Cheshire
Geography
Status	Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin	Historic
Region	North West England
Area - Total - Admin. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. council - Admin. area	Ranked 25th 2,343 km² (905 sq mi) Ranked 25th 2,083 km² (804 sq mi)
Admin HQ	Chester
ISO 3166-2	GB-CHS
ONS code	13
NUTS 3	UKD22
Demography
Population - Total (2006 est. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by area Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density - Admin. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume council - Admin. pop.	Ranked 19th 999,800 427/km² (1,106/sq mi) Ranked 14th 686,300
Ethnicity	98. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. 3% White, 1. 7% Other.
Politics
Cheshire County Council http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/
Executive	Conservative
Members of Parliament	Mike Hall (L) Helen Jones (L) Andrew Miller (L) Stephen O'Brien (C) George Osborne (C) Christine Russell (L) Helen Southworth (L) Derek Twigg (L) Ann Winterton (C) Nicholas Winterton (C)
Districts
Ellesmere Port and Neston Chester Crewe and Nantwich Congleton Macclesfield Vale Royal Halton (Unitary) Warrington (Unitary)

Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)^[1] is a county in North West England. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Michael Thomas Hall, known as Mike Hall, (born September 20 1952 is a British Politician, and the Labour Member of Parliament for The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Helen Mary Jones (born 24 December 1954 Chester, England) is the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Warrington North. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Andrew Peter Miller (born 23 March 1949 is a politician in the United Kingdom, and is Labour Member of Parliament (MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Stephen Rothwell O'Brien (born 1 April 1957, Mtwara, Tanzania) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Gideon George Oliver Osborne (born 23 May, 1971 in London) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and has been The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Christine Margaret Russell, née Carr (born 25 March 1945 Holbeach) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Helen Mary Southworth (born 13 November, 1956) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the John Derek Twigg (born 9 July 1959, Widnes) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Jane Ann Lady Winterton (née Hodgson (born 6 March 1941 in Sutton Coldfield) is the British Member of Parliament for Congleton, and was first The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Sir Nicholas Raymond Winterton (born 31 March 1938) is a British Politician. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Ellesmere Port and Neston is a local government district, Borough and parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, England For the smaller central city area and principal settlement of this district see Chester. Crewe and Nantwich is one of six local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire, England. Congleton is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, in North West England. For the principal settlement of this borough see Macclesfield. Vale Royal is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, England. Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The county town, and the location of the county council, is the city of Chester,^[2] although Cheshire's largest town in terms of area and population is Warrington. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Northwich, and Wilmslow. Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and cargo port in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire, England, situated in the south of the Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area Northwich is a town in Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. ^[3] The county is bordered by Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south, Flintshire and Wrexham in Wales to the west. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Government The region is governed as a unitary authority by Wrexham County Borough Council.

The ceremonial county has an overall area of 2,344 square kilometres (905 sq mi) and has a population of about 993,200. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies

The county is mostly rural with a number of small towns and villages that support an agricultural industry. It is historically famous for the production of Cheshire cheese,^[4] salt, bulk chemicals and the weaving of silk. Cheshire (ˈtʃɛʃə cheese is a dense and crumbly cheese produced in the English county of Cheshire, and four neighbouring counties two in Wales

History

Main article: History of Cheshire

Toponymy

Cheshire's name was originally derived from an early name for Chester and first occurred as Legeceasterscir in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. The History of Cheshire as an administrative area can be traced back at least to the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as having different boundaries to the ones existing The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. ^[5] Its name meant the shire of the city of legions. ^[6] It was first recorded in 980CE, but it is thought that the county was created by Edward the Elder around 920CE. Edward the Elder ( Old English: Ēadweard se Ieldra) (c 870 &ndash 17 July 924) was King of England (899 &ndash ^[6] In the Domesday Book, Chester was recorded as having the name Cestrescir, (Chestershire) which was also derived from the name for Chester in use at the time. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey ^[5] A series of changes that occurred as English itself changed, together with some simplifications, resulted in the name Cheshire, as it occurs today.

