A plaque notes "Cromwell, logged by this cottage on 20th August 1648, From where he sent his dispatches to parliament, to report his victories, against king Charles Army" This Tudor building on Church Street, Warrington is one of the town’s oldest and most famous landmarks. Here, we take a look at its centuries of fascinating history. The grade two-listed building now houses an Indian restaurant – aptly named the Cottage – which opened following a lengthy, National Trust approved renovation of the premises in the early noughties. Whilst frequently referred to as Cromwell’s Cottage, Oliver Cromwell is only thought to have stayed the night at the now demolished General Wolf close by on August 20, 1648. However, the cottage is where he sent dispatches proclaiming victories over Scottish Royalists during battles at Preston, Winwick and Warrington itself. Today, a plaque commemorates that fact – with Cromwell’s victory at the Battle of Winwick Pass leading to the surrender of Scots forces on August 25. The defeat of Royalist armies in the north of England ultimately hastened the end of the second English Civil War, and led to the execution of Charles I in January 1649. It is believed that the cottage dates back to roughly the 16th century, according to a 2007 Warrington Borough Council report – which states that the building was constructed in a ‘late medieval style’ after the road’s original middle-age structures were destroyed. Similar characteristics can be attributed to the other Tudor cottages on Church Street, with the nearby Bull’s Head and Marquis of Granby pubs remaining as the street’s oldest surviving buildings
