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A REFURBISHED walk around Nantwich has just been
publicised by Chester East Council's
Countryside Access Development Officer, Genni Butler.
The Nantwich Riverside
Loop walk takes walkers along the side of the River Weaver, round Nantwich Lake, across farm fields (and over a railway
line!), and along the Shropshire Union Canal before returning to the start (the
free St Anne's Lane car park) along historic Welsh Row.
Genni tells me that
work on the walk included improvements to the canal towpath surface, a
connecting path between the existing Nantwich Lake-side path and Shrewbridge
Road, gate improvements, and a causeway over a ponded area. And, of course, new
signs (or signage to use the current term) to guide walkers.
The Loop - and the publicity leaflet - was produced
with help from organisations including Nantwich Civic Society, Shropshire Union
Canal Society, WREN (the cash-from-waste benevolent body), Nantwich Town
Council, Acton, Edleston and Henhull Parish Council, Nantwich in Bloom,
Riverside Concern, and "many other partners".
Without meaning to give too much
information and so making the publicity brochure pointless, I can tell you that the
walk is 5km / 3 miles long and is estimated to take between one-and-a-half and
two hours to complete. The paths are surfaced with either tarmac or compacted stone
and are between one and two
metres wide.
The southern section is across fields and so "appropriate footwear"
is recommended. The route is "relatively flat throughout though uneven." There
are steps at each end of the canal towpath section - although the steps at the
Welsh Row aqueduct end can be by-passed by using a ramp. There are no stiles on
the walk but there are bridle gates (1.5 metres wide) and a field gate.
There is
also a railway line level crossing to negotiate.
As well as the St
Anne's Lane car park, parking can be found off Shrewbridge Road (opposite
Nantwich Town Council headquarters) and at the northern end of Nantwich Lake. So
walkers can choose to vary the way they complete the walk according to which car
park is the more convenient.
Apart from one place for refreshments (with toilets for customers, of course) near to St Anne's
Lane car park, there are no further refreshments/toilets facilities on the walk. But there are plenty of coffee
shops, with toilets, in town. There are two public toilets in Nantwich (half as
many as there used to be)
The A3, folded, full-colour leaflet is
available from Nantwich Tourist Information centre at the Civic Hall in Market
Street. As well as a map showing the route, the stages of the walk are listed in
a comprehensive description of the walk.
A FIGURE-of-eight version of the walk,
featuring just the riverside area
in the centre of town and the lake,
can be found in the 24-page A5 booklet "Walks for All in Cheshire East". Again,
this is available from Nantwich Tourist Information Centre and other tourist
outlets. As the title implies, there are other Cheshire walks featured for when
you have completed the Loop. Walks are also featured on the "Discover Cheshire"
website.
A SLIGHTLY different
version of the Riverside Loop walk appears in a paperback book (not produced by
the council) about walks in Cheshire
- although it is not, of course, referred to as the Loop walk - but, as Genni
Butler pointed out: "There
is a slightly wider option for a circular route but the terrain is not quite as
amenable." The book was produced in 2009 before the walk between the River
Weaver and Nantwich Lake was created and so the route goes on the Shrewbridge
Road side of the lake. And, of course, it was published before the improvements
to the Loop walk were made.
I WILL add more pictures of the Loop walk to this
Letter from Nantwich as I take them but meanwhile see the page of
Lake and Riverside pictures for an idea of
what you will see on the walk.
lLET'S be
clear that this is not a walk around town, although you are within the Nantwich
boundary when you go on the walk. I say that because on a foreign holiday many
years ago, our party booked to go on "A Walk Round Xxxxxxxx" thinking it would
be a good way to get to know the place and its buildings. Instead, it was a walk
in the hills that bounded the town and all we got was a distant view of the
rooftops of the buildings.
lIF you want a walking tour of Nantwich, ask at
Nantwich
Museum as well as Nantwich Tourist Information Centre. The
Rotary Club of Crewe and Nantwich
Weaver also leads town walks. See the
What's On - General page on this website. |
