Sandstone Trail

The Sandstone trail runs for around 32 miles up the West side of Cheshire. It mostly follows flat or gently rolling countryside making this an easier walk than the Gritstone trail despite its slightly greater length.

The Sandstone trail is clearly marked by way marks showing a bootprint marked with the letter "S". When I walked this trail over the 23rd/24th February 1999 the trail was so well marked that I only actually needed the map in one place! Nevertheless I recommend taking landranger 117 - Chester and Wrexham in case of problems. When I rewalked the northern part of the Trail on the 19th April 2000 I took the explorer maps (sheet 267 - Northwich and Delamere Forest for the Northern part, moving onto sheet 257 - Crewe and Nantwich for the Southern part). These show every detail which is reassuring but probably not necessary for this walk.

Highlight of the walk is probably the Peckforton hills (a few miles South of Tarporley) which include Larkton hill (will a hill fort), Rawhead, Bickerton Hill (with Lord Tollemache's 1850 folly) and Beeston Castle (built in 1220 and seeing action 400 years later in the civil war). North of the Peckforton hills, Delamere forest and Beacon Hill at Frodsham are both attractive features of the walk.

Access to the North end of the walk is easy with Frodsham train station being about 1 mile away. The South is less easy. The nearest train station is Whitchurch about 2 miles south-east of Grindley Brook where the trail begins.

Anyone in any doubt where the trail runs can find marked up landrangers on notice boards at several points along the trail. There's a picture of one in the Views section below. The easiest to find are probably:

In the council car park at Beacon Hill, Frodsham
In the Barnsbridge Gate car park in Delamere forest
In Beeston Castle car park
Car park at Larkton Hill

There's another one at Gresty's Waste.
Finding a place to stop is easy at either end of the trail. In the centre there are a number of options:

A couple of hotels on the main street in Tarporley
A couple of hotels in Beeston (turn right when reaching the entrance to Beeston Castle and keep going till you reach the A49).
The Pheasant Inn at Burwardsley

I stopped in the Wild Boar hotel in Beeston which is pricey (£60 bed, breakfast and evening meal for a single room) but luxurious. Telephone 01829 260309.

Views On and Around the Sandstone Trail

These views are arranged in South to North order. Which is the way I walk the Sandstone Trail. Most of the pictures are taken around the Peckforton hills because this is my favourite part of the Trail.

	Grindley Brook Locks A flight of three locks at Grindley Brook marks the start of the Trail. Another couple of locks come shortly afterwards. The first part of the walk is common with the Marches Way.
	Willeymoor Lock This is the last lock you'll see for a while since you turn north here, away from the canal. The Sandstone Trail and Marches way are still following each other here.
	Old St Chads Another mile sees you finish a short climb to Old St Chads. This used to be on a main road but times, and road locations, have changed, leaving Old St Chads in a pretty location in a field on the top of a hill. One more field and the Sandstone Trail goes north towards the Peckforton Hills while the Marches Way continues West.
	Bickerton Hill Location of an Iron Age hill fort and the Southernmost of the Peckforton Hills
	Rawhead When the wind is blowing, this hill is aptly named. When I last walked the Sandstone Trail the wind was so strong this little bit of cliff was rather frightening.
	Peckforton Castle viewed from Rawhead
	View from Bulkeley Hill
	Tree on Bulkeley Hill
	Mad Allens Hole A cave, reputed to be the dwelling of a hermit, found by scrambling down the hillside from Bulkeley hill.
	Approaching Beeston Castle
	Beeston Castle Inner Gatehouse With my sister and brother-in-law.
	View from Beeston Castle Mound
	Peckforton Castle from Beeston Castle
	Wharton's Lock Takes the trail over the Shropshire Union Canal
	Summertrees Cafe On the South side of Primrosehill Wood. A cup of tea and an icecream are called for.
	Delamere Forest The trees are sometimes cooling here. But for some reason they seem to be letting in the sun but stopping the wind today. There's an ice cream van parked at Barns Bridge Gates sometimes. You may be grateful for it.
	Jacob's Ladder Near Dunsdale hollow in Frodsham. You've got about a mile to go when you see this.
	The End. Beacon Hill Frodsham. These boards show the route. This one is at Frodsham.

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