Farndon, Cheshire

Farndon is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Dee, south of Chester, and close to the border with Wales. At the 2001 Census, the village had a population of 1,517, increasing to 1,653 at the 2011 Census. Holt lies just over the River Dee, from Farndon.HistoryEdward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons, died in the ancient parish of Farndon in AD 924, shortly after quelling a revolt of an alliance of Mercians and Welshmen. This involved Edward successfully taking Chester from the occupying Mercians and Welshmen, and then re-garrisoning it, and this happened shortly before his death. Up to the 14th century, Farndon also included the chapelry of Holt in Denbighshire, Wales.Some historians believe that Farndon was the location of the first ever competitive horse race with riders, in a local field on the banks of the River Dee. Nearby Chester Racecourse is said to be the oldest racecourse in Britain.During the English Civil War, Farndon was the scene of bitter fighting over the Bridge that was controlling access to Chester from Wales. There is also a fine memorial window in the parish church to the Civil War Royalists.