Because of the historical close links with the land bordering Cheshire to the west, which became Wales, there is a history of interaction between Cheshire and Wales. The Domesday Book records Cheshire as having two complete Hundreds (Atiscross and Exestan) which later became entirely part of Wales. The Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative military and judicial purposes Additionally, another large portion of the Duddestan Hundred later became known as Maelor Saesneg when it was transferred to Wales. Maelor is a border area of north-east Wales. It originated as a Cantref of the Kingdom of Powys, focused on Bangor-on-Dee. ^[7] For this and other reasons, the Welsh name for Cheshire (Swydd Gaerlleon)^[8] is sometimes used within Wales and by Welsh speakers. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic

Administrative history

Cheshire in the Domesday Book was recorded as a larger county than it is today. It included two hundreds which later became part of Wales: Atiscross and Exestan. At the time of the Domesday book, it also included as part of Duddestan Hundred the area of land later known as Maelor Saesneg (which used to be a detached part of Flintshire) in Wales. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Maelor is a border area of north-east Wales. It originated as a Cantref of the Kingdom of Powys, focused on Bangor-on-Dee. The old Flintshire (Sir Y Fflint is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales, mostly based on Wales north-east coast ^[9] The area in between the Mersey and Ribble (referred to in the Domesday Book as "Inter Ripam et Mersham") formed part of the returns for Cheshire. The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ^[10][11] Although this has been interpreted to mean that at that time south Lancashire was part of Cheshire,^[11][12] more exhaustive research indicates that the boundary between Cheshire and what was to become Lancashire remained the River Mersey. See also Mersey River (Tasmania and Mersey River (Nova Scotia. ^[13][14][15] With minor variations in spelling across sources, the complete list of hundreds of Cheshire at this time are: Atiscross, Bochelau, Chester, Dudestan, Exestan, Hamestan, Middlewich, Riseton, Roelau, Tunendune, Warmundestrou. The Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative military and judicial purposes and Wilaveston. ^[16]

In 1182 the land north of the Mersey became administered as part of the new county of Lancashire, thus resolving any uncertainty about the county in which the land "Inter Ripam et Mersham" was. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea ^[17] Over the years, the ten hundreds consolidated and changed names to leave just seven—Broxton, Bucklow, Eddisbury, Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, and Wirral]]. ^[18]

Through the Local Government Act 1972 which came into effect in 1974, some areas in the north west became part of the metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 ^[19] Stockport (previously a county borough), Hyde, Dukinfield and Stalybridge in the north-east became part of Greater Manchester. Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Hyde is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. Dukinfield is a small town within Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. Stalybridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England Much of the Wirral Peninsula in the north-west, including the county boroughs of Birkenhead and Wallasey, joined Merseyside. Wirral or the Wirral (ˈwɪrəl is a Peninsula in the north west of England. At the same time the Tintwistle Rural District was transferred to Derbyshire. Tintwistle Rural District was a local government district in north east Cheshire, England from 1894 to 1974 The area of Lancashire south of the Merseyside/Greater Manchester area, including Widnes and the county borough of Warrington was added to the new non-metropolitan county of Cheshire. Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. ^[20]

Halton and Warrington became unitary authorities independent of Cheshire County Council on 1 April 1998, but remain part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes, as well as fire and policing. Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) ^[21]

A referendum for a further local government reform connected with an elected regional assembly was planned for 2004, but was abandoned -

See also: Northern England referendum, 2004). " Regional Assembly " is the name which has been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies The Northern England devolution referendums were Referendums starting with the North East region of England, in the United Kingdom,

As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity Plantlife chose the cuckooflower as the county flower. Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity founded in 1989 Cardamine pratensis ( Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock) is a Flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native throughout most In a number of countries plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas

Buildings and structures

Black-and-white timbered buildings on Nantwich High Street

Prehistoric burial grounds can be found at The Bridestones, near Congleton (Neolithic) and Robin Hood's Tump, near Alpraham (Bronze Age). The Bridestones consist of a chambered Cairn, built in the Neolithic Stone Age, near Congleton, Cheshire, England. Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Alpraham is a village and Civil parish in the Crewe and Nantwich district of Cheshire, England. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for ^[22] The remains of Iron Age hill forts are found on sandstone ridges at several locations in Cheshire. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Examples include Maiden Castle on Bickerton Hill, Helsby Hillfort and Woodhouse Hillfort at Frodsham. Bickerton Hill refers to two low red Sandstone hills in West Cheshire. Helsby is a Village and Civil parish in Vale Royal, Cheshire, England. This article is about the town in Cheshire for the clock maker see Charles Frodsham. The Roman fortress and walls of Chester, perhaps the earliest building works in Cheshire remaining above ground, are constructed from purple-grey sandstone. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 ^[23]

