This feature is about facilities in Cheshire West, and has been adapted from the Cheshire West and Chester Council website. Please click here for our feature on sites in Cheshire East.
Cheshire West and Chester Council is responsible for 19 country parks, woodlands and nature reserves across Cheshire West.
For more information, please contact the Countryside Management Service at Cheshire West and Chester Council via: enquiries@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or 0300 123 7026.
Follow the links below to read more:
• Anderton Nature Park, Northwich
Anderton Nature Park was one of the first areas of the Northwich Woodlands to be reclaimed. It is now a haven for wildlife and in particular a favourite haunt for both keen and amateur botanists where a Wild Flower Trail can be discovered.
• Ashton’s and Neuman’s Flashes, Northwich
As part of the Northwich Woodlands, the Flashes were the most recent area of land to be reclaimed. Within easy reach from Northwich town centre, the site is excellent for shorter walks or inclusion in wider circular walks of the area.
In October 1990 the woodland at Bowyer’s Waste, known locally as The Little Wood, was bought by Oakmere Parish Council as a facility for local people. It was planted in the 1950s with a mixture of Corsican Pine, Western Hemlock and Cypress.
Caldy Nature Park is a small area of wetland, woodland and meadows close to Chester city centre. The active Friends group organise events and activities throughout the year including practical tasks on the first Wednesday of each month.
• Helsby Quarry Local Nature Reserve
Helsby Quarry has been awarded Green Flag status, a prestigious award which is the national benchmark for parks and open spaces. This indicates it is a safe, welcoming and well maintained park offering a range of recreational and leisure opportunities.
• Leftwich Meadows and Dane Mead, Northwich
Leftwich boasts both beautiful woodland carpeted with Bluebells and pockets of sunny meadows in which to have a picnic all bordering the River Dane. Oak, Sycamore and Ash dominate the woodland with spring-flowers such as the bright yellow of Lesser Celandine.
• Little Budworth Country Park
First impressions of Little Budworth Country Park are dominated by woodland but amongst the trees there is a mosaic of lowland heath, ponds and boggy mires. Paths meander through tranquil woodland and open glades providing a gentle walk whatever the time of year.
• Marbury Country Park, Northwich
A former residence of the Smith-Barry family, Marbury Country Park is at the heart of the Northwich Woodlands. The walks and trails take visitors through the historical landscape which includes the magnificent lime avenues and the arboretum.
• Marshalls Arm Local Nature Reserve, Northwich
With woodlands, meadows and the River Weaver, Marshall’s Arm LNR is the perfect location for an afternoon of exploring the local wildlife. It was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1998, for wildlife and people.
The Northwich Woodlands is an area of vibrant and accessible parkland with more than 350 hectares to explore and discover. Amongst the varied and delightful scenery there are miles of surfaced paths to enjoy at your own pace.
• Rivacre Valley Local Nature Reserve, Ellesmere Port
Rivacre Valley Local Nature Reserve is a green oasis of woodland and meadows close to Ellesmere Port. Spring is a special time at Rivacre Valley LNR, when the woodlands are truly stunning – look out for the electric blue flash of the kingfisher hunting for eels along Rivacre Brook.
• Rilshaw Meadows and Ways Green, Winsford
Rilshaw Meadows and the Flash have been used by the inhabitants of Winsford for over 100 years for recreational pursuits. The site is made up of four main landscape/ habitat types: a woodland, a grassland area, hedgerow and the margins of the flash.
Enjoy a pleasant stroll around the lake, walk your dog or stop and watch the many different species of birds. There are plenty of tables and seats along the way so you can picnic beneath the birch and oak.
• Stanney Woods, Ellesmere Port
Stanney Woods is an ancient woodland of oak and silver birch, with some hazel and holly. It is excellent for bird watching and also exceptionally good for fungi in the autumn.
The Meadows is a patchwork of grassland and wetlands by the sides of Chester’s River Dee in the heart of the city centre. Summer grazed by cattle to provide the perfect habitat for a range of flora and fauna, it is a popular area for wildlife lovers.
Wades Clough is an area of semi-natural ancient woodland within a stream valley located within a residential estate in Winsford. Part of the site is designated as a Site of Biological Importance (SBI), recognising its local value in terms of the wildlife that the woodland supports.
Wander along the historic Weaver Navigation, through the industrial and natural landscapes of the Weaver Parkway, close to Winsford town centre. Much of the parkway has been reclaimed from former industrial land, a legacy of the local salt industry, and is now rich in wildlife.
Step back in time at Hadlow Road Station, where the waiting room and ticket office have been restored to look as it might have in the 1950s. From here you can walk, cycle or ride up to Parkgate, with several picnic stops along the Wirral Way.
Visit Whitegate Way, where heavy goods trains laden with salt once lumbered to Cuddington to join the Chester – Manchester line. Today the old railway line has been transformed and provides a haven for wildlife and a pleasant place for a stroll or ride.
