The ten best dog walks in Cheshire
take your pick from our favourite trails
With beautiful countryside, hillside trails with epic views, picture-postcard villages, bustling market towns, and a city founded as a Roman fortress, Cheshire is a dog owner’s paradise when it comes to the sheer abundance of scenic walks to choose from. Everyone you talk to will have a favourite (or several) to recommend, but here are the ten best dog walks or dog friendly days out in Cheshire according to the DFD team … and as it’s our neighbouring country, its a place we frequent A LOT!
Sandstone Trail: Tarporley to Burwardsley
The fourth section of the popular 55-kilometre Sandstone Trail is our favourite. Beginning in Tarporley and ending at Upper Burwardsley, it takes you through countryside, along woodland tracks and past both Beeston and Peckforton Castles. Plan to spend an hour or two exploring the former – entrance fees apply but it’s free for English Heritage members. The views are more than worth the slight climb.
Distance: 8 km
Time: 3 hours … plus any time spent at Beeston Castle
Start at: Back Lanes, Tarporley, CW6 OEE (park in the village)
Top tip: It can be muddy in parts so walking boots are recommended. Coffee, cake and water bowls are plentiful at Beeston Castle Café.
Whitegate Way
Once a busy railway line transporting salt across the North West, Whitegate Way is now a scenic, traffic-free route for walking, cycling and even horse-riding. While stretching for 10km from the heart of Winsford to Cuddington, if you’d prefer a shorter route, start your dog walk at Whitegate Station. At just over 5km to Cuddington, you can walk the 10km there and back in 2.5 hours.
Distance: 10 km
Time: 2.5 hours
Start at: Whitegate Station, Clay Lane, Marton, CW7 2QE
Top tip: After your walk, pop into the Station House Café. Dogs are welcome and the cakes are divine.
Chester City Walls
Enjoy a stroll along the oldest and longest city walls in Britain. Chester is the only city in Britain to retain the full circuit of its defensive walls, parts of which are almost 2,000 years old. The city walls walk crosses roads at the four main medieval gates known as Northgate, Bridgegate, Eastgate, and Watergate, and passes by many more medieval structures. It’s a lovely way to experience the city away from the hustle and bustle of the main shopping areas.
Distance: 3 km
Time: 1 hour
Start at: City Walls Road, a minute’s walk away from the Chester Racecourse car park.
Top tip: Leave the walls at Bell Tower Walk close to Chester Cathedral and pop to Chester Market for a drink and a bite to eat. It’s wonderfully dog friendly and is also home to one of our favourite doggy traders, Digby & Champ.
Anderton Boat Lift
You might be surprised to hear that this iconic visitor attraction is dog friendly but it’s paw-fect for a fun-filled day out with your canine companion. Think wide open spaces, dog friendly boat trips, and frothy puppaccinos and doggy treats in the treetop coffee shop overlooking the lift. There is a small charge for parking, but the visitor centre and grounds are free to enter.
Distance: N/A
Time: Plan to spend at least a couple of hours
Start at: Lift Lane, Anderton, Northwich, CW9 6FW
Top tip: Marbury Country Park is a short drive away (1.5km) and the lime avenues are lovely to walk along.
The White Nancy Circular
Originally built in 1817 as a summer house for the Gaskell family of Ingersley Hall, White Nancy is an 18 foot-high Grade II listed landmark atop Kerridge Hill. Visible for miles around, it’s a popular destination for a hearty dog walk with sweeping views over the surrounding area as your reward for reaching the summit. The circular trail is open year-round but passes through fields with livestock, so pop your pup on a lead.
Distance: 5 km
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Start at: Lord Street, Bollington, Macclesfield, SK10 5BN
Top tip: If you’d like to extend your day out, Tegg’s Nose Country Park is nearby with heathland, meadows and woodland to explore, as well as fantastic views across the Cheshire Plain.
Delamere Forest
As the largest woodland area in Cheshire, Delamere Forest offers walking trails aplenty. It’s an amazing setting for a dog friendly adventure whether you have an hour or two to spare or instead want to spend the whole day exploring the different pathways. The trails are easy to follow, passing through shady trees, alongside meres and up to glorious viewpoints. If you’re visiting with children as well as four-legged friends, we recommend the Linmere trail. If you want to give your walking boots a bit more of a challenge, the Old Pale trail is for you. At just under two miles, it might not seem particularly arduous but, trust us, the ascent is significant.
Distance: Dependent on the trail you choose
Time: You can spend anything from an hour to all day
Start at: There are three car parks: at the main visitor centre, Treetops (close to the train station), and Whitefield located off the B5152.
Top tip: Pack a picnic. You’ll find plenty of picnic benches dotted around the forest for you to use.
Mow Cop Castle
We love this short walk for when we want a quick burst of fresh but with maximum views. It’s an easy walk from the car park to the castle folly – it was actually designed to look somewhat ruinous in order to create a romantic view. Once at the top, you can see across Cheshire and Staffordshire, and even over to Manchester on a clear day. Keep an eye out for the Old Man o’Mow, a distinctive rock said to resemble someone sitting.
Distance: 1 km
Time: 20 minutes
Start at: Mow Cop car park, 53A High Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 3PA
Top tip: You can pick up the 15km Timbersbrook to Kidsgrove section of the Gritstone Trail from Mow Cop, if you like to visit as part of a longer walk.
The Cloud
The short but steep climb up Bosely Cloud makes for a wonderfully scenic dog walk. At 343 metres, it’s one of the highest hills in the area and one of the best places for beautiful views. Once you reach the summit, head for the white trig point and the viewfinder. It details all the landmarks visible in the distance … weather permitting!
Distance: 4 km
Time: 1.5 hours
Start at: Timbersbrook car park, Weathercock Lane, Congleton, CW12 3PP
Top tip: Looking for the paw-fect post-walk pit stop? We recommend the very dog friendly Wonky Pear in nearby Congleton.
Norton Priory Museum & Garden
Norton Priory is Europe’s most excavated monastery and one of Cheshire’s hidden gems. The entire site covers 42 acres and while it’s a haven for wildlife, it’s also heavenly for a peaceful dog walk, too. Do visit the museum (yes, it’s dog friendly) as well as the beautiful gardens, as it tells the 900-year story of the priory from its foundation in 1134. Entrance fees apply.
Distance: N/A
Time: Plan to spend at least a couple of hours
Start at: Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, WA7 1SX
Top tip: The 2.5 acre Georgian walled garden is only open during the summer months, but we love how atmospheric the wider site is during winter.
River Dee in Eccleston
Head to the River Dee in Eccleston for a dog walk that offers four-legged friends lots to sniff and see and the opportunity for a fair amount of splashing. Once out of your car, if you stand facing the river, there is a woodland walk to your right and a track walk with open fields to your left. They’re both lovely, so take your pick. Both routes run along the river, so if your pooch is partial to a paddle or swim, they’ll be in their element.
Distance: 8 km in total if you walk into Chester and back
Time: 3-4 hours
Start at: Eccleston Ferry car park, Chester, CH4 9JE
Top tip: It’s also a popular area for water sports and wild swimming so bring your swimsuit and a towel.
