National Character Area 61

Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain - Key Facts & Data

Landscape and nature conservation designations section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

At its southern edge near Pontesbury a very small part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) falls within the Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain NCA (Natural England, 2011).

Relationship with the coast

The adjacent coastline is covered by the following Shoreline Management Plans:

  • Great Ormes Head to Scotland

 

Designated nature conservation sites

The NCA includes the following statutory nature conservation designations (Natural England, Special Protection Areas; Special Area of Conservation; Ramsars; National Nature Reserves; Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves, 2021):

Please note: (i) Designated areas may overlap (ii) all figures are cut to Mean High Water Line, designations that span coastal/marine areas below this line will not be included.

Condition of designated sites
All designated sites within England are covered by Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) units. The condition to these SSSI units within the NCA are as follows (Natural England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Units, 2021; 2023):



Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA61

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Landform, geology and soils section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Elevation

The NCA is lowland in character with the lowest point at around 20m. The highest elevation at 324m is located at one of the small sandstone ridges (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description).

Landform and process

The landform owes much to its glacial origins and for the most part comprises of a gently rolling plain with only gentle changes in elevation of between 20m and 50m. Glacial landform features include eskers, moraines and the apparent clustered distribution of mere and moss basins. The larger rivers, such as the Severn, meander through wide valleys of flatter and lower land than the surrounding plain. A prominent feature of the area is a series of small sandstone ridges which reach elevations 150m to 230m. Subsidence of the glacial sediments has occurred locally caused by the solution of the underlying salt deposits (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description).

Bedrock geology

The underlying bedrock geology is almost entirely formed of red and brown Triassic sandstones, silts and muds, from the influx of a major river system from the south. Upper Triassic siltstones and mudstones accumulated in a lagoon or shallow gulf and evaporation of this lagoon lead to the extensive salt deposits found today. A series of sandstone ridges occur at Nesscliffe, Grinshill and Hawkstone. Less abrupt ridges occur north and west of Macclesfield, such as at Alderley Edge and at Ashley to Gnosall and Albrighton. The Triassic sandstones of Alderley Edge are particularly important for copper ore mineralisation caused by the flow of low temperature brines through the sandstone and precipitation of associated minerals. Sandstones of the Carboniferous Coal Measures run south-west from Newcastle towards Shrewsbury and give rise to small scale ridges and valleys at Maer. There are three Precambrian outcrops around Shrewsbury at Haughmond Hill, Lyth Hill and Sharpstones Hill (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description).

Superficial deposits

Glacial activity has affected the whole plain by rounding off hard outcrops of sandstone, creating meltwater channels and lake beds and depositing a variety of materials from boulder clay to marls, sands and gravels. These deposits have in places caused the formation of a number of shallow meres and some peat-filled mosses (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description).

Designated geological sites

The NCA includes the following geological sites (Natural England, Geological and Mixed Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 2021):

wdt_ID NCA_ID NAME NCAAreaHa Interest type Area (ha) 2021 Percent of NCA (2021) Count
2361NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Geological6.80.01
2371NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Mixed1,029.52.75
2382NORTHUMBERLAND SANDSTONE HILLS72,694.6Geological45.40.14
2393CHEVIOT FRINGE51,591.3Geological17.10.02
2404CHEVIOTS36,487.9Geological165.00.52
2414CHEVIOTS36,487.9Mixed3,488.99.61
2425BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Geological85.70.18
2435BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Mixed35.80.01
2446SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Geological7.20.02
2456SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Mixed5,569.25.74

Soils and Agriculture Classification

Widespread fertile and productive clay soils are generally characteristic; however, in places the soils are thin, sandy and gravelly. In addition peat covers 3 per cent of the area (Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain Character Area Description).

The main grades of agricultural land in the NCA are broken down as follows (as a proportion of total land area) (Natural England, Provisional Agricultural Land Classification, 2019):


Landform, geology and soils map for NCA61

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Key waterbodies and catchments section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Major rivers/canals

The following major rivers/canals (by length) have been identified in this NCA (Natural England, data informing the 2014 National Character Area Profiles, 2010):

wdt_ID REF_CODE NAME_1 Name Length (km) SumOfShape_Length
11NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Aln7.67,587.2
21NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Coquet5.55,516.0
31NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINWhiteadder Water2.92,904.9
410NORTH PENNINESBlack Burn11.911,853.4
510NORTH PENNINESCroglin Water10.010,042.3
610NORTH PENNINESCrowdundle Beck4.34,337.4
710NORTH PENNINESDevil's Water20.520,464.6
810NORTH PENNINESHarwood Beck9.79,740.2
910NORTH PENNINESRiver Allen4.94,889.0
1010NORTH PENNINESRiver Derwent15.315,268.4

Please note: other significant rivers (by volume) may also occur. Tidal stretches of rivers are not included, which may include some major rivers.

