The best walks and hikes around Delamere

Easy access from the population centre of the North West

Hikes in Delamere Forest are wonderfully accessible thanks to Delamere station, which links directly to Manchester and Chester. You can access all the Forest has to offer right from the train station, while there’s plenty of parking for motorists too.A good place to start explorations of Delamere Forest is the visitor centre, where you can enjoy a coffee, find out more about the woodland and hire bikes. There’s so much to explore, from serene lakeside paths to sculpture trails for the kids. 

A gorgeous wooded haven in the midst of the Cheshire Plain

The vast Blakemere Moss dominates the land to the north of the visitor centre and is a treat for birders. Autumn is a majestic time to ramble here, when the leaves begin to blanket the forest floor and earthy hues abound, while spring sees an invasion of colour. 

Some of the best hiking routes in Delamere Forest seek out the objective of Old Pale Hill, the loftiest point in the region at 577 feet (176 m). As the high point of the Mid Cheshire Ridge, it commands a magnificent panorama that includes up to twelve counties on a clear day. However, it is best known for a superb view of Liverpool’s famous skyline. 

Further along the ridge to the east is Eddisbury hillfort, the largest Iron Age fort in Cheshire. The earthworks of this Scheduled Ancient Monument trace the contours of the hill and you can imagine what it would have been like to occupy such a spot over 2,000 years ago.

A remnant of the ancient Forests of Mara and Mondrem

Delamere Forest is all that remains of the once vast Forests of Mara and Mondrem, which stretched from the River Mersey in the northwest to Nantwich in the south. Established in the late 11th century by Hugh d’Avranches, the first of the Norman Earls of Cheshire, these great woodland regions became a hunting forest for the nobility. As the centuries passed, much of the land was cleared for agriculture and the glory of Mara and Mondrem diminished. 

Walking routes in Delamere Forest are today protected by the Forestry Commission, who have stewarded this precious remnant since 1924.