Apedale Winding Wheel

The old pit wheel still turns lazily above the former colliery site near Crewe, a proper industrial relic that pulls you back into the grit of North West coal mining. Apedale's winding wheel is what remains of a working mine that shaped this corner of Cheshire for over a century, and climbing up to get a proper view of it rewards you with something genuinely different from the usual parkland walks.

You're looking at a massive iron structure that once hauled men and coal from hundreds of feet below ground. The viewpoint itself sits among the old pit buildings and overgrown railway sidings - it's eerie in the best way, the kind of place that makes you think about what life was like when this was a going concern. The wheel doesn't move much these days, but standing beneath it and looking out across the reclaimed landscape is oddly moving. It's industrial archaeology without the museum feel.

This suits walkers and history types far more than families with small children - there's not much to do once you've had a look and taken photos, maybe twenty minutes tops. The ground can be muddy and uneven, so proper boots are wise. It's free to visit, and there's no particular opening hours to worry about since it's an outdoor site. If you're based at Tipsy Tree Glamping a few miles away, it's worth a half-hour detour on a rainy afternoon, but don't expect to spend hours here. It's a brief glimpse of what mattered to Crewe not so long ago.