Eddisbury and Kelsborrow Hillforts
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Cheshire Sandstone Ridge Glacial Landscape “I love to climb the ramparts and, in the Roman Road A circular walk around Follow the road to the bottom of the hill and turn left around evening gloom, sense the presence of all Drop down into Organsdale valley, and climb the flight of steps the bend into what is now Stoney Lane. At the bottom of the those who lived here long ago.” up to Gresty’s Waste car park, on the A556 Chester-Manchester lane, cross the A556 Chester-Manchester road with care. road. Cross the busy road with care and continue straight ahead, Eddisbury and Go straight ahead, on another short section of Stoney Lane, Don Wilson, Eddisbury Hill resident uphill into Nettleford Wood. to cross the A54 Chester-Winsford road. Continue through Kelsborrow Hillforts a gap beside the double gate, and bear diagonally right on a Within 300 metres, turn right, onto a narrower path signposted to path across the undulating field ahead. The path heads for ‘Stoney Lane’. The path leaves the woods to skirt the upper edge Beyond the café, turn right, downhill on Tirley Lane. Bear left at the the tip of a communication mast poking above the trees. of Organsdale Field, parallel with the route of the old Roman junction with Waste Lane and follow the road downhill past Roughlow road between Chester (Deva) and Manchester (Mamucium). Climb over a pair of waymarked stiles at the top of the Farm . It’s named after a long-since ploughed out Bronze Age Later called Watling Street, the military road traversed the slopes field, and bear right, gently uphill on a broad track beneath burial mound, or ‘low’, that once dominated the nearby hill. below the native hillfort, high above the boggy valley. tall beeches. When it meets a wider forestry track at the The lane winds downhill through a deep wooded clough called crest of the slope, turn right, and follow the winding track When the field ends, turn left through a narrow gate and bear left, Pearl Hole. At the bottom of the slope, turn right, gently uphill again downhill into a dip, some 300 metres later. A signpost here uphill on a grassy ride onto the Old Pale. on narrow Gooseberry Lane. The lane runs above Willington Fruit points to ‘Urchin’s Kitchen’ , a narrow sandstone gorge Then turn right, onto a curving, Farm. (For a detour to the hidden Boot Inn, drop down the narrow hidden amid the trees. This atmospheric, 30-foot deep surfaced path that rises through footpath to the left, some 200 metres on.) glacial outwash channel was an old hedgeline, back onto Pale Heights. When the path formed deep beneath the ice Continue to the end of Gooseberry Lane before bearing left, on a forks below the masts, towards the close of the last narrow waymarked footpath, immediately before a concrete drive. continue straight ahead, Ice Age. From here, an unusual hanging path ascends the lovely wooded and bear gently combe of Boothsdale . From the opening of the Cheshire Lines Take the footpath opposite uphill to the right. railway until the First World War, the surrounding hills were popular Urchin’s Kitchen, signposted Nearby are the with visitors from industrial Manchester — who nicknamed the area ‘Summertrees’ and ‘Beeston’. grassy mound ‘Little Switzerland’. The path bears to the left at and ventilation a T-junction and then traces Go through the kissing gate at the head of the combe to emerge in open shafts of an old civil the forest edge uphill before pasture dominated by the ramparts of Kelsborrow Castle . Protected defence bunker . turning right, through a kissing originally by a timber and earthwork bank and palisade, this prehistoric It was part of a system of gate, into a sloping field. The promontory fort takes advantage of a natural headland between dispersed regional seats Among the Trees Crossbills and siskins are regular path follows the hedge line Boothsdale and the steep scarp to the west. of government set up winter visitors to Delamere Forest across three small fields to the during the Cold War but Summertrees Tearoom. Primrosehill Wood mothballed in 1992. The path follows the fenceline across three fields to enter Waste This leaflet was originally produced as part of the Habitats & Hillforts Project Head for the standing (2008-12) with the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Wood, ahead. Beyond the trees, turn right, uphill on Waste Lane. stones around the hilltop To learn more about the work of the Sandstone Ridge Trust and its partners, visit Follow the lane around to the right, turn left into Primrosehill Wood viewpoint. Admire the at a broad parking area called King’s Gate, and head down the www.thesandstoneridgetrust.co.uk panorama once more, broad forestry track. For other walks, visit and head downhill to www.sandstonetrail.com Roman Road Within 250 metres, turn left, into the trees, on a signposted path to the left, to retrace the A Victorian excavation uncovered a well Concept and text: Tony Bowerman Illustrations: Kim Atkinson ‘Nettleford Wood’. Bear left