Hidden Gems of
For many people who have never experienced the countryside it can seem bo these people have never visited the places in the following list. All of these pl know about them, others will not even be aware of the things that are on you Hawkstone Park Follies, Weston- under- Redcastle
Created in the 18th Century by the Hill family (Sir Rowland and his son Richard). The Grade I listed park attracts around 60,000 visitors a year. In amongst the trees there’s a 100ft-tall column with a statue on of the founding father,the original Sir Rowland Hill and a platform that gives views to the Wrekin, the Breidden hills, down to Cannock chase and across the plains of Shropshire and Cheshire. There’s also a grotto, a stone arch and a series of caves on one of the hilltops that once homed a Hermit who liked to pass on wisdom to the many visitors, and a network of pathways and bridges that lead to spectacular views from cliff tops. Also on the grouds is the Shropshire hotel which includes access to 2 golf courses and a crouqet court.
Poole’s Cavern, Buxton
Poole’s Cavern gets its name from a legend that tells of a medieval outlaw, Poole, who supposedly sought refuge in the cave with his treasure. Over 3000 years ago. Stone Age cave-dwellers sheltered here and Romans worshipped and traded here. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of remains, many of which are on display in the visitor centre and in Buxton Museum. In recent years, a whole cave system wasdiscovered beyond the existing show cave that has so far proved inaccessible. The Victorian visitors explored the Cavern with candles and later gas lighting, but modern visitors have the luxury of well-maintained paths through spacious, illuminated chambers as expert guides disclose the cavern’s, history, myths and legends. The cavern itself once was the path for underground water which eroded the rock for millions of years. The River Wye still flows through the cave for part of the year. Dripping rainwater has been dissolving the limestone for thousands of years to produce calcite crystals which has created spectacular formations including the longest stalactite in the Peaks, the 6.5ft ‘Flitch of Bacon’, and the unique ‘poached egg’ stalagmites.
the Countryside
oring and dull and you might think there is nothing to see or do. Obviously laces have an interesting story behind them and although many people may ur doorstep or only short walk through the countryside. The Chained Oak, Alton
According to legend, in 1846, the Earl of Shrewsbury was travelling back to his mansion, Alton Towers, when an old woman appeared in front of his horse drawn carriage. The woman wanted some money, the Earl refused to give her any and she put a curse on him, which went something along the lines of ‘for every branch of the great oak tree that falls, a member of your family will die.’ During the night there was a storm and a branch from the tree fell, and sure enough a relative of the Earl did in fact die the same night. Not wanting to take any chances the Earl ordered his people to chain up the branches of the tree to prevent any more branches falling and killing his family. You can still visit the tree today and see for yourself the chains that the Earl ordered to be put around the branches. In some places you can see where the tree has grown around the chains proving that they have been there for many years. This story inspired a ride at the near by Alton Towers Theme park called Hex- The Legend of the Towers.
MowCop Castle,Mow Cop
This ‘castle’ was built in 1754. The Wilbraham family used it as summerhouse where they had picnics and entertained friends on days out. In the early part of the 19th century, Miss Wilbraham wrote “We have always believed the family tradition, that towards the end of the 18th century, the Wilbraham then resident at Rode Hall built the tower. The wall was always broken so as to have effect off a ruin when looked at from the valley.” There is free access to the public and it is an impressive place to visit and the view from the top is spectacular.