Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority in North West England centred on the city of Chester and covering towns including Ellesmere Port, Neston, Northwich and Winsford. The River Dee runs through Chester and the district sits on the Cheshire Plain with pockets of woodland such as Delamere Forest. Settlements reflect Roman, medieval and industrial phases; Chester retains its Roman walls, amphitheatre and the Rows, a system of elevated, covered shopping galleries dating from the medieval period.

The district has a long transport and industrial heritage linked to inland waterways and salt. The Shropshire Union Canal, the Weaver Navigation and the Trent and Mersey Canal meet the river system here; the Anderton Boat Lift and the National Waterways Museum reflect that history. Salt extraction around Northwich left a network of brine subsidence sites and the restored Lion Salt Works interprets that industry. Ellesmere Port is home to the Cheshire Oaks retail outlet and the museum sits beside the canal basin.