Building record 179/0/35 - Cheshire Cat, Welsh Row

<1> Hall J, 1883, A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich or Wich-Malbank in the County Palatine of Chester, p.208-9 (Book). SCH80.

In 1676, Roger Wilbraham of Townsend House, converted a terrace of three timber framed cottages into six almshouses for widows, as a memorial to his wife. The residents of the almshouse were each provided with gowns and endowed with lands worth over 26 pounds a year.

<2> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, p.37 (Report). SCH1934.

Two-storey, three-bay timber framed building parallel to Welsh Row, with original mullioned and mullioned and transomed windows to the front and gable end. There are three moulded wood doorways. Some later extension to rear and exposed timber framing internally.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, Sheet LVI 13, 1876 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

These almshouses are shown on the OS First Edition 1:2500 map of 1876.

<4> Nantwich Town Council, 1977, Walkabout tour of Nantwich (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH7371.

The Cheshire Cat, formerly the Widow's Almshouses, built by Roger Wibraham as a memorial to his wife after she and her two sons died on the same day. There were two widows in each cottage with a division line on the ground floor to indicate half ownership. Refurbished into a public house.