Sandbach's long-forgotten reputation as a thriving centre of producing "everything for cleaning and disinfection" has been brought back into focus as part of 2026 Cheshire Day celebrations.

Wheelock was home to Zan Ltd, a long‑established local manufacturer once known for producing "everything for cleaning and disinfection."

The story began in 1919, when Wheelock Mill was bought by two brothers who founded Hovet and Lowther, the company that would later become Zan Ltd.

Have you visited Wheelock and seen the Zan industrial estate and the former Wheelock Mill?

The Zan Industrial estate in Crewe Road. (Photo: Nub News)

Their range included yard brushes, soap, polish, disinfectants and even aluminium goods. Among their more unusual products was phosphoric acid, much of it exported to the USA during Prohibition, where it was used in the manufacture of soft fizzy drinks.

Cheshire Day, celebrated on 30 March, commemorates the day in 1300 when King Edward I granted the county its Charter of Liberties - in effect its own Magna Carta.

The county's archive service has chose a selection of items from its collection, including the Wheelock one, that show the variety of products historically manufactured across the county.

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Cheshire East Council's representative on the Cheshire Archives Board, Cllr Jill Rhodes, said: "Cheshire has such a rich manufacturing tradition.

"It is so fascinating to discover new stories of Cheshire's past and how our archive service has been able to collate such a diverse collection of historic images and stories of our past."

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