Living in Cheshire

It is mostly rural,

with a number of small towns and villages supporting the agricultural and other industries which produce Cheshire cheese, salt, chemicals and silk. Cheshire is considered to be an affluent county. Due to its proximity to the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, counter urbanisation is common. Cheshire West has a fairly large proportion of residents who work in Liverpool and Manchester while the town of Northwich and area of Cheshire East falls more within Manchester’s sphere of influence.

The distinctive local red sandstone has been used for many monumental and ecclesiastical buildings throughout the county. Early brick buildings include Peover Hall near Macclesfield, Tattenhall Hall (pre-1622), and the Pied Bull Hotel in Chester (17th century). 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. The county is home to some of the most affluent areas of northern England, including Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Prestbury, Tarporley and Knutsford, named in 2006 as the most expensive place to buy a house in the north of England. The area is sometimes referred to as The Golden Triangle on account of the area in and around the aforementioned towns and villages.