My Home County - Cheshire

There is evidence that Cheshire has been inhabited since the Stone Age with axe heads being found that date back to around 10,000 BC although more permanent residents begin around the Neolithic Period.

During the Iron Age the area was the lands of the Cornovii tribe but they were defeated by the Romans in around 48 AD.

The Romans by 70 AD had established the city of Deva Victrix (now known as Chester). The fortress was reputed to have been 20% larger than other places at York and it has ben suggested that Deva was intended to be the capital of the Roman province of Brittania Superior rather than Londinium.

Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Cheshire became part of Mercia and agreements were made with invading Danes giving them lands and allowing settlements to the NorthWest of the county on the Wirral peninsula.

During the rise of Christianity, one of Englands first churches was constructed in the county.

The Norman Conquests saw the county being ransacked and in the Domesday survey of 1086 much of Cheshire was described as wasteland.

During the English Civil War in the 17th Century, Cheshire saw many battles between Royalists and Parliamentarians notably at Middlewich, Nantwich and Chester.

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th Century, Cheshire was strategically placed in the centre of the country  and became quite wealthy with many large estates forming after farmers left for work in the mills and factories of Lancashire.

During the 20th and into the 21st Centuries Cheshire has become smaller with parts being merged into Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Derbyshire.

Cheshire is made up with the majority of it's land being situated on a plain dividing the Welsh Hills and the Peak District. It is sometimes known as the Cheshire Gap.

Other parts of Cheshire rise to around 1660 feet (506m) above sea level in the east of the county.

There are also several hills within the plain, Beeston and Peckforton with their castles, The Cloud near Congleton and Mersey View near Frodsham in the north.

The land is mainly made up of clay and sandstone but with pockets of salt deposits left over from the last Ice Age.

Cheshire is now split from it's traditional county into 4 unitary authorities. Cheshire east, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, and Warrington.

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The largest settlement is Warrington (c 170,000) followed by the city of Chester (c 90,000) and the industrial town of Crewe (c 75,000)

Most of it's people identified as Christian (81%) but most major religions are represented throughout the county with mosques and synagogues in some of the major towns.

Most of it's population is English but there are significant communities from India, Pakistan, China and Poland plus smaller groups from most of Europe and from as far afield as East Timor and Nigeria.

Cheshire has a very diverse economy with many different industries. Agriculture plays a significant part due to the fertile soil of the Plain, but other major industries include automotive, chemicals, food, IT, financial services and tourism.

Luxury car maker Bentley (owned by VW) is based in the town of Crewe as are ice cream van maker Whitby Morrison. Other car plants are in Ellesmere Port.

Stanlow oil refinery near Chester is a major petroleum plant and many chemicals are manufactured at plants around Runcorn and Northwich.

Salt has been mined in the county since Roman times and is still produced at the British Salt plant at Middlewich. Silk has been manufactured in Macclesfield for several hundred years.

Cheshire also has many dairy and arable farms producing crops such as wheat, oats and barley, and supplying milk to various parts for the manufacture of Cheshire and other cheeses and yogurt.

Musicians from the county include Rick Astley, Harry Styles (One Direction) and Gary Barlow (Take That).

Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond, was born in Chester.

Although only having one football team in the top four leagues of the FA (Crewe Alexandra) many of the soccer stars of Manchester and Liverpool clubs live within the area known as the "Golden Triangle" which includes Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.

Sports persons born in the county include Ian Botham (Cricket) and Paula Radcliffe (Marathon).

County Town ... Chester

Motto ... Jure Et Dignitate Gladii. ("By the Right and Dignity of the Sword").

Area ... 2,343 km2 (905 sq.mile)

Population ... 1,059,271 (2019 estimate)

Highest Point ... Shining Tor (559m / 1,834ft)

Famous Food ... Cheshire Cheese.

Famous Fictional Character ... Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

So there you go, a little bit about the county of England I was born in. I was born in the town of Nantwich. Famous as a salt producing town since Roman times and situated on the River Weaver. People born in Nantwich are known locally as "Dabbers".