Real Cranford

Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 – 1865)

An accomplished writer of novels and short stories, Elizabeth Gaskell also wrote the remarkable biography of her friend Charlotte Bronte and has become familiar to many through BBC adaptations of her works; Wives and Daughters, North and South and most recently Cranford.

2010 marked the bi-centenary of her birth and this was celebrated with a variety of events in Knutsford, the real Cranford and Manchester where she spent her married life and did most of her writing.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s tales of Cranford were set in her home town of Knutsford, which she renamed Cranford and told of the lives of a band of women. Gaskell used the Mansion and Gardens of Tatton Park plus characters from the history of the house as inspiration for her novels.  The grandeur of these Staterooms contrasts with the servants’ area where visitors can get a vivid idea of what life was like for those who worked there, with kitchens, cellars and servants’ quarters.

On King’s Street you will see The Angel Hotel, once known as the Angel Inn, a noted posting house and inn in Gaskell’s time and in Cranford, Lord Maulevere stayed here whilst visiting Captain Brown. Minshull Street, next to the Angel was referenced as the Shire Lane in Cranford.

Knutsford Heritage Centre is housed in a reconstructed 17th century timber framed building on King’s Street, which is often referred to as The Old Smithy. Housed in the upper part of The Old Smithy, with timber beams and quaint leaded windows, the local history display is the best place to start your visit. A perfect introduction to the town, here you can discover the story of Knutsford and view artefacts from the past. The best way to discover the Real Cranford is through one of the Heritage Centre’s guided walks, throughout the summer season.

Further along King’s Street you will see the Gaskell Memorial Tower, built in 1907 by Richard Harding Watt, this was originally the Kings Coffee House, although today it is the Belle Époque restaurant. Watt said at the opening that Gaskell’s works had given him real delight and he thought the town should acknowledge its famous daughter. A bust of her can be seen on the tower along with a list of her works on the side.

Whilst writing her last novel, Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth died, aged 55, and was buried in the grounds of the beautiful Brook Street Unitarian Chapel. Her husband William is also here along with two of their daughters. A description of the building can be found in ‘Ruth’, another of Gaskell’s works.

To download your copy of the Elizabeth Gaskell Bi-Centenary leaflet please click here.