around Sandiway and Cuddington
A map has been provided by Chester West and Cheshire Council containing many of the 'official' Footpaths in the borough.
to view the map and pan / zoom around to display your area of interest. You may have to zoom in to see all the permissive footpaths (in purple).
This page details the fourth edition of “The Local Walks around Sandiway & Cuddington”, originally published in paper form by the Parish Council. The first edition in 1995 was produced by Geoff Turner and then updated by Gerry Card in 2000. This edition was updated in 2012. The creation of this edition of this booklet was assisted by kind donations from Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council and from our local pubs and hotels.
The walks have been updated through the hard work of the many footpath wardens we are now so lucky to have in the village. If you are interested in becoming a footpath warden please contact the parish clerk (see "Contact Us").
To bring some local history in to the walks Mark Bevan has been kind enough to supply many interesting facts. His company CC Publishing Books Direct, supplies many local history books and can be found at www.cc-publishing.co.uk. We also thank Mary Dentschuk for the permission to use her photographs.
These have been chosen for ease of parking, but for the lucky inhabitants of the village this should not be necessary as you will be able to join the walks at any convenient point for you.
For those who prefer not to drive, Cuddington has an unstaffed, railway station off Norley Road and very near to the Norley Road Playing Fields. It is served by trains on the Manchester to Chester line via Northwich.
The distances and times are just a guide so please make allowances.
For a serious walker there is no substitute for a proper Ordnance Survey map. However we have included sketch maps for each walk. Most of the paths in the guides can now be found on the OS Explorer 1:25000 scale map No 267 - ‘Northwich & Delamere Forest’.
Some mud is inevitable and so suitable footwear is advisable.
We have tried to keep the road walking to a minimum, but please take extra care on these parts of the walks.
To avoid conflict please put your dog on the lead when crossing any farm land or field with livestock. Even the best behaved dog can act unpredictably in the presence of farm animals and farming is a vital part of our village economy.
Should you wish to observe the birds on this walk you will need to add half an hour to the guide time. You will find there is a variety of differing habitats, thus attracting surprisingly good numbers and species of birds. In all you can expect to see approximately 45 - 50 species. 43 species have been noted on just one walk for this publication) including all of the crow family (apart from the raven), starlings, dunnocks, wrens, robins, blackbirds and thrushes, various tits and also buzzards. Of particular interest is the good number of song thrushes, which appear to be making a comeback after dropping in number nationally over the last few decades. The same applies to the house sparrow which seems to be holding its own in this part of Cheshire with the retention of old style buildings that provide good breeding sites.
Walk No. 1: Oaklands Walk - 4 miles, say 1½ to 2 hours
A Circular Walk Through Cuddington Vale
A pleasant ramble around the villages of Cuddington and Sandiway taking in most of the places of interest and passing through the old village of Bryn and the former centre of Cuddington village.
Walk No. 2: White Barn Walk - 3¼ miles, say 1½ hours
A Circular Walk Through Cuddington Vale
A pretty walk circling Cuddington village, with some good views over the village and the surrounding countryside. If you are lucky you may see birds of prey as you cross the fields.
Walk No. 3: Hazel Pear Walk - 6 miles, say 2½ to 3 hours
A Circular Walk to Acton Bridge and Return
A longer ramble taking you away from housing and across open farmland, with plenty of opportunity to observe wild birds. Parts of this walk can be muddy in wet weather.
Walk No. 4: Pettypool Woods - 4 miles, say 1½ to 2 hours
A Circular Walk to Pettypool Woods and the Whitegate Way
An attractive woodland and lakeside walk, providing extensive opportunities to observe both woodland and water birds. The walk finishes by passing the Cheshire Hunt kennels.
Walk No. 5: Blue Cap Walk - 3¾ miles, say 1½ to 2 hours
A Circular Walk on the Whitegate Way to Ravensclough
A wooded walk past the kennels of the Cheshire Hunt, then along the leafy Whitegate Way and back through Kennel Wood.
Walk No. 6: Pettypool Woods to Ravensclough - 6¼ miles, say 2½ to 3 hours
A Circular Walk via Pettypool Woods, the Whitegate Way and Ravensclough
A longer walk combining elements of walks 4 and 5. Most of this walk is away from habitation, passing through woodland and by one (or two) large lakes, so providing good opportunities to observe both woodland and water birds.
Walk No. 7: Forest View Walk - 7 miles, say 3 to 3½ hours
A Longer Ramble To Norley And Back
An undulating walk through the Cheshire countryside passing a number of places of local interest. There are good views over Delamere Forest and northwards towards the River Weaver and Mersey Estuary.
Walk No. 8: Hartford Hall Walk - 8 miles, say 3½ to 4 hours
A Circular Walk to the River Weaver, Vale Royal,Whitegate and Pettypool
A very pretty walk taking you along the River Weaver, then through the grounds of the former Vale Royal Abbey to Whitegate and back past Pettypool. The Vale Royal locks on the River Weaver make a good picnic stop in summer. Some of this route can be very muddy after heavy rain.