Facts about Cheshire
Population: 1,020,000
Famous for: The ancient city of Chester with its city walls, Cheshire cheese
Distance from London: 3 – 4 hours
Local delicacies: Cheshire Cheese Soup
Airports: None (close to Liverpool and Manchester Airports though)
County town: Chester
Nearby Counties: Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire
Welcome to Cheshire. Chester, the county town, boasts a long and interesting history. A Roman town prettily situated by the River Dee, it is famous today for its black-and-white timbered buildings including The Rows, the world famous medieval two-tiered galleries of shops. Indeed Chester is still a great place for a bit of retail therapy! Lovers of the Roman period will find plenty to enjoy: you can still walk the Roman walls and visit the Roman Amphitheatre, the largest of its kind in Britain.
The Cheshire Plains and countryside are dotted with pretty villages, many with traditional black-and-white timbered buildings. As for historic attractions, Tatton Park is hard to beat. The estate includes a fine neo-classical mansion, a medieval Old Hall and simply stunning gardens. Norton Priory is another wonderful site for garden lovers. The ruins of the 12th century priory are set among glorious grounds, including a recreated medieval herb garden and Georgian walled garden.
Cheshire is also home to an amazing Victorian feat of engineering, the Anderton Boat Lift, which was built in 1875 to lift cargo boats from the River Weaver to the Trent and Mersey Canal. Boat trips through the lift and along the River Weaver are available from April to October. The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port is another great place to visit, with its waterside setting and historic boats.
Or for something completely different, why not take the family to visit Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre and discover the wonders of the Universe!
As for local food, Cheshire is most famous for its cheese. Cheshire cheese is dense, crumbly and mild in taste, and can be white or dyed with a red vegetable dye to produce ‘coloured’ Cheshire cheese.
