-wich town Hamwic in Southampton and Gipeswic (Gippeswic) in Ipswich are further inland. As also means "bay" in Old English, "wich" and "wych" are also used in names to denote brine springs or wells. By the eleventh century, the use of "-wich" in placenames had been extended to include areas associated with salt production. At least nine English towns and cities carry the suffix although only five of them tend to be associated with salt: Droitwich in Worcestershire and the four -"wich" towns of Middlewich, Nantwich, Northwich and Leftwich in Cheshire. -wich town A "-"wich" town" is a settlement in Anglo-Saxon England
Nantwich Bridge military use being exempt. The bridge appears to have survived the fire of 1583, which started nearby and destroyed much of the town to the east of the river. In 1622, William Webb writes: In 1652, Wich Bridge was described as lying on "y greatest & most frequented Road within this County", and it was designated a county bridge on 27 April 1652. This meant that the county was responsible for its maintenance, but also that Nantwich had to pay towards the maintenance of the other county bridges, a charge from which the town had previously been exempt. By 1663,