Portal:Cheshire
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The Cheshire Portal
Welcome Cheshire 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
Norton Priory was established as an Augustinian foundation in 1115 by William fitz Nigel, second Baron of Halton. The original priory in Runcorn was the second religious house to be founded in the Chester earldom. The priory was moved to the nearby village of Norton in 1134 by William fitz William, the third baron, and was raised to the status of an abbey in 1391. The abbey closed in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries; Norton was purchased by Sir Richard Brooke and most of the monastic buildings were demolished. Excavation of Norton Priory began in 1971, and was the largest modern excavation of a monastic site in Europe. It revealed the foundations and lower parts of the walls of the monastery buildings and the abbey church. Important finds included a Norman doorway, a finely carved arcade, a floor of mosaic tiles (the largest floor area of this type to be found in any modern excavation), the remains of the kiln, a bell pit used for casting the bell, and a large medieval statue of St Christopher. The site is open to the public, and includes a museum, the archaeological findings and the surrounding gardens and woodland. Selected image
The Cheshire Regiment was formed in 1881 from the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot, created in 1689 by the Duke of Norfolk. It suffered 8,420 casualties during the First World War; this picture is from the Battle of the Somme of 1916. Credit: Lt. J. W. Brooke (July 1916) In this month
3 May 1938: Cheshire County Council granted a banner of arms, now the county flag. 8 May 1817: Early paper on Cheshire dialect read at Society of Antiquaries by Roger Wilbraham. 12 May 1278: Fire destroyed much of Chester. 13 May 1983: Lindow Woman bog body discovered. 14 May 1853: Novelist and playwright Hall Caine (pictured) born in Runcorn. 18 May 1980: Musician Ian Curtis committed suicide at Macclesfield. 21 May 1868: First train crossed Runcorn Railway Bridge. 21 May 1894: Manchester Ship Canal officially opened by Queen Victoria. 23 May 1911: Architect John Douglas died in Chester. 24 May 1847: Five people killed in the Dee bridge disaster. 27 May 1899: Eastgate Clock unveiled, marking the 80th birthday of Queen Victoria. 29 May 1905: Widnes–Runcorn Transporter Bridge officially opened by Sir John Brunner. 31 May 1807: Primitive Methodism originated in a prayer meeting at Mow Cop. 31 May 1939: Humanitarian Terry Waite born in Styal. Selected list
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York. The diocese encompasses most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula. It has its see in Chester; the seat is located at Chester Cathedral, which was formerly the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Werburgh, being elevated to cathedral status in 1541. The Bishop's residence is Bishop's House, Chester. Cheshire previously held a bishopric in 1075–1102, when Peter of Lichfield moved his seat to Chester. The seat was then at the collegiate church of St John the Baptist. The present diocese was formed in 1541, when Henry VIII created it, without papal sanction, as one of six new episcopal sees. The first bishop of the modern diocese was John Bird (1541–54), a doctor of divinity who had attracted the king's attention by his sermons preached against the pope's supremacy. As of 2020, the bishopric is held by Mark Tanner. GeographyTop: 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.
Administration The 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
Benjamin Paul "Ben" Amos (born 10 April 1990) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is also an England youth international who has represented his country at every level from Under-16 to Under-21. Born in Macclesfield, Amos began his career with Crewe Alexandra's youth academy and also played as a centre midfielder for Bollington United. He joined Manchester United at the age of 11, making his competitive first-team debut in September 2008 and appearing for the team in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He was their third-choice goalkeeper for parts of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. He spent time on loan at Peterborough United (2009), the Norwegian club Molde (2010), Oldham Athletic (2011), Hull City (2012) and Carlisle United (2013). He joined Bolton Wanderers in 2015, and played on loan with Cardiff City (2016–17), Charlton Athletic (2017–18) and Millwall (2018–19). He joined Charlton Athletic in 2019 and Wigan Athletic in 2021. Did you know...
Selected town or village
Macclesfield is a market town on the River Bollin, in the east of the county on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east. The population in 2011 was somewhat over 50,000. Before the Norman Conquest, the manor was held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia and was assessed at £8. It is recorded in the Domesday Book as "Maclesfeld", meaning "Maccel's open country". The medieval town grew up on the hilltop around what is now St Michael's Church. It was granted a charter by the future Edward I in 1261. Macclesfield Grammar School was founded in 1502. The town had a silk-button industry from at least the middle of the 17th century, and became a major silk-manufacturing centre from the mid-18th century. The Macclesfield Canal was constructed in 1826–31. Hovis breadmakers were another Victorian employer (former mill pictured). Modern industries include pharmaceuticals. Multiple mill buildings are still standing, and several of the town's museums explore the local silk industry. Other landmarks include Georgian buildings such as the Town Hall and former Sunday School; St Alban's Church, designed by Augustus Pugin; and the Arighi Bianchi furniture shop. In the news.JPG) Crewe 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. QuotationThey left the shimmering road for the green wood, and The Wizard was soon lost behind them as they walked among fir and pine, oak, ash, and silver birch, along tracks through bracken, and across sleek hummocks of grass. There was no end to the peace and beauty. And then, abruptly, they came upon a stretch of rock and sand from which the heat vibrated as if from an oven. To the north, the Cheshire plain spread before them like a green and yellow patchwork quilt dotted with toy farms and houses. Here the Edge dropped steeply for several hundred feet, while away to their right the country rose in folds and wrinkles until it joined the bulk of the Pennines, which loomed eight miles away through the haze. From The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner (1960)
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