← All days outSouthern towns
Two market towns, many stories
Spend a slow morning among Nantwich's timber frames, then discover the carved crosses at the heart of Sandbach.
4–6 hours · suggested day
Getting between stops
Walk within each town and drive between Nantwich and Sandbach, parking again near Sandbach's centre. For a day without the inter-town transfer, make the first two stops a Nantwich-only outing and leave Sandbach for another visit.
Timing, access & opening days
Duration and stop times are editorial suggestions, with lunch and the inter-town drive allowed in the overall day. Stop estimates exclude travel and meals. Nantwich Museum currently opens Tuesday to Saturday and closes on bank holidays. Both churches are active places of worship: confirm interior access and use exterior viewing if necessary. The fourth stop is optional.
Your day, one stop at a time
1Nantwich Museum ↗
60–90 minutes suggested
Begin on Pillory Street with the town's salt-making and local-history displays. Walk through the central streets afterwards, leaving time to notice the timber-framed buildings.
Find this stop ↗
2St Mary’s Church ↗
30–45 minutes suggested
Continue to St Mary's beside the town centre before lunch. If the church is welcoming visitors, look inside; otherwise enjoy the sandstone exterior and surrounding streets.
Find this stop ↗
3Sandbach Crosses ↗
20–35 minutes suggested
After the separate drive to Sandbach, walk from a town-centre car park to Market Square. Take time to find the figures and patterns on both Anglo-Saxon crosses; the cobbled setting has uneven surfaces.
Find this stop ↗
4St Mary’s Church, Sandbach ↗
Optional · 15–30 minutes suggested
Optional final stop: continue on foot to St Mary's and its churchyard, where English Heritage notes further Saxon stone fragments near the porch. Interior visiting depends on church access that day.
Find this stop ↗
Leave time for a pause
Take lunch around Nantwich's town square or High Street after the museum and church. If continuing to Sandbach, leave room for a later drink around its Market Square before heading home.
Sources & checked details
Checked 2026-09-19. Opening, admission and access arrangements can change; check the official guide before travelling.
Nantwich Museum: visiting and transport ↗Nantwich Town Council: town-centre visitor guide ↗English Heritage: Sandbach Crosses and nearby church ↗St Mary's Sandbach: parish information ↗