Rudheath was a lordship in the ancient parishes of Davenham, Great
Budworth and Sandbach, Northwich hundred (SJ 6871), which became a civil parish in 1866.
It includes the hamlets of Billinge Green, Broken Cross, Drakelow and Gadbrook.
The population was 264 in 1801, 435 in 1851, 954 in 1901, and 4883 in 1951.
Boundary Changes
1883 March 25 — Gained a detached part of Shurlach
(30 acres, pop. 9 in 1891)
1889 March 24 — Gained a detached part of Stublach
(34 acres, pop. 0 in 1891), and lost detached part No.5 to Cranage
(7 acres, pop. 0 in 1891), detached part No. 1 to Hulse
(10 acres, pop. 0 in 1891), detached parts Nos. 2 and 3 to Lach Dennis
(42 acres, pop. 0 in 1891), detached part No. 4 to Stublach
(140 acres, pop. 22 in 1891, including Earnshaw Hall), and detached part No. 6
to Twemlow (68 acres, pop. 0 in 1891)
1892 March 25 — Gained the whole of Shurlach
(pop. 157 in 1901)
1936 April 1 — Gained part of Lostock Gralam
(60 acres, pop. 2 in 1931), and lost parts to Byley
(20 acres, pop. 7 in 1931) and Northwich (9
acres, pop. 0 in 1931)
1955 April 1 — Lost part to Northwich (122
acres, pop. 1526 in 1951)
Davenham: St. Wilfrid (Church of England). The ancient
parish church for the greater part (1601 acres, pop. 429 in 1871) of the township of Rudheath.
Great Budworth: St. Mary & All Saints (Church
of England). The ancient parish church for part (401 acres, pop. 88 in 1871) of the township of Rudheath.
Sandbach: St. Mary (Church of England). The ancient parish
church for part (215 acres, pop 4 in 1871) of the township of Rudheath.
Witton: St. Helen (Church of England).
An ancient chapel to Great Budworth: St. Mary & All Saints, and the district
church for part of Rudheath from 1900.
Rudheath: St. Thomas
(Church of England). Built in 1835 as a chapel to Davenham: St.
Wilfrid, but transferred to Witton: St. Helen in 1930. Closed in 2005.
