Thursday 5 March 2026 - Northwich to Cuddington (Altrincham to Chester Stage 3)

We chose a beautiful sunny day for this very scenic Stage 3 of our 5 stage walk from Altrincham to Chester. Despite a few apologies for absence, eight of us congregated at Northwich railway station where we finished Stage 2 on 13 February.

We headed towards the Weaver Navigation via a pilgrimage to Alan Street (Alan being one of today's pilgrims - his excellent report is here) and encounters with several railway lines and a cemetery.

After a bit of 'ducking and diving' we reached the good path that runs alongside Northwich Viaduct, a magnificent structure comprising 47 arches and passing over two waterways, the Weaver Navigation, and the diminutive River Dane that flows into the Weaver at this point. The viaduct dates from the opening of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway in 1854. We will cross it later on our return journey from Cuddington.

With grasses wafting in the breeze, we proceeded to a bridge that helped us reach the Weaver Navigation and a person begging on behalf of the Canal & River Trust, who need more than we can afford to donate in order to repair recent serious breaches.

We crossed over via the locks, and enjoyed elevenses on a generous sized picnic bench. What a lovely day!

Alan, Andy, Sheila, Rick, Paul, Jeanette and Sue

Rufus was there as well

There are several route options hereabouts. We chose the west bank of the Weaver Navigation, where the path soon enters Marshall's Arm Nature Reserve. 'Arm' refers to the shape of the River Weaver at this point.

Designated a 'Local Nature Reserve' in 1998, the reserve's logo is a heron, and students from Mid Cheshire College have provided an elaborate wrought iron entrance gate featuring a heron.

The main river channel is clear, but weed covered ponds lie beside the path.

On this fine, warm day, it felt as if spring was upon us, especially as we encountered beds of Lesser Celandine beside the path.

Also in flower, Wood Anemone, Butterbur, Red Dead-nettle and banks of Daffodils added to the spring like conditions.

An information board offered pictures of the many birds that inhabit the Nature Reserve, and another board has been lovingly created to celebrate the numerous types of butterfly that can be found here.

After a while, and sadly having seen no butterflies, we exited the Nature Reserve beside another sculpture from Mid Cheshire College.

Back briefly by the main river, a colony of swans was busy preening itself in between attempts to create a pecking order.

Lesser Celandine

Side paths broadcast by the elaborate signposts of the Peak & Northern Footpaths Society were ignored as we continued towards Whitegate.

We walked briefly beside Vale Royal Golf Course (we didn't spot you, Phil) and past the Great House that was built after Vale Royal Abbey had been razed to the ground during the dissolution of the monasteries in the days of Henry VIII.

The history of the place is recounted on an information board - click on the image and magnify it if you are interested in that.

We passed through some woodland to reach Whitegate, from where I enjoyed a 5 km circuit on 17 September 2024, and a 8 km circuit with Sue on 2 October 2024.

Daffodils and Artist's Bracket fungi featured.

St Mary's Parish Church was passed, before a left turn down a quiet road led to some fields planted with winter greens.

The farmer hadn't left a path for walkers, nor an easy way of dealing with his electric fences, so we just followed the GPS track that I'd plotted along the route of the path on the Ordnance Survey map, and this led eventually to a properly waymarked footpath around Gale Green Farm.

An elaborate stile finally dumped us on the old railway track used by the Whitegate Way, a popular route frequented by a multitude of walkers and cyclists.

A magnificent 8-seater picnic bench soon proved to be too much of a distraction to pass by. A fine spot for lunch.

Soon after re-starting from our leisurely break, we passed the old station buildings at Whitegate, where there's a recommended café. The railway line was built in 1870 to transport salt. There was at times a passenger service between links with other rail services at Winsford and Cuddington, but the 10 km line was closed for good in 1966.

We diverted after a while to try a muddy track between ponds that were being used for fishing. We soon discovered that the track was being used by a giant mud generating tractor.

 

We were soon back on the kind surface of the Whitegate Way footpath.

More daffodil lined banks led to a tarmac road that brought us into Cuddington. Our plan was to get the 4:18 train home, and we had deliberately not stopped at Whitegate Station's café as a precaution against missing that train (albeit we had only just finished our lunch break). As it happened, we just avoided an hour's wait by arriving on Cuddington Station's platform a few seconds before the earlier 3:18 train arrived!

Rufus was tired.

That was an excellent route, enjoyed by everyone. Here it is - 19 km, with not much ascent, taking about 5 hours. Brilliant.

The next stage - on Tuesday 17 March - is advertised as follows:

Altrincham to Chester - Stage 4 - Cuddington to Mouldsworth..
9:36 train from Altrincham to Cuddington (10:16), then walk to Mouldsworth, approx 14km. Return on 16:08 train.

We look forward to seeing you then.

After composing this entry, I discovered that Alan had beaten me to it. His comprehensive report is here. I commend you to read it.

Friday 27 February 2026 - Erddig

Leaving Pen y Bont

Our route home from Pen y Bont took us past the National Trust's property at Erddig, near Wrexham. We were in no hurry, so we spent the morning there before continuing the short journey home (an hour or so from Erddig).

View from the bridge at Pen y Bont, towards the owner's farmhouse

On arrival at Erddig, we parked next to an out of season mistletoe tree.

I posed by some giant daffodils.

At the rear of the hall, workers were pleaching the lime trees.

Lungwort was in flower

A pond near the hall contained the usual mallard, coot and moorhen, black-headed gulls, etc.

In the Big Wood near the pond, someone has been busy sculping numerous apples out of old tree trunks.

Apparently some 180+ varieties of apples can be found here at their peak in October.

Sue found a gloomy spot for a picnic in today's overcast conditions, but this would be a fun place for youngsters in the summer.

Several glass houses have been rescued from disrepair by the National Trust, who were given the property when it was in desperate need of restoration.

We took a 5km stroll around the grounds, partly along the 'Wat's Dyke Way'.

The 'Cup and Saucer' dates from 1775, when it was built as a means of quickly lowering the brook, preventing erosion.

Nearby, a Hydraulic Ram pumped water up to the hall, with a capability of raising 10,000 gallons a day up to 90 feet. The engine's thud was known as the 'heart of Erddig'.

Back at the hall, a Rover Tourer from 1907, a rather dilapidated 1924 Austin, and a 1927 Austin that shows how motor car design had moved on in twenty years.

There's also a small collection of vintage bicycles.

Only the basement was open to visitors today. Before adjourning to the restaurant, Sue and I spent some time there. The walls are adorned with pictures of generations of loyal servants, who were well looked after by the Yorke family, who lived here for over 240 years.

 

Flower beds near the hall already have a display of cyclamen.

Before leaving by the side entrance to the left of the next picture (this was used as the main entrance for the butler's convenience), we took time out for a few photos of the hall, and the view from the front door. Hopefully more of the building will be open next time we visit.