Maria’s Love Chester article

Posted May 5, 2026

Our Publicity Officer, Maria, submits a monthly article to Love Chester magazine, relating to a club walk.
Read the latest story here.

Beyond the Pale
Chester Rambling and Hill Walking Club are lucky to have the Welsh hills and mountains west of the border, and some great walking on the English side too. In the east, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet Cheshire near Macclesfield and Congleton, and to the south lies Shropshire, where hiking opportunities abound. And, while many people think of Cheshire as a flat county, it comes with a fair share of undulations within its own boundaries too.

One Sunday walk explored the rolling lowlands around Kelsall and Delamere. Starting from the public car park at The Yeld, we set off along a lane that took us into Nettleford Wood, on the edge of Delamere Forest. We soon joined the Sandstone Trail, past an area known as King’s Chair. Abandoning the Trail temporarily, we deviated left to follow a footpath up the intriguingly named Hangingstone Hill.

This gentle climb took us up to Pale Heights, which, at 176 metres above sea level, offers sweeping vistas across no less than seven counties. A circular viewing platform is surrounded by etched plaques that inform bemused visitors what’s in which direction. From this elevated spot on a clear day you can expect to see Moel Famau and other Clwydian Hills, Shining Tor (Cheshire’s highest point), and the lower summits of Frodsham and Helsby Hills. More distantly, you’d pick out the Long Mynd and the Wrekin in Shropshire, and the wonderful hills of Derbyshire’s Peak District. Landmarks like Jodrell Bank and the Liverpool skyline would also be visible if your luck was in. Sadly we saw none of this, thanks to the vaporous fog that lingered stubbornly all day, blotting out all of our neighbouring counties. The forests and fertile lands of Cheshire, however, were clearly there on the plains beneath us. Despite the lack of panoramic landscapes, the low mist created a magical beauty of its own that was quite enchanting.

Continuing along the ridge, we arrived at Eddisbury Hill Fort, the largest of Cheshire’s Iron Age forts. Earth ramparts and ditches are obvious here, and the entrance has been partially reconstructed in recent years to give the site more context. Nearby is an area known as the Old Pale, a former deer enclosure within the ancient hunting forests of Mara and Mondrem.

We descended down to a field path leading into Primrose Hill Wood, where we briefly rejoined the Sandstone Trail before following a meandering route to Willington. There’s a beautiful little valley here officially called Boothsdale, but often referred to as ‘Little Switzerland’. Usually there is a commanding view across Cheshire from the raised footpath, but persistent mist ruled most of it out. The path took us up to another Iron Age Hill Fort, Kelsborrow, which requires extensive use of the imagination, as few signs of ramparts and ditches remain! With most of its ups and downs obliterated by ploughing, the site is a tad less impressive than nearby Eddisbury. Continuing along the Castle Hill to a lane, we soon re-entered Primrose Hill Wood at King’s Gate. Once again we rejoined the Sandstone Trail, following the woodland’s edge towards Gresty’s Waste car park. Before reaching that point, however, was the steepest climb of the day – the steps up! Pausing for a breather at the top, we prepared ourselves for the potentially hazardous traversing of the A54. There being no designated crossing here, this must be navigated with care, especially with a group of 20 walkers. Once safely across, we retraced our earlier steps back to The Yeld.

Here in Cheshire you don’t have to travel too far beyond your doorstep to partake in one of life’s great joys – walking in the countryside! Our lovely 8 mile C walk that day was varied and would have offered some fantastic views if the weather gods had smiled on us.