Werneth Low

Werneth Low is a breezy 279-metre hill on the Greater Manchester and Cheshire fringe above Hyde and Romiley, run as a country park by Tameside Council. Its war memorial trig point commands a huge panorama, with the Manchester conurbation and Peak District moors to one side, the Cheshire plain and, on clear days, the Welsh hills to the other. A car park near the golf club and the memorial gives quick access to open, grassy hilltop. This is public country park land rather than National Trust, and it sits outside any Flight Restriction Zone; the nearest, Manchester Airport, is roughly sixteen kilometres to the south-west. However, you are beneath Manchester's controlled airspace, so keep well below 120 metres and stay clear of the airliners overhead. Dog-walkers, kite-flyers and runners use the top constantly, so pick a launch spot away from the memorial and the busiest paths. The exposed summit catches the wind, making it good for practising in a breeze but demanding in gusts. Weekday mornings are the calmest and quietest, and clear winter days deliver the longest views across the plain.