Winsford stands in the heart of Cheshire and is located in the borough of Vale Royal, which forms part of the Mersey Forest. In history the borough of Over was united to the township of Wharton to form the town of Winsford.

The origins of the name Winsford are unclear but could be a derivative of "Wainsford" a ford used by farmers conveying loads of hay on their haywains. Another, more likely, theory is that a man named Wynn lived by the Weaver ford at this point, and it became known as "Wynn’s Ford". The River Weaver was forded here as part of a Roman road linking Over with the town of Middlewich.

The discovery of brine in 1700 and the opening of the Weaver for navigation in the 18th century brought new industrial prosperity to the town. It became the largest salt producing area in the country.