A group of local farmers called their venture the Chelford Cattle Market Company.  The first chairman was Thomas Wilson. 

The market site bordered Sunny Bank Farm and the railway sidings and goods yard, which was the site of one of the largest warehouses in the North West.  Smiths of Whitchurch were employed to build a market on the site and constructed a galvanised iron shed, with wooden boskins to tie 42 cattle, and a sale ring.  There were two enclosed boxes for calves, three open pens for loose cattle and a concreted standing with 16 wooden pens for sheep and pigs.

The market opened in 1911.  Sales took place fortnightly on Mondays.  The company banked with the Manchester and Liverpool District Banking Company, which operated from the front room of a house in Chelford.  There was an office just inside the market entrance, heated by oil stoves and lit by oil lamps, where cash was received from purchasers and paid out to vendors.

There were three pens for stock loading and a long platform, which was used to unload horses and to handle milk, which arrived in 15 and 18 gallon churns.  

A timber building on the site was used to stable two horses overnight after their journey from Knutsford bringing the mail.  They returned with mail the following morning.

Water was supplied from two storage tanks owned by the railway company fed by a wind-pump from an underground source.

Frank Marshall, the founder of the present firm, joined John Braggins in 1917 at the age of 13, at a time when Cheshire and the surrounding area was served by cattle markets at Crewe, Congleton, Knutsford, Beeston Castle, Macclesfield, Malpas, Chester,Frodsham, Marple, Northwich, Warrington, Norton Arms (Warrington), Altrincham and Stockport.

From 1916 to 1922 livestock was the subject of Ministry of Food control.  Most markets operated as grading centres and were required to open on a weekly basis.  Just as control was removed, foot and mouth disease broke out.  1075 cases were reported between January 1922 and May 1924 and a further 362 cases to December 1924.  During most of this time Chelford market was either closed completely or sales were restricted.

Thereafter the market began to develop.  The Company bought the market site in 1926, together with 500 wooden poultry pens, and held the first Christmas sale in 1928.  Competition had increased by this time with markets at Wilmslow, Handforth, Holmes Chapel and Winsford.

On the retirement of John Braggins, Frank Marshall purchased the market site and the goodwill of the market and general business and accordingly established the present firm of Frank R Marshall & Company on 9th May 1947.

In November 1952 a further 2 acres was purchased from Sir John Dixon together with half an acre from General Refraction. 

Knutsford auction market closed and its sheds and sheep pens, together with some pens from Altrincham market, were purchased and re-erected at Chelford, where they served faithfully until 1981.

Despite competition, Chelford continued to thrive.  In the 1950-60s the market at Macclesfield was drawing more calves through the sale ring than Chelford but gradually Frank R Marshall and Company became established as the region’s principal auction centre for calves.

In the early 1960s all sections of livestock at Chelford were steadily increasing but the foot and mouth outbreak of 1967 saw the market closed for 11 weeks.  However the reopening of Chelford two weeks before some of its major rivals was a boost to the business bringing new farmer clients, many of whom have remained loyal to Chelford ever since.

The mid-1960s saw the company run with around 16 staff.  Mondays and Thursdays were the two main sale days.  The popularity of the Monday calf sale at this time gave an indication of the importance of the centre to Cheshire’s dairy farmers and the prominence that was to follow.  The market’s weekly poultry sale has always been held on a Monday, a tradition which goes back to immediate post-war days when Messrs Harths of Poynton would sell their imported Irish geese.  The birds were unloaded directly off the train into the sale yard at Chelford.

Further acquisitions of land took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s to form the extent of the market site as it exists today.

A purpose-built shed for these sales was added to the market in the early 1980s and Chelford is now the largest horticultural auction market in Great Britain.

Also at that time the existing office and restaurant, the calf sales ring and enlarged accommodation for calves, cattle, sheep and pigs were added.

In the late 1990’s  a substantial investment in a new pedigree, dairy and clean cattle sales complex was made, and a rural property sales and agricultural professional office was established within the market premises.  We continue to invest in our Chelford site and our business is growing from strength to strength.

Chelford’s reputation over the years has been built on the foundation of providing its clients and customers with an efficient and professional service.  There has been a commitment over the past sixty years to develop the market and its operation in pace with the increasing requirements of a rapidly developing agricultural industry.