Pocket Mountains - Cheshire

Pocket Mountains - Cheshire

The routes in the following pages range in length from around 3km to 11km and, generally speaking, represent a morning or an afternoon’s outing. They are all circuits – in other words, they finish where they start – saving you the worry of retrieving your car at the end of the day. To help you find somewhere to park, a postcode has been included in the notes which precede each walk. Remember that postcodes are approximate only and, while they will lead you close to the start, they will probably not take you to the exact spot. Although the routes can be generally described as ‘moderate’, some are tougher than others and a few involve very steep slopes. Where a route involves any sections of unusually steep ground, it will be mentioned in the notes. The durations given are based on the time it took the authors to walk the circuit, without taking into account opportunities to admire a view or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Therefore, the times given should be taken as a rough guide only. Similarly, the sketch maps are merely indicative of the route and should not be relied on for navigation. Six OS Explorer maps – numbers 266, 267, 268, 257, 276 and OL24 – cover the entire county of Cheshire and it is advisable to have the relevant sheet with you on each of these walks (Chester Walls excepted). OS maps can help interpret surroundings and, because they show rights of way, they allow you to vary the route. Finally, lefts and rights are given according to the direction of travel.

Cheshire – what a wonderful place to pull on a pair of walking boots and set off into the countryside. From the rugged uplands of the Peak District in the east to the low-lying wetlands by the Wirral, Cheshire is connected by a vast network of footpaths and bridleways, every step of which is just waiting to be explored. Some, such as the Sandstone Trail and the North Cheshire Way, are well-known long-distance hiking routes, some are canal towpaths or well-maintained routes through country parks but most are little-known public rights of way appearing to link forgotten corners. The Cheshire Plain is the most famous topographical feature of the county but even this expansive shallow basin is broken up by villages, woodlands, rivers and streams, as well as a dramatic sandstone ridge stretching southwards from Runcorn into Shropshire. The ridge forms the Helsby and Frodsham Hills in the north and the Peckforton and Bickerton Hills further south, their wooded slopes enhanced by red sandstone cliffs and ancient or mysterious sites and, of course, breath-taking views over the surrounding countryside. In the east, where Cheshire reaches into the foothills of the Pennines to share a border with Derbyshire, the landscape is open and wild, culminating in the county’s highest point at Shining Tor.

Cheshire is a county of contrasts: of hills and plains, of town and country, of industry and isolation, of palatial mansions and working farms, of salt mines and space telescopes, of motorways and packhorse bridges, of history in harmony with nature. Whether you want a vigorous walk to a lofty peak or a gentle stroll along a riverbank, Cheshire is the place to be.

History

In Cheshire’s long and often turbulent history, top of the list of dramatis personae has to be the Romans. They weren’t the first people to have left their mark in this part of England, and they stayed for only a few centuries, but in doing so they inadvertently gave the county its name. The Saxons, in the time of Alfred the Great, called the area Legeceasterscir, meaning ‘The shire of the camp of the Legions’. There is plenty of evidence of life before the Romans, most notably a series of Iron Age hillforts along the sandstone ridge overlooking the Plain, but the Romans brought peace and order to this corner of the land. Chester, or Castra Deva as they called it, was established as a fortress in around 80ad to control the Welsh and the people of North West England. Its strategic importance was reflected in the network of military roads which stretched out across the country connecting the garrison in Chester with York and London. The Roman routes form many of today’s highways and footpaths. When the Romans left, the Vikings arrived and Cheshire found itself divided between the Saxons of Mercia and the Norsemen in Daneland. In fact, they usually seemed to be fighting in this part of the world, either with the Welsh, the Scots, the Vikings, or with each other. One of the bloodiest battles ever fought on home turf, the Battle of Brunanburh, took place on the Wirral in 937ad. Anglo-Saxon King Athelstan’s 10,000 strong army got the better of an unholy alliance of Welsh, Irish, Scots and Danes. Nor did the bloodshed end with the Norman Conquest. After William I had brought the southerners to heel, he set about the rest of the country, razing Cheshire as part of the notorious campaign known as the ‘Harrying of the North’.

The Normans arrived in Cheshire in 1069 and, according to the Domesday Book, pretty much laid the place to waste. Norman lords ruled with an iron fist, while establishing vast Royal Forests where they could hunt game to their heart's content, stringing up any villager who dared take a deer or hare for the pot.Chester can claim to be the last city in England to fall under Norman rule and, again, the last to hold out against Oliver Cromwell in the Civil War. After a disastrous defeat at Nantwich in 1644, Charles I watched from a tower on Chester’s walls as the remains of his army were destroyed on Rowton Heath the following year. And it was in Cheshire that what’s regarded as the final battle of the Civil War took place in 1659 when a renewed rebellion was quashed at Winnington Bridge, near Northwich.

The next revolution – the Industrial one – changed Cheshire dramatically. A network of canals was built, allowing boats to navigate through the countryside carrying coal, salt, cheese, silk and cotton. Rivers were straightened and dredged to allow bigger vessels to reach further upstream and a vast ship canal linked the growing powerhouse of Manchester to markets in Britain and overseas. The forests had largely gone to be replaced by farms. Agriculture thrived, centred on pretty villages and market towns. Soon came the railways, and as rural workers sought work in the towns, their bosses moved out to the country. Fine country houses sprang up, reflecting the new wealth enjoyed by the factory and landowners. The railways killed the canals, and the roads gradually subdued the railways.

Today, Cheshire’s economy is one of the strongest in England, based on petrochemicals, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. House prices are high, and its proximity to both Manchester and Liverpool make it a popular place of residence for highly paid footballers and celebrities. For the walker, there’s much to do and see. In addition to a variety of museums and heritage centres, in Cheshire you can walk round the most complete castle walls in England, you can ride on a Victorian boat lift, you can sit in the middle of a Roman amphitheatre, enjoy a flutter at Britain’s oldest operating racecourse or look deep into outer space at Jodrell Bank.

Walking in Cheshire

One of the reasons that Cheshire is so great for walkers is its network of footpaths and bridleways, as well as being home to around 35 long-distance trails which pass within or through the county. Probably the best known are the Sandstone Trail, which stretches for 55km from Frodsham on the Mersey Estuary to Whitchurch in Shropshire, and the Gritstone Trail from Disley, on the edge of the Peaks, to Kidsgrove, near Stoke-on-Trent. Others include the Baker Way from Chester to Delamere, the Delamere Way from Stockton Heath to Frodsham, the Dane Valley Way, Bishop Bennet’s Way and the South and North Cheshire Ways, all of which make for enjoyable routes through fascinating countryside.
On the whole, footpaths are well signposted and waymarkers are commonplace. It is important to keep to the established routes and not to stray onto private land, although if the right of way lies across a field of crops and is unclear, it is better to walk around the edge of the field until you can rejoin the path. Some stiles are showing their age and, if not treated with caution, can lead to a painful mishap. While many stiles are being replaced by gates, you will almost certainly have to cross stiles – whether following walks in this guide or devising your own routes. Check each for its strength before putting your trust in it, and remember that wet wood can be slippery.

Depending on the season, conditions underfoot can vary considerably and it is sensible to wear good-quality walking boots. In summer, nettles and brambles can make walking in shorts an uncomfortable experience so it is sensible to wear long trousers when venturing into the countryside. Avoid climbing over walls, leave gates as you find them and, of course, take your litter home. If you are walking with a dog, keep it under close control and make sure you clean up after it. Finally, always ensure that someone knows where you are planning to walk and when you expect to get home.