More information : SJ 8125 7480. The former Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries cold store or Buffer Depot at Chelford lay within Home Defence Region 10. It is situated adjacent to Chelford railway station on the main Manchester to Crewe railway line and was served by a network of sidings. Road access was also good, as the depot is sited on Knutsford Road, A537, a major east to west route between Knutsford and Macclesfield and close to its junction with the A535 an important north to south route between Middlewich and Wilmslow. Air photographs show that the depot was in operation by 1945.
The cold store is a rectangular, brick two storey structure with a flat roof. Two tall projections on the roof on either side of the building may mark the position of lift shafts or hoists. It was originally served on its eastern side from the railway where there is short loading bay at the height of a railway wagon. Original windows and other surfaces are painted light green. No internal inspection of the building was made.
The former cold store building is currently occupied by a haulage and storage company, Irlam Storage. They have added a new office building on the Knutsford Road side of the building and infilled the former railway yard area with stores.
It is believed, that this is the depot erroneously identified as Knutsford Road, Clepford, Chehsire in Campbell D, 1983 War Plan UK (290). (1-1c)
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