Cheshire

In stark contrast to the industrial centres to the north, the countryside rolls like a vast park, across the Cheshire Plain. The River Dee runs gently through rich countryside, past the ancient walled city of Chester, with all its charms, and the many picturesque villages that dot Cheshire's countryside, finally flowing out to the Irish Sea. Iron Age Forts, Roman ruins, medieval churches, Tudor cottages and elegant Georgian and Victorian houses are among the many attractive sights waiting to be discovered in this historic county.

Especially appealing are the black-and-white 'magpie' houses, often set among rhododendron thickets; these buildings, with their blackened timbers and whitened plasterwork, are a familiar sight throughout the Cheshire Plain. Wooded ridges were the sites of ancient British fortifications long before the Romans made Chester a key stronghold.

These hilltops, scattered with traces of ancient ramparts, offer breathtaking views - from Beeston Castle eight counties can be seen.