A hidden piece of Congleton history has been uncovered in the renovation of one of its oldest clubs.
Members donned their striped ties and jackets to celebrate the completion of a five-year refurbishment of Congleton Rugby Club — the third oldest rugby union club in the country — at its Park Street headquarters last Friday.
The three-phase project, which started in 2019 and cost a total of roughly £200,000, has seen the creation of a new bar area and upstairs meeting room, toilets and changing room facilities.
Chairman Jeremy Lea said he hoped the changes would encourage non-members to use the club, as well as growing its own community of players.
Speaking to a full house at the club on Friday, he said: “Only two years ago we were talking about going down to one side because we were lacking players, and I’ll be honest, that would have killed the club.
“We’ve now got two regular sides going out strong each week and 50 senior players registered.
“We’ve got kids from under-sixes to under-14s, so we’re building that production line of players coming through as well. It really is becoming a very inclusive club.”
People of all ages and genders can now use the club’s facilities thanks to the recent overhaul of its Victorian-style toilets.
Trustee Kevin Gear, who owns Cheshire Joinery Services and was responsible for the work on all three phases, said the highlight of the project was uncovering a hidden well, which has now been made into a feature in the newly-renovated men’s toilets.
He said: “We had the option to either fill it in or make a feature out of it, so that’s what we did!” The 19.5ft deep well, containing 6.5 feet of crystal clear water, has now been covered over with a 33mm sheet of reinforced glass, which weighs 80 kilos and can hold a weight of up to 278 kilos.
Mr Gear said: “If we get three of our props dancing on there, we could be in trouble!”
The team could find no record of the well after searching through historical archives, including a well map of Congleton.
He said he planned to have lights installed down the inside of the well, so visitors to the men’s toilets could see all the way to the bottom.
He said: “We haven’t looked for any treasure yet, but we’re going to send a magnet down there and one of our trustees is a scuba diver, so we’ll send him down in a wetsuit as well.
“Anything we do find will go straight to Congleton Museum.”
In a press release on behalf of the club, Mr Lea said: “In these unprecedented times, there has rarely been a greater need for us, as a society, to focus on the twin goals of health and well-being (physical and mental), together with the need for greater respect and empathy for those around us.
“Nowhere are those two goals better encapsulated than in the pursuit of team sports. In our case, rugby offers both a physically demanding game that requires effort, determination and skill built on a solid foundation of moral values: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship.
“These values are what make the game special for those who enjoy the environment and the culture which they create, and it is these values — more than anything — that we believe are worth fighting for at this time.”
He added: “The club’s ambition is to be more than just a rugby club; it is to be a hub for the whole community. It is now well placed to do this by making its facilities, including the new bar and the upstairs meeting room with interactive screen, available for wider use for clubs, parties and other events.”
A spokesperson for the club said it wanted to thank its sponsors for helping to fund the project, including Tarmac Ltd and the Inclosure Trust.
It also thanked volunteers who helped to work on all three phases of the refurbishment, including Mark Armitt, Andy Bygrave, Mike Bygrave, Steve Whittaker, Nick Whittaker, Luke Davenport, Greg Wood, Abbie Gear, Tony Tatton, Dan Tatton, Suzie Gear, and Joe Brough.
