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 Walking the Wild side - Coppenhall to Weston Route Directions  14km (8.5 miles)  4 - 6 hours.
Take a walk on the wild side and discover mysterious mosses, ancient hedgerows and other hidden gems in the South Cheshire countryside.
| Imagine a wilderness wetland, rich in wildlife. This area was one of the most extensive areas of peatland in Cheshire, yet all that remains today are place names such as Moss Bridge and Coppenhall Moss.
Four townships met on this peatland area, which was made up of at least five mosses called Warmingham, Minshull, Leighton, Coppenhall and Maplin's or Marbury's.
Once common land, local people had rights of turbary which was the right to cut peat as household fuel. |
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The turf cutters lived in simple one-up-one-down cottages on a staple diet of buttermilk and potatoes. They transported peat turves by donkey and cart to local towns such as Nantwich.
Eventually the mosses were drained, enclosed and converted to farmland. At first, wheat was grown, but later it proved to be very good 'cheese making land.' If you look closely, there is a very regular field pattern, with hedges made up of mainly hawthorn or blackthorn. Many other moss lands have been drained, but there are some that are still very special for wildlife, such as Wybunbury Moss.
Wybunbury Moss National Nature Reserve is a unique floating bog, home to many rare plants and animals. Sundew, bog asphodel and bog rosemary thrive in the damp mossy conditions, while dragonflies hunt for prey.
Sandbach Flashes are one of the best bird watching haunts in Cheshire. Large numbers of waders and wildfowl gather in winter, attracting peregrine, merlin and sparrowhawks in search of easy prey. Spring and autumn migration are busy times for birds and bird watchers alike, with a tremendous variety of birds passing through.
The Flashes were formed by subsidence, resulting from the local salt industry. Their salty water conditions have made this area special for plants such as sea club-rush, lesser sea-spurrey and sea aster, which are all typical salt marsh plants, but very unusual inland.
Roadside verges and canal towpaths are often havens for insects and wild flowers. The verges near the railway bridge on Clay Lane are especially rich with wild flowers such as ox-eye daisy and knapweed.
Wherever you walk in Cheshire you will soon come across hedgerows. Many are mainly hawthorn or blackthorn and date back to 18th or 19th century enclosures. Some are much older, with twists and turns, and are full of different kinds of plants, unlike the straighter planted hedgerows. Look out for sinuous hedgerows with shrubs such as hazel, guelder rose, native privet or even field maple. These hedges may date back to the original woodland clearance.
Winterley Pool is an old mill pond which was first recorded here in 1572. The pool is now enjoyed by local people, who come to fish or feed the masses of ducks that congregate here. The pool is one of the most important inland refuges for mute swans in Cheshire.
Haslington Hall, a magnificent Tudor house, was built by Admiral Sir Francis Vernon in 1545. As an Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Francis Vernon had the task of dismantling ships from the Spanish Armada and it is rumoured that these ships' timbers were used to build later extensions to the hall.
In spring, the slopes down to Valley Brook are carpeted with flowers. Bluebells and wood anemones suggest that these woods have had very little disturbance over the centuries. Ancient woodland is now very uncommon in Cheshire and very valuable as a wildlife and landscape feature.
Standing on the railway bridge, looking towards a low lying brook at the rear of Bridgehouse Farm, there is a native black poplar tree. In winter, it is easy to see the arching branches which made them valuable for building the crucks in timber-framed buildings. Look out for more native black poplars, Britain's rarest timber tree, as you walk the paths in the Crewe and Nantwich area.
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