Cheshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the county in England. For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Cheshire

Ceremonial county

The Cheshire Plain from Beeston Castle, Eastgate Clock in Chester, and Little Moreton Hall

Established

Time zone

UTC±00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time)

Members of Parliament

11 MPs

Police

Cheshire Constabulary


Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Alexis (Lady) Redmond
High Sheriff	Nicholas Hopkinson
Area	^{[convert: needs a number]}
• Ranked	of 48
Population (2005 est.)	993,200
• Ranked	19th of 48
Density	424/km² (1,100/sq mi)
Districts
Districts of Cheshire All unitary
Districts	Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire East Warrington Halton

Cheshire (/ˈtʃɛʃər, -ɪər/ CHESH-ər-,_--eer) is a county in North West England. It's bordered by other English counties like Merseyside and Greater Manchester. To the west, it touches the Welsh counties of Flintshire and Wrexham. Cheshire also has a small coastline on the Dee Estuary.

Warrington is the biggest town in Cheshire. The city of Chester is the county town, which means it's the main administrative centre. The county covers about 2,343 square kilometres (905 square miles). In 2021, around 1,095,500 people lived here. After Warrington, the largest towns are Chester and Crewe.

The southern and eastern parts of Cheshire are mostly countryside. The north is more built-up with towns like Runcorn, Widnes, and Ellesmere Port. For local government, Cheshire is split into four main areas. These are Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, and Warrington.

Cheshire's landscape is mostly flat, known as the Cheshire Plain. This plain is split by a low ridge called the Mid Cheshire Ridge. In the west, you'll find the southern part of the Wirral Peninsula. To the east, the land rises towards the Pennines, including a part of the Peak District National Park.

The River Mersey flows through northern Cheshire. The River Dee forms part of the border with Wales. Much of the county's ground is made of red Triassic sandstone. This stone has been used to build many of Cheshire's famous buildings.

Cheshire has given the world many famous people. These include actors like Daniel Craig and Tim Curry. Athletes like Tyson Fury and Paula Radcliffe also come from here. Famous authors like Lewis Carroll (who created the Cheshire Cat!) are from the county. Musicians like Gary Barlow and Harry Styles also grew up here. Cheshire is known for making chemicals, Cheshire cheese, salt, and silk.

The Name of Cheshire

Cheshire's name comes from an old name for Chester. It was first written down in 980 as Legeceasterscir. This means "the shire of the city of legions." The name changed over many centuries to become "Cheshire."

Cheshire has always had close ties with the land that is now Wales. In old times, parts of what is now Flintshire in Wales were actually part of Cheshire. This is why the Welsh name for Cheshire, Swydd Gaerlleon, is sometimes used.

Cheshire's History

Early Times

After the Normans conquered England in 1066, there was a lot of resistance. In 1069, the Normans put down a rebellion in Cheshire very harshly. This event was part of the "Harrying of the North." It stopped all future resistance in the area.

A Special County

King William I made Cheshire a "county palatine." This meant the Earl of Chester had special powers. He could rule almost like a king in Cheshire. This was because Cheshire was important for defending the border with Wales. The Earl even wrote his own special charter for Cheshire, like a local version of the Magna Carta.

In 1397, King Richard II made Cheshire a "principality." This was to thank the people of Cheshire for their strong support. His title even changed to "King of England and France, Lord of Ireland, and Prince of Chester." No other English county has been given this honour! However, Cheshire lost this special title when Richard II was overthrown in 1399.

Changing Borders

Over time, Cheshire's borders have changed. In 1182, land north of the River Mersey became part of the new county of Lancashire.

In 1974, some areas in the north of Cheshire became part of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. For example, Stockport and parts of the Wirral Peninsula moved to these new counties. At the same time, areas like Widnes and Warrington from Lancashire were added to Cheshire.

Later, in 1998, Halton and Warrington became "unitary authorities." This means they manage their own local services. But they are still part of Cheshire for ceremonial things, like having a shared police and fire service.

In 2009, the rest of Cheshire was also split into two new unitary authorities: Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester. This means there is no single county council for all of Cheshire anymore.

