Alderley Edge and Cheshire Countryside

Alderley Edge is a red sandstone escarpment above the Cheshire Plain and England's oldest metal-mining site, worked for copper for some 4,000 years; an oak shovel found here dates to around 1750 BC, and a Roman shaft survives among the prehistoric workings at Engine Vein. The Armada Beacon of 1588 stands on a Bronze Age burial mound, and the legend of a wizard guarding sleeping knights beneath the rock, his face carved beside the Wizard's Well, fed Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. The Pilkington sisters gave over 200 acres to the National Trust in 1946. Follow the easy-access Wizard's Wander past the mines to Stormy Point for views to Manchester and the Pennines, then call at the independent Wizard tea-room. Reviewers praise the choice of routes and the dog-friendly walks. Tips from regulars: bring your membership card to scan for free parking, and expect steps and steep ground off the main path.