Is there anything to see/do at Crewe?

[william.martin]

I am considering visiting Crewe in the near future and I plan to visit the Crewe heritage centre and hopefully entice the family into half an hour of train spotting. However, because said family doesn't have an interest in trains I was wondering if there was anything else in Crewe worth visiting, E.G a museum or a tourist attraction? Is the town worth visiting and is it a place where you could spend at least 2 hours exploring?

Any help would be much appreciated,
William.Martin

 

[Blinkbonny]

Don't like to see your question go unanswered, so I'll weigh in with my experience - that unfortunately I have found very little to see and do in Crewe for the non-rail enthusiast!
There is a large park, and some very uninspiring shops, but I know of little else.

Nearby Chester or Nantwich though are a different matter.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I concur with @Blinkbonny in that I found Crewe itself rather dull and uninspiring.

Perhaps a little far out, and obviously it depends on your interest in animals, but I found Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre (around half way between Crewe and Chester) a really nice day out. There's a cafe on-site too.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

The heritage centre itself aside, the only thing worth visiting in Crewe (in my opinion) is the Market hall, for refreshments.

Crewe Market Hall

Crewe Market Hall is home to an eclectic mix of independent, locally based businesses who come together to create a unique and high-quality offer in the heart of Crewe.

crewemarkets.co.uk

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There's Beeston Castle half way between Crewe and Chester, but you'd be wanting good weather to go up there...

 

[BJames]

Only time I've been out of Crewe station I was waiting with a friend for a third person to come and join us, and they were arriving on a later train. We sat in Costa for an hour. The person I was with was local to the area at the time and said that this was the best thing for us to do, don't think she found Crewe a particularly inspiring place...

 

[Kite159]

Queens Park is a nice (ish) place to visit, town centre isn't much to shout about from my various explores between a shared house I usually use and the bus station.

Don't think there isn't even a Spoons these days

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Hack Green isn't too far away, though you will need some form of transport to get there from Crewe..

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Put the family on the train to Nantwich - 8 mins away, broadly hourly - whilst you attend to important business of visting the Heritage Centre. Nantwich is very attractive - half-timbered buildings, fine church etc - and the station there is very conveniently located. Crewe town centre is a disaster area at the moment - half-demolished as a result of a stalled redevelopment project.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Other than Queen's Park, which isn't really within walking distance of the railway station for a family group, there's nothing in Crewe worth going to the town centre for, and the charity shops are pretty poor too. There is a Crewe Railway Volunteers, Royal Engineers' Boer War memorial plaque in the Municipal Buildings in the town centre, but that probably won't interest the family!

Definitely Nantwich.

 

[Vespa]

Apart from the railway Heritage Centre, Crewe Hall is worth a visit purely for the history, it's now a hotel and they have retained all the original features while adding a modern extension at the back along with a spa facility.

Last time I visited the hall, the main area is open to the public including the old chapel, I don't that has changed much or you can book a stay there however it's a little outside the centre of the town.

Crewe itself is a transient town with a constantly changing population recently there are lots of eastern Europeans living there now, Crewe only came about because of the railways, most of the building dates from that period, I drive there sometimes for work, I didn't find the place particularly touristy or attractive.

 

[Bevan Price]

In addition to the other comments, it is about 15 minutes walking time between Crewe station and the town centre, although bus services are available (but not exactly high frequency.)
Even Nantwich is not a brilliant place to visit if it is raining.

 

[Vespa]

Further to my last, Sandbach is worth a visit, a bus ride away, its where the Sandbach Crosses resides and the village is interesting to look around.

 

[birchesgreen]

Sandbach is nice though a bit of a walk from the station. Nantwich is a great place, the canal marina is good too though a fair way from the station.

An alternative is to head up to Goostrey, you can see Jodrell Bank from just outside the station, the church is nice too.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Queens Park is a nice (ish) place to visit, town centre isn't much to shout about from my various explores between a shared house I usually use and the bus station.

Don't think there isn't even a Spoons these days

Crewe Spoons closed down even pre-pandemic, around 2016 I believe.

 

[AndrewE]

Crewe Spoons closed down even pre-pandemic, around 2016 I believe.

Yes, it was quite a nice modern-build or conversion, but badly let down by its clientele...

Sandbach is nice though a bit of a walk from the station.

Miles from the station, which is really in Elworth.

Nantwich is a great place, the canal marina is good too though a fair way from the station.

a bit twee/touristy but genuinely old and not far from the station. Ok museum on Welsh Row.

An alternative is to head up to Goostrey, you can see Jodrell Bank from just outside the station, the church is nice too.

Nothing else there though.

