User:Pixie2000/Sand1
Cheshire | |
---|---|
UTC+1 (BST ) | |
UK Parliament | |
18th of 48 | |
Density | 473/km2 (1,230/sq mi) |
Ethnicity | 98.3% White |
Non-metropolitan county | |
County council | Cheshire County Council http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/ |
Control | |
Admin HQ | Chester |
Area | [convert: needs a number] |
• Rank | of 21 |
• Rank | of 21 |
Density | [convert: needs a number] |
ISO 3166-2 | GB-CHS |
ITL | UKD22 |
Districts | |
Districts of Cheshire | |
Districts |
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Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)[2] is a county in the North West of England. The county town, and the location of the county council, is the city of Chester[3]. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Northwich, Warrington and Wilmslow[4]. The county is bordered by Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the north east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south, Flintshire in Wales to the west, and Merseyside to the north west. The county has an overall area of 2,343 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 993,200. It is known for areas that contain concentrations of high net-worth individuals[5].
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 [6], salt and silk.
History
Cheshire in the
In 1182 the land north of the Mersey became administered as part of the new county of
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[11]. Stockport (previously a county borough), Hyde, Dukinfield and Stalybridge in the north-east became part of Greater Manchester. Much of the Wirral Peninsula in the north-west, including the county boroughs of Birkenhead and Wallasey, joined Merseyside. At the same time the Tintwistle Rural District was transferred to Derbyshire. 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[12].
.A referendum for a further local government reform connected with an elected
).
As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity
Buildings and structures
Prehistoric burial grounds can be found at
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. Occasional residential and industrial buildings, such as Helsby Station, Helsby (1849) are also in this sandstone.
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.
Early brick buildings include Peover Hall, near Macclesfield (1585), Tattenhall Hall (pre-1622) and Pied Bull Hotel in Chester (17th C). 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 [1], near Northwich, Willington Hall [2], near Chester (both by Nantwich architect George Latham) and Overleigh Lodge, Chester. 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
Cheshire covers a boulder clay plain separating the hills of
The eastern half of the county is Upper Triassic Mercia mudstone laid down with large
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 3.2 people per hectare, lower than the North West average of 4.2 and the England and Wales average of 3.8. Ellesmere Port and Neston has a greater urban density than the rest of the county with 9.2 people per hectare[16].
The population for 2021 is forecast to be 708,000[17].
Ethnicity
Ethnic white groups accounted for 98% (662,794) of the population with 10,994 (2%) in ethnic groups other than white. Of those 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[18].
Religion
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[19].
Politics and administration
The area under the control of the county council, or
The area including the unitary authorities, or ceremonial county, borders Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire in England along with Flintshire and Wrexham in Wales. Cheshire forms part of the North West England region.[24]
Economy and industry
Traditional products
Cheshire is famous for the production of
Business
At the start of 2003, there were 22,020 VAT registered enterprises in Cheshire, increased by 7% since 1998. Most registered businesses in Cheshire were in two broad sectors, namely Business Services (31.9%) and Wholesale/ Retail (21.7%).
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%)[25].
Business Sectors
As well as the agricultural industry for which it is famous, Cheshire has established a reputation for excellence in many key economic areas: automotive, bio-technology, chemical, financial services, food and drink, ICT, and tourism.
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[26].
Agriculture
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. The number of holdings and hectares of agricultural land can be seen in the following table [27]:
2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Agricultural land (hectares) | 148,442 | 153,653 | 158,143 | 155,795 |
Number of holdings | 5,135 | 4,390 | 4,409 | 4,609 |
Based on holdings by EC farm type in 2005, 851 hectares were allocated to diary farming, with another 1,178 hectares allocated to cattle and sheep.
Petrochemical and chemical industry
The chemical industry in Cheshire was founded in the
The
Transport industry
Crewe was once the centre of the British railway industry. The Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. At is peak the works employed 20000 people, though this is now less than 1000. The town's station remains a major railway junction.
Crewe is also the home of
The county also has an aircraft industry. The
Tourism
Tourism in Cheshire from both within the UK and overseas continues to perform strongly. Over 8 million nights of acommodation (both UK & Overseas) and over 2.8 million visits to Cheshire were recorded during 2003[28].
Gross Value Added
The following table is a chart of trend of regional Gross Value Added of the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire at 2004 basic prices[29].