The distinctive local red sandstone has been used for many monumental and ecclesiastical buildings throughout the county, for example, the medieval Beeston Castle, Chester Cathedral and numerous parish churches. Beeston Castle is a Castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England ( perched on a rocky Sandstone crag above the Cheshire Plain Chester Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, Occasional residential and industrial buildings, such as Helsby Station, Helsby (1849) are also in this sandstone. Helsby is a Village and Civil parish in Vale Royal, Cheshire, England.

Many surviving buildings from the 15th to 17th centuries are timbered, particularly in the southern part of the county. Notable examples include the moated manor house Little Moreton Hall, dating from around 1450, and many commercial and residential buildings in Chester, Nantwich and surrounding villages. Little Moreton Hall is a Moated 15th-century half-timbered Manor house southwest of Congleton, Cheshire. Nantwich is a market town in south Cheshire, England, in the Borough and parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich.

Early brick buildings include Peover Hall, near Macclesfield (1585), Tattenhall Hall (pre-1622) and Pied Bull Hotel in Chester (17th C). Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area From the 18th century, orange, red or brown brick became the predominant building material used in Cheshire, although earlier buildings are often faced or dressed with stone. Examples from the Victorian period onwards often employ distinctive brick detailing, such as brick patterning and ornate chimney stacks and gables. Notable examples include Arley Hall, near Northwich, Willington Hall [1], near Chester (both by Nantwich architect George Latham) and Overleigh Lodge, Chester. Arley Hall is a Grade II* listed Country house in Arley, Cheshire, England ( south of Lymm and 5 miles (8 km north Northwich is a town in Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers This article refers to George Latham the architect For George Latham the footballer see George Latham. From the Victorian era, brick buildings often incorporate timberwork in a mock Tudor style, and this hybrid style has been used in some modern residential developments in the county. Industrial buildings, such as the Macclesfield silk mills (for example, Waters Green New Mill), are also usually in brick.

Physical geography

Panorama photo showing part of the Cheshire Plain looking towards the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. Beeston Castle left background and Peckforton Castle right background are visible

Panorama photo showing part of the Cheshire Plain looking from the Mid-Cheshire Ridge.

Main article: Geology of Cheshire

Cheshire covers a boulder clay plain separating the hills of North Wales and the Peak District of Derbyshire. The Geology of Cheshire consists mainly of Triassic sandstones North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle This was formed following the retreat of ice age glaciers which left the area dotted with kettle holes, locally referred to as meres. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets A kettle (or kettle hole) is a shallow sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters The bedrock of this region is almost entirely Triassic sandstone, outcrops of which have long been quarried, notably at Runcorn, providing the distinctive red stone for Liverpool Cathedral and Chester Cathedral. The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Liverpool Cathedral is the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool England, built on St Chester Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire,

The eastern half of the county is Upper Triassic Mercia mudstone laid down with large salt deposits which were mined for hundreds of years around Northwich. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Northwich is a town in Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Separating this area from Lower Triassic Sherwood sandstone to the west is a prominent Sandstone Ridge. A 32-mile (51 km) footpath, the Sandstone Trail, follows this ridge from Frodsham to Whitchurch passing Delamere Forest, Beeston Castle and earlier Iron Age forts. The Sandstone Trail is a 32 mile (51 km long-distance walkers' path, following Sandstone ridges running north–south from Frodsham in central This article is about the town in Cheshire for the clock maker see Charles Frodsham. Whitchurch is a Market town in North Shropshire, England. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. Delamere Forest or Delamere Forest Park is a Forest in the Vale Royal district of Cheshire, England, managed by the Forestry Beeston Castle is a Castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England ( perched on a rocky Sandstone crag above the Cheshire Plain This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man.

Demographics

Population

Based on the Census of 2001, the overall population of Cheshire is 673,781, of which 51. 3% of the population were male and 48. 7% were female. Of those aged between 0-14 years, 51. 5% were male and 48. 4% were female; and of those aged over 75 years, 62. 9% were female and 37. 1% were male.

