This area is still known as Norton Chains. The road going straight on was one of the drives to Norton Priory mansion. Today it is just an overgrown track. It was probably once the Mediaeval trackway to the old priory itself, then became part of the main route from Runcorn to Warrington. In the 18th C. after the building of the Georgian mansion at Norton, Sir Richard Brooke had a new road constructed around the northern boundary of his estate (this is the road which bends round to the right) and made the old roadway the drive to the house. The stones and their chains have, sadly, disapppeared in the past few years. On the recent photo the gate, seen just beyond the road name sign and the small tree in the centre, is across the old trackway.

Jan 2015. one of our "readers" informs me that they were taken away in the 1980's by the Runcorn Development Corporation and resited up in the Manor Park Industrial Estate, where the two Warrington roads meet Manor Park Ave at the roundabout, so they were not lost after all! Thank you Nick for the info.

(Place your mouse on/off the picture to see the then/now scenes)

The message reads:-

Dear Mrs Myers.
Eva does not return from Scarboro until tomorrow, so will be unable to accept your kind invitation.
Thanking you on her behalf
Remaining yours Sincerely

Ernest G.