Canals and Waterways are a great way to explore Cheshire at a leisurely pace, as well as offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy sites of historic interest along the way.
Cheshire is home to the Cheshire Ring, consisting of 97 miles of canal and 92 locks, taking 50 hours to complete. The Cheshire Ring is made up three main canals that run through the county; the Macclesfield Canal running through Congleton and Macclesfield, the Trent and Mersey running through Middlewich and Wheelock and then the Bridgewater Canal running through Lymm in the North. The Shropshire Union Canal also skirts Chester's City Walls where you can stop off and explore 2000 years of history.
Why not stop off and explore one of the many towns and villages enroute or take a trip to see Anderton Boat Lift, an incredible edifice, perched on the banks of the River Weaver like some giant three-storey-high iron spider.
The Cheshire Ring is a circuit made up of 6 main sections of canal in the North West of England, three of which run through Cheshire and Warrington; the Macclesfield Canal, the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Bridgewater Canal.
The whole is 97 miles long, with 92 locks and takes 1 week to complete. Hire a narrowboat for a week or for the day and explore the beauty of Cheshire; many attractions, places to eat and visit are accessible from the canal side.
The Cheshire Ring provides a range of canalside scenery from the gentle rolling plains of the Cheshire countryside to the peaks of the Peak District National Park. There is a variety of canal features en-route including locks, aqueducts and tunnels plus the historic town centres of Northwich, Middlewich, Macclesfield and Congleton are within easy reach to explore.
The Wheelock Rail Trail near Sandbach follows the route of a disused railway from Ettiley Heath to Malkins Bank. Today the trail is a rich haven for wildlife and wild flowers and provides a pleasant level and wide route through Cheshire.
From Congleton you quickly reach tree lined lanes below Congleton Edge. Gritstone rocks nearby give the landscape a very different feel to the Cheshire Plain.
The Wheelock Rail Trail near Sandbach follows the route of a disused railway from Ettiley Heath to Malkins Bank. Today the trail is a rich haven for wildlife and wild flowers and provides a pleasant level and wide route.
The first part of two walks making the Middlewood Challenge, a 20-mile walk in the figure of eight. The second section of the Challenge is Walk 10 which is about 12 miles long and takes around 5 hours to walk.
Route 73 takes in the Cheshire section of the route from Congleton to Davenham. It provides a link between two National Routes - 55 to the east and 5, which runs through the centre of the county and on to Wales.
The Bollin Valley Way is a 25 mile (40 km) recreational path shadowing the course of the River Bollin. The route starts at Macclesfield Riverside Park and finishes in Partington giving walkers a feel of the valley's variety.
Bollington Discovery Centre brings together the history of this and other great mills of Bollington, the Macclesfield Canal and shows their place and importance to the town.
The name Lawton originates in the Lawton family with its family crest being the head of a bleeding wolf. Local legend talks about a man saving the Earl of Chester from being killed by a wolf.
Bunbury is an ideal starting point for no less then four routes on your voyage of discovery, which includes the ancient city of Chester, the Middlewich branch, the Llangollen Canal and the Shropshire Union Canal.
The second part of two walks making the Middlewood Challenge, a 20-mile walk in the figure of eight. The first section of the Challenge is Walk 9 which is about 8 miles long and takes around 3½ hours to walk. Total walking time for both parts is arou
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