 

[ChrisC]

Even the large Best Western Crewe Arms Hotel next to the station has closed now. It’s a very historic hotel in the fact that it was reportedly the worlds first railway hotel. I stayed there for a few nights about 5 years ago whilst doing a Heart of England Rail Rover. Very handy being right next to the station but some rooms were so close to the lines that it must have been hard to get any sleep. Fortunately my room was on the quieter side. The hotel didn’t always get very good reviews but I was quite happy with it. It was a bit tired and old fashioned but it had character and it was comfortable and did a good breakfast. Whilst staying there I never got as far as Crewe town centre. Just a short walk down the depressing road towards the town from the station was quite enough.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Sadly, on my list of "vaguely grim towns in which I have watched lower league football", Crewe ranks fairly high: there's not much there of interest unrelated to the railway, it's not architecturally imposing or in a beautiful setting, and it is too small and overshadowed by other places nearby to be a cultural centre. (I should say that the market hall mentioned above was closed for rebuilding when I was there, though). It's not the most depressing town in England, just a bit dull.

 

[Bevan Price]

Sadly, on my list of "vaguely grim towns in which I have watched lower league football", Crewe ranks fairly high: there's not much there of interest unrelated to the railway, it's not architecturally imposing or in a beautiful setting, and it is too small and overshadowed by other places nearby to be a cultural centre. (I should say that the market hall mentioned above was closed for rebuilding when I was there, though). It's not the most depressing town in England, just a bit dull.

Like in many other towns, Crewe market is nowhere near as good as it used to be. And, now long departed, but there used to be a good transport book shop next to the market.
I think one problem is that councils see a need to "improve" markets, then increase rents to levels that traders cannot afford to pay whilst remaining competitive / profitable.

 

[Vespa]

Sadly, on my list of "vaguely grim towns in which I have watched lower league football", Crewe ranks fairly high: there's not much there of interest unrelated to the railway, it's not architecturally imposing or in a beautiful setting, and it is too small and overshadowed by other places nearby to be a cultural centre. (I should say that the market hall mentioned above was closed for rebuilding when I was there, though). It's not the most depressing town in England, just a bit dull.

Sounds like an entry in "Crap Towns" book.

I have a collection of Crap Towns 1, 2 and Crap Towns returns books, a very good guide of where to avoid visiting,

Crewe is pretty much a one trick pony town in the middle of a beautiful countryside, visit the railway centre and Crewe Hall then use the bus to visit the outlying villages or hire a car to have a good explore.

*I recommend "Crap Jobs" so you can avoid soul destroying jobs.

 

[Kite159]

Even the large Best Western Crewe Arms Hotel next to the station has closed now. It’s a very historic hotel in the fact that it was reportedly the worlds first railway hotel. I stayed there for a few nights about 5 years ago whilst doing a Heart of England Rail Rover. Very handy being right next to the station but some rooms were so close to the lines that it must have been hard to get any sleep. Fortunately my room was on the quieter side. The hotel didn’t always get very good reviews but I was quite happy with it. It was a bit tired and old fashioned but it had character and it was comfortable and did a good breakfast. Whilst staying there I never got as far as Crewe town centre. Just a short walk down the depressing road towards the town from the station was quite enough.

That was a reasonable hotel, especially if you could get it for a decent price. Useful for railtours if they started at Crewe early morning or arrived late night. Isn't it used as a hotel to home those people who are awaiting processing of paperwork? (Certainly the car park gets used whenever I pass it on route to the Tesco by the garage).

One thing Crewe has going for it is the sheer number of takeaways lol

 

[Techniquest]

As plenty of others have already said, Crewe's not much of a place. I've been trying to remember anything even slightly interesting for non-enthusiasts in Crewe, I'm coming up with almost nothing.

Others have mentioned a park, I haven't done that one myself yet so I can't comment on it but I suspect it'll be worth a look. There is a ten pin bowling place in Crewe, that my sister who lives elsewhere in Cheshire says is good, but I cannot remember what it's called.

This thread has reminded me that I have that park to look at next time I'm in the area, and that I've cycled and power-walked Crewe-Nantwich but I've not yet run the route. Certainly that is on my to-do list!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Take it that a Crewe Alexandra home game wouldn't be an acceptable option for the rest of the Martin family?

 

[childwallblues]

A visit to the Salt Museum in Northwich is worthwhile.

 

[W-on-Sea]

I have genuinely wanted to visit the salt-water lido (a.k.a. brine pool) in Nantwich - not least to see how it compares with the only other remaining open-air pool of its type in the UK, in Droitwich. You'd have to go very soon though, as its final opening day of the season seems to be Sunday 29th Oct.

 

[Bevan Price]

Putting the family on a train from Crewe to Chester might be one idea.