Sandbach’s Heritage – March 2026

By Stewart Green

On the 29 March 1926 a Library was opened in Marriott House on Scotch Common. It was not the first library in the town as before 1899 R. A. Tomlinson’s shop in the High Street housed the Sandbach Branch of “The modern circulating library” with the latest novels from the best authors as soon as they are published. Books could be borrowed at a cost of 2d for four or seven days according to the value of the book.

The first Library in Marriott House was run by Cheshire County Council and was only open on Tuesday and Friday evenings holding about 70 books. In May 1932 the library started charging a 1d fine for overdue books after 14 days and by 1933 the library had issued some 31,231 books.

There was also a Group Library in the 1930’s at 14 Crewe Road, Sandbach and also one at the Literary Institution at High Town which had a Reading Room, Library and Billiards Room.

By the 1950’s Marriott House was also used as a Public Health Office and School building.

In 1966 the town guide gave the number of books in the Marriott House library at 10,000 with over 84,000 volumes being issued to readers annually.

In March 1968, after Marriott House had been demolished, work started on building a new library on the site and it was opened on the 17 March 1970. Not all of Marriott House was lost as the staircase from the building was incorporated into the back area of the building and the fireplace was installed in what would be known as the Marriott Room or Meeting room.

The original layout of the building included a glass wall that housed various exhibitions on glass shelves between the meeting room and the upper floor reference section.

Since the 1970’s Cheshire libraries have had access to old newspapers via microfilm with the British Library copying their archive onto this format and sending copies to each of the local libraries so the Crewe and Sandbach Chronicles were made available in this archive format for people to access.

In the 1990’s the Sandbach History Society persuaded the Cheshire Record Office to provide a reader with films and micro fiche of the local census to be made available in the library along with parish records, copies of maps and trade directories.

During the mid 1990’s internet access was made possible with the introduction of computers that were available to library card holders in Cheshire.

The wall behind the counter in 2000 displayed the Millennium Tapestry (now moved to the Marriott Room). This woven 15 foot by 5 foot woollen display was inspired by a similar one in Nantwich and reflects the focal points of the town and the industry. It was started by the Sandbach Millennium Committee with Chairman Aileen Thompson and was made by 20 Sandbach residents between 1998 and 1999 to mark the start of the new millennium with help from professional weaver Jill Maguire. It was unveiled in July 2000 by local Congleton Borough MP Ann Winterton at a special ceremony which included guests Cllr Ray Lowe (Mayor of Congleton), Cllr David Sutton (Leader of Sandbach Town Council), Cllr David Lloyd Griffiths (Leader of Cheshire County Council) and members of the library and Millennium committee.

During October 2011 Cheshire East Council who were now running the Library Service as a joint operation with Cheshire West, decided to move its information point from Westfields in Middlewich Road to the library where it provides the same service for more people and easier access to the facilities of the Council.

In November 2013 the Council asked the public to choose a new design for the outside of the library and the winning suggestion was implemented in March 2015 when building work started on improving the 45 year old library.

On Wednesday the 5 November 2014 a working model Foden Steamer was put on permanent display. It had been built by Dr Alan Braddock of Dobcross Nr Oldham and took him from 1983 to 1998.

On the 12 February 2015 a new computer system was installed in the library for staff to administer the lending of books and to complement the Self Service facility within the building which was installed in 2016.

During the Covid Pandemic between 2020 and 2021 the Library was closed to the public but you could still borrow books by ordering a staff selection of books for collection and dropping them back as well as E Books online.

Today the library is a meeting place for many groups and has a variety of activities each day.