Beeston Castle

Type: Castle / Fort

Set 350 feet above the Cheshire Plain on the sheer rocky crags, legend has it that the majestic Beeston Castle guards buried treasure once belonging to Richard II. The king is said to have dispersed bags of gold at Beeston en route to Chester, where he set sail to quell the rebellion in Ireland ...But Beeston's origins go much further back - over 4,000 years to a Bronze Age hill fort. The medieval fortress visitors see today is a Crusader's Castle inspired by the impregnable hill-top strongholds of the Holy Land.

The famous views from the top are reputedly the best from any castle in England - on a clear day visitors can see across 8 counties from the Pennines in the east to the mountains of Wales in the west.

Beeston is also a haven for wildlife and the unspoilt woodland makes it home to a host of birds and small mammals.