Crewe Tourist Information

Crewe first developed in the 1830s when the Grand Junction Railway opened a station in a rural district of Cheshire and choose the site for its locomotive works.

The settlement grew rapidly beside the bustling railway station and Joseph Lock, the GJR's chief engineer, helped lay out the new town.

The company provided the town with many amenities, including Christ Church, Victoria Park, a gas works, public baths and cheese market.  However, the dominance of the railway industry meant that Crewe suffered badly during recessions.

Although the locomotive works has lost its importance, Crewe Station is still one of the largest in the north-west and a major interchange on the West Coast Main Line.

The "Railway Age" Heritage Centre illustrates Crewe's industrial past.

From 1946 - 2002 the town was famous as the home of Rolls Royce. Production of these luxury cars ceased in 2002 but the Pym's Lane factory in Crewe continues to make Bentleys.

Today Crewe is home to the Cheshire campus of Manchester Metroplitan University.

One attraction of the town is its magnificent, 1911, refurbished Edwardian Lyceum Theatre.

On the outskirts of Crewe stands Crewe Hall, built in 1615 for Sir Ralph Crewe. This Jacobean mansion is now a luxury hotel and restaurant.