The Sandstone Trail Part 1 - Frodsham to Willington
Visit Cheshire for a 3 day Middle Distance Walking Holiday

The Route

From the starting point near the Devonshire bakery on Main Street cross the road and head up Church street past the train station and precinct taking the Sandstone Trail marked path on the right just after Churchfield road. Head up to the Ring O Bells pub up Bellemonte road passing the Bulls head then take the path on the bend which heads up to a viewing point on Frodsham Hill at the War Memorial. Continue to follow the ridge which runs parallel to the golf course. You will drop down into a hollow with caves carved into the shear sandstone cliff. Climb out of the hollow using the rough hewn steps cut into the rock and continue through the woods to Scout Rock where you get a great view of Helsby. Turn left and head over Woodhouse hill then right and right again on a track that takes you through to Ridgeway. At the road turn left and then right into Ridgeway Wood. Pass through the wood and over the fields to Commonside lane. Cross the road and head up to Alvanley Cliff which has a great view. Just keep following the path, crossing the next road and finally coming out on Manley road. Turn right then left at the junction and up the road through Manley. Take the path on the left through to Manley Common, the path comes out a a tea-room so you might want to stop here for a cream tea. Now turn left to Manley Common taking the path into Delamere forest on the bend. Head through the forest keeping a careful lookout for the Sandstone trail finger posts so you don’t lose your way. We cross the switchback road and go straight on and over the railway bridge then take the path on the right to Eddisbury Lodge.

At this point the path goes straight on up Eddisbury hill with an option to go left up to the top of Old Pale at the top. However I turned left as just around the corner is the Delamere Forest Visitor centre with food, drinks and toilets, I then climbed old pale from the far side dropping back down onto the Sandstone trail turning left at Nettleford Wood. We continue down this track and cross the busy road at Kelsall at Gresty’s Waste and follow the path down the steps and up into PrimroseHill Wood. Follow the track then head left and down to meet the main track at the bottom of which is Urchin’s Kitchen which was carved out by melt water at the end of the last ice age. Here we turn right and then left and then take the path up the field to our right to Summertrees, I’m afraid the tearooms here are no more :(. At the road go straight on then take the path on the bend which drops down to our finishing point for today at Willington Lane.

Tune in next week.. We’ll be heading from Willington over the fields to Tarporley and on to Beeston Castle, Peckforton, Raw Head and finishing at Bickerton.