An Introduction to Cheshire

Cheshireis based in the north West Midlands and is on the border with North Wales. The  landscape is generally low, flat, lush and fertile. The county is important both agriculturally and industrially. The landscape provides ideal conditions for dairy farming, whilst the developed centres of Northwich, Crewe, and Macclesfield are the centres of industry. In the last century the population of the county greatly increased with the industrialisation and consequent suburbanisation of the Wirral peninsula and the part of Cheshire just South of Manchester.
For the visitor, Cheshire has a rich history as well as many attractions.  There are numerous, pretty black and white timbered manor houses reveal the county's prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. This whole area is criss-crossed by canals; the Llangollen, the Trent and Mersey, the Shropshire Union and the Macclesfield Canal. It is difficult to travel far without crossing a canal and where there is a canal, there are usually towpaths to walk, anglers fishing, boats to watch and fascinating canal side pubs.

Chester Zoo and Blue Planet (Ellesmere Port), Europe's largest aquarium, are outstanding animal attractions run by helpful staff. The impressive Stapeley Water Gardens are home to piranhas and sharks, too. The Jodrell Bank Centre & Arboretum is similarly absorbing, combining star-gazing with sufficient scope for an afternoon outdoors - our family attraction of the year.

The Quarry Bank Mill & Country Park at Styal has a new working steam engine, and other heritage centres here include the Salt Museum in Nantwich and the Paradise Mill and Silk Museum in Macclesfield. Catalyst in Widnes has plenty to intrigue a young enquiring mind. Tatton Park in Knutsford, with its lovely grounds and working historic farm, is good for a traditional family day out, as is Arley Hall & Gardens and Stockley Farm, where tractors drive you between attractions. Lyme Park near Disley makes for another excursion, and other rewarding places include Tabley House (and the remarkable clock and fairground organ collection nearby), Little Moreton Hall near Congleton, Gawsworth Hall (ideal places to enjoy outdoor summer theatre), Norton Priory in Runcorn, the Ness botanic gardens, and the spectacular garden centre at Bridgemere.

On a quieter scale, newcomer Foxhill Arboretum is pleasant for a short stroll among some rare trees. Chester itself is a must.  With many charming thatched and timbered villages, Cheshire’s countryside varies from the picturesque castle-topped wooded hills of the west, through the lush parkland, leafy lanes and meres (shallow lakes) of the central plain to the rugged eastern Peak District - small steep stone-walled pastures, shaggy sheep, deep twisty valleys, austere moorland. An intricate network of canals takes in some of the most interesting countryside, with well kept towpaths. Industry is largely confined to the Mersey, with chemical works at Northwich and engineering around Crewe.

Chester: A much visited Roman city has beautifully restored and preserved medieval buildings, a partly Roman city wall, plenty of interesting places to visit from a first-class zoo to an unusual broadcasting museum, and a good deal of life. Very pedestrian-friendly,  lots of interest, and a lively feel.