Countryside in Vale Royal

Vale Royal's peaceful and unspoilt countryside, in the heart of Cheshire, is a well kept secret, providing a rich variety of scenery to explore from cattle-grazed valleys threaded with canals and rivers, to sandstone hills and expansive woodlands.

Walks
For walkers, the 32 mile Sandstone Trail runs for almost half its length through the Borough between Frodsham and Tarporley. This takes you through some of the best scenery on a clearly waymarked route.

For riverside walking, there is the Weaver Valley Way running along the riverside between Frodsham and Winsford or a section of the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk.

Country parks at Marbury and Little Budworth also have trails and picnic areas. The Whitegate Way runs for six miles along a disused railway line that once transported salt from Winsford.

In addition to this, there is a good network of footpaths and bridleways linking many of the Borough's villages.

Further information on walks and trails can be found on the walking page.

Forestry
In contrast to the open countryside of Vale Royal is Delamere Forest. This is a huge conifer plantation, an ancestor of the Norman hunting forests of Mara and Mondrem. The shady peace of the woodland can be explored using a number of well marked trails and there are plenty of picnic sites. Information can be obtained from the visitor centre at Linmere, along with refreshments and WC facilities.

Although the hunting forest has long gone, smaller areas of natural woodland remain, many carpeted with spring bluebells. These are being conserved as part of the Mersey Forest initiative. Pick up the Mersey Forest leaflet for more information.

Cycling
For cyclists there are many waymarked off-road trails including Delamere, the Weaver Parkway and a route around Winsford. Or you may prefer to plan your own route along quiet country lanes so typical of the Cheshire countryside.

Wildlife
Wildlife flourishes in Vale Royal's unspoilt countryside. Frodsham Marshes are particularly good for birdwatching. Helsby Quarry is interesting both for its wildlife and geology and summer flowers abound at Anderton Nature Park.

Marshall's Arm, an old meander of the River Weaver, is Vale Royal's first nature reserve. Its reedbeds, open water, woodland and meadow provide important nesting sites for birds and allow wildflowers to flourish.

Sandstone
A sandstone ridge runs along the western edge of Vale Royal from north to south, giving commanding views across the Cheshire Plain to the Dee Valley, the Welsh hills and beyond.