Although relatively low-lying, the NCA forms a watershed for several major river systems. The Whitchurch Moraine creates a sub-division between north and south of the plain. The area’s significant river floodplains are the Weaver, Dane, and Dee which drain north to the Mersey Valley and the Tern, Roden, and Perry which drain into the Severn to the south. On the east side the rivers Sow and Penk flow towards Stafford and are part of the Trent catchment to the south-east.

The rivers Weaver, Dane, Dee and Bollin flow north to the Mersey and Dee Estuaries. The rivers Severn, Tern, Roden and Perry flow south to the River Severn. The rivers Penk and Sow flow to the east to the River Trent.

Canals are prominent with a 157km stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal crossing south-east to north to provide a link between the West Midlands canal network and the River Mersey. A 51km stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal which links the two named river systems extends southwards from Nantwich on the eastern side of the NCA.

Water quality

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. These can impact surface water (waterbodies and waterways located above ground) and groundwater (water bodies and waterways located below ground).

Waterbodies such as lakes can also be designated as “eutrophic waters” if the enrichment of the waterbody by nitrate pollution causes accelerated growth of algae, impacting the quality of the water and the balance of organisms within it.

The following NVZs are located within the NCA (Environment Agency, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Designations, 2021):

Water framework directive

River basin management plans cover river basin districts and describe the challenges that threaten the water environment and how these challenges can be managed and funded. The plans include the classification of water quality of surface waters and ground waters.



Click on the Water Framework Directive layers on the below map to view the corresponding river names.

Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA61

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Trees and woodlands section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Total woodland cover

Ancient woodland is any area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland includes all forests and woodlands (0.5 hectares and over). The total woodland cover within the NCA is as follows (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023; Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024; this does not consider Natural England’s ‘Ancient Woodland – Revised (England) – Completed Counties’ data as this is being updated in tranches and no full dataset is yet available):

Distribution and size of woodland and trees in the landscape

Woodland cover is generally low, only about 6 per cent and is restricted to small broadleaved or mixed woodlands on the steeper slopes of the sandstone ridges or along the sides of watercourses. Steep stream and river valley sides support areas of clough woodlands which are often ancient in origin. The rivers Bollin, Dane and Weaver and their tributaries are notable for this feature. Small copses and clumps of trees, mainly oak, ash, willow, alder and scrub occur around meres and ponds. Oak, sycamore and beech are commonly found within the estates and parklands. Strong field patterns are defined by hedgerows, often with dense, mature hedgerow trees (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Character Area Description).

Woodland types

A statistical breakdown of the area and type of woodland found across the NCA is detailed below (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023):

Area and proportion of ancient woodland and planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) within the NCA (Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024):


Trees and woodlands map for NCA61

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Boundary features and patterns

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Boundary features

Field boundaries are predominantly defined by full well-maintained hedgerows. The hedges are predominately of hawthorn. Blackthorn and other shrubby species are less frequently found. Hedgerow trees are mainly oak, generally mature or over- mature with some ash and sycamore as well as willow in damper conditions (Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Field patterns

Field sizes range from small to medium, in irregular field patterns and are bounded by full maintained hedges. Hedgerow trees are plentiful and mature (Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Agriculture section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The following tables provide the most recently available statistics from Defra on agriculture within the NCA.

Farm type

The following farm types are located within this NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm size

The following table outlines the sizes of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm ownership

The following table outlines the ownership of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Land use

The following table outlines the types of agricultural land use within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Livestock numbers

The following livestock are farmed within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm labour

The following table outlines the types of farm labour within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Please note: (i) Some of the Census data are estimated by Defra so may not present a precise assessment of agriculture within this area (ii) Data refers to commercial holdings only (iii) Data includes land outside of the NCA where it belongs to holdings whose centre point is recorded as being within the NCA.



Note that the below map only shows agri-environment scheme coverage, and not other schemes.

Agriculture map for NCA61

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Key habitats and species section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Habitat distribution/coverage

Widespread across this landscape is a series of hundreds of wetlands associated with the peatland and water filled glacial hollows. Locally they are known as meres and mosses and are of international conservation significance. A diverse range of wetlands habitats occur at these sites including lowland raised bog, fen, wet woodland, reedbed, and eutrophic or mesotrophic standing waters. Important wetland clusters are found between Ellesmere and Whitchurch, the Delamere sandsheet and on the eastern fringes of the NCA between Stafford and Macclesfield.

Significant areas of grazing marsh habitat are found in the floodplains of the rivers Dee, Sow, Gowy and Severn. Nearly 10 to 15 per cent of all ponds in England and Wales are found in this NCA.

A low number of small lowland heathlands are present, but some fine examples of unimproved grassland survive such as at Mottey Meadows and at Melverley.