The population density of Cheshire is 32 people per km², lower than the North West average of 42 people/km² and the England and Wales average of 38 people/km². Ellesmere Port and Neston has a greater urban density than the rest of the county with 92 people/km². ^[24]

The population for 2021 is forecast to be 708,000. ^[25]

Ethnicity

Ethnic white groups accounted for 98% (662,794) of the population with 10,994 (2%) in ethnic groups other than white. Of the 2% in non-white ethnic groups:

• 3,717 (34%) belonged to mixed ethnic groups
• 3,336 (30%) were Asian or Asian British
• 1,076 (10%) were Black or Black British
• 1,826 (17%) were of Chinese ethnic groups
• 1,039 (9%) were of other ethnic groups. ^[26]

Politics and administration

The ceremonial county and unitary authorities from 2009 as currently proposed

The area under the control of the county council, or shire county, is divided into a number of local government districts. A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. They are Ellesmere Port and Neston, Chester, Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton, Macclesfield and Vale Royal. Ellesmere Port and Neston is a local government district, Borough and parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, England For the smaller central city area and principal settlement of this district see Chester. Crewe and Nantwich is one of six local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire, England. Congleton is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, in North West England. For the principal settlement of this borough see Macclesfield. Vale Royal is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, England. ^[27][28]

On 25 July 2007, the Secretary of State Hazel Blears announced she was 'minded' to split Cheshire into two new unitary authorities, Cheshire West and Chester, and Cheshire East. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Hazel Anne Blears MP (born 14 May 1956 is a British Politician and is the Labour Member of Parliament for Salford. Cheshire West and Chester is the name for a new Unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. Cheshire East is the name for a new Unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. She confirmed she had not changed her mind on 19 December 2007 and therefore the proposal to split two-tier Cheshire into two would proceed. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Cheshire County Council leader Paul Findlow, who attempted High Court legal action against the proposal, claimed that splitting Cheshire would only disrupt excellent services while increasing living costs for all. A widespread sentiment that this decision was taken by the European Union long ago has often been portrayed via angered letters from Cheshire residents to local papers. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in On January 31st 2008 the standard, Cheshire & district newspaper announced that the legal action had been dropped. Members against the proposal were advised that they may be unable to persuade the court that the decision of Hazel Blears was "manifestly absurd". The Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority will cover the area currently occupied by the boroughs of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Vale Royal and the City of Chester; Cheshire East will cover the area currently occupied by the boroughs of Congleton, Crewe and Nantwich, and Macclesfield. The changes are planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009, subject to a financial assessment of the proposal. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. ^[29]

Congleton Borough Council are currently waiting to hear the result of their appeal against the Judicial Review they lost in October 2007. Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the A decision either for or against the appeal should be announced before Easter 2008. ^[30]

Halton (which includes the towns of Runcorn and Widnes) and Warrington are unitary authorities which form part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff, but do not come under county council control. Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British Monarch 's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription with varying The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown ^[31][32]

The ceremonial county, which includes the unitary authorities, borders Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire in England along with Flintshire and Wrexham in Wales, arranged by compass directions as shown in the table. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Wrexham (Wrecsam is a town and principal area in Wales. It is the largest town in North Wales and lies to the east of the region below. Cheshire also forms part of the North West England region. North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one ^[33]

Religion

Main article: Religion of Cheshire

Wilmslow Church

In the 2001 Census, 81% of the population (542,413) identified themselves as Christian; 124,677 (19%) did not identify with any religion or did not answer the question; 5,665 (1%) as belonging to other major world religions; and 1,033 belonging to other religions. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Wrexham (Wrecsam is a town and principal area in Wales. It is the largest town in North Wales and lies to the east of the region History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Wrexham (Wrecsam is a town and principal area in Wales. It is the largest town in North Wales and lies to the east of the region Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Religion in Cheshire, and in particular Christianity has a long history ^[26]

The boundary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester follows most closely the pre-1974 county boundary of Cheshire, so it includes all of Wirral, Stockport, and the Cheshire panhandle, that included Tintwistle Rural District council area. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England Diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Tintwistle Rural District was a local government district in north east Cheshire, England from 1894 to 1974 ^[34] In terms of Roman Catholic church administration, the majority of Cheshire falls into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury. ^[35]

