The festive spirit is strong in the idyllic village of Audlem in Cheshire - and it's not just because of the twinkling fairy lights on the Christmas trees adorning every shop. Every year the picturesque village goes to town with its Christmas plans - and it's all thanks to the strong community spirit where kind residents pay a voluntary annual FEE to keep Audlem looking so magical.
Rather uniquely, this village, on the southernmost edge of Cheshire, has a long tradition of community-run projects that has helped it be named one of the best places to live in the UK. It has won countless 'best village' awards - with plaques lining the walls of shops and businesses around the town square.
The current holder of the title of Best Large Village in the north west, residents here aim to make their village look beautiful not only for themselves, but to attract visitors to come and make use of its wealth of independent shops, cafes and historic pubs.
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This community spirit has long been a part of Audlem life - ever since the Audlem District Amenities Society (ADAS) was set up as a charity in 1967. Residents back then rallied together after a row of pretty cottages, next to the historic church at the heart of the village, fell into disrepair and were at risk of being pulled down.
They clubbed together to raise enough money to buy and renovate the cottages to ensure they would not be lost to developers. Now they form a picturesque row along Stafford Street - with a plaque cementing ADAS's work proudly displayed on their frontage.
More recently, village residents united to buy a local field that was at risk of being bought by developers. They all agreed to pay an extra rate on their council tax to raise the £227,000 to buy the 11-acre Turnpike Fields, which will now be kept for village use 'in perpetuity'.
Residents are asked to support ADAS by paying a subscription of whatever they can afford - anything from £2 a year to £100 - with over 500 locals annually supporting their aims.
They use the money to buy some 2,000 plants for hanging baskets, troughs and tubs in the town in the summer and to maintain the flag poles which are then used in the winter to display 60 fir trees. Last year a kind resident even donated the main 30ft Christmas tree which took pride of place on the village square.
Disaster struck on the night of the big switch on in 2021 - when Storm Arwen swept through and brought the tree crashing down, just hours after hundreds of families watched it lit up for the first time.
There's been no such drama this year, with the switch-on being held in calm weather - and extra reinforcements to the tree base.
The Audlem Christmas switch-on event is renowned in the local area - not least because Santa arrived by BOAT on the canal to the delight of local children, with a special candle floating event to herald his arrival. He then leads a procession into the village centre for the main lights event.
For residents and shopkeepers, Christmas is an exciting part of the year. Judy Evans owns the village's long-standing family-run general store, Williams of Audlem, where there are stunning Christmas displays.
She said: "I start planning our Christmas windows in about June! It's my favourite window of the year and takes me about five days to get it ready.
"We are very lucky here, we have a group of volunteers who organise all the Christmas trees and they spend a lot of time and effort on. it The switch on is a big event for us, and it's not many towns that can say they have Santa arriving by canal."
Judy says the best thing about Audlem is the 'community'. "The volunteers who organise events all through the year are brilliant. We hope it all shows we are very friendly and welcoming and we love having visitors here," she added.
The village is also known for its historic pubs. There's the Lord Combermere on The Square, and The Bridge Inn on Shropshire Street which, as you might expect, sits on the bridge over the Shropshire Union Canal.
Sitting right next to the canal is the quirky Shroppie Fly pub - which has just reopened with new owners this week. The pub is famed for having an actual canal boat as its bar top.
Audlem's origins date back centuries - mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Aldelime' - with the village first granted a market charter in the 13th century.
It is famous for its run of 15 locks on the Shropshire Union Canal - the last waterway designed by Thomas Telford before his death in the 19th century. It's an ever popular destination for walkers along this route, and there's also the large Audlem Mill, next to the Shroppie Fly, with lots of gifts and canal memorabilia.
Read more about quirky villages:-
- The fairytale village with great pubs and an enchanted tree 30 minutes from Manchester
- The pretty Peak District village with a cosy pub and Roman ruins
- The pretty village that turned down the chance to be part of Greater Manchester
- The Michelin Star village that's a foodie paradise on the edge of Lake District
- The idyllic village near Manchester with a dinosaur's footprint
