Sandstone Trail Day One Frodsham to Willington

The Sandstone Trail is a thirty four mile footpath that runs down the centre of my home county of Cheshire. Starting in Frodsham it follows a sandstone ridge south through the Cheshire countryside giving good views of the Cheshire plain, the Clwydian hills in the west and the Peak District in the east. It finishes in the attractive market town of Whitchurch. Being a walker and living locally I have walked various sections of it over the years.

Introduction

In the summer of 2021 the world was slowly starting to emerge from the dark days of a global pandemic. A serious family illness had meant that we had all been locked down for fifteen months, unable to go out at all or walk anywhere other than the local lanes surrounding our home. The vaccines, the slow ebb of the pandemic and successful treatment (God Bless the NHS) meant that in June I decided that the Sandstone trail was going to be the walk that would restart my connection to the landscape and world of long walks through nature that I had missed so much. I took the opportunity of walking it over three consecutive Mondays. The sun shone, the birds sang and the blossom bloomed. The world, and my family was starting to breathe again and as I walked those three Mondays, a rebalancing and restoration took place within me. We, I, had survived, day follows the darkest night, hope always remains and ‘this too shall pass’.

Sandstone Trail Day One Frodsham to Willington.

The walk starts appropriately enough at a sandstone pillar outside The Bears Paw pub in Frodsham High Street. It’s uphill from the start all the way for a mile and 300ft of ascent to the top of Frodsham Hill and the first landmark. I leave the pillar and head up Church St passing shops and houses before entering the woods that fringe the sandstone escarpment of Frodsham Hill. It’s a steep climb up through the wood on an occasionally stepped path before finally the climbing stops and I emerge out of the trees at the war memorial on top of the hill.

The memorial was built like many others in the 1920’s after the ‘War to end all Wars’. It’s made (naturally) out of sandstone and stands in an impressive location, overlooking the town where one hundred and thirty nine men of Frodsham paid the ultimate sacrifice in the first and second world wars. I pay my respects, but, as I often am at these monuments to death I am reminded of Wilfrid Owens anti war poem, Dulce et Decorum Est and the reality of war away from the memorials and ceremonies.

However, there is far too much life here to dwell long on the dead. The fullness of summer abounds all around and the sun is starting to break through a covering of cloud, blue patches appearing through the grey. Parents push prams and toddlers toddle, unsteadily, new to the art of putting one foot in front of the other. The trees are green and in full leaf, hiding the sources of the birdsong that fills the air. The bees methodically carry out their task, buzzing from flower to flower, collecting their nectar and pollinating plants as they do so. What nature takes, it also gives back.

There are good views down to the town, along the Mersey Estuary and across to Liverpool although whether a view of Liverpool and the Mersey estuary counts as ‘good’ might be subjective. When I was a kid in the 1970’s I remember a Helter Skelter perched on top of the hill which was open in summertime.

From the memorial the trail follows the Sandstone escarpment for a while before descending into pleasant undulating woodland. There is a lovely tunnel like section through Snidley Moor Wood where the path has steep sides lined by ferns and purple rhododendron bushes. Green trees overlap the path like a wedding arch, the birds, bees and breeze providing the wedding music.

From Snidley Moor Wood the path skirts Foxhill Wood and Alvanley Cliff before the woods are left behind and fields are crossed to Delamere forest. I enter the forest at Manley Common which is at the northern, quieter end and apart from a couple of mountain bikers all is still. I’m rewarded in the quiet stillness by the site of a Jay, it’s distinctive flash of white catching my eye as it flew between the trees, no doubt looking for acorns.

The forest dates from the 11th century, originally covered about sixty square miles and acted as a hunting ground for the Norman Earls of Chester. These days hunting is off the agenda but other activity is promoted such as off road cycle trails, Go Ape, Segway, orienteering courses and surprisingly, pop concerts.

At the southern end of the forest I take a diversion to climb to Pale Heights. On a clear day Pale Heights gives views over to the Clwydian hills, Liverpool, Manchester and the Pennines.

From Pale Heights the path stays high for a while but then heads down through Nettleford wood reaching the busy A54. Once safely across the road and past Gresty’s Waste car park there is a steep down, on a wooden staircase to a little valley and then an equally steep up the other side.

After the valley the path enters woods at Primrose Hill and then crosses fields eventually popping out onto Tirley Lane at the old Summertrees cafe, sadly no longer in business. From the lane I walk down to the Boot Inn where Mrs E is waiting for me.

The weather has been just perfect for walking, warm and dry with a few clouds to break up what would be the full glare of the summer sun. I’m officially hot now though and I go into the pub, buy some drinks and Mrs E and I sit in the beer garden enjoying the afternoon sun. Apart from hospitals and my own home, the pub is the first building I have walked into for over fifteen months. Another step taken on the road back to normality.

For a route map, stats and geolocated pictures feel free to click ‘Learn more’ below