Economy and industry

Main article: Economy of Cheshire

Cheshire has a diverse economy with significant sectors including agriculture, automotive, bio-technology, chemical, financial services, food and drink, ICT, and tourism. Cheshire is a county in north-west England, famous for its agricultural industry The county is famous for the production of Cheshire cheese, salt and silk. Cheshire (ˈtʃɛʃə cheese is a dense and crumbly cheese produced in the English county of Cheshire, and four neighbouring counties two in Wales

Cattle farming in the county

Cheshire is a mainly rural county with a high concentration of villages. Agriculture is generally based around the dairy trade and cattle are the predominant livestock. Land use given to agriculture has fluctuated somewhat, and in 2005 totalled 1558 km² over 4,609 holdings. ^[36] Based on holdings by EC farm type in 2005, 8. 51 km² was allocated to diary farming, with another 11. 78 km² allocated to cattle and sheep.

The chemical industry in Cheshire was founded in the Roman times with the mining of salt in Middlewich and Northwich. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Cheshire is a county in North West England. Rock salt was laid down in this region some 220 million years ago during the Triassic geological era Salt is still mined in this area by British Salt. British Salt Limited is a United Kingdom -based chemical company that produces pure white Salt. The salt mining has led to a continued chemical industry around Northwich, with Brunner Mond based in the town. Brunner Mond is a British -based chemical company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, part of the Tata Group of India. More chemical companies, including Ineos (formerly ICI) have plants at Runcorn. Ineos is a privately owned UK chemicals company By revenue it is the third largest chemicals firm in the world (after BASF and Dow Chemical) and the biggest Imperial Chemical Industries ( ICI) is a British chemical subsidiary of a Dutch conglomerate and one of the largest chemical producers Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England The Shell Stanlow Refinery is at Ellesmere Port. Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins Stanlow Refinery is part of Shell Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. The oil refinery has operated since 1924 and has a capacity of 12 million tonnes per year.

Crewe was once the centre of the British railway industry, and remains a major railway junction. The Railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world The Crewe railway works, built in 1840, employed 20,000 people at its peak, though this is now less than 1,000. Crewe railway works is a British Railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. Crewe is also the home of Bentley cars. Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury Automobiles and Grand Tourers Bentley Motors was founded in England Also within Cheshire are manufacturing plants for Jaguar and Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Vauxhall Motors is a British automobile company It is a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation (GM and is part of GM Europe. The county also has an aircraft industry, with the BAE Systems facility at Woodford Aerodrome, part of BAE System's Military Air Solutions division. BAE Systems plc (BAE is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, England, that has global interests particularly Woodford Aerodrome or Manchester Woodford Aerodrome is located at Woodford in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester The facility designed and constructed Avro Lancaster and Avro Vulcan bombers and the Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod. "Lanc" redirects here Distinguish from Lank (adjective and from Amon Lanc (a place in Tolkien's fiction WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout On the Cheshire border with Flintshire, Wales is the Broughton aircraft factory, more recently associated with Airbus. History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Broughton (Brychdyn is a small district in Flintshire, Wales, close to the Wales–England border and located to the west of the Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing

Tourism in Cheshire from both within the UK and overseas continues to perform strongly. Over 8 million nights of accommodation (both UK & overseas) and over 2. 8 million visits to Cheshire were recorded during 2003. ^[37]

At the start of 2003, there were 22,020 VAT registered enterprises in Cheshire, an increase of 7% since 1998, many in the Business Services (31. 9%) and Wholesale/ Retail (21. 7%) sectors. Between 2002 and 2003 the number businesses grew in four sectors: Public Administration and Other Services (6. 0%), Hotels & Restaurants (5. 1%), Construction (1. 7%) and Business Services (1. 0%). ^[37] The county saw the largest proportional reduction between 2001 and 2002 in employment in the 'Energy and Water' sector and there was also a significant reduction in the Manufacturing sector. The largest growth during this period was in the 'Other Services' and 'Distribution, Hotels and Retail' sector. ^[37]

Education

Main article: List of schools in Cheshire

Cheshire LEA has a completely comprehensive state school system (as does Halton and Warrington) with 42 state schools, not including sixth form colleges, and 15 independent schools. This lists the schools located in the county of Cheshire. The list is split into council maintained schools and private schools A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 When Altrincham, Sale and Wirral were moved from Cheshire to Trafford in 1974, they took some former Cheshire selective schools. Altrincham () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Sale (pop 55234 is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England southwest of Manchester City Centre. The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England

