Introduction
Cheshire has some wonderful, classic English villages. Tarporley is one of these, and an ideal place from which to explore.
It was a good walking day, 18 degC, starting sunny, becoming cloudier but staying dry!
Tarporley is a 45 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme.
The walk is 6.5 miles and just 300 feet of ascent. It took just under 3 hours.
For dog walkers, the first half of the walk is excellent, over arable farmland and the canal towpath. The second half has a few stiles, and the possibility of cattle, plus some road sections, but also plenty more arable farmland.
I walked in an anti-clockwise direction.
The walk is mainly on OS Explorer Map 267, but if you’re using the paper maps, about 20% of the route is on Map 257. I parked on the road near the petrol station and Spar at the start of the walk, use postcode CW6 0AY.
Tarporley To Wharton’s Lock
I left Nantwich Road, and soon crossed the busy A49 onto pleasant open countryside.
Between the fields there were lots of pretty wild flowers.
Another field crossed, and Beeston Castle came into view.
And now the wheat crops turned to maize.
At Pudding Lane, I joined the Sandstone Trail.
The hedgerows here were full of butterflies. Here’s a meadow brown.
Approaching Wharton’s Lock, Beeston Castle is now quite nearby.
The Shropshire Union Canal
Wharton’s Lock was busy as I arrived.
It’s a lovely stretch of canal, with the River Gowy running alongside it, and thick verdant undergrowth between the two.
Here, the prominent butterfly was the comma.
At Beeston Wharf, I learned that the canal was initially called The Chester Canal.
There is a delightful country cottage here too.
The original lock here collapsed, and eventually Thomas Telford was brought in to design and construct an iron lock, seen today with the lower gate open.
A little further along, the Beeston Stone Lock completed the reconstruction.
Finally, I arrived at Tilston Lock.
Tilston Lock To Tarpoley
There is a brief , steep incline as the path leaves the Gowy valley. From here, the paths are much less used, and the farmers have scant regard for maintaining their routes. I just traipsed through the maize to reach Vale Road.
The path from here is difficult to find. The road may have been an easier route to the A51.
From the A51 I took Brains Lane, and located the rather jungle-like path towards Tilstone Hall.
Beyond Tilstone Lodgel, the panorama opens up.
I crossed the small brook, and soon joined the pleasant minor roads which led back o Tarporley.
This is a lovely , easy paced walk through very pretty English countryside. Tarporley is a fine village too, so this walk would make a nice full day out, perhaps supplemented by a visit to Beeston Castle (English Heritage).
And Finally….
I do love new music. This is Tizane, her new album is “Forever Is Nothing”, and this track is “Who’s Gonna Hurt Me Now?” The album version a minute and a half longer than this You Tube video, and has a great guitar solo at the end. So if you like it, seek it out on streaming services.