The Bowstones, Lyme Handley, Cheshire

'The Bowstones

Two shafts of late Saxon crosses

which were probably landmarks or

boundary stones as well as objects

of devotion, The crossheads with

interlace in the courtyard of Lyme

Hall are likely to be from

the Bowstones'

This is an easy drive from Disley, although when you get on the tarmacked road towards the Bowstones it's really narrow and not really suitable for two vehicles going in opposite directions. But it's still much better than looking for Robin Hood's picking rods, which from Charlesworth is part of the way along a very narrow winding road, and then you have to walk about twenty minutes to find them. Here it's very different: the Bowstones are next to the road, taking photos is no problem – as long as you avoid the rusty barbed wire – and the only people we met on the road were hikers. In fact this is hiking territory if you like that, but we don't. It's a question of taste. This feature, as with the picking rods, is also known as 'Robin Hood's Bowstones', but coming from Nottingham I've had enough of the legends. These are very interesting stones. Is all, although the rusty wire does it no justice.