How Cheshire is Governed

Cheshire doesn't have one big county council. Instead, local government is handled by four smaller unitary authorities:

Cheshire East (main office in Sandbach)
Cheshire West and Chester (main offices in Winsford and Ellesmere Port)
Halton (main office in Widnes)
Warrington (main office in Warrington)

These four areas work together for policing and fire services. The Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Constabulary cover the whole ceremonial county.

Cheshire's Geography

Natural Landscape

Most of Cheshire is a flat plain. This area is called the Cheshire Plain. It was formed by glaciers long ago. The ground here is mostly red Triassic sandstone. This stone has been quarried for hundreds of years. It was used to build famous places like Liverpool Cathedral and Chester Cathedral.

The eastern part of Cheshire has large salt deposits underground. Salt has been mined here for centuries, especially around Winsford. A ridge of sandstone, the Mid Cheshire Ridge, runs through the county. You can walk along the Sandstone Trail on this ridge. It goes from Frodsham to Whitchurch.

The eastern edge of Cheshire rises into the Peak District. This is part of the Pennine mountains. The highest point in the current ceremonial county is Shining Tor. It is 559 metres (1,834 feet) high. Another high point is Shutlingsloe, which looks a bit like a small mountain.

The Cheshire Plain from the Mid-Cheshire Ridge.

Wildlife

In 2022, something exciting happened in Cheshire. Beavers bred here for the first time in 400 years! This happened thanks to a project to bring them back to the area.

Borders

Cheshire borders several other counties in England: Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire. It also borders Flintshire and Wrexham in Wales. Cheshire is part of the North West England region.

People of Cheshire

Population

Chester

Crewe

In 2021, the population of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester was about 755,835 people. The population density (how many people live per square kilometre) is lower than the average for England. Ellesmere Port and Neston are more densely populated than other parts of the county.

Backgrounds

In 2001, most people in Cheshire (98%) were from white ethnic groups. About 2% of the population belonged to other ethnic groups.

Religion in Cheshire

Wilmslow Church

In the 2001 Census, most people (81%) said they were Christian. About 19% did not identify with any religion or did not answer. A small number of people identified with other world religions.

Cheshire's Economy

Cheshire has a varied economy. Important industries include farming, car making, chemicals, and tourism. The county is famous for making Cheshire cheese, salt, and silk. Many new ideas and inventions have also come from Cheshire.

Farming is a big part of the economy, especially dairy farming. Cows are the most common farm animals.

The chemical industry in Cheshire is very old. It started with mining salt in Roman times. Salt is still mined today in places like Winsford. This led to many chemical companies setting up here.

Crewe was once a major centre for the British railway industry. It still has a big railway junction. Crewe Works, built in 1840, once employed 20,000 people. Crewe is also where Bentley cars are made. Other car factories, like Jaguar and Vauxhall Motors, are in Ellesmere Port.

Cheshire also has an aircraft industry. The BAE Systems factory at Woodford Aerodrome designed famous planes like the Avro Lancaster bomber. Near the Welsh border, the Broughton factory is known for making Airbus planes.

Tourism is also important. Millions of people visit Cheshire each year. Many businesses in Cheshire are in services like business support and retail.

Cheshire is often seen as a wealthy county. However, some towns like Crewe and Winsford have areas with more challenges. Many people who live in Cheshire also work in nearby cities like Manchester and Liverpool.

Education in Cheshire

University of Chester

All schools in Cheshire are comprehensive state schools. This means they don't select students based on academic ability. There are two universities in the county: the University of Chester and the Chester campus of The University of Law.

Cheshire's Culture

Arts and Entertainment

The flag of the historic county of Cheshire

Lewis Carroll memorial window (featuring the Hatter and March Hare)

Cheshire has produced many famous musicians. These include Ian Curtis from Joy Division, Harry Styles from One Direction, and Gary Barlow from Take That.

Many actors are also from Cheshire, such as Daniel Craig and Tim Curry. The most famous author from the county is Lewis Carroll. He wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and named the Cheshire Cat after the county. Other notable writers include Elizabeth Gaskell.

Local news and TV shows are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada. Cheshire has several local radio stations, like Chester's Dee Radio and Cheshire's Silk Radio.

