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There are a
number of books and pamphlets giving details of walks in Cheshire, and
we are very lucky to have a council that maintains the public rights of
way as well as it does. As a walker who has covered many miles through
the British countryside it is evident that other areas are not so
fortunate.
However, there
are few walks that start in Hartford and it was felt that a series of
very local walks might be popular with residents and visitors alike. To
that end the Society is preparing information sheets on a number of
walks in the immediate vicinity of Hartford and combining these with a
few historical notes to make the journey more interesting. The intention
is to make the instructions clear enough that an ordnance survey map is
not required but having one is always advantageous.
They will
initially be available as downloadable pdf files from the website but
may eventually be incorporated into a published document if there is
sufficient demand.
Walk 1 - A Circular walk from
the Coachman Pub taking in Thornwood (5.5 miles)
Thorn Wood is
owned by the Woodland Trust and the public are welcome to walk there at
any time—it is a valuable local facility and popular with people wishing
to take their dogs for a good walk away from public roads. It is,
however, quite difficult to get to as there is very limited parking on
the grass verge on the Weaverham road.
Thorn Wood is
a 41 acre new woodland between the villages of Weaverham and Hartford
but wholly located within Hartford Parish. The site is a Community
Woodland with part of it planted as part of the Woodland Trust’s
Millennium project "Woods on Your Doorstep" . The land was purchased in
March 1998 with the help of The Mersey Forest, The Countryside Agency,
the Forestry Commission, the Millennium Commission, the County /
District and two Local Parish Councils, the Sainsbury Family Charitable
Trust and numerous local business and private donations. Formerly
pasture, the site was opened to the public during the winter of 1998-99
and planted as new native woodland comprising a mixture of approximately
twenty six thousand oak, ash, silver birch, rowan, and wild cherry with
hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn, holly, and dog rose. Two thousand of these
were planted by the local community during national tree week (1998).
Public and management access are gained off Northwich Road and open onto
approximately 2km of informal paths. However it is possible to access
the site using public footpaths and that was the inspiration for this
walk.
At present
(2007) the Woodland Trust are in the process of creating a wildflower
meadow on the site to complement the woodland.
Walk 2 - A Circular walk from the
village centre taking in Marshall's Arm nature reserve (2.5 miles)
Designated a Local Nature Reserve in
1998, this unspoilt area extends to 11.4 hectares—The name comes from
the Marshall family who lived in Hartford Greenbank Manor from the early
1700s until the early 1900s. They were involved in the salt trade for
five generations before the business was sold in the late 1800s. The
"Arm" is the old course of the River Weaver that was cut off when,
between the 1730s and the end of the century, the river was straightened
and locks built in order to allow the passage of larger commercial
barges. The size of craft that could be accommodated can be judged by
looking at the dual lock system that was built. At each level change
there are a pair of locks - one large and one smaller - if you take the
optional extension to Hunt’s Lock you will see a good example.
The spurs of woodland that lead down to
the river are ancient woodland that has never been cleared due to the
steepness of the land. They were probably originally part of the Royal
Forest of Mara which dates back to the Norman conquest. The reserve
comprises woodland, wetlands and meadows and provides a sanctuary for a
diversity of wildlife on the urban fringe. Oak, ash, beech, alder and
sycamores stand above holly, hawthorn and willow. Ground flora includes
bluebells, dogs mercury and ransoms. Birds include jays, blackcaps and
wrens and there are holly blue and speckled wood butterflies. The
grasslands and meadows are home to amber snails, marsh damselbug and fen
spiders.
Walk 3 - A Circular
walk from Whitegate Railway Station via the River Weaver and Vale Royal
Abbey (7.5 miles)
This varied
and interesting walk starts from the old Whitegate Railway Station where
there are good parking facilities and public conveniences. It follows
the trackbed of the old railway that originally served the salt industry
but became a casualty of "progress". It passes the working salt mine and
then follows the River Weaver up to Vale Royal Locks - another example
of the dual lock system employed on the river to cater for commercial
traffic. From the locks, it passes through Vale Royal Golf Club and the
old Abbey.
Founded in
1278 by King Edward I, the Cistercian Abbey took 53 years to build and
was opened in 1330. The king laid the foundation stone on 13th August
1277 after promising to build the largest abbey in England for the
Cistercian monks of Hereford after he survived a storm at sea returning
from the Holy Land. The original Abbey was almost destroyed by a fierce
storm in 1360 but was extensively rebuilt by the Black Prince and
remained in use until 1539. It was largely demolished following the
Reformation. At it’s height it was larger than Westminster Abbey.
Following the Dissolution the site was acquired by the royal
commissioner, Sir Thomas Holcroft, who ‘plucked down’ the great church.
Afterwards he built a house which incorporated some of the monastic
buildings. Evidence suggests that the plan focused around the conversion
of the south and west ranges. Holcroft’s house, although much altered
since the sixteenth century, can still be seen at Vale Royal today. It
has recently been converted to provide a clubhouse and other facilities
for a golf course. There are no visible remains of the church, although
a monument known as the ‘Nun’s Grave’ marks the spot where the High
Altar is thought to have been.
The walk is
completed crossing countryside and through quiet lanes to return to the
start.
Walk 4 - A Circular
walk from the Village Centre via the River Weaver and Vale Royal
Abbey (7.5 miles)
This
interesting walk follows one bank of the River Weaver before going
through the grounds of Vale Royal Abbey. It then crosses the Cheshire
countryside before rejoining the river at the Winsford Salt Mine and
returning to the village along the opposite bank.
Walk 5 - Anderton Nature Park and Northwich (7.2) miles
This circular walk combines both a visit to
one of the North West’s best known industrial heritage sites, the Anderton Boat
lift – the “Cathedral of the Canals”; a stroll through Anderton Country Park
along the river Weaver (with diversions to the bird watching hide on Haydn’s
pond); before coming into Northwich via Marbury Lane, and retuning to Hartford
via Castle (seeing the evidence of the local Roman occupation).
The walk offers many opportunities to
explore or can be altered to complete shorter circular walks entirely within the
Nature Park - (see the instructions for the web address where you can find a
Park map). There is ample parking at the Nature Park and the Boat Lift but
charges apply.
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