at the next T-junction of paths to rejoin outward route back to preserved stretch of Roman Watling Street Map: Carl Rogers Design: William Smuts just below Eddisbury Hill the Sandstone Trail as it heads north. When Primrosehill Wood the Linmere car park. ends at the corner of the Organsdale Farm horse-training track, follow the waymarked path across the isthmus of pines, ahead. A series of other guides is available. Look out for four walks leaflets, four habitat leaflets, and six hillfort leaflets. Copyright © Cheshire West & Chester 2010. All rights reserved. Printed on 100% recycled paper Discover the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge on foot Start: Delamere Forest Park, Forest Centre car park (pay and display), Iron Age Hillfort Around Eddisbury Hill and Kelsborrow Castle off Station Road, Delamere CW8 2JD. From the summit, turn left, downhill on a surfaced path that Map ref: SJ 548704 heads east towards Eddisbury Hill. Bear right at the next fork, A longer loop exploring Eddisbury hill, on the edge of Delamere Forest, Distance: 13 kilometres/8 miles and then left, onto a tarmaced access road. Difficulty: Medium and Kelsborrow promontory fort, above Willington Follow the lane downhill until it kinks left and right past Old Duration: Allow 4½ — 6 hours Pale Farm. Within 200 metres, turn right, off the lane, through THIS LONG HALF-DAY OR FULL DAY LOOP explores two contrasting mid-Cheshire hillforts. Map: OS 1:25,000 Explorer 267 Northwich & Delamere Forest a gateway. Head down the grassy slope and turn almost immediately right, on a path beside an electric fence. Soon Eddisbury is the largest and most complex of the ridge’s prehistoric hilltop enclosures, while Dogs: Dogs should be kept under close control, and preferably on a lead — especially near livestock. Please consider other walkers and clean up the ramparts of Eddisbury Hillfort loom up the slope to smaller Kelsborrow overlooks the lovely wooded combe of Boothsdale with its hidden pub. after your dog the right. The largest and most complex hilltop enclosure on Together with a Roman road, Saxon burh, and medieval hunting lodge, they make for a the ridge, Eddisbury overlooks the strategic Kelsall Gap. The fascinating circuit. prehistoric ramparts may later have been refortified by King START: DELAMERE FOREST PARK, Forest Centre car park (pay Alfred’s daughter, Aethelflaeda, to protect Chester’s flanks and display), off Station Road, Delamere CW8 2JD. When the road short cuts from marauding Danes. narrows, turn left at a large wooden sign for ‘Old Pale Woodland’. Follow the surfaced path as it zigzags uphill to the right, heading Follow the broad grassy path around the hillfort’s eastern for the communications mast on the top of Pale Heights, ahead. flanks, and bear right at a fork to emerge opposite Eddisbury Boothsdale The oval enclosure known as the Old Pale was created in Hill Farm. Turn right on Eddisbury Hill Road. Up to the right 1338 when Edward, the Black Prince, ordered 450 acres of forest here, within the south-east corner of the hillfort, are the stone to be fenced off to ‘protect vert and venison’. foundations of the ‘Chamber in the Forest’ . From here the head forester and his eight under-foresters could keep a Beyond a gap in an old hedge-line, the path emerges onto the sharp eye on the royal hunting grounds below. summit. It’s dominated by a viewing platform . Seven standing stones, representing the seven old counties visible on a clear day, Overlooking the Forest surround the central Cheshire sandstone pillar. The panorama From the grassy ramparts of Eddisbury hilltop enclosure, takes in the Clwydian hills, Liverpool and the distant Pennines. panoramic views extend north over ancient Delamere Forest Timeline Based upon Ordnance Survey mapping with permission of the controller Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown Copyright Licence No. 100049046 – 2011 c. 12,000 BC c. 900-400 BC c. 80-70 BC c. 915 1338 1745 1769 1851 1885 1896 1935-8 2000 2010 Urchin’s Kitchen formed Eddisbury hilltop Roman Watling Aethelflaeda (lady of the Old Pale enclosed on Locals dig ditch across Northwich-Chester road Bronze Age burial urn Cheshire antiquarian, Five wedge-shaped Archaeological excavations Forestry Commission New excavations at by glacial meltwater enclosure probably used Street constructed Mercians) builds a burh orders of the Black Chester-Manchester becomes a private toll containing cremated WT Watkin, excavates stone hammers found at Eddisbury by Liverpool plants trees on 340 Eddisbury uncover a towards end of last for seasonal gatherings between Chester (fort) at Eadesbyrig Prince as a refuge for road below Eddisbury road, or turnpike human bones found close section through Roman at foot of Eddisbury Hill University uncover pottery, acres/137 ha of former massive inturned Iron Ice Age (Deva) and Manchester deer and other ‘beasts of during the Jacobite to the old Roman road road below Eddisbury stone axe-hammers, and a farmland on the Age gateway (Mamucium) the chase’ Rebellion bronze mirror Old Pale.