Midcheshire Independent Issue 198

3 NOVEMBER 2026 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk THE historic canal bridge in Wrenbury near Nantwich is to be taken down and repaired “piece by piece”, says the Canal and River Trust. The bridge suffered more damage recently when a heavy goods vehicle collided with the structure. It forced the bridge and that section of Cholmondeley Road in Wrenbury to be closed, causing major diver- sions anddelays formotorists. Now the Canal and River Trust(CRT)haveconfirmedthe bridge, classed as Scheduled Ancient Monument spanning the Llangollen Canal, is to be taken down and restored. A CRT spokesperson said: “It is so frustrating so see the Llangollen Canal’s her- itage damaged by repeated bridge strikes. “Our charity totally understands and shares everyone’s frustration. “The bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and we will work with partners at highways and the Parish Council to get the road back open as soon as possible, and within the coming weeks. “Separately, the historically significant Telford design, which will need to be rein- stated in due course, will be taken down, piece by piece, repaired and then put back in place later on. “Fortunately, the circum- stances of the accident which led to the closure are known, which may allow our charity to recover some of the costs associated with the repairs.” The Cholmondeley Road is a busy route out to and from the A49. A spokesperson for Wrenbury Parish Council said: “The engineers have been out inspecting the bridge. “They are forming a plan of how to best make it safe and from that they will have to obtain any permits and agreements before they can commence. “They haven’t been able to give any timescale for the works so far but it does look like it won’t be a very quick fix.” A 10-YEAR-OLD boy has completed an 88km run- ning challenge in tribute to his grandfather. Oliver Hughes, fromHolmes Chapel, took on the challenge to raise £1,161 for Age UK Cheshire in honour of his 88-year-old grandad Dudley, who is living with dementia. He named the fundraiser Run to Remember and set himself the goal of running 88km – one kilometre for each year of his grandfather’s life. Oliver said: “Seeing how dementia affectedmy grandad made me want to help other older people and their families who are going through the same thing. The hot weather made the runs really hard, so I ran early in themorning or in the evening when it was cooler. “I also had rest days and did some of the longer runs with my dad. “It was tough, but I kept going and I did not want to give up.” Andy Bailey, interim fund- raising manager at Age UK Cheshire, said: “We have all been totally inspired by Oli- ver’s commitment to raising funds for our Bright Memories Dementia Service. “To have the resilience to complete his challenge at such a young age shows amazing character and I am sure his grandad is very proud.” NEWS IN BRIEF CHESHIRE East’s recycling centres have switched summer opening times for winter opening times. Their hours for the months of October to March are shorter than their hours for the months of April to September. There are four recycling centres within the local authority area, all of which will be open from 8.30am-4pm every day. TOWN councillors have agreed that an island in Nantwich town centre should not be demolished, despite fears it is crumbling and need of urgent repair. A NANTWICH church has been named among Cheshire East’s top-rated visitor attractions in new research analysing Google reviews. St Mary’s Church in Nantwich ranked fifth in the borough, with an average rating of 4.73 stars from 436 reviews. HISTORIC CANAL BRIDGE EARMARKED FOR REPAIR Oliver runs 88km in tribute to grandfather Oliver Hughes has raised over £1,000 for Age UK with an 88km running challenge. (Image: Age UK Cheshire) NANTWICHMuseumhas appointed Matthew Bridson as its new Pro- ject Officer. Matthew will help deliver “Nantwich Salt: the story behind the growth of the town” project that has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Cheshire-born Matthew brings a background in inclusive public engage- ment, creative heritage content, and pro- ject coordination. With a Masters Degree in Heritage Studies, he has worked on projects for Port Sunlight Trust, Manchester Urban Institute and John Rylands Research Institute and Library. The project, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, aims to improve interpretation, accessibility, and public understanding of Nant- wich’s salt-making heritage, which had a profound impact on the development of the town. Entry to the museum on Pillory Street is free and is open from 10am – 4pm (Tuesday – Saturday). Museum’s new Project Officer