A walk on and around the Sandstone Trail

The day after our visit to the Lady Lever Gallery, and after a very pleasant evening spent with our friends in Waverton, the four of us drove over to the small Cheshire village of Burwardsley, parked up near the Pheasant pub and set out on a walk devised by my friend Steve. It was forecast to be warm and sunny, although not too hot, in fact it was perfect weather for a walk.

Of late most of my walking has been out on the mountains in the Lake District or on the Lancashire Moors. The Cheshire countryside is very different. Rich (in both senses of the word), verdant countryside, largely flat with relatively modest hills.

Our route would take us through fields, along short sections of quiet country roads and along a good section of the Sandstone trail over the Peckforton Hills.

From Burwardsley we walked along quiet roads and paths through fields to Harthill, with it’s pleasant old church

and the biggest whisk I’ve ever seen!

The route took us across more fields and quiet roads to another pleasant village,Fuller’s Moor and from there, our first serious climb of the day up a steep path to Maiden Castle, the site of an old Iron Age Hill Fort on top of Bickerton Hill.

Although steep, it was short, especially compared to some of the hills I’ve been climbing lately, and it didn’t take long to reach the top. We made our way to the summit of Maiden Castle and as it was now after midday stopped to eat our butties while admiring the view over the Cheshire plain which extended across the Mersey over to Liverpool and, to the south west, the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia.

We also had a view of the sandstone ridge of the Peckforton Hills we would be walking along after our break.

Resuming our walk we followed the route of the Sandstone Trail along Bickerton Hill passing Kitty’s Stone, at the highest point of the hill. It’s a memorial to Leslie Wheeldon, the benefactor who helped the National Trust acquire the hilltop heathland. It displays poems written by him in memory of his wife, Kitty.

Descending the hill to Bickerton church

we had another short stretch of road walking before another short, sharp climb up to join the ridge. We’d diverted slightly from the trail as Steve was keen to include some steep climbs in preparation for a forthcoming walking holiday in the Tyrol!

Following the trail through the woods along the ridge

we reached the trig point at Raw Head, the highest point on the Trail

 

The rest of the walk followed the Sandstone trail, following the ridge, descending and then climbing back up to Bulkeley Hill

From the summit, we had extensive views over the Cheshire plain, this time to the west, with the Jodrell Bank radio telescope just about visible in the distance

We descended the hill reaching the gatehouse to the Peckforton Estate

It was relatively easy walking now through fields back to our starting point. Just as well as it was mid afternoon, the temperature was rising and there was little shade.

The final stretch was along the lane, passing typical Cheshire sandstone buildings

Reaching the car, we changed out of our boots, dumped our rucksacks in the boot of the car and made our way to the Pheasant Inn

where we finished the afternoon with a most delicious meal

including a naughty dessert!