{{Short description|Village in Cheshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{infobox UK place | official_name = Grappenhall | map_type = Cheshire | static_image_name = Grappenhall.jpg | static_image_caption = Parr Arms and St Wilfrid's Church | coordinates = {{coord|53.373|-2.543|display=inline,title}} | os_grid_reference = SJ639863 | population = 9,651 | population_ref = | civil_parish = Grappenhall and Thelwall | unitary_england = Warrington | lieutenancy_england = Cheshire | region = North West England | country = England | constituency_westminster = Warrington South | post_town = WARRINGTON | postcode_district = WA4 | postcode_area = WA | dial_code = 01925 }} '''Grappenhall''' is a village within the civil parish of Grappenhall and Thelwall in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. The parish had a population of 9,377 at the 2001 census,<ref name=2001census>{{citation|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790890&c=Grappenhall&d=16&e=15&g=388221&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=7792001|title=2001 Census: Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=10 June 2007|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306070545/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790890&c=Grappenhall&d=16&e=15&g=388221&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=7792001|url-status=dead}}</ref> 9,687 at the 2011 census,<ref>{{NOMIS2011|id=E04000325 |title=Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish}}</ref> and 9,651 at the 2021 census.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/admin/warrington/E04000325__grappenhall_and_thelwall/ |title=Grappenhall and Thelwall |website=Citypopulation.de/ |access-date=27 August 2024}}</ref>
==History== Grappenhall is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 with the name ''Gropenhale'' and with a valuation of five shillings. [[File:Sandstone carving of 'Cheshire Cat', St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Sandstone carving of a 'Cheshire Cat', St Wilfrid's Church]] St Wilfrid's Church has a carving of a cat on the west face of the tower. This may have been Lewis Carroll's inspiration for the grinning Cheshire Cat in ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''.<ref name="wilf">{{citation |url=https://www.stwilfridschurch.org.uk/home/history/ |title=History |accessdate=9 January 2021 |publisher=St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall}}</ref> The church itself was first constructed in 1120, though was rebuilt 400 years later. The church was also, at a time, in the possession of the Boidelle (Boydell) family.{{cn|date=January 2023}}
Along with the church, the centre of the village contains three pubs, the Parr Arms, the Ram's Head and the Bellhouse.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grappenhall.com/the-bellhouse |title=Home page |website=The Bellhouse Bar |access-date=23 November 2025}}</ref> The Grappenhall Hall Residential School (closed down) and St Wilfrid's Primary School and Bradshaw Community Primary School is located north of the village centre.
On 1 April 1936 the parish of Thelwall was abolished and merged with Grappenhall,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10211402|title=Relationships and changes Thelwall CP/Ch through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=2 May 2024}}</ref> on 1 April 1974 the merged parish was renamed "Grappenhall and Thelwall".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/warrington.html|title=Warringtin Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=2 May 2024}}</ref> In 1931 the parish of Grappenhall (prior to the merge) had a population of 2449.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10007320/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Grappenhall AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=2 May 2024}}</ref>
==Leisure== Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden is near the village.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grappenhallandthelwallpc.org.uk/grappenhall-heys-walled-garden/|title=Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden |publisher=Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council|year=2018|access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref> Grappenhall is home to the 25th Warrington East (St Wilfred's) Scout Troop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grappenhallscouts.org.uk/about/history |title=25th Warrington East Scout Group » History |publisher=Grappenhallscouts.org.uk |date=3 August 1914 |accessdate=6 August 2013}}</ref>
==Sport== There is a cricket ground, which is the home of Grappenhall Cricket Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grappers.co.uk/ |title=Grappenhall Cricket Club |publisher=Grappers.com |date= |accessdate=6 August 2013}}</ref> Australian cricketer Steve Smith was signed for the club for five weeks in 2007, when he was 17.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-49688278 |title=Cheshire village cricket club recalls 'homesick' Steve Smith |work=BBC News |date=13 September 2019 |accessdate=13 September 2019}}</ref>
==Library== The Grappenhall Community library is a community-run library in the village. It was opened by the local authority in 1959 before being handed over to the Friends of Grappenhall Library after closure on 2 April 2011<ref>{{cite web|title=A brief history of Grappenhall Library|url=http://www.grappenhall.org.uk/about-us/grappenhall-library-history|website=Grappenhall.org.uk|publisher=Grappenhall Community Library|accessdate=13 December 2016|archive-date=12 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012095335/http://grappenhall.org.uk/about-us/grappenhall-library-history|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Grappenhall Community Library|url=http://libraries.communityknowledgehub.org.uk/resource/grappenhall-community-library|website=Community Knowledge Hub|date=21 January 2013 |accessdate=13 December 2016}}</ref> due to local authority cuts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grappenhall villagers win campaign to take ownership of former council library|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/9452421.Villagers_take_ownership_of_former_council_library/?ref=twtrec|website=Warringtonguardian.co.uk| date=5 January 2012 |publisher=The Warrington Guardian|accessdate=13 December 2016}}</ref> The library is run by the Friends of the Grappenhall library who pay £10 a year to help with its upkeep.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community libraries: 10 case studies|url=http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Community-Libraries-10-Case-Studies.pdf|website=locality.org.uk|accessdate=13 December 2016|archive-date=30 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730232044/http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Community-Libraries-10-Case-Studies.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==In popular culture== Parts of the ''Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes'' were filmed in the centre of Grappenhall.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Filming Location Matching "Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)|url=http://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Grappenhall,+Warrington,+Cheshire,+England,+UK|access-date=2021-12-13|website=IMDb}}</ref> The village name appears in the title of the song "Grappenhall Rag", by the Darwen singer-songwriter Bryn Haworth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb57BtNev9M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Fb57BtNev9M |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Bryn Haworth Grappenhall Rag |publisher=YouTube |date=20 November 2012 |accessdate=6 August 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==Notable people== Grappenhall is the birthplace of actor and singer Tim Curry (born 19 April 1946).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whittaker |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q14SAQAAMAAJ |title=Cosmic Light: The Birth of a Cult Classic |date=1998 |publisher=Acme Books |page=31 |language=en |lccn=98232656 |quote=Timothy James Curry was born in Cheshire, England, on April 19, 1946, the son of a Methodist Navy chaplain who died when Curry was twelve.}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Cheshire}} * Listed buildings in Grappenhall and Thelwall
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Grappenhall}} * [http://www.virtual-knutsford.co.uk/frameset.php?main=/archaeology/j_cheshirecat1.htm Images of the church and its cat.] * [http://www.grappenhall.com Grappenhall Youth & Community Association] * [https://www.flickr.com/groups/grappenhall/ The Flickr Grappenhall Photography Group] * [http://www.thewdcc.org.uk/ WDCC, Warrington District Camera Club, which is based in Grappenhall] * [http://www.boydellfamilyhistory.com/grappenhall.html St Wilfrids, Grappemhall] at boydellfamilyhistory.com
{{Cheshire, Borough of Warrington}} {{Cheshire}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Villages in Cheshire Category:Former civil parishes in Cheshire Category:Warrington