Knutsford Tourist Information

Knutsford lies to the west of Wilmslow on the Cheshire Plain with good road links, lying close to the M6 and with the M62 and M56 just to the north.

The town's name may be from the place where the Danish King Canute forded the Lily Stream in 1016.

Knutsford was granted its first charter in 1292 and the town's central position resulted in it being known as the 'Capital of Cheshire'.

Elizabeth Gaskell, 1810 - 65, the novelist and biographer, spent most of her life in the town and the house where she grew up stands in what is now Gaskell Avenue. Gaskell's novel 'Cranford' is set in 19th century Knutsford.

There are several magnificent country houses around Knutsford, ideal for the tourist visiting this town.

North of the attractive King Street stands Tatton Park, and four miles south stands Peover Hall. To add to the choice of attractions, two miles west of Knutsford is Tabley House.

Knutsford considers itself to be the most important town in the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, which includes nearby Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.

Tatton is the third most affluent parliamentary constituency after Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.  In 1997 the BBC's war correspondent, Martin Bell ('The Man in the White Suit'), caused a sensation by defeating the disgraced Conservative MP Neil Hamilton to become the independant MP for Tatton.