20 Walks/40 pages
East Cheshire is an area of great contrasts, and for anyone who enjoys walking in the countryside. It offers a mixture of high level moorland on the western fringes of the Peak District, as well as lowland walking on the Cheshire Plain. Even the lower terrain provides interesting routes with numerous canals, meres and rolling farmland to link up and make outings varying from quite short to ten miles and longer. It is this versatility that is making East Cheshire appeal to more and more day walkers who are looking for something new.
Geographically East Cheshire lies firmly within the North West of England and is bordered to the north by Greater Manchester, to the east by Derbyshire and The Peak District and to the south by Staffordshire and Shropshire. On its western side you will find the borough of West Cheshire. The two together make up Cheshire as a whole.
There are good public transport links within the area and the road network, which can be busy at times, is excellent and getting around is very easy. The M6 cuts through Cheshire and makes a great link for anyone wishing to visit the area from the north or south.
Historically the eastern side of Cheshire was home to the textile mills of the late industrial revolution, and sites such as Quarry Bank Mill give a fascinating insight into this period. There is also an abundance of stately homes with the grandest being Tatton Park, which annually hosts the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show.
Walking in East Cheshire varies from gentle on the lower ground to challenging on the upper moorlands of the western Peak District. The highest point in Cheshire occurs between Macclesfield and Buxton at Shining Tor, which rises to a respectable 1,834 feet/559 metres. Other notable tops include Crocker Hill and Shutlingsloe, known as the "Cheshire Matterhorn".
There are edges, ridges and windblown tops to explore, and when you contrast that with some of the lovely waters, canals and rivers to be found below them, you have a recipe for a very good time in the great outdoors.
