Manchester Weekend Walkers lead public transport walks into fantastic countryside all year round.
Train-based walk
Leader: Martin, joining train at Stockport
Transport to Walk Start: 08:46 train from Manchester Piccadilly station (final destination Stoke-on-Trent).
Meet Point: Near the ticket barriers or on the platform at Piccadilly Station. Alternatively, meet the group on the train or at Prestbury Station.
Suggested Ticket: Off Peak Day Return to Macclesfield £11.90. Please don't buy an Avanti or Cross Country only ticket.
Walk Start: Prestbury Railway Station at 09:15.
Waypoints: Riverside Park, Middlewood Way, Macclesfield, A537, Macclesfield Canal, Danes Moss, Woodhouse Lane, Gawsworth, Mount Farm, Foden's Farm, Woodhouse End Farm, Sutton Reservoir, Sutton Lane Ends, Langley, Gritstone Trail via Tegg's Nose, Cliff Lane, Higher Hurdsfield, B5470, Macclesfield Canal, A537.
Return Services: From Macclesfield: x:06, x:17 & x:43 until 21:17, then 22:06, 22:25, 22:47, 23:05. Drivers please note that not all of these trains call at Prestbury.
Extra: No toilets at walk start. Toilets en route at Riverside Park Visitor Centre (3 miles) and Tegg's Nose Visitor Centre (14 miles). To continue the theme of celebrating the best of Cheshire, optional post-walk drinks will be at The Castle, which was CAMRA's Cheshire Pub of the Year in 2023.
In 1215, Cheshire was granted its own version of the Magna Carta. This Cheshire-specific charter was renewed on 30th March 1300 and this anniversary is celebrated every year as Cheshire Day - a chance to celebrate all that's best about the county.
This walk duly showcases the very best of the county that some of us call home - the historic county of Cheshire includes all areas of Greater Manchester south of the Rivers Mersey and Tame.
It begins in the Golden Triangle village of Prestbury, where the Cheshire Set can be found, and continues to Gawsworth, perhaps the archetypal scene of rural England. Victorian historian Nikolaus Pevsner wrote of this place: "There is nothing in Cheshire to compare with the loveliness of Gawsworth: three great houses and a distinguished church set around a descending string of pools, all within an enigmatic large-scale formal landscape."
The latter part of the walk includes a chance to take in the view across the county (and beyond) from iconic Cheshire peak Tegg's Nose.
Possible bail out points: Macclesfield (3.5 miles), Gawsworth (8.5 miles), Langley (13 miles). Both Gawsworth and Langley have pubs to wait in if necessary. From Gawsworth, catch the 38 bus to Macclesfield at x:44. From Langley, catch the 14A to Macclesfield at 15:53 (if we get there in time) or 17:33.
This walk reflects Cheshire's contrasting character of peaks and plains. The first 10 miles is fairly flat, then it starts to ascend, and if you stay on the walk past Langley, then there is a steep and challenging ascent of Tegg's Nose. Also, because of the significant overall distance, anyone intending to complete the full walk will need a high level of fitness. Please also note that the walk will need to be done at a good pace from the start, as we intend to finish prior to sunset. If you intend to complete the full route, please bring a torch in case we are delayed during the day.
If you intend to complete the route, please bring extra drink, food and snacks to replace lost energy on what will be a long and hard day of walking. There are very few places en route to buy extra provisions.
No dogs please, other than registered assistance dogs.
