Portal:Cheshire
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The Cheshire Portal
WelcomeCheshire Plain from the Mid Cheshire Ridge
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in the North West of England. Chester is the county town, and formerly gave its name to the county. The largest town is Warrington, and other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, Runcorn, Sandbach, Widnes, Wilmslow and Winsford. The county is administered as four unitary authorities. Cheshire occupies a boulder clay plain (pictured) which separates the hills of North Wales from the Peak District of Derbyshire. The county covers an area of 2,343 km2 (905 sq mi), with a high point of 559 m (1,834 ft) elevation. The estimated population is a little over one million, 19th highest in England, with a population density of around 450 people per km2. The county was created in around 920, but the area has a long history of human occupation dating back to before the last Ice Age. Deva was a major Roman fort, and Cheshire played an important part in the Civil War. Predominantly rural, the county is historically famous for the production of Cheshire cheese, salt and silk. During the 19th century, towns in the north of the county were pioneers of the chemical industry, while Crewe became a major railway junction and engineering facility. Selected article
Vale Royal Abbey is a former medieval Cistercian abbey and country house at Whitegate, within the ancient Forest of Mondrem. The abbey was founded in around 1270 by Lord Edward, later King Edward I. The original Darnhall site proved unsatisfactory, and the abbey soon moved a few miles north. Named Vale Royal to emphasise its royal connection, it was intended to be built on a grand scale but Edward's financial difficulties prevented this. The abbey was often grossly mismanaged, internal discipline was frequently bad, and poor relations with the local population turned to violence. In 1359 the nave collapsed in a storm and construction was still ongoing as late as 1422. At the dissolution of 1538, Vale Royal's estates were sold to Thomas Holcroft, who demolished much of the abbey, incorporating part of its cloisters into a mansion he built in the 1540s. It subsequently formed the seat of the Cholmondeley family, who carried out several rounds of alterations (pictured). The remains of the abbey have been excavated. The site is a scheduled monument and is listed at Grade II*. Selected image
Salt-making by the open-pan method dates back to the Roman occupation, and was one of Cheshire's major industries. The Lion Salt Works was the last place in the county to use the method. It closed in 1986, when this picture was taken, and is now a museum. Credit: Chris Allen (8 June 1986) In this month
1 April 1974: Widnes and Warrington gained from Lancashire; Hyde, Dukinfield and Stalybridge lost to Greater Manchester; parts of the Wirral lost to Merseyside; and Tintwistle lost to Derbyshire in local government reorganisation. 1 April 1998: Halton and Warrington became unitary authorities. 1 April 2009: Unitary authorities of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East took control. 5 April 1847: The Port of Runcorn became an independent customs port. 5 April 1847: Birkenhead Park, the UK's first publicly funded civic park, opened. 8 April 1889: Conductor Adrian Boult born in Chester. 10 April 1964: Runcorn designated a new town. 10 April 1998: Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker (pictured) opened as a museum. 11 April 1830: Architect John Douglas born in Sandiway. 17 April 1948: Train crash near Winsford killed 24 people and injured 10. 17 April 1951: Peak District became the UK's first national park. 20 April 1857: Cheshire Constabulary formed. 21 April 1913: George V and Queen Mary visited Crewe Railway Works and Worleston Dairy Institute. 23 April 1610: First St George's Day race held at Chester Racecourse. 24 April 1643: Royalist forces plundered Acton, Dorfold, Ravensmoor and Sound during the Civil War. 25 April 1956: Construction of Silver Jubilee Bridge began. 26 April 1761: Emma, Lady Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson, born in Ness. 30 April 1851: Accident in Sutton Railway Tunnel killed nine people and injured at least 30. Selected list
The 63 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire cover a total area of 19,844 hectares (49,035 acres), and are protected by law for their biological, geological or geomorphological interest. Wetland is the type of SSSI best represented in the county, with a range of diverse habitats including mosses, raised bog, swamps, fens, meres and ponds. Flashes, such as Elton Flashes (pictured), originate in subsidence after salt extraction, and contain rare examples of inland salt marsh. Cheshire's largest SSSIs are the Mersey and Dee estuaries. The higher ground at the foot of the Pennines has two extensive SSSIs containing heather moorland, grassland and blanket mire habitats. The lowland heath habitat is, however, very rare. Ancient woodland is sparse in the county, but is found on the slopes of the