THE present Winnington Turn Bridge controlled by traffic lights has been there a long time and is in serious need of widening or having a second single track bridge alongside it.

We can go back many years to the English Civil War when that area was the scene of an important battle called the Battle of Winnington Bridge.

I have covered that battle in previous Yester Years, but now we will bring the story forward to October 23, 1867.

At this time, the Brunner Mond works were nearby – but not the massive company that it became.

The nearby Anderton Boat Lift was eight years away from being built, but the Winnington Turn Bridge was there, and the cottage that can still be seen housed the Bridgekeeper.

Miss Emma Edwards, aged 57, lived at Sevenoaks, Gib Hill, just outside Comberbach. She lived with her sister Sarah and Miss Mary Joynson, their cousin.

The Edwards sisters farmed 110 acres, and Mary lived with them. Emma and Mary had spent a pleasant half-day shopping in Northwich.

They returned to their phaeton (open horse-drawn carriage) that the Edwards sisters owned, where the coachman, George Davies, was waiting for them.

Two good horses pulled the phaeton, intending to return to Comberbach via the Winnington Turn Bridge.

Miss Joynson sat beside the coachman and Miss Edwards in the seat behind as they set off at a walking pace up Winnington Hill.

They carried on at a trot to the top of Keepers Hill, which is now the hill down to the next bridge between what was the old Wallerscoate and Winnington Works.

The horses picked up speed slightly going down the hill, and the coachman was aware that there was a step at the bottom that had to be taken slowly; if they ran into it at speed, it might spook the horses.

This is what happened, one of the horses hit the step and was frightened, and the other joined it in a mad dash over the stone bridge.

On reaching the top of the stone bridge, the coachman noticed that the turn-bridge was closed to traffic and shouted down for them to turn the bridge. But by now, the horses were running flat out, and although he pulled one rein and Miss Joynson pulled the other, they could not slow the horses.

When the bridge is open, a sliding gate blocks the road, and the gate was across the road at the time.

Mr Sproston, the Bridgeman, had started to close the gate. But it was too late, the horses slowed slightly, and the coachman George Davies jumped off, the horses accelerated towards the gate; both horses jumped over it.

The gate was destroyed as the carriage followed, and both the horses and carriage went into the River Weaver.

The horses were killed, and Miss Joynson was rescued.

As for Miss Edwards, it was believed that she was about to be saved. Sadly one of the floundering horses kicked her in the chest, which was the cause of her death, combined with the fact that she also had a severe heart problem.

The inquest was held at The Best Way Inn at Barnton, the pub on Barnton Hill that went on to be called The Red Lion.

Due to its location near the accident scene, the jury and expert witnesses could visit the turn bridge.

The findings were that it was an unfortunate accident caused by the horses getting out of control.