Disley is a nice Cheshire village close to the Derbyshire Peak District and Dales. Which makes it kind of schizophrenic. A bit Cheshire Setty, a bit rustic Derbyshire. And just to confuse things, the majestic Lyme Park used to be managed by Stockport Council, which is in Greater Manchester, and the equally majestic Lyme Hall is a National Trust property. No wonder Darcy in the TV series of Pride and Prejudice, which was partly filmed at Lyme Park, looked so befuddled when he emerged, soaking wet, from that lake. Joking aside, Lyme Park is THE park of South Manchester/Cheshire, and perhaps THE park of the north. Of course it can be bloody annoying round the car park at weekends, with families venturing little further than 300 yards, but the hinterland and beyond is magnificent, with amazing walks, views and wildlife, including herds of deer. Lyme is sublime in Disleyland! This poster is available to buy at www.statementartworks.com
Bollington poster by Eric Jackson
The folly of White Nancy stands sentinel over the Cheshire town of Bollington in the foothills of the Pennines and on the edge of the Peak District National Park. From White Nancy you can see across the Cheshire Plain, with Manchester in one direction and Jodrell Bank and the Welsh mountains in the other. Cheshire's Chamonix then? Well the people have a kind of mountain man sensibility, judging by the amount of Gortex and Nordic walking poles on show. It's a lovely place, though, albeit mostly strung along one winding road, so it's hard to pinpoint a centre. The cricket ground is amazing, as are some of the pubs and parks, and to top it all there's a micro-brewery. So when you finish any of the many walks on offer, there's always a great pub and a pint to look forward to. The very big one downside for me - no railway station. But that's not Bollington's fault, just that cretin Beeching who closed half the stations in the sixties. The poster is available at markets and online at www.statementartworks.com