A recent East Cheshire Ramblers walk started at Alderley Edge. This was once reported to be the “Champagne Capital of Britain” due to its many famous residents. 13 ECR members started to climb to “The Edge” up a cobbled road, flanked by imposing houses, testifying to the aforementioned residents. Leaving the cobbles, we went along a short path to enter the National Trust land. It is a site of Special Scientific Interest because of its geology and history of copper mining dating back to the Bronze Age, and it is also known for its wizard myth, which inspired the novel “The Weirdstone of Brisingamen” by Alan Garner. We walked past the Wizard’s Well where, if you look carefully, you can see the outline of a wizard’s face and the words, “Drink of this and take thy fill for the water falls by the Wizards will”.
From here we walked past the Armada Beacon, one of a number of beacons set up in Tudor times, to act as an early warning system throughout the country. Next, it was on to Stormy Point, from where there were magnificent views of the Cheshire countryside as there was on our walk. We then we descended to cross the Mottram road. Our route then took us along field paths, first in a northerly and then in a north easterly direction passing several farms, until we reached the A538 which was followed for a short distance. Continuing north- easterly we reached Mottram Bridge and then Bonis Hall Road, where we turned to the south east and used field paths again to walk almost parallel to the road to reach Top o’th’Hill Farm. From here we changed our bearing again and walked south west, crossing the Bollin Valley Way to crossing the edge of the Mottram Hall Golf Course on our way to reach and join the North Cheshire Way, a long-distance path which starts near Ellesmere Port and ends in Disley. We followed this path for some time, skirting Hare Hill, another National Trust property, before arriving back at “The Edge” and having a well-earned break in the picnic area near the car park. From here it was just a question of descending to Nether Alderley and then following the path parallel to the Chelford road to arrive back at our starting point.

[caption id="attachment_3523" align="alignnone" width="3264"] The glorious snowy view from Alderley Edge.[/caption]