Salt-making demonstration

Did you know that Nantwich was famous for its salt production? Come and visit Nantwich Museum on the Town Square, Nantwich, on Thursday 9 May to see how salt was made during the medieval period using brine from the Old Biot, the salt pit which for centuries supplied the town with brine. We will be setting up from 9.00am, hoping to have a first boiling around 11.00am, so please visit any time between 9.00am and 3.00pm to find out more. Experts from both Nantwich Museum and Middlewich Heritage Trust will be on hand to answer your questions.

Part of the demonstration will be an archaeological experiment to learn more about how salt was made using 60 litres of brine, and then running alongside this we will have smaller scale boilings and other experiments.

There will be a unique opportunity to take home some Nantwich salt for a small donation.

At 2.00pm, the Revd Dr Mark Hart from St Mary's Church will be blessing the brine, recalling the Ascension Day celebrations which took place until the early 18th century. The inhabitants of Nantwich celebrated the gift of brine by decorating the Old Biot brine spring. Dressed in their gala clothes they would spend the day dancing, feasting and making merry around the spring. The celebrations included singing the hymn of thanksgiving 'Blessing the Brine'.