42 Werneth Lowe. 



Parkwood station at Stockport, we are virtually at the 

 foot of WERNETH LOWE, the highest of the Cheshire 

 hills, and so closely associated with those of the adjoin- 

 ing county as to form a kind of appendix to them. It 

 stands at the entrance to that odd piece of Cheshire 

 which runs away from the remainder in a north-easterly 

 direction, stretched forth, as an old topographer says, 

 "like the wing of an eagle." This portion of the 

 county, though in area only one-thirteenth, contains no 

 less than a fourth of the population, a fact quite 

 easy to receive when we remember that it contains 

 Hyde, Dukinfield, and half of Stockport. From the 

 sides of Werneth Lowe is obtained a perfect idea of the 

 whole of the surrounding country, indeed, of the whole 

 neighbourhood of Manchester. It is like walking round 

 the top of a watch-tower, so complete is the look-out in 

 all directions. First, on reaching Lowe-top from Wood- 

 ley, we have the plains of Cheshire and South Lanca- 

 shire. Moving along the southerly side, by the foot 

 of Sprinks wood, we see Lyme, Marple, and Disley. 

 Leaving the road at Bernfield dingle, and passing 

 Morten clough, we reach a beautiful part of the hill, com- 

 manding a view of the Etherowe and of the Ernocroft 

 woods, the latter clothing the opposite slope of Derby- 

 shire. By and by the grand scenery of Glossop and 

 Charlesworth is unrolled ; then come the high grounds 

 of Mottram-in-Longdendale and Saddleworth, and on 

 descending we find ourselves face to face with the distant 



