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Click here to access the booking form.
This year’s venue will be Knutsford in Cheshire. Mentioned
in the Domesday Book of 1086, Knutsford has a long, rich and varied history. The town is known as being
the childhood home of author, Elizabeth Gaskell, born in London during 1810 as Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson, an outstanding
novelist of the early Victorian era. Following her mother’s death a year after her birth, the young
Elizabeth was brought to Cheshire to live with her late mother’s sister, ‘Aunt Lumb’, at Heathwaite House
in what is now known as Gaskell Avenue, Knutsford. She married the Unitarian Minister, the Reverend William
Gaskell, in 1832, at Knutsford Parish Church, and then lived in Manchester. From 1850, the Gaskell family
home was at 84 Plymouth Grove in the Manchester suburbs, currently undergoing a major restoration project to return this literary
house to its former glory. However, Elizabeth Gaskell was fond of her works, especially ‘Cranford’
which is considered a charming portrayal of the town in Victorian times and of its mainly female population.Today, Knutsford is a popular tourist destination, with its electic mix of unique
Italianate architecture, quaint cobbled streets and grand buildings. It is also a bustling commuter town
with a lively shopping centre full of specialist shops, boutiques to antiques, interior design centres and art galleries.
From ‘Top Street’ (Princess Street) to ‘Bottom Street’ (King Street) there are many delightful
attractions for visitors to explore, along with numerous restaurants, cafes and pubs. There is access to
open heathland and the attractive parkland surrounding the mansion at Tatton Park is at the end of King Sreet. Knutsford is justly
regarded as one of the most attractive towns of its size in Cheshire – with a story to tell around every corner!| Saturday
15 May – the Methodist Church, Princess Street, Knutsford | | | | | 10.30 am | Registration and coffee
(£2 if not staying for lunch)
| | 11.00 am | Welcome and introduction by the Gaskell Society, followed by the ALS AGM
| | 12.15 pm | Buffet lunch (optional)
- £10 including tea/coffee
| | 1.45 pm | Elizabeth Gaskell – her life and times – Elizabeth Williams, Chairman, The Gaskell Society
| | 2.30 pm | Mrs Gaskell and Knutsford –
Joan Leach, introducing: | | 3.00 pm | A Cranford Walk around Knutsford –
lasting approximately 1.5 hours – with guides
| | 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm | Dinner – at the Cottons Hotel, Manchester Road, Knutsford
(must be pre-booked - 3 courses plus coffee =£27) | | | | | Sunday, 16 May – Brook Street Unitarian Chapel, Knutsford | | | | | 10.00 am | Coffee followed by
illustrated talk – Mrs Gaskell’s Cheshire – Joan Leach MBE
| | 10.45 am | Laying of a wreath on Elizabeth Gaskell’s
grave |
Followed by various options/possibilities:
11 am to 12
noon – Morning worship in Brook Street Unitarian Chapel
And/or
Visit to Plymouth Grove in Manchester (subject
to building works – former home of the Rev and Mrs Gaskell and family)
Opportunity to explore ECG’s Cheshire
– e.g. Tabley House and/or Tatton Park (halls open 2 pm), Capesthorne Hall, Peover Hall, Styal Mill
Accommodation
The list below is a guide only for delegates wishing to stay in the Knutsford area for the weekend. We
cannot make accommodation reservations for you, but specially negotiated room rates have been arranged – please mention
the ALS/Gaskell Society when booking. If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
any of the following:
Joan Leach, Secretary, Gaskell Society
Tel. 01565 634668 – email joanleach@aol.com
Janet Kennerley, committee member, Gaskell Society/ALS rep
Tel. 01477 571525 – email janetkennerley@hotmail.com Knutsford Tourist Information CentreTel. 01565 632611 – email knutsfordtic@cheshireeast.gov.uk
The Gaskell Society website www.gaskellsociety.co.ukThe Gaskell House (Plymouth Grove) website www.elizabethgaskellhouse.org
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Cottons Hotel and Spa – tel. 01565 650333 – Manchester Rd, Knutsford WA16 OSU – email cottons.reservations@shirehotels.com - www.shirehotels.com.Large hotel (109 rooms), l mile outside Knutsford, where our ALS Saturday
dinner will be held. Free parking. Special room rates (mention the ALS when booking):
£57 ppn twin/double, £82 ppn single (for one night’s stay) – £40 ppn twin/double, £66
ppn single (for 2nd and subsequent nights) – free use of leisure facilities. Longview
Hotel – tel. 01565 632119 – 51-55 Manchester Road, Knutsford WA16 0LX – email enquiries@longviewhotel.com - www.longviewhotel.com Townhouse hotel (32 rooms, some in nearby annex)
within walking distance of Knutsford town centre – limited off street parking. Special rates for
ALS members – 5% discount off following prices: from £106 per night for twin/double room; from
£89 per night for single room.
Belle Epoque – tel. 01565 633060/632661 – King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DT – email
info@thebelleepoque.com - www.thebelleepoque.com Special rate of £80 per room per night.
Central Knutsford, no private car parking. The Rose and Crown – tel. 01565 652366 – 62 King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DT – email roseandcrownknutsford@btinternet.com - www.theroseandcrownhotel.co.uk Weekend special rate – stay two nights
(Friday, Saturday or Sunday) for £120 per room. Central Knutsford, small car park at rear of hotel. The Cross Keys – tel. 01565
750404 – 52 King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DT £65
single room per night, £85 double per night. Special weekend 2 night rates. Car
park at rear. Close to Knutsford Railway Station.
Out of town centre B&Bs: Pickmere Country Guest House
– Park Lane, Pickmere – tel. 01565 733433 – email info@pickmerehouse.co.uk - www.pickmerehouse.co.uk Georgian grade II listed former farmhouse,
views over surrounding countryside in centre of Pickmere village – 8 mins drive from Knutsford. Singles
from £38 per room per night, doubles up to £80. Local buses.
Laburnum Cottage – Knutsford Road, Mobberley – tel. 01565
872464 – email laburnum-cottage@hotmail.co.uk Family run guesthouse with beautiful gardens
approx 2 miles out of town centre. Singles £46 per night; doubles/twins £64.
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