The Sandstone Trail

The ancient roman city of Chester is right on the borderlands between England and Wales, as such it has a rich multinational history which is still prevalent in the scenery and architectural landmarks, all this with the landscape results in a lot of awesome land to trek around.

Wales doesn’t hog all the great hiking trails, you have the killer opportunity to see the best of Chester’s surroundings in one fell swoop with the sandstone trail.

This trek will take you on a route from which you will see castles, rocky cliffs, rolling hills and fields of green. The route follows Sandstone Ridges running from north to south. Leading from Frodsham in Central Cheshire all the way over to Whitchurch over the Shropshire border. The Path is around 40 years old, also having been extended in 1990.

The trail is named for the gorgeous sandstone rock formations and cliffs which snake throughout the area. These hulking orange walls looks straight out of the Taklamakan Desert, and are quite an extraordinary sight to be hiking beside in the county of Cheshire.

When you reach the higher ground you’ll be treated to sweeping views across the Mersey. Either end of the trail you’ll find a stone obelisk outside Bears paw Public House and a 2m Sandstone archway at the entrance of the Jubilee Park carpark.

This is a fantastic trek to see many sites of the borderlands. This is a good trek to catch these sites.

Along with way you will see points of interests including the Woodhouses hill fort – an iron age fort. There are areas to enjoy like Alvanley cliffs, Delemere forest, Beestone Castle, Burwardsley Villiage, Bickerton Hills and Maiden Castle. Other nice sites include Wharton & Willeymoor locks on the Shropshire Union Canal, Grindley Brook. Towards the end of your journey you may (on a clear day) catch a glimpse of the liver building and the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool.

In Early October they hold the ‘Sandstone Trail Races’. The current record for the whole traverse is held by Duncan Harris of Chester Tri, in 4 hours, 10 minutes. The women’s best time is held by Caroline Hall of Wirral AC in 5 hours, 04 minutes.

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