Culture, media and sport

Cheshire has several league football teams, notably League One Crewe Alexandra and League Two Chester City and Macclesfield Town. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Crewe Alexandra Football Club are an English football team based at Gresty Road in Crewe, Cheshire, England and nicknamed The Railwaymen Chester City Football Club is an English football club from Chester. Macclesfield Town Football Club are an English football team The club were formed in 1874 and are based in the small town of Macclesfield in Cheshire County Cricket Club is one of the minor county cricket clubs. Cheshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic Cricket structure representing the County cricket is the highest level of domestic Cricket in England and Wales The county has also been home to many notable sportsmen and athletes, including footballers Dean Ashton (West Ham), Djibril Cissé (France and Olympique de Marseille), Peter Crouch (England and Liverpool), Seth Johnson (Derby County) Michael Owen (England and Newcastle United) and Wayne Rooney (England and Manchester United). Dean Ashton (born 24 November 1983 in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English professional footballer who plays for West Ham United as a forward } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played Djibril Cissé (born 12 August 1981, in Arles, France) is a French international football player of Ivorian The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. Olympique de Marseille (also known as l'OM or Marseille) is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981 is an English international football player The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Seth Art Maurice Johnson (born 12 March 1979 in Birmingham) is a former England international footballer, currently without a club Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979 in Chester, Cheshire) is an English football player who currently plays for and captains Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier Other local athletes include cricketer Ian Botham; marathon runner Paula Radcliffe; Great Britain Olympic oarsman Matthew Langridge; Shirley Strong; and mountaineer George Mallory, who died in 1924 on Mount Everest. Sir Ian Terence Botham, OBE (born 24 November 1955) is a former England Test Cricketer and Test team captain and current Paula Jane Radcliffe MBE (born on 17 December, 1973 in Davenham, Cheshire, England) is a British Matthew Langridge (born 20 May 1983, at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, England) is a current Great Britain Shirley Elaine Strong (born November 18, 1958) is a British athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres hurdles. George Herbert Leigh Mallory ( 18 June 1886  &ndash 8 June / 9 June 1924) was an English Mountaineer who took Mount Everest, also called Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा meaning Head of the Sky) or Chomolungma, Qomolangma or Zhumulangma (in

The county has produced several notable musicians, including popular artists John Mayall (John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers),^[38] Ian Astbury (The Cult), Tim Burgess (Charlatans), Ian Curtis (Joy Division) and Kerry Katona (Atomic Kitten). John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is a pioneering English Blues Singer, Songwriter, and multi- Instrumentalist John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band led by Singer, Songwriter, and Ian Robert Astbury (born May 14, 1962 in Heswall, Cheshire) is an English rock Singer and Lyricist The Cult are an English rock band which gained a dedicated following in their native Britain with mid-'80s singles like " She Sells Sanctuary " Tim Burgess (born Timothy Allan Burgess May 30 1967, Salford, England) is the lead singer of British rock/indie act The Charlatans The Charlatans (known in the United States as The Charlatans UK) are a British Alternative rock band Ian Kevin Curtis ( 15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist as well as occasional guitarist and keyboardist of the band Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Kerry Jayne Elizabeth Katona (previously McFadden; born 6 September 1980) is an English Television presenter, Writer Atomic Kitten are an English Girl group from Liverpool composed of Elizabeth McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton, and Jennifer Frost Concert pianist Stephen Hough, singer Thea Gilmore and her producer husband Nigel Stonier also reside in Cheshire. Stephen Hough (born November 22, 1961) is a British -born classical pianist composer and writer Thea Eve Gilmore (born 25 November 1979 is a British female Singer-songwriter. Nigel Stonier is a UK based rock roots and pop producer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist The county has also been home to several writers, including Hall Caine (1853-1931), popular romantic novelist and playwright; Alan Garner; Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, whose novel Cranford features her home town of Knutsford; and most famously Lewis Carroll, born and raised in Daresbury, hence the Cheshire cat. Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE ( May 14, 1853 &ndash August 31, 1931) usually known as Hall Caine, was Alan Garner OBE (born in Congleton, Cheshire, October 17, 1934) is an English writer whose work is firmly rooted in Cheshire Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (née Stevenson 29 September 1810 &ndash 12 November 1865 often referred to simply as Mrs Cranford is the best-known novel of the 19th century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. Knutsford is a town and Civil parish within the Borough of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, located south-west of Manchester Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (ˈdɒdsən (27 January 1832 &ndash 14 January 1898 better known by the Pen name Lewis Carroll (/ˈkærəl/ was an English Daresbury is a small rural Village, Civil parish and ward in the unitary authority of Halton and part of the Ceremonial The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat appearing in Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Artists from the county include ceramic artist Emma Bossons and sculptor and photographer Andy Goldsworthy. Emma Bossons (born 1976 in Congleton, Cheshire) is a ceramic Artist and designer for Moorcroft Pottery Andy Goldsworthy (born 26 July 1956 is a British sculptor, Photographer and environmentalist living in Scotland who produces Actors from Cheshire include Daniel Craig, the 6th James Bond; Dame Wendy Hiller; and Lewis McGibbon, best known for his role in Millions. Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968 is an English Actor. James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE ( 15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was a distinguished English Film and stage Lewis Owen McGibbon (born in Cheshire, 14 July 1991) is an English actor whose first movie performance was the critically praised role of Anthony Millions is a 2004 British film and a book written by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Warrington Wolves are the premier Rugby League team in Cheshire and play in the Super League. Warrington is a professional Rugby league club in the town of Warrington, Cheshire in England. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Widnes Vikings are currently in National League One. Widnes Vikings are a professional Rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C.

