Crewe
Crewe is a medium-sized town in South Cheshire. It boasts friendly people, inexpensive hotels and eateries. It is famed for its railway connections and also as the home of Rolls Royce, though the factory is now operated by Bentley Motors. The local football team is Crewe Alexandra F.C., the only team in the country with this unusual suffix.
Get in
Rail
The main West Coast Mainline (London Euston to Glasgow Central) runs through the famous 1 Crewe railway station. The town was built around this important junction when the railway arrived in the 1830s. Today, around 10,000 people per day pass through Crewe station. It can be seen as the 'gateway to the North West', with very frequent links to the tourist centres of Manchester, Chester, and Liverpool. Almost anywhere on the British rail network can be reached from here on a direct train.
Road
The M6 motorway is close by. Use junction 16 or 17 to get to Crewe.
Get around
Crewe is a relatively small and compact town so most attractions and amenities are within walking distance.
See
- 1 Queens Park (towards the west of the town). A very attractive park which can be reached easily from the town centre.
Do
- 1 Crewe Heritage Centre. Apr-Sep: Sa, Su 10AM-4PM and other occasional days. A very interesting and fitting museum for Crewe. It features many locomotives including many steam trains and the ill-fated British Rail Advanced Passenger Train of the 1980s. It also has working signalboxes and many activities for children, as well as a birds eye view of the many trains leaving the north of Crewe station. The museum isn't as rigid as many railway museums and you are free to wander around the yards and locomotives at your leisure. £5.
- Watch football at Crewe Alexandra FC. They were promoted in 2020 and now play in League One, the third tier of soccer in England. The club, founded in 1877, was named for Princess Alexandra, Queen Consort and wife of Edward VII. Their home ground, Alexandra Stadium or Gresty Rd (capacity 10,000), is on the west side of Crewe station.
- Rollers club (Crewe Roller Disco), Coronation Street, CW1 4EB, ☏ +44 7904 341 348, info@rollersclub.co.uk. Roller disco every Saturday for families at Sir William Stanier Leisure Centre, rollerskate or rollerblade to the latest music with help on hand for beginner skaters.
Buy
Most British chain stores have outlets here. There are also covered and outdoor markets, selling local produce and many other things.
Eat
There are a few cafes in the Town Centre, such as Rimini's and Rhode Island Coffee.
- 1 The Brasserie, Crewe Hall Hotel, Weston Rd, Haslington, CW1 6UZ, ☏ +44 1270 253333. M-F: 6:30am-11pm, Sa-Su: 8am–11:30pm. Serves good food.
- 2 Spedali's, 143A Nantwich Road, CW2 6DF, ☏ +44 1270 617539. Tu-F: 9am-3:30pm, Sa: 9:30am-2:30pm, Su, M: Closed. A popular but small cafe.
Drink
Crewe has a good pub scene. The Crown and The Borough Arms offer many real ales. If waiting for a train, try the British Lion (locally known as The Pig) on Nantwich Road, about 500 yards (460 m) away.
- 1 The Crown, 25 Earle St, CW1 2BH, ☏ +44 1270 617435. 11AM-midnight.
- 2 The Borough Arms, 33 Earle St, CW1 2BG, ☏ +44 1270 254999. M-Th: 5PM-11PM, F-Sa: noon-midnight, Su: noon-11PM.
- 3 British Lion (The Pig), 58 Nantwich Rd, CW2 6AL. M-Th: 4PM-1AM, F-Sa: 11AM-2AM, Su: 11AM-midnight.
Also on Nantwich Road is the Beer Dock, which has quickly become very popular, selling a wide variety of international beers and ales. There are plans for expansion into the town centre.
Clubbers should try Nantwich Road area on Friday and Saturday nights.
Sleep
- 1 Premier Inn Crewe Central, Weston Road, CW1 6FX (Adjacent to Crewe Railway Station. From the south: M6 (J16) 1st exit at roundabout onto A500, then 3rd exit onto Old Park Rd (A5020). At the next roundabout take 1st exit onto Weston Rd (A5020) then 3rd exit at roundabout on the Weston Rd (A5020). From the north: M6 (J17) take right Old Mill Rd (A534) then 1st exit onto A534. Follow signs for A534 approx. 5 miles until you see signs for A5020 Weston Rd at roundabout take 1st exit.), ☏ +44 871 527 8276. This is a smallish (20 rooms) Premier Inn located a few minutes' walk from the entrance to Crewe Railway Station. Note that there is another Premier Inn, Crewe West, 2-3 miles away in Woolstanwood.
- 2 Holiday Inn Express Crewe, Macon Way, CW1 6DR (5 minutes walk from Crewe Railway Station, adjacent to drive-through McDonalds.), ☏ +44 871 942 9139, reservations@hiexpresscrewe.co.uk. A fairly standard HI Express. 70 rooms. Macon Way is a busy road taking traffic north from the roundabout which has alternative routes to junctions 16 and 17 of the M6, depending on whether you're coming from the south or the north, also 5 minutes' walk or less from Crewe Railway Station. It is next to a drive-through McDonald's.
- 3 Travelodge Crewe, Beswick Drive, CW1 5NP (Exit M6 junction 16. From roundabout take A5020, signposted for Crewe. At next roundabout take last exit signposted Leighton Hospital. At next roundabout take 1st exit and at the next roundabout take last exit. Turn left onto University Way and the Travelodge is located just behind the Duke of Gloucester pub.). A 56-room Travelodge, slightly out-of-the-way on the eastern edge of Crewe, though reasonably handy if you're visiting the Crewe campus of Manchester Metropolitan University.
- 4 Crewe Hall, Weston Road, CW1 6UZ (Leave the M6 at Junction 16 and take the A500 towards Crewe. At the first roundabout, take the last exit (A5020) signposted Crewe. At the next roundabout take the first exit. The entrance to Crewe Hall is a few hundred yards along on the right), ☏ +44 1270 253333, Stay@qhotels.co.uk. This is certainly the swishest hotel in the area - AA 4-star rated, it is based on the Grade-1 listed 17th-century Crewe Hall, and has 117 rooms, some in the old hall, though most in the "contemporary" wing.
Go next
| Routes through Crewe |
| Manchester/Liverpool ← Holmes Chapel ← | N  S |
→ Newcastle-under-Lyme → Birmingham |