HISTORICAL figures from the past 1,000 years of Knutsford's history will be celebrated during the four-day long Heritage Open Days festival.

Buildings designed, visited or lived in by the likes of Richard Harding Watt, Henry Royce, Alison Uttley, Baillie Scott, John Wesley, Elizabeth Gaskell, Sir Winston Churchill, Trumpet Major Smith and General Patton will open their doors specially for visitors.

These figures will be also feature in Canute's Crossing on Saturday 10 September.

Students from year 7 at Knutsford Academy, working with artist Russell Kirk, have created a series of large 3D card caricatures which will be used as part of the Canute's Crossing event.

"We were delighted to get involved with the workshop as part of everything that is planned for Knutsford on September 10," said James Routs of the Knutsford Academy.

"The students really enjoyed the opportunity to work with Russell for the day and the 3D caricatures they built were very impressive."

Russell will be holding a workshop at Bexton Primary School next week when pupils will create 'mini Viking' costumes and rehearse their role alongside the Chester Vikings who will lead the fun on the Saturday as they invade Knutsford with Canute and their Viking longboat.

"The crossing is a community event which not only celebrates the legend that gave rise to the town’s name, recorded as Cunetesford in the Domesday Book, it also celebrates The Moor’s beautiful green space heritage which is so important," said Julie Tempest, of the Knutsford Promenades Community Association.

During the four-day festival, there are also many special events linked with the town’s historical figures, including a keynote lecture about ‘Cheshire and the Viking World by Professor Richard Morris, a cavalcade of Rolls-Royces,‘Grey Rabbit’, ‘A Taste of Cranford’, and ‘A Victorian Beauty’.