Mid Cheshire Ridge, in river valleys towards the north of the county, and around the Mersey Basin. Several sites, such as Rixton Clay Pits, are on former industrial land. The Triassic sandstones of the Mid Cheshire Ridge are exposed at the Raw Head geological site, and geological features are also exposed at railway cuttings. GeographyWarrington Runcorn Widnes Macclesfield Winsford Wilmslow Northwich Sandbach Nantwich Poynton Neston Middlewich Lymm MERSEYSIDE STAFFORD-SHIRE SHROPSHIRE WALES The Cloud Peckforton Hills Shining Tor Shutlingsloe Tegg's Nose Windgather Top: Map of modern Cheshire showing urban areas (grey) and the major road network. Chester (red) is the county town, and Warrington has the greatest population. Towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants in 2011 are highlighted; the size of dot gives a rough indication of the relative population. Wales and the adjacent English counties are shown in capitals. Bottom: Relief map showing the major hills. The Mid Cheshire Ridge is a discontinuous ridge of low hills running north–south from Beacon Hill (north of Helsby Hill) to Bickerton Hill. Most other high ground falls within the Peak District in the east of the county. Shining Tor (559 metres), on the boundary with Derbyshire, forms the county's high point. AdministrationThe ceremonial county of Cheshire is administered by four unitary authorities (click on the map for details): 2 – Cheshire East 3 – Warrington 4 – Halton In the local government reorganisation of 1974, Cheshire gained an area formerly in Lancashire including Widnes and Warrington. The county lost Tintwistle to Derbyshire, part of the Wirral Peninsula to Merseyside, and a northern area including Stockport, Altrincham, Sale, Hyde, Dukinfield and Stalybridge to Greater Manchester. Selected biography
Reginald Heber (21 April 1783 – 3 April 1826) was a clergyman, biographer and hymn-writer, who was born in Malpas. After his ordination in 1807, he served as rector of Hodnet for sixteen years. During this period he wrote a biography of the 17th-century cleric Jeremy Taylor, as well as 57 hymns. Only a handful of these remain in use, including "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Brightest and best of the sons of the morning". His missionary hymn "From Greenland's icy mountains" was formerly popular, but became controversial in the 20th century for its lack of sensitivity to non-Christian beliefs. A fervent supporter of missionary aims, Heber served as the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta from 1823 until his death. He travelled widely within India and worked hard to improve both spiritual and general living conditions within his diocese. After his death in Trichinopoly, monuments were erected to his memory in St Paul's Cathedral and in India. Bishop Heber High School in his home town of Malpas was named for him. Did you know...
Selected town or village
Warrington stands at the lowest bridging point of the River Mersey. Historically within Lancashire, it became part of Cheshire in 1974. With an estimated population of around 210,000 in 2019, it is the county's largest town. The Warrington unitary authority also encompasses 18 civil parishes. The site has been an important crossing place on the Mersey since prehistoric times. A large Roman industrial settlement centred on modern Wilderspool stood on the south bank. It declined after the end of the 2nd century, and a Saxon settlement was established on the north bank, recorded in the Domesday Survey as Walintune. By the Middle Ages, it had emerged as a market town. Warrington's expansion and urbanisation coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. In the 19th century, industries included wire drawing, textiles, brewing, tanning and soap manufacture. Further growth occurred after it was designated a new town in 1968. An IRA bomb attack in the centre in 1993 killed two children. Several medieval churches survive, and the town has a museum and art gallery. In the newsCrewe Market Hall 29 October, 1 November: Warrington council and the mayor of Crewe each announce plans to bid for city status in 2022. 13–14 October: Prince Edward visits Chester and opens a Fire Service training centre in Winsford. 8 October: Castle Street shopping area in Macclesfield reopens after refurbishment. 4 October: Restoration of the grade-I-listed Bridgegate, part of Chester city walls, is completed. 25 September: A bronze frieze by the sculptor Tom Murphy is unveiled in Warrington, as a memorial to the band Viola Beach. 9 September: The fifth stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race takes place in Cheshire, starting at Alderley Park and finishing in Warrington. 24 July: The grade-II-listed Crewe Market Hall (pictured) formally reopens after refurbishment. 15 July: Crewe, Runcorn and Warrington are awarded potential funding under the "Town Deal" government scheme. QuotationO! thou thrice happy Shire, confinéd so to be From "The Eleventh Song" in Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton (1612)
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