Charming Cheshire Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Chester is classed as the county town of Cheshire, although it is actually a city and the only placed called a city in the county. In Roman times it was known as Deva.

Ellesmere Port is in the north of the county, at the lower end of the Wirral Peninsula, most of which is now in Merseyside. Wirral was originally classed as part of Cheshire and still retains postcodes starting CH as a result. Ellesmere Port is located on the River Mersey.

Crewe is in the eastern part of Cheshire and is well known for its history as a major railway junction, It was also the location of a company producing and repairing locomotives, although this industry is dying out. Rolls-Royce built the Merlin engine, used for the Spitfire, at Crewe.

Macclesfield is also in the east, lying south of Manchester at a distance of 26 km (16 miles). The breadmaking company, Hovis, was founded there in 1886 and the town is also known for its historic production of silk, so much so that the local football (soccer) club is nicknamed 'The Silkmen'.

Middlewich is fairly central, lying towards the eastern part of the county. It is another market town and lies at the confluence of three minor rivers and has two canals, the Trent & Mersey and the Shropshire Union, passing through it.

Runcorn is an industrial town located on the banks of the Mersey and is situated about eleven miles (eighteen kilometres) from Liverpool. It was established as long ago as 915 as a fort to defend the kingdom of Mercia against Viking raids.

Warrington is a large town located about midway between Liverpool to the west and Manchester to the east. By population, it is the largest town in the county and is another place which is situated on the River Mersey. Historically, it was a crossing point over the river, dating back to Roman times.

Frodsham is located near the M56 motorway and is in the north of Cheshire, near the estuary of the Mersey. A hill near the town has evidence of an Iron Age fort, so the region was settled in the distant past. It is also mentioned in the Domesday Book, dating from the eleventh century.

Knutsford's name derives from King Canute, also known as Knut. The Royal Cheshire Show, an agricultural event, is held nearby and the Royal Horticultural Society holds an annual flower show at Tatton Park in the town.

Widnes is situated on the opposite bank of the Mersey to Runcorn, and is very close to Liverpool. Historically, it was part of Lancashire until the borders were redrawn in 1974, when several changes took place.

Nantwich is much further south and lies towards the east of the county. It has numerous listed buildings, with houses from Tudor and Georgian times among them. The town centre has several black and white buildings and Nantwich is considered second only to Chester for its historic properties.

Wilmslow is in the north east, and is famous for the discovery of the body of an Iron Age man, dubbed Lindow Man, whose remains had been preserved in the peat bogs near the town.

Sandbach is in the south east and the name is likely to be familiar to anyone who has driven on the M6 motorway as it is one of the service stations on the route. The settlement existed in Saxon times, as historic remains have been found, and the town is recorded in the Domesday Book as Sanbec. It was designated officially as a market town in 1579 during the reign of Elizabeth I.

The incorrect answers are Preston, Fleetwood and Morecambe, which are all in Lancashire, while Chirk, Ruthin and Rhyl are in Wales.