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A fine morning of blue sky, a brisk north wind, and the vast open spaces of the Cheshire plain soaking up the early autumn sunshine. Warblers sang loudly in the woods above Higher Burwardsley as Jane and I set off to explore the heights and the breathtaking views along the Sandstone Trail.

This splendid three-day path hurdles the upthrust of Cheshire’s backbone, a sandstone ridge that runs from the Mersey south to the Shropshire border.

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In the oak and birch woods of Bulkeley Hill, sandstone steps gleaming with mica chips brought us quickly up to the ridge. Following its east-facing lip, we looked out between twisted sweet chestnuts over the steep 90m plunge of the escarpment to chequered farmlands and the shadowy rise of the Pennine hills on the horizon.

A succession of viewpoints claimed our gasps and whistles: Name Rock, etched with names of walkers and lovers, overlooking Bulkeley village; Rawhead, the highest point on the Sandstone Trail, at 227m, facing west towards the looming Welsh hills; the Iron Age hill fort of Maiden Castle, looking south to distant Shropshire.

Below the heights, the damp ferny hollow of Dropping Stone Well; a bulging cave under Rawhead where dusty green lichen harmonised with the dusky pink of the stone; Mad Allen’s Hole on Bickerton Hill, the home of a hermit. And punctuating all, the view north to the pale 13th-century walls of Beeston Castle.

We gathered bilberries on the lowland heath of Maiden Castle and descended with reddened fingers and tingling mouths into the meadows on the west of the great ridge. Start & finish Pheasant Inn, Higher Burwardsley (OS ref SJ 523566) Getting there M6 to Jct 16; A500 to Nantwich, A534 towards Wrexham; Fuller’s Moor, Harthill, Burwardsley; follow “Pheasant Inn” signs. Park at inn (but please ask permission first and give the inn your custom).

Walk (11 miles, easy/moderate, OS Explorer 257): Left to crossroads; left along Fowlers Bench Lane to Peckforton Gap gatehouse (526559). Right along ST (yellow arrows with footprint) for 4 miles to pass Maiden Castle (498529). ST descends, turns left (496528); go right here (yellow arrows/YA) through scrub.

In 300 yards, through gate; right (493531) to Brown Knowl (495535) — Fuller’s Moor (take care crossing A534 at 496542) — Park Wood — Harthill (501552). Garden Lane — Bodnook Wood — Droppingstone Farm entrance — join ST (515552).

Pass Rawhead Farm drive; in 50 yards, left over stile (519552) to corner of wood (522553; YA). Left on track for half a mile to gatehouse; ST to road (527566); left to Pheasant Inn.

Online map, more walks christophersomerville.co.uk

Lunch Picnic, or Coppermine Inn (01829 782293), Fuller’s Moor.

Accommodation Pheasant Inn, Higher Burwardsley (01829 770434; thepheasantinn.co.uk) — good food and a friendly welcome.

More info visitcheshire.com; tastecheshire.com