ACCORDING to records in 1810, approximately half the houses in Watergate Street were under the ownership of the Bridgewater Estate. The majority of these dwellings were thatched cottages of timber and in a dreadful state of repair.

Nevertheless, there were a few brick-built houses in the style of the Elizabethan design. The prosperity that accrued in Ellesmere’s most thriving era, until present times, led to the bigger Regency and Georgian residences. (Other topics elsewhere during 1810 included Sweden apparently declaring war on the UK, eight crew members of a Hoylake lifeboat perished in the Mersey estuary and also regarding deep water etc, Lord Byron swam across Hellespont in Turkey).

The tannery business once played a large part in Ellesmere. This could also be said about malting. Malt kilns were to be seen in Watergate Street, one at the Golden Lion, with its sheltered quadrangle and a well of high capacity. Other uses on this site included a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, a garage and showrooms for auctioneers. A bus station also came to this vicinity at a later date. These properties all enjoyed the convenience of their very own wells.

At the end of Watergate Street is Talbot Street. The houses here are arguably considered to be some of the most desirable houses in the town. According to my research from more than 30 years ago, the premises along Talbot Street are as follows: No. 57, a small shop associated with Mrs Holland’s place of habitation. Also mentioned is the Wilson family, whose fine-looking residence was once called Loran House. Further along the street are cottages which have been converted into one house. The resident here referred to was Mrs Bird. Facing Church Street is the mansion that was once the place of abode for Surgeon Gwyn with the Furmstons living there at a later date. Furmston was in the malting business and considered to be the wealthiest one in the area. His wife, it seems, was a lady of a most inquisitive nature. Many people in Ellesmere it appears did not escape her notice!

Another well-known maltster in Ellesmere was a Mr Jackson. He also appeared to be most prosperous. He owned the houses stretching from Watergate Street to Loran. As regards the Mere Garage, the Malt House was on this site originally. Flanking these aforementioned properties were some cottages of Tudor design. Unfortunately, these dwellings have long been torn down, much to the dismay of many local inhabitants. One cottage was inhabited by a chimney sweep named Curtis.

A Mrs Worth kept a shop (apparently the salt warehouse) on the street which had a charming cul-de-sac to the rear. (Prior to Ellesmere enjoying the benefits of the canal, transport of salt and iron coming into the town was a costly business). When a garage was built next to a large house owned by a Mrs Hyde, quite a few cottages had to be demolished to enable this build. At Mrs Hyde’s home there was a shop of diminutive size which was used as the only handling depot in Ellesmere for laundry. (It seems a great amount of washing was sent to Shrewsbury to be cleaned!).

Until the middle of the 19th century, the greater amount of land to the rear of Watergate Street stretching as far as the end of Cross Street was of garden area and pastures. At the northerly end was a large triangular area where there was the rosary created with buildings alongside and not forgetting an orchard, which was later turned into a car park. One of the aforementioned gardens was called the ‘Nursery’, the property of Mr and Mrs Jones and their son Levi who had a greengrocer shop.

Eventually, this garden was purchased by ‘Tims the Grocer who built Tims Garage (Cross Street) upon it. For quite a while, this was to be argued as the largest garage in the area. It has been said this garage was one of the first (maybe the very first) to have a motorised char-a-banc. This one was elegantly called ‘The Lady of the Lakes’. It would take sightseers etc on leisurely journeys from Ellesmere College to places such Ruthin via the Horseshoe Pass. However, when ascending the pass I think passengers had to walk some of the way due to the char-a-banc not having the power to carry loads up steep ascents with its early internal combustion engine!

At the latter part of the 1800s it seems malting was showing certain signs in some areas of not continuing its viability. Around 1860, RG Jebb of the Lyth purchased Harrison’s small ‘empire’ of property. During the 1920s, his grandson Richard and grand-daughter Louise vended it to a Joe Price. He was the grocer operating from Birch Road. When Joe Price sold the concern etc, it was to his brother Isaac’ who was Mrs Bird’s father.

Further on down from the Golden Lion there was a cluster of cottages under the possession of some corn merchants by the name of Walter and William Nunnerly. The Nunnerlys also were involved in the sale of coal at that time. They were larger than any other merchants in the area. Oswald House was erected by Walter Nunnerly in 1890. He did this for his second wife Emmie and Elsie their daughter. William built a villa in the new Brownlow Road. William’s son George was to take control of the company in 1926. William also had a grandson called Jack who successfully obtained the position of being a general manager of Lloyds Bank, London. Jack retired in 1977. (The year of the Queen’s silver jubilee).

In the past, the Bridgewater Hotel was noted for its refreshments. One side of the hotel reached out in a northerly direction towards Manor Place where there was mainly a garden area. The opposite side extended along the Watergate which enveloped the outer buildings and a yard of a somewhat large area.

This yard was to become a car park when it seems stables and coach houses etc were demolished in order to create the car parking area. Originally, the hotel/inn was used as the mail-coach headquarters. The tenant had to make sure spare horses etc were always readily available. One noted host was Chandler. His wife was a housekeeper and cook of the highest order.

Apparently, Chandler had experience in the slave-trade while living in the West Indies. Later he was employed by Lord Shavington as butler. When he retired, he joined the Ellesmere gentry in Trimpley. As regards the Bridgewater Hotel, one notable visitor on an annual basis was the Duke of Sussex who was brother of the king. The duke while in Ellesmere was usually en route to visit Lord Dynevor of Kinmel and also the Grosvenors at Eaton Hall near Chester. On his every visit the church bells in Ellesmere would be ringing on his approach and many enthusiastic inhabitants of Ellesmere would turn out to greet the Duke of Sussex.

The Rector of Petton once lived at Watergate House in Ellesmere. Following him came the ‘angry’ Captain White R.N. with his fourth wife, Miss Morrall from Plas Yolyn. Watergate House was later to be used as a lodging house being well attended by The Cyclists Tourists Club.

Other customers included parents of pupils attending Ellesmere College. It appears they would, in the main, prefer to stay here than in hotels. At a later date, the house was converted into flats.