Local radio stations in the county include Dee 106.3, Marcher Sound and Classic Gold Marcher for Chester and West Cheshire, Silk FM for the east of the county, Signal 1 for the south, Wire FM for Warrington, Wish FM which covers Widnes, and community station Cheshire FM which covers central Cheshire. Dee 1063 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Chester. Marcher Sound (formerly MFM 1034) is a radio station broadcasting to north east Wales and north west England from its Mold Road studios in Gwersyllt Gold North Wales and Cheshire (originally Marcher Gold and later Classic Gold Marcher) is a British Independent local radio station broadcasting Signal One is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from studios in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent to Staffordshire and Cheshire Wish FM is the Independent Local Radio station for Wigan and St Helens, broadcasting on 102 Cheshire FM is a community radio station serving the towns of Northwich, Middlewich and Winsford in the English county of Cheshire The BBC covers the west with BBC Radio Merseyside, the north and east with BBC Radio Manchester and the south with BBC Radio Stoke. BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. There were plans to launch BBC Radio Cheshire, but those were shelved in 2007 after a lower than expected BBC license fee settlement.

Notable residents

Settlements and communications

Settlements

Main article: List of places in Cheshire

Some northern parts of the county are effectively suburbs of Manchester or Liverpool, and many of those who work in these cities commute from other parts of the county. This is a partial list of places within the ceremonial county boundaries of Cheshire, in North West England. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary The county is home to some of the most affluent areas of England, including Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Prestbury, Tarporley and Knutsford, named in 2006 as the most expensive place to buy a house in the north of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Alderley Edge is a village and Civil parish in Cheshire, England. Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a Village, Civil parish and Ecclesiastical parish in Cheshire, England. Tarporley is a large village and Civil parish in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is a town and Civil parish within the Borough of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, located south-west of Manchester The former Cheshire town of Altrincham was in second place. Altrincham () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. The area is sometimes referred to as The Golden Triangle on account of the area in and around the above mentioned towns and villages. The Golden Triangle is an area of affluent leafy towns and villages in Cheshire, England, including Alderley Edge, Knutsford, Wilmslow ^[40]

The cities and towns in Cheshire are:

Some settlements which were historically part of the county now fall under the counties of Derbyshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester:^{[41][42][43][20]}

