There are reminders of the Victorian writer
known as Mrs Gaskell (first name Elizabeth) all
over Knutsford, a small town in Cheshire - not
only of Mrs Gaskell's own life, but also of several works by the author set in
the fictional town of Cranford,
which was inspired by Knutsford. Mrs
Gaskell knew the town well, having spent much of her childhood living with her
aunt in the town following the death of her mother. In Cranford,
Mrs Gaskell portrays a curious society dominated by women, in which men are
considered at best superfluous. In the
first chapter Mrs Gaskell sings the praises of Cranford's
women, "for keeping the trim gardens full of flowers without a weed to
speck them". It is also a society
in which the characters are desperately trying to 'keep up appearances'. Mrs Gaskell is known to have been very
sympathetic to the poorer echelons of society.
She was also attuned to how people reacted to change, for example the
momentous changes brought about by the coming of the railway.
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| Elizabeth Gaskells house - geograph.org.uk - 80814. Photo by Ian Warburton, via Wikimedia Commons |
The ever-growing encroachment of the
railway was one of the most salient features of Victorian society. Looked on from this day and age, the
railway's arrival can only seem like a good thing, however the ordinary
Victorians were deeply suspicious of the railway, partly because it brought
with it a large number of immigrant workers, and partly because it was considered
dangerous. This fear is realised in
chapter 2 of Cranford when one Captain Brown,
who has been brought to the town courtesy of the railway, is killed by a train
while rescuing a little girl who has strayed onto the line. Captain Brown's house was inspired by a
building at No. 15 King Street
occupied by a real-life captain called Captain Hill. The house now houses a chocolate shop.
The Angel Inn in King Street features
in Cranford as the place where Lord Maulever
stays while visiting Captain Brown.
Another former hostelry called The Royal George Hotel features in the chapter called
'Signor Brunoni' in which Brunoni, a magician, performs at the hotel watched by
the Cranford ladies. The Royal George also housed the Assembly Rooms
where the great and the good of the town gathered for their balls and card
games. Meanwhile, a half-timbered building in the same street is the setting
for Cranford's Johnson's store, where Miss
Matty discovers that she has fallen victim to a bank failure. The building is now a furniture store and
Chinese restaurant.
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| King Street, Knutsford (5). Photo by ReptOn1x, via Wikimedia Commons |
As for Mrs Gaskell herself, the house where
she lived with her aunt Hannah Lumb was called Heathwaite, and was on Heathside
(now Gaskell Avenue). Elizabeth's
bedroom looked out over the local grandstand where the horse races were
held. Hollingford House in Toft Road, now a
furniture shop, was the home of Mrs Gaskell's uncle and cousins - the latter
are thought to be the inspiration for the Misses Jenkyns in Cranford. Mrs Gaskell died in Hampshire in 1865, but
she was buried at Brook Street Chapel along with her ancestors and immediate
family. The chapel, built in 1690, has
been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. Another ecclesiastical reminder of the writer
is St John's Parish Church, where Elizabeth married Rev William Gaskell on 30th
August 1832. There is a striking
Mediterranean style tower in King
Street known as the Gaskell Memorial
Tower, complete with a
stone bust and a bronze relief depicting Mrs Gaskell. The tower was built in 1907 by Richard
Harding Watt.
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| Gaskell Memorial Tower, Knutsford, Cheshire - geograph.org.uk - 43169. Photo by Marion Dutcher, via Wikimedia Commons |
In 2007 a TV adaptation of Cranford was shown on the BBC, with a large cast
including Judi Dench, Francesca Annis, Barbara Flynn and Michael Gambon. However, because Knutsford had changed so
much since the time of Mrs Gaskell, a large part of the filming took place in
Lacock, Wiltshire, a well-preserved National Trust village.
Knutsford is just to the east of the M6,
about 14 miles southwest of Manchester
(the inspiration for Dumble in Gaskell's novels). The town's Heritage Centre runs walking tours including tours devoted to Cranford. To the north of the town is the famous
historic estate Tatton Park, known for its Tudor Old Hall, Neo-Classical
Mansion and 50 acres of
landscaped gardens. The Royal
Horticultural Society holds its annual Flower Show at Tatton Park. Tatton
Park's great house featured in
Gaskell's novel Wives and Daughters as Cumnor Towers.
Map of the area.
