, as a starter,  examples of some people who have featured in our recent web articles, a few that I have already edited as a trial, and several names of people that I think should also feature but who require more research. There is a terrible dearth of women in my lists and that has to be a priority, but it would be really helpful if you could  make suggestions from your own experience and local knowledge. The more people that contribute names, the more representative our gallery can become and help to reinforce our sense of place and identity and the continuity of life on our beautiful Ridge.

Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia

Ranulf de Blundeville , 6^th Earl of Chester

John Douglas (architect)

Billy Tweedle (sand-gatherer)

Dr John Robinson (doctor & eccentric)

Old George Thompson (eccentric)

John Harris (hermit)

John Watson (stone-mason)

William Lewin (highwayman)

Lady Wynford Tollemache

Edith Marguerite Wignall MBE

Isabella Bird (explorer)

George Walmsley (landowner)

Sir Philip de Grey Egerton (palaeontologist & MP)

John Tollemache (builder of Peckforton Castle)

Marquis of Cholmondeley (landowner)

Wilfred Owen (poet)

JMW Turner (artist)

Beatrice Tunstall (author)

Many thanks,