Sports

Many famous athletes are from Cheshire. These include sailor Ben Ainslie, boxer Tyson Fury, and marathon runner Paula Radcliffe. Many Premier League footballers also live here because they play for teams in nearby Manchester or Liverpool.

Cheshire has one professional football team, Crewe Alexandra. Other local teams include Chester F.C. and Nantwich Town.

In rugby league, the Warrington Wolves and Widnes Vikings are the top teams. Cheshire County Cricket Club plays in the minor counties cricket league. The Cheshire Phoenix basketball team plays in the UK's top league.

Other Traditions

The Royal Cheshire Show is a big annual farming event. It has been held since the 1800s.

The cuckooflower is the unofficial county flower of Cheshire.

Famous Places

Buildings and structures of Cheshire

From top left to bottom right: St Mary Church in Nantwich, Crewe Town Council, The Wizard Pub (Alderley Edge), Chester Rows (Chester), Capesthorne Hall, Little Moreton Hall, Beeston Castle, Eaton Hall, and Chester Cathedral

Cheshire has many historic sites. You can find ancient burial grounds like The Bridestones. There are also old Iron Age hill forts on sandstone ridges. The Roman fortress and walls of Chester are some of the oldest buildings still standing.

Many buildings are made from the local red sandstone. These include the medieval Beeston Castle and Chester Cathedral. Many old timber-framed buildings from the 15th to 17th centuries can be seen. A great example is the moated manor house Little Moreton Hall.

Later buildings, from the 18th century onwards, are often made of brick. Some Victorian buildings mix brick with mock Tudor timberwork.

Towns and Cities

Cheshire has some of the wealthiest areas in northern England. These include Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, and Knutsford. This area is sometimes called "The Golden Triangle" because many famous and wealthy people live there.

Here are some of the main towns and cities in Cheshire:

In Cheshire East: Alderley Edge, Alsager, Bollington, Crewe, Congleton, Handforth, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Middlewich, Nantwich, Poynton, Wilmslow.
In Cheshire West and Chester: Chester, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Malpas, Neston, Northwich, Saltney (eastern part), Tarporley, Tarvin, Winsford.
In Halton: Widnes, Runcorn.
In Warrington: Warrington, Birchwood, Culcheth, Grappenhall, Lymm.

Some towns that were historically part of Cheshire are now in other counties:

In Derbyshire: Tintwistle, Whaley Bridge.
In Greater Manchester: Altrincham, Stockport, Hyde, Sale.
In Merseyside: Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington.

Transport in Cheshire

Trains

Chester station in November 2017

Alderley Edge station in July 1951

The main train line through Cheshire is the West Coast Main Line. This line connects London to Scotland. Trains stop at Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay.

Crewe is the biggest station in Cheshire. You can catch trains to London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Liverpool. There are also trains to Wales and the Midlands.
Warrington stations (Central and Bank Quay) have local trains to Manchester, Chester, and Liverpool. You can also get longer-distance trains to North Wales, London, and Scotland.
Chester has local trains to Liverpool and Manchester. You can also travel to Wales, Birmingham, and London from here.

Roads

Silver Jubilee Bridge in August 2012

Cheshire has over 5,500 kilometres (3,417 miles) of roads. This includes major motorways like the M6, M62, M53, and M56. The M6 motorway at the Thelwall Viaduct is very busy, with 140,000 vehicles using it every day.

Buses are provided by different companies across Cheshire. Some services are run by the local councils.

Waterways

Anderton Boat Lift in October 2016

Cheshire has many canals. They were first used to transport goods like chemicals. Today, they are mostly used by tourists on canal boats. The Cheshire Ring is a famous route made up of several canals.

The Manchester Ship Canal is a large canal that connects Manchester to the sea. It passes through the north of Cheshire, near Runcorn and Warrington.

Here are some of the rivers and canals in Cheshire:

Rivers: River Bollin, River Dee, River Mersey, River Weaver.
Canals: Bridgewater Canal, Macclesfield Canal, Manchester Ship Canal, Shropshire Union Canal, Trent and Mersey Canal.

Images for kids

The counties of England after the Norman conquest.
The special location of the Earldom of Chester near Wales.
Old divisions of Cheshire in the Domesday Book.
Map of Cheshire by Christopher Saxton from 1577.