Comberbach One-Place Study

Comberbach is a small village in the county of Cheshire, in England. The present day population is about 800. It is situated where two streams, the Kidbrook and the Goosebrook meet. The name Comberbach probably came from this fact, combining ‘Comber’ which comes from the Irish ‘An Comar’ meaning a confluence and ‘bach’ meaning beck or stream.

Comberbach is very closely related to the surrounding villages and hamlets of Great Budworth, Cogshall, Marbury, Anderton, Antrobus, Seven Oaks, Frandley and Whitley. Until the 1970s, the village was much smaller but two housing estates were built over several years. There used to be two pubs, two garages and several shops but most of these have sadly gone.

The Parish Church is a mile away, in the village of Great Budworth. Comberbach does have a Methodist Church in the centre of the village, built in 1880, which replaced an older building. The previous chapel was converted into three cottages, now called ‘Chapel Cottages’.

In the past, Comberbach has provided many servants for the surrounding ‘big houses’ such as Marbury Hall, Cogshall Hall, Arley Hall and Belmont Hall.

Workers in the salt industry came to live in Comberbach and then later, thanks to Brunner Mond (ICI), workers in the chemical industry. Prior to that, it was a very rural community with farmers, agricultural labourers, shopkeepers, servants, a blacksmith, shoemaker etc.