Cheshire

I

Introduction

Cheshire, county, north-western England, bounded on the north by the estuary of the River Mersey, and the unitary authorities of Merseyside and Greater Manchester metropolitan councils; on the east by Derbyshire; on the south by Staffordshire and Shropshire; and on the west by the estuary of the River Dee, by the Welsh county of Flintshire, and by the Welsh county borough of Wrexham. On April 1, 1998, Cheshire lost two of its districts, Halton and Warrington, which became unitary authorities and are therefore separately administered. For ceremonial purposes the two unitary authorities are deemed part of Cheshire. The county's present borders were established in 1974, when the districts of Halton and Warrington, previously part of Lancashire, were added to Cheshire. At the same time, the county lost most of the Wirral (the peninsula between the estuaries of the rivers Mersey and Dee), and thus its Irish Sea coastline, to Merseyside. Altrincham, Sale, Gatley, Cheadle, and Stockport, and their surrounds, went to Greater Manchester.

Highly industrialized in the north, the rest of Cheshire is mainly agricultural with much pleasant countryside and some notable historic sites. It has an area of 2,328 sq km (899 sq mi). Chester is the county town.

II

Physical Geography

Geologically, Cheshire comprises mainly sandstones and marl, and the soil and stone used for building has a characteristic red colour. In the east, the land forms part of the Pennine Hills, with some hills reaching a height of approximately 550 m (1,800 ft) above sea level. A small strip of land on the border with Derbyshire is part of the Peak District National Park. Apart from a ridge of higher land roughly in the centre of Cheshire, covered by the Delamere Forest, most of the rest of the county is low-lying, and flat or slightly undulating. Close to Congleton, near to where the plain gives way to the higher land of eastern Cheshire, is the Cloud, a hill which rises sharply to 300 m (1,000 ft).

Cheshire's main rivers are the Mersey, the Dee, the Weaver, and the Dane. The Mersey crosses the northern corner of the county for a distance of about 20 km (12 mi) before reaching the Irish Sea at Liverpool. The Dee, which rises in Snowdonia National Park, to the west of Lake Bala, north Wales, forms most of the border between Cheshire and Flintshire before reaching the Irish Sea. The Weaver, formerly an important transport artery, well supplied with locks, runs through the centre of Cheshire, and is joined by the Dane at Northwich before flowing into the Mersey estuary. The Shropshire Union Canal runs through the county from the south-east, passing through Nantwich, and on to the Dee. Linked to it, and running parallel to the north, is the Trent and Mersey Canal, which passes through Middlewich, before reaching the Mersey. The central and eastern part of Cheshire is dotted with a number of small lakes or meres, formed by glaciation during the last Ice Age.

III

Climate

Cheshire has a moderate climate with an average January temperature of 4° C (39° F) and an average July temperature of 16° C (61° F). Rainfall averages between 760 and 1,000 mm (30 and 40 in) a year over most of the county; the hilly parts of eastern Cheshire receive most rain.

IV

Plants and Animals

Forestry is important in Cheshire and large parts of the ancient Delamere and Macclesfield forests have been restored with plantings by the Forestry Commission. The Delamere Forest, which lies between Chester and Northwich, was once a hunting area. It is now a nature reserve, and the haunt of badgers, foxes, sparrowhawks, and kestrels, among other creatures. A short distance away to the south-east, at Little Budworth, is a country park that includes woodland, bogs, and heaths. Varieties of birds including the green woodpecker, tree pipits, wood warblers, and willow warblers are to be found there. At Stapeley Water Gardens, near Nantwich, many varieties of water lily are to be seen. The Wirral Country Park, on the south-western side of the peninsula, consists of cliffs, ponds, mudflats, and wooded embankments, and has many wading birds, foxes, and badgers.