The best walks and hikes around Delamere

FAQs about hikes in Delamere

• When is the best time to go hiking in Delamere?
  The Komoot guide highlights autumn as a majestic time to ramble, with leaves blanketing the forest floor and abundant earthy hues. Spring also offers a vibrant display of colors.


• Are there family-friendly hiking trails in Delamere Forest?
  Yes, Delamere Forest is widely considered a family favorite, featuring gentle forest roads and paved paths that are perfect for prams and little legs.


• What kind of scenery can I expect on a hike in Delamere?
  Hikes in Delamere Forest explore Cheshire’s largest area of woodland, discovering tranquil lakes, panoramic hilltops, and nature-rich mosses and bogs.


• Are there any accessible trails for prams or those with limited mobility?
  The forest offers gentle forest roads and paved paths, making it suitable for prams and those seeking easier, more accessible routes.


• How accessible is Delamere Forest by public transport?
  Delamere Forest is easily accessible via Delamere station, which provides direct links to major cities like Manchester and Chester.


• Where can I find the best views in Delamere?
  For magnificent panoramic views, head to Old Pale Hill. As the loftiest point in the region, it commands a superb vista that can include Liverpool's famous skyline on a clear day.


• Are there any historical sites to discover while hiking in Delamere?
  Yes, further along the ridge to the east of Old Pale Hill, you can explore Eddisbury hillfort, which is the largest Iron Age fort in Cheshire.


• What wildlife can I observe in Delamere Forest?
  The forest is thronged with wildlife. Blakemere Moss, located north of the visitor center, is particularly noted as a treat for birdwatchers.


• Are there facilities like a visitor center or places to eat in Delamere Forest?
  Yes, the visitor center is a good starting point, where you can enjoy coffee, gather more information about the woodland, and even hire bikes.


• What are some of the popular natural features in Delamere?
  Key natural features include the vast Blakemere Moss, known for its birdwatching opportunities, as well as the varied terrain of glacial hummocks, knolls, peatland basins, and picturesque lakes formed during the last Ice Age.

Easy access from the population centre of the North West

Hikes in Delamere Forest are wonderfully accessible thanks to Delamere station, which links directly to Manchester and Chester. You can access all the Forest has to offer right from the train station, while there’s plenty of parking for motorists too.A good place to start explorations of Delamere Forest is the visitor centre, where you can enjoy a coffee, find out more about the woodland and hire bikes. There’s so much to explore, from serene lakeside paths to sculpture trails for the kids. 

A gorgeous wooded haven in the midst of the Cheshire Plain

The vast Blakemere Moss dominates the land to the north of the visitor centre and is a treat for birders. Autumn is a majestic time to ramble here, when the leaves begin to blanket the forest floor and earthy hues abound, while spring sees an invasion of colour. 

Some of the best hiking routes in Delamere Forest seek out the objective of Old Pale Hill, the loftiest point in the region at 577 feet (176 m). As the high point of the Mid Cheshire Ridge, it commands a magnificent panorama that includes up to twelve counties on a clear day. However, it is best known for a superb view of Liverpool’s famous skyline. 

Further along the ridge to the east is Eddisbury hillfort, the largest Iron Age fort in Cheshire. The earthworks of this Scheduled Ancient Monument trace the contours of the hill and you can imagine what it would have been like to occupy such a spot over 2,000 years ago.

A remnant of the ancient Forests of Mara and Mondrem

Delamere Forest is all that remains of the once vast Forests of Mara and Mondrem, which stretched from the River Mersey in the northwest to Nantwich in the south. Established in the late 11th century by Hugh d’Avranches, the first of the Norman Earls of Cheshire, these great woodland regions became a hunting forest for the nobility. As the centuries passed, much of the land was cleared for agriculture and the glory of Mara and Mondrem diminished. 

Walking routes in Delamere Forest are today protected by the Forestry Commission, who have stewarded this precious remnant since 1924.