Ancient woodland is almost entirely restricted to steep valley sides and streams and the best examples are found in the north including along the River Dane and River Weaver.

In addition the NCA contains important arable habitats. These support nationally important assemblages of arable birds (Meres and Mosses Natural Area Profile).

Key Habitats

The NCA contains the following areas of key main habitats, as mapped by the national Priority Habitat Inventory (Natural England, Priority Habitats Inventory, 2021; 2024; Natural England, Wood Pasture and Parkland, 2020). Note: lakes and ponds were not included in 2021 data:






Key habitats and species map for NCA61

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Settlement and development patterns section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Settlement patterns

Large farmsteads surrounded by large barns for storing fodder and overwintering stock are frequent and spread throughout the area. Market towns are scattered across the plain. Other settlements, small villages and hamlets are few and dispersed. The hamlets tend to be loosely clustered with houses spread out along the network of hedged lanes in the open countryside (Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Main settlements

The county towns of Stafford, Chester and Shrewsbury and railway town at Crewe form the largest urban areas in the NCA. A series of smaller market towns occur dispersed across the area including at Northwich, Middlewich, Nantwich, Macclesfield, Market Drayton, Congleton, Whitchurch, Wem and Ellesmere. The total estimated population for this NCA (derived from ONS 2001 census data) is 908,921 (Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003, Natural England, 2012).

Local vernacular and building materials

Buildings are predominantly red brick, with sandstone churches and occasionally very distinctive black and white half-timbered buildings (Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Settlement and development patterns map for NCA61

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Key historic sites and features section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Origin of historic features

There are a number of iron-age hillforts concentrated on the drier lands of the Pennine Fringe, the Sandstone Ridges and the Weald Moors. Trackways and settlements extended further into the plain, where salt Now being extracted and exported during the late Iron Age and the Roman period (notably at Nantwich and Middlewich).

Of the major Roman settlements at Chester and Wroxeter (south-east of Shrewsbury), the latter Now abandoned and Chester Now reoccupied as a monastic site and developed as a port from the 10th century.

Colonisation of hunting chases (Forests of Delamere and Macclesfield) increased from the 15th century.

The survival today of extensive areas of ridge and furrow indicates the former widespread occurrence of strip farming.

Around the 15th century saw the concerted drainage and colonisation of some wetlands areas, however, most were left for large-scale and estate driven enclosure from the late 18th century onwards, for example, Whixall Mosses, Weald Moors. Around the same time thousands of marl pits began to be created to win clay for land improvement and today they now form the widespread network of ponds.

Prosperity from the production of cheese, which became a major aspect of the rural economy by the late 16th century, gave rise to many of the distinctive decorated farmhouses of that period.

Estates and parklands are common across the area developed in the main from the 16th century onwards, such as Tatton, Grosvenor and Attingham Park. Many are located beside scenic meres.

The Shropshire Union, Llangollen and Trent and Mersey canals, including the extraordinary Anderton Boat Lift, were opened in the 18th and 19th centuries (Countryside Quality Counts Draft Historic Profile, Countryside Character Area Description).

Designated historic assets

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Listed buildings

The NCA includes the following listed buildings (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Heritage at Risk Register

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets listed within the Heritage at Risk Register (Historic England, Heritage at Risk Register, 2021; 2023):



Key historic sites and features map for NCA61

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Recreation and access section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Public access
The following areas of public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; National Trust, 2021):


Please note: Public access areas may overlap.

The following linear routes or public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; Sustrans; 2021):

Recreation and access map for NCA61

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Experiential qualities

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Tranquillity

Based on the CPRE map of tranquillity (2006) the highest tranquillity values are associated with south-west Cheshire and north-west Shropshire, whilst the lowest values occurred in north and east Cheshire and west Staffordshire.

A breakdown of tranquillity values for this NCA are detailed in the table below (CPRE, Tranquillity Map, 2006):

Dark skies

Light pollution is a generic term referring to artificial light that shines where it is neither wanted nor needed, and can impact on people’s experience of the countryside within the NCAs. CPRE host an interactive map, depicting the light pollution and dark skies within the NCA.

Intrusion

The 2007 Intrusion Map (CPRE) shows the extent to which rural landscapes are ‘intruded on’ from urban development, noise (primarily traffic noise), and other sources of visual and auditory intrusion. This shows that approximately 44 per cent of the area is considered to remain ‘undisturbed’ provided by large areas of rural landscape. However, about half of the area, mainly urban in nature, in north and east Cheshire and west Staffordshire are considered disturbed.

A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA is detailed in the table below (CPRE, Intrusion Map, 2007):

Notable trends from the 1960s to 2007 are an approximate doubling in the area considered ‘disturbed’ and a doubling of the area classified as ‘urban’.