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West Cheshire Rural

Walking Group

Status:Active, open to new members
Leader:
Group email: Walking group
When: On Thursdays 10:00 am
2nd and 4th Thursday
Venue: On Location

Short walks - The monthly short walk takes place on the second Thursday of the month. These walks are around 4 miles.

Long walks - The group's long walks take place on the fourth Thursday. These walks are around 6 miles.

See below for dates of planned walks and the leaders if known as at September 2025.

If you can lead on any of the free dates in the 2026 walks please contact Anne Bayliss.

To help all Walkers and Walk Leaders to get the best participation experience on our walks, you are asked to read the advice guidelines by clicking the button below.

Advice to Walkers and Leaders

SPRING 2026

February 2026 saw 13 members step out for the short walk which took a circular route of about 4 miles in and around Chester. Starting at the Grosvenor Hotel in the town centre, the walk continued along the city walls, the canal, the River Dee promenade trail and around the perimeter of the Roodee. Snugbury's provided the coffee break before returning to the city centre for lunch in the Market Hall. Give the very wet start to the year, we managed to stay dry!

The long way was in Eccleston and through the meadows to the Groves in Chester where refreshments were enjoyed in Sunbury's. The return journey was back to Handbridge via Duke's Drive.

Nine members joined the 3.5 walk from the centre of Tarporley through some 'hidden' paths in the village, across some fields and the permissive path around the Macdonald Portal Golf Club.

The long walk of just over five miles included a new member. Walking both in Wales (Rossett) and England (Pulford) the mixture of roads, farmers' lanes and paths ensured a variety of views.

WINTER 2025/2026

The first walk of the new year was in Delamere Forest, meeting at the Yeld car park and walking to the visitor centre via Nettleford Woods.

On 22nd January the group completed a circular walk through Rowton, where there is a monument to the Battle of Rowton Moor. Crossing the A41 to Waverton, we followed Bakers Way along the canal back to Christleton, stopping for lunch at the Cheshire Cat.

Starting from Tiverton, this November 2025 walk was about 4.5 miles across fields, through lanes and finishing at the Lockgate cafe for lunch. It had rained the night before which made it muddy underfoot in places but it turned into a glorious sunny morning.

The second walk was about 4 miles, mainly flat with a short uphill section by Beeston Castle. The group lunched at The Shady.

A short walk was enjoyed by 10 of us along lanes, fields, tracks and woodland around Gresford. We then took a short drive to Lavister where we were joined by 5 more group members for lunch at the Dog & Pickle. This December meeting completed a year of successful walking. Note the rare Victorian Post found on the walk - this is still in use today.

AUTUMN 2025

The October short walk was around Tattenhall where the route was familiar ensuring no-one got lost!

Four intrepid walkers braved the dire forecast along the canal in Whitchurch where we enjoyed lush green countryside with the trees showing their autumnal October hues. Fortunately the sun shone for most of the time. There were two refreshment stops, one by the canal and the other in Whitchurch town.

A hastily re-routed walk on 23rd September, following the torrential rain over the previous weekend saw a small group of four completing the Saltscape Trail in brilliant sunshine. At approximately six miles the trail is a figure of eight route following parts of the Dragonfly and Orchid trails from the Anderton Boat Lift and the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal. The halfwa!y point was the Lion Salt Works at Marston where we enjoyed a very welcome comfort break and coffee and cake.

The September short walk was a 4 mile flat walk mainly along country lanes and through the pretty village of Litle Budworth finishing with lunch at the Red Lion.

SUMMER 2025

The walking group continued over the summer months. The short walk started from the Leigh Arms in Acton Bridge on the A49. It was a flat walk of 4.5 miles mainly along canals.

The longer walk started at Morris's lift bridge on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and took in most of the History Trail on Whixall and Fenn's mosses. The views as usual were wide-ranging under the vast skies; the heather was in flower and the hedgerows were full of fruit and berries. After walking for approx three hours lunch was enjoyed at the Marina Cafe, fortunately reached before the rain started!

As the short walk in July turned out to be the hottest day of the year, instead of our planned circular walk from Walk Mill, we chose to do a shorter route out to the Roman Bridges, retracing our steps back in time for lunch at Walk Mill.

Our longer walk started at Willey Moor Lock Tavern. Following the Sandstone Trail, a flock of black-faced sheep greeted us as we passed Pearl Farm. Next stop was St Chad's church where we lingered in the quiet churchyard and took in the sweeping views across the Cheshire Plain. A peek through the windows revealed lovely stained glass windows. In the corner of the churchyard there was a small building hosting the original horse-drawn parish hearse bult in 1880.

APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2025

Members have enjoyed some beautiful spring walks during April, May and June when the weather was surprisingly warm. The shorter walks concentrated mainly around the local villages such as Aldford, Burwardsley and Harthill while the longer walks were more challenging taking in the Horseshoe Falls, over Velvet Hill, through the woods and along the canal at Llangollen. Another interesting walk took in Whitegate Way and the Weaver Navigation where a swan and her cygnets where spotted. Passing over Vale Royal Locks and the golf course, the wak finished with a well earned lunch at The Plough Inn.

Whether its a short or a long walk, members always find time for socialising over refreshments.