Year | Regional Gross Value Added |
Agriculture | Industry | Services |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 11,828 | 272 | 4,673 | 6,883 |
2000 | 14,879 | 188 | 5,049 | 9,641 |
2003 | 17,159 | 225 | 4,988 | 11,945 |
Notes:
- Figures are in millions of British Pounds Sterling (£)
- Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
- Agriculture includes hunting and forestry
- Industry includes energy and construction
- Services includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Cheshire people
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Settlements and communications
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. The county is home to some of the most affluent areas of England, including Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Prestbury and Knutsford. The area is sometimes referred to as The Golden Triangle on account of the area in and around the above mentioned towns and villages[30].
The cities and town in Cheshire are listed below.
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Places historically in Cheshire
Some settlements which were historically part of the county now fall under the counties of Derbyshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester:[31] [32] [33] [34]
Derbyshire | Newtown, Tintwistle, Whaley Bridge (western part) |
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Greater Manchester | Altrincham, Bramhall, Bredbury, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Dukinfield, Gatley, Hazel Grove, Hyde, Marple, Romiley, Sale, Stalybridge, Stockport, Wythenshawe |
Merseyside | Bebington, Birkenhead, Hoylake, Wallasey |
Transport
Air
Manchester Airport straddles the boundary between Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Railway
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.
The
Roads
The Cheshire road system is made up of 3417 miles (5500 km) of highway. This includes 214 miles (344 km) of the M6, M62, M53 and M56 motorways with 23 interchanges and four service areas. The M6 motorway in the across the Thelwall Viaduct carries some 140,000 vehicles per 24 hours. [35].
Canals
Cheshire has a number of
The Manchester Ship Canal is a wide, 36-mile-long river opened in 1894. It consists of the River Irwell and River Mersey made navigable to Manchester for seagoing ships leaving the Mersey Estuary. The canal passes through the north of the county via Runcorn and Warrington.
See also
- List of places in Cheshire
- List of schools in Cheshire
- Canals in Cheshire
- Recreational walks in Cheshire
References
- ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Relationships / unit history of Cheshire". A Vision of Britain through Time website. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Cheshire County Council". Cheshire County Council website. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Cheshire County Council Map" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Cheshire". North West Regional Assembly website. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ Ingham, A. (1920). Cheshire: It's Traditions and History.
- ^ Roffe, D. (2000). Domesday: The Inquest and the Book.
- ^ George, D. (1991). Lancashire.
- ^ Davies, R. (2000). The Age of Conquest: Wales 1063-1415.
- ^ "Cheshire ancient divisions". Vision of Britain website. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Jones, B.; et al. (2004). Politics UK.
{{cite book}}
: Explicit use of et al. in:|first=
(help) - ^ Local Government Act 1972
- ^ "The Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ^ Cheshire County Council: Revealing Cheshire's Past
- ^ Images of England
- ^ "Census 2001 - Population" (PDF). Cheshire Census Consortium. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "CCC Long Term Population Forecasts" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Key Statistics Interim Profile" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Key Statistics Interim Profile" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Vision of Britain - Divisions of Cheshire
- ^ Cheshire County Council - Map of Cheshire districts
- ^ "The Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "The Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire". Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Government Office for the North West "Local Authorities". Government Offices of the North West. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite web}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - ^ "Cheshire Economy (page 64)" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Cheshire Economy (page 64)" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Agricultural Holdings - Land and Employment - Cheshire - 2002 to 2005" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ "Cheshire Economy (page 64)" (PDF). Cheshire County Council. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Regional Gross Value Added (Page 240-253)" (PDF). Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Why Cheshire fat cats smile". Times Online. Retrieved 2006-03-06.
- ^ Chandler, J. (2001). Local Government Today.
- ^ "Cheshire ancient county boundaries". Vision of Britain website. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Cheshire 1974 boundaries". Vision of Britain website. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972
- ^ "Road policing". Cheshire Police website. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
External links
- Office of National Statistics - 2001 Bicentenary - Cheshire
- Cheshire Wildlife Trust
- Cheshire Canals
- The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire
[[Category:Cheshire| ]] [[ang:Ceasterscīr]] [[da:Cheshire]] [[de:Cheshire]] [[es:Cheshire]] [[eo:Cheshire]] [[fr:Cheshire (comté)]] [[it:Cheshire]] [[kw:Cheshire]] [[lb:Cheshire]] [[nl:Cheshire (graafschap)]] [[ja:チェシャー州]] [[no:Cheshire]] [[pl:Cheshire]] [[pt:Cheshire]] [[ro:Cheshire]] [[ru:Чешир]] [[simple:Cheshire]] [[sk:Cheshire (grófstvo)]] [[fi:Cheshire]] [[sv:Cheshire]]