Delamere Forest and Pale Heights 04-02-2018

Delamere Forest and Pale Heights

04-02-2018

Today I planned a short walk around Delamere Forest lake with a new walking partner, my mum. She has been a bit under the weather recently so I said I would take her out for the day, somewhere she has been before and knew she could manage a light stroll. I made some sandwiches and a flask of tea, and set off to pick her up at 10am. A quick trip down the motorway and along a few A roads and we are turning left at Delamere train station, and down the lane towards the coffee shop. Its now 11am and the place is already busy, with runners and dog walkers all walking up the narrow single track road. The first, second and third carparks are all full, so we end up parking in the big overflow carpark near to the wooden Dragon Fly.

Once parked and a ticket has been purchased, I pack my bag and change my shoes and we set off towards the lake. Its been a long time since I was last here, so mum gives directions and off we go back up the road past the cafe and seating area, and over the railway bridge into the forest. As I say its been a long time since Ive been here and Im surprised to see the Go Ape park in the trees, I had always thought it was in its own little area, but its been incorporated into the forest, with overhead wires and walkways directly over the footpaths. It actually looks like good fun, as its only about 20ft high. There is nobody using it today though as far as I can see as its not warm, only about 2-3 degrees. I should point out also, that today Im wearing my new thermal waking trousers and fleece top from Mountain Warehouse, and Im lovely and warm, whilst wearing less than I usually do. 

Anyway, we carry on down the path and come to a crossroads, we turn left and follow the path all the way round the lake on our right side. The walk is busy with people walking their puppies, cyclists, runners and couples out for a stroll. I can see why its popular, as the lake is a very pretty sight, with some good photo opportunities all the way round.

Now, when we planned this walk, mum said it normally takes her around 2 hours to complete the lake circuit, so I thought today it would probably take us 3, if we stopped for a brew and some sandwiches. Long story short, we walked it in 1 hour 10 minutes, and we were very surprised by our progress. So we headed back to the car, and had a sit down and our lunch in the carpark. 

After our lunch, we talk about what we are doing next, and mum says there is an Iron Age settlement on top of a hill, not to far away. So I repack my bag, lock the car and set off towards Eddisbury Hill. Taking a quick detour around a closed footpath, we arrive at the bottom of a particularly steep road, which will link up with a path which should take us to the settlement. Mums looking apprehensive at the hill, so I tell her to go at her own pace, and stop when she needs to, as Im in no rush, and we make our way up the road. It is steep, and we stop a couple of time for mum to catch her breath, which Im happy about as Im carrying 10kg's on my back today as preparation for future walks. Mum doesn't look back at all on the way up, even when we stop for a breather, and its only at the top that she turns round to see where she has been, and she is surprised and pleased to have made it to the top. Unfortunately the road I had hoped to take to the settlement on the OS maps, is actually a private road, and not being a rule breaker like myself, Mum doesn't want to get into any trouble so we decided not to walk that way to the fort. Instead we head in the opposite direction and follow the path.

Pale Heights Hill

Following the path uphill, and a couple of rest stops for Mum, we arrive at the top of the hill, on which stands 3 huge radio masts. From the top you can see for miles, considering its not a particularly big hill, the view is spectacular. To the East you can see Manchester, and the Pennines with their snowy peaks, to the West you can see Liverpool, Birkenhead and the River Mersey, all the way to Wales.

 My pictures really don't do the view any justice, I was stunned by how far you can see. In the distance though, we can see a huge black cloud over Manchester and its coming right for us, so we carry on around the back of the Radio Masts and come round on to Pale Heights, the summit of Old Pale Hill.

About 220 million years ago, right on this spot, sand drifted on the wind and danced in streams. Red marl was deposited from rising tides and, after the earth’s crust split and rose up, Old Pale, the highest point of the sandstone ridge, was formed.  Later, ice blocks broke from retreating glaciers and melted into shining meres that shimmer and sparkle before you.

First came bog myrtle, birch and pine.  Hunter gatherers followed, building sophisticated settlements on the high ground around Old Pale.  Our links with them are the axes unearthed from beneath your feet and the ‘barrows’ of bones, now sadly gone.

During the Iron Age, between 200 BC and the Roman conquest, a hill fort encampment around Old Pale afforded refuge and defence against marauding tribes.  Then, when Roman legions marched, their swords glinting and flashing, they ousted the settlers and used the strategic height as a signalling station.  They built the road from Chester to Manchester and transported salt and armies, their chariots gouging ruts still visible today in the sandstone bedrock near Delamere school.  Later, this road carried carters and their goods, noblemen on horseback and villagers on foot, all hoping to avoid the cry of the highwayman and flash of his pistol as he thundered out of the gloom of the forest.

Through the Dark Ages, shafts of misty sunlight filtered through the dense woodland of oak, ash, pine and birch.  Ethelfleda, Arthur the Great’s daughter, built her fortress on the old Iron Age fort site on Eddisbury Hill as a defence against northern armies.  When the Normans invaded, the fort was abandoned;  only ditches and low earthen embankments remain.  But look carefully as dusk approaches and through the mist imagine the parapets atop these slopes.

The Normans introduced sheep, cattle and foraging pigs along with place names that have endured.  Old Pale was born from the wooden palings built to enclose the deer that peered from the forest shadows, grazed on the grasses and provided sport for the King.  As the 19th century began, the Crown took the Pale farms under the enclosure awards.  They enriched the arable lands with marl and the corn grew straight and tall, plumes waving in the breeze.

Today, dragonflies, nuthatches, treecreepers and crossbills flit between Scots pine and European larch.  Newts and beetles paddle in the meres and mosses, and adders slither among the ferns.  When all is dark and the visitors have walked the paths and cycled the trails, owls perch aloft and gaze down into the forest glades where trees gently creak and badgers and foxes hunt for mice and voles.

As I said earlier, its not the highest hill standing at 176 meters, but the views are stunning, on a clear day you can see Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Yorkshire Staffordshire, Denbighshire and Flintshire. 

Around the Plinth there are small brass markers, that tell you the direction and distance of other landmarks, there are also other stone markers showing the direction of other counties, and each counties stone is made of the individual stone from that county. 

As we take our pictures, we can see the dark cloud that was covering Manchester, is now much closer, and heading towards us, so we make a hasty retreat down the path back towards the car park. Its much quicker going down, and again we are passed by walkers, cyclist and a girl on horseback, as well as many dogs. It only takes us 15 minutes to get back to the car, and just as we get there the black cloud is over us and we get hailstone for 10 minutes as we take refuge in the car with a brew.

5.4 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes.

All in all a good day out, what I thought was going to be an easy flat walk around the Lake, turned into a good walk with some inclines thrown in. I managed fine with 10kgs on my back, and my new clothes stood up to the cold, so all in all a very good walk, especially as mum seemed very happy with her achievements today.

But the day wasn't quite over. As we left the carpark, mum was saying she was a little disappointed at not seeing the Iron Age settlement on Eddisbury Hill, so I drove her up to see it. To be honest there isn't much to see, a few walls, and some farming equipment, but we can say we have stood in Eddisbury Hill Fort, a site constructed in 200-100 BC and it is a protected site.