Northwich evidence of a Roman auxiliary fort within the area of Northwich now known as "Castle" dated to AD 70. This and other northwestern forts were built as the Romans moved north from their stronghold in Chester. The association with salt continues in the etymology of Northwich. The "wich" (or wych) suffix applies to other towns in the area: Middlewich, Nantwich and Leftwich. This is considered to have been derived from the Norse, "wic", for bay, and is associated with the more traditional method of obtaining salt by evaporating sea water. Therefore, a place for making salt became a wych-house; Northwich
Hospital of St Nicholas, Nantwich Hospital of St Nicholas, Nantwich The Hospital of St Nicholas (variously known as St Nicholas Hospital, the Hospice of St Nicholas and the free Chapel and Hospice of St Nicholas) was a medieval hospital for travellers, which gave its name to Hospital Street in the English town of Nantwich in Cheshire. Founded in 1083–84 by William Malbank, first baron of Nantwich, it was dissolved in 1548 and probably later demolished. The Hospital of St Nicholas was founded by William Malbank, the first baron of Nantwich, in 1083–84, the eighteenth year of the reign of William I. His "post mortem" inquisition