Transport

Rail and Road

The West Coast Main Line runs from south to north through the centre of the county, connecting Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western railway stations with London, Preston and Glasgow. For the smaller central city area and principal settlement of this district see Chester. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Malpas is a Market town and Civil parish in the Chester district of Cheshire, England. Congleton is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, in North West England. Sandbach is a Market town and Civil parish within the Congleton borough of Cheshire, England. Alsager is a town and civil parish in Cheshire, England, to the north-west of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and east of the railway town of Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the Middlewich (pop 13000 is a Market town in the borough of Congleton, in Cheshire, England Crewe and Nantwich is one of six local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire, England. Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Nantwich is a market town in south Cheshire, England, in the Borough and parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich. Ellesmere Port and Neston is a local government district, Borough and parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, England Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and cargo port in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire, England, situated in the south of the Neston is a small residential town in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston. Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England For the principal settlement of this borough see Macclesfield. Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area Bollington is a small town in the Borough of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Knutsford is a town and Civil parish within the Borough of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, located south-west of Manchester Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. Vale Royal is a local government district and Borough in Cheshire, England. Winsford is a town and Civil parish within the Vale Royal borough of Cheshire, England. This article is about the town in Cheshire for the clock maker see Charles Frodsham. Northwich is a town in Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 Newtown is an area of the town of New Mills in the High Peak borough of Derbyshire, England. Tintwistle is a village and Civil parish in the High Peak district of the Non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, Whaley Bridge is a small town and Civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Altrincham () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Bramhall is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Bredbury is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Cheadle is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England Cheadle Hulme is a suburban area located in the south of Greater Manchester in the North-West of England. Dukinfield is a small town within Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. Gatley is a suburban area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Hazel Grove is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Hyde is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. Marple is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Romiley is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Sale (pop 55234 is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England southwest of Manchester City Centre. Stalybridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Wythenshawe (pop 66000 is a district in the south of the City of Manchester in North West England. Bebington is a small town and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. Heswall is a town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Hoylake is a seaside town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Wallasey is a large town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey West Kirby is a town located on the north west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, at the mouth of the River Dee The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. Crewe railway station is one of the most historic Railway stations in the world Warrington Bank Quay railway station is a mainline Railway station serving the UK town of Warrington. Wigan North Western railway station is one of two main Railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom The Mid-Cheshire Line connects Chester to Stockport, crossing from south west to north east across the county. The Mid-Cheshire Line is a Railway line in the north-west of England, between Chester and Manchester. Manchester Airport straddles the boundary between Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the

Lines also connect Chester to Crewe, The north Wales coast, Shrewsburry, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester (via Warrington). Crewe Station (the largest in the county) is a major interchange station with trains to north and south Wales, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Liverpool, Scotland, The east/west midlands, and South coast.

The Cheshire road system is made up of 3,417 miles (5,499 km), which includes 214 miles (344 km) of the M6, M62, M53 and M56 motorways, with 23 interchanges and four service areas. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The M62 motorway is a west&ndasheast trans-Pennine Motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull The M53 is a 20 Mile (32 Km) Motorway in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and Cheshire on the Wirral Peninsula in The M56 is a Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. The M6 motorway across the Thelwall Viaduct carries 140,000 vehicles every 24 hours. The Thelwall Viaduct ( is a steel composite girder Viaduct in Thelwall, a district of Warrington, England. ^[44]

Waterways

Schematic of the Cheshire Ring

Main article: Canals in Cheshire

The Cheshire canal system includes several canals originally used to transport the county's industrial products (mostly chemicals). A large number of canals were built in Cheshire, England during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution to transport goods and raw materials A large number of canals were built in Cheshire, England during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution to transport goods and raw materials Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways Nowadays they are mainly used for tourist traffic. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The Cheshire Ring is formed from The Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Trent and Mersey and Bridgewater canals. The Ashton Canal is a Canal built in Greater Manchester in Northern England. The Peak Forest Canal, is a narrow (7 ft -locked artificial waterway in northern England. The Macclesfield Canal is a Canal in east Cheshire, England. Route The canal runs from Marple Junction at Marple The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England The Bridgewater Canal is a Canal in North West England, connecting Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. The Manchester Ship Canal is a wide, 36-mile (58 km) stretch of water opened in 1894. The Manchester Ship Canal is a wide long river navigation in North West England, opened on 21 May 1894 It consists of the rivers Irwell and Mersey made navigable to Manchester for sea-going ships leaving the Mersey Estuary. The River Irwell is a River flowing through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester See also Mersey River (Tasmania and Mersey River (Nova Scotia. The canal passes through the north of the county via Runcorn and Warrington.

See also

• Cheshire cat

Notes and References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Office of National Statistics - 2001 Bicentenary - Cheshire
• Cheshire Wildlife Trust
• The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire