The parish of Raven’s hill is an interesting place. It lies on a gradual slope that falls 1,300 feet from just below The Cat and Fiddle until, give or take the occasional undulation, it slides gracefully into the happy valley of Bollington. But as well as a slope it is also a bowl. For the most part, its contents remain invisible from its parochial neighbours and they from it. There is only one breach in its defences and that is where the River Dean flows out in its search for the Irish Sea. Apart from that, the outposts of Kerridge Ridge, Shutlingsloe, Shining Tor and Sponds Hill throw out their protective arms. And there are bowls within bowls, Thursbitch, Lamaload, Harrop, guarded by their own particular pickets.

This is good country to walk in. Bus routes encircle and bisect it, allowing a variety of linear routes to suit most tastes. Ranging from kestrel-dotted moorland to waterfalled woods and shaded dimples and dints, it is a land for all seasons. In addition, Cheshire County Council have produced an excellent series of parish maps that clearly mark and number the existing rights of way. In the case of the parish of Rainow, these extend over forty miles and visit every corner of their land. Production of these maps is an excellent idea and probably contributes more to the national health than many of the more expensive remedies that are pressed into service.