Editing Frodsham (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Frodsham Hill from Castle Park - geograph.org.uk - 6571906.jpg|thumb|Frodsham Hill]]

Frodsham sits beneath the imposing wooded [[escarpment]] of Beacon Hill, which is also known locally as Frodsham Hill or Overton Hill and whose top attains a height of just over {{convert|500|ft|m|0}}. The hill forms the northern end of the [[Mid-Cheshire Ridge]], a range of [[sandstone]] hills that extends southwards to [[Delamere Forest]] and [[Tarporley]].

The northern boundaries of the modern parish are defined by the [[River Weaver]] (canalised in part as the [[Weaver Navigation]]) and the inner [[Mersey Estuary#Estuary|Mersey Estuary]] into which it flows. The [[Manchester Ship Canal]] runs parallel to the Mersey along the northern edge of the low-lying ground of Frodsham Marsh and Lordship Marsh, which themselves extend south and east to the built-up area of Frodsham.

The town is close to the junction of the [[A56 road|A56]], the main link between [[Chester]] and [[Warrington]], with the B5152 road, which runs southeast to connect with [[Kingsley, Cheshire|Kingsley]], [[Northwich]] and [[Tarporley]] in the centre of the county. The [[Chester to Manchester Line|Chester–Manchester railway line]] passes through the town and the [[M56 motorway]] runs parallel to the road and railway along the southeastern edge of the marsh. The formerly separate settlements of Netherton and [[Overton, Frodsham|Overton]] form the southern districts of the town while the easternmost section towards Frodsham Bridge is known as Newtown.<ref>[[Ordnance Survey]], ''Explorer'' map sheet 267</ref>

===Geology===
[[File:Caves near Overton, Frodsham - geograph.org.uk - 62507.jpg|thumb|Overton caves]]
The parish, like most in Cheshire, is underlain by a suite of [[sedimentary rock]]s dating from the [[Triassic Period]]. They comprise (in ascending order) the early Triassic age Kinnerton Sandstone, Chester and Wilmslow Sandstone formations together with the Late Triassic age Helsby Sandstone, Tarporley Siltstone and Sidmouth Mudstone formations. Those formations up to and including the Helsby Sandstone Formation are assigned to the [[Sherwood Sandstone Group]]. It is this formation whose relatively hard-wearing [[sandstone]]s form the higher ground of Beacon Hill, Woodhouse Hill and Harrol Edge. The younger [[siltstone]]s and [[mudstone]]s are assigned to the [[Mercia Mudstone Group]].<ref name="P4-5">{{Harvnb|Phillips|Phillips|2002|pp=4–5.}}</ref> The sequence of sandstones is exposed in a railway cutting and two road cuttings, which are collectively designated as a geological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]].<ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002577.pdf Natural England: Frodsham Railway And Road Cuttings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023201435/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002577.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} . Retrieved 16 April 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1002577,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL Natural England: Nature on the Map: Frodsham Railway & Road Cuttings SSSI]. Retrieved 16 April 2010.</ref>

Several [[Fault (geology)|faults]] run roughly northwest–southeast through the area, notably the Overton Fault, which roughly parallels the B5439 and B5152 roads, and the Frodsham Fault, which runs north from the vicinity of Crowmere to the mouth of the River Weaver. Both of these faults and others in the area downthrow to the east. Movement on them is thought to have taken place in the [[Tertiary]] period. The uplift resulted in trapping the water table at an elevation of around {{convert|200|ft|m|0}} at which level [[Spring (hydrosphere)|springs]] developed.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dodd|1987|p=4.}}</ref>

Overlying the [[bedrock]] are a variety of superficial deposits (otherwise known as [[drift (geology)|drift]]). These comprise a thin and patchy cover of [[glacial till]] (or 'boulder clay'), largely a legacy of the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]], together with spreads of glacio-fluvial sand and gravel, a product of the eventual deglaciation of the area. Recent [[alluvium]] fills the deeply incised valley of the Weaver and also extends across the Marsh to the Mersey estuary.<ref name="P4-5"/><ref>British Geological Survey 1:50K map sheet 97, 'Runcorn'</ref>

===Climate===
Being close to the west coast and the [[Irish Sea]], the climate is generally [[temperate]] with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature in the years 1971 to 2000 was 9.4 to 9.7&nbsp;°C, slightly above the average for the United Kingdom<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |title=Mean Temperature: Annual Average 1971–2000 |access-date=22 May 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203143739/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |archive-date=3 February 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> as was the average amount of annual sunshine at 1391 to 1470&nbsp;hours.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/17.gif |title=Sunshine Duration: Annual Average 1971–2000 |access-date=22 May 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204082810/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/17.gif |archive-date=4 February 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> The average annual rainfall was 741 to 870&nbsp;mm, slightly below the average for the UK.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif |title=Rainfall Amount: Annual Average 1971–2000 |access-date=22 May 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719222449/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif |archive-date=19 July 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> The average number of days in the year when snow is on the ground is 0 to 6, which is low for the United Kingdom.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/dl/17.gif |title=Days of Snow Lying: Annual Average 1971–2000 |access-date=22 May 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809125155/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/dl/17.gif |archive-date=9 August 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> The average number of days of air frost is 2 to 39, which is also low.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/daf/17.gif |title=Days of Air Frost: Annual Average 1971–2000 |access-date=22 May 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705082009/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/daf/17.gif |archive-date=5 July 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref>