Things to do at Alderley Edge

See Invisible Worlds

Invisible Worlds is a new digital installation research project at Alderley Edge until June 2023. The project is a collaboration between an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham, aiming to tell the stories of this special place in a new way. An app for android and IOS phone users has been produced for the Invisible Worlds research project and has been designed to bring the Legend of Alderley Edge to life for visitors to the iconic Cheshire location this winter.

Through their smartphones or tablets, visitors and users will be able to explore Alderley Edge with augmented reality wizards, knights, and white horses appearing throughout the landscape, as well as specially commissioned soundscapes providing an atmospheric background. Perhaps most excitingly, users of the app can also explore mines underneath Alderley Edge from their own homes. But the app is not just about wizards and horses. Users will be prompted to share their responses to the Legend and the versions of it that they are familiar with. The research team will use this information to write a crowd-curated history of the Legend, tracing its contemporary life.

Download the app today from the app store on your iOS or Android phone and delve into Invisible Worlds. For more information on the project, please visit the Invisible Worlds website.

Birdwatching at Alderley Edge

Discover the wonderful variety of woodland birds at Alderley Edge.

In recent years we've installed nest boxes throughout the woods to help encourage small woodland birds. We're recording the success of the boxes and the results have been encouraging.

Keep your eyes peeled for redstart, nuthatch, tree creeper, green and great spotted woodpeckers, woodcock, raven, goldcrest and bullfinches. If you’re very lucky you may hear or even see a tawny owl.

Discover the Armada Beacon

The Armada Beacon at Alderley Edge was built on top of a Bronze Age ‘bowl barrow’ or burial mound – and it's almost the highest point of the Edge. It was part of a chain of alarm throughout the country that was used in Tudor times to warn of the invasion of the Spanish Armada. With very few trees, it was the perfect vantage point and visible for miles around.

The stone building that housed the beacon’s fire basket was damaged in a gale in 1931 and demolished shortly afterwards. Now you'll see a memorial stone which has been erected on the summit.

Forest Bathing sessions

Today's busy lives can have a significant impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle for a while, why not have a go at forest bathing? Despite the name you won’t need to pack your swimsuit: it simply means the practice of slowing down and immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere. If you've never tried it before and want some guidance, why not try one of the sessions led by Amanda from Let's Step In. For more information and to book please visit: https://www.letsstepin.com/events

Butterfly spotting at Alderley Edge

Did you know that over 20 species of butterfly have been sighted on Alderley Edge?

Venture through the woodland to Stormy Point and on to Engine Vein to catch a glimpse of red admirals and speckled wood butterflies basking in sunlit patches on the ground. If you're taking a longer stroll along the Historic Mines Circuit, you may well be rewarded with a glimpse of more unusual species such as common blues and small coppers.

Top tips for butterfly spotting

Butterfly expert Matthew Oates has over 50 years of butterfly spotting experience. He says you don't even have to venture far from the National Trust car park to hopefully get your first glimpse. Large white, green-veined white and orange tip butterflies have all been known to lay their eggs in the hedgerow.

Peacocks and small tortoiseshells, together with comma, painted lady and meadow white butterflies are just a few of the species which have made their home in the adjacent field.