 Getting out and about
...on foot
 Choose from a wealth of outdoor rambles: ancient heathland at Little Budworth, or the remains of the vast medieval hunting lands that once covered much of Cheshire which exist still at Delamere Forest Park, the rugged gritstone uplands at Tegg’s Nose Country Park and woodland landscapes at Marbury Park.
 To the west, on the Dee Estuary the marshlands of Parkgate and Wirral’s coastline are sites recognised internationally for birdlife.
Cheshire’s Sandstone Trail offers spectacular views - any time of the year - along a 55km (34 mile) walk from Frodsham to Whitchurch along a ridge rising dramatically from the Cheshire Plain.
 The rugged scenery of Cheshire’s hill country waits to be explored on the Gritstone Trail, a more challenging 56km (35 miles) walk from Disley to Kidsgrove. Newly extended, it also takes in Mow Cop and Congleton Edge.
Also popular are the Vale Royal Round - a 55km (34 miles) walk through the heart of Cheshire linking into the Sandstone Trail and Whitegate Way, the Trent and Mersey Canal and the River Weaver - and the 45km (28 mile) Pathways within Reach circular route, split in three sections, around Crewe and Nantwich.
...by pedal power
 The National Cycle Network offers striking contrasts between countryside and industrial heritage: Route 56 in the west of the county, links Chester with Liverpool skirting Wirral via away-from-it-all villages such as Willaston and Parkgate, and Route 5 provides a gateway to North Wales and beyond, taking cyclists along a pleasantly meandering route, much of it originally forged by rail, from Chester and North Wales.
 The new extended Cheshire Cycleway will provide signed access along the 176m/ 282km Route 70 around the county to enjoy in sections, or for the energetic, as a circular route. Roughly following the boundary, this runs via Chester, Parkgate, Ellesmere Port, Delamere, Tatton Park, Prestbury, Bollington, Congleton, Audlem, Malpas and back to Chester. Beautiful scenery guaranteed en route - along with lots of scope to stop off at any of the many rural attractions along the way
 ....in the saddle
Horse riders can enjoy the Wirral Country Park, Whitegate Way, Biddulph Valley Way and the Salt Line, which all offer quiet rides away from traffic.
The Bishop Bennet Way is a longer, 55km (36miles) route following bridleways, byways and minor roads through southwest Cheshire.
For more details about country parks and activities, as well as walking, cycling and riding routes, visit Visit Cheshire.com.
Delightful canal tow paths are ideal for peaceful strolls through unspoiled countryside. Canal boats can be rented by the day; also popular are trips by waterbus, or horse-drawn canal boat -some with restaurant facilities.
 And the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port houses the world’s largest collection of floating canal craft. The culmination of two years’ painstaking attention to detail - plus £7 million in funding - has restored the giant Anderton Boat Lift to its former glory.
This quirky example of Victorian engineering provided a more efficient -and highly ingenious - way of transporting narrow boats laden with cargo between the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Pioneering engineer Edwin Clark constructed the mechanical marvel, first used in 1875 and the first of its kind in the world but soon afterwards emulated in Belgium, France and Canada.
 Previously, access between the two waterways in Northwich - tantalisingly a 50ft vertical drop apart - was impossible.
But this magnificent gem of industrialised Britain provided the perfect solution - cutting the four day journey narrowboats had to take to transport rock salt from salt mines at Northwich to nearby cities.
Vessels were suddenly able to access river or canal via the ambitious hydraulic system - which in itself exemplified the unstoppable confidence of an era which literally forged Britain’s new industrial might on a world stage.
Yet as industrial demand for the canal system waned, the future of the Lift seemed threatened. Decommissioned in 1983, there were fears that a telling slice of local history might rust into oblivion.
But thanks to a combination of foresight, partnership and visionary funding, Northwich now boasts a unique landmark - open to commercial traffic and giving sightseers a grandstand view from a custom-built narrow boat complete with sheltered viewing facilities.
Championing Cheshire Homepage |