Cheshire West and Chester

Weaver, River

Cheshire West and Chester, unitary authority, geographic and historic county of Cheshire, northwestern England. It is bounded to the north by the unitary authorities of Halton and Warrington, to the east by the unitary authority of Cheshire East, to the southeast by Shropshire, to the west by Wales, and to the northwest by Merseyside and the Dee and Mersey estuaries. The administrative centre is Chester city. The unitary authority, which comprises the former districts of Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston, and Vale Royal, was created in 2009 when the former administrative county of Cheshire was restructured.

The fertile Chester Plain—including the valley of the River Weaver—runs through the area, and agriculture, especially dairy farming, has long been important, as has salt mining. Britain’s oldest and largest rock salt mine is located under Winsford. The manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles plays an important part in the local economy, as do energy-related industries and financial services. During the 20th century the Forestry Commission reforested the northern part of the mid-Cheshire ridge in the ancient hunting ground of Delamere Forest. Today the Delamere Forest is the largest woodland in the unitary authority, and the Delamere Forest Park, northeast of Chester city, is a popular destination for walking and cycling. Chester’s medieval city walls and entrance gates are well preserved (which is unusual for England), and the richly carved timbers in its buildings, especially in two-tiered galleried shops called the Rows, are a major tourist attraction. (For the history of the area, see Cheshire.) Area 354 square miles (918 square km). Pop. (2011) 329,608.