Beyond the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, the North West is predominantly rural. The remains of Roman forts, castles, abbeys and priories can be found amidst the landscape. The region contains some of England’s most beautiful and unspoilt countryside, from the central fells of the Lake District, to the farmland of the Cheshire Plain and the stunning Lancashire Hill Country.
The region has important historic cities such as Chester, Lancaster and Carlisle and along the Lancashire and Merseyside coastline are some of the country’s most popular seaside resorts. There is Blackpool, famous for its tower, pier and bustling nightlife, the family resort of Morecambe or the picturesque favourites of Southport, Lytham St Anne’s and Formby.
Geography of the Region
The North West region covers 14,000 km² and has a population of more than 6.8 million people. The area is characterised by a densely populated central belt running from Merseyside, though Halton and Warrington across to Greater Manchester.
South of this is Cheshire; more rural but well populated with numerous small market towns. North of this belt is Lancashire; a mix of industrial and rural areas along with the coastal resorts of Blackpool and Morecambe. Much of the region is rural – particularly Cumbria and North Lancashire.
History
Industry has had an enormous impact on the North West, and the region’s natural resources were exploited from the earliest times. Stone axes, made in the Langdale area, were traded across Europe in the Neolithic period. The Romans mined lead in the Lake District, iron in the Furness peninsula, and copper and salt in Cheshire.
The strategic importance of the North West, on the border of England and Scotland, has been evident since Roman times. Hadrian’s Wall, World Heritage Site, the Romans’ most important monument in Britain, marks the best known frontier in the Roman Empire, crossing England from Newcastle to Carlisle and down the Cumbrian coast.
Carlisle Castle witnessed the conflict of countless sieges plus Mary Queen of Scots was confined here in 1568 and it was also here that Bonnie Prince Charlie’s supporters blockaded themselves, trying to fight back the Hanoverian Army.
The great textile mills of the North West are among the region’s most distinctive historic buildings. They dominate the urban landscape of east Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and parts of inner Manchester itself, the ‘cottonopolis’ of the Industrial Revolution. Liverpool became the country’s largest port outside London during this time, and evidence of such Victorian ingenuity can still be seen at Stott Park Bobbin Mill.
William Wordsworth and Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe were both inspired by the beautiful Furness Abbey set in the secluded ‘Vale of Nightshade’, whilst legend has it that majestic Beeston Castle guards buried treasure once belonging to Richard II. Lanercost Priory, close to Hadrian’s Wall, was the base for King Edward I and his court as well as being ransacked by William Wallace.
Historic Environment
The North West region has over 25,400 listed buildings, more than 1,300 scheduled monuments, 129 registered parks and gardens, 3 listed battlefields, and over 860 conservation areas. Eighteen per cent of the region is in a National Park with a further 11% in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are two internationally recognised historic areas in the region – the World Heritage Sites of Hadrian’s Wall (western section) and Liverpool waterfront and cultural quarter.
