DEC 2022 – 5 MILES – DELAMERE FOREST (CHESHIRE)

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A surprise birthday trip from my better half and he was happy to do some of the trails with me. He is not a massive fan of the hikes I like to do, so I was very impressed.  I chose a couple of nice pleasant trails around the forest, nothing too crazy.

Total Distance: 5 Miles
Steps: ~19,000 Steps
Highest Point: 556 Feet
Total Realistic Time: ~4 Hours

Delamere Forest is a large wood in the village of Delamere in Cheshire, England. The woodland, which is managed by Forestry England, covers an area of 972 hectares (2,400 acres) making it the largest area of woodland in the county. It contains a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delamere_Forest

Car parking was £8 for all day parking at the time.  A big car park, toilets and a restaurant in the grounds. 

They also do many events in Delamere Forest throughout the year check their website to see what’s on.

https://www.forestryengland.uk/delamere-forest

I decided to do two of the smaller trails here at Delamere Forest.

Starting point

First of the trails I planned was the Blackmere Trail where it takes you through the forest around Blakemere Moss lake.  It was -6 degrees when we got there in the morning, absolutely freezing.  Woolly hat, multiple layers, motorbike gloves as they were the warmest gloves I had, they did the trick keeping my pinkies warm from the frost.

Sun was out but it was absolutely freezing

They had Christmas decorations up around the forest area, with also the natural frost on the forest trees made it look so picturesque.  

Had the forest to ourselves, who would be crazy enough to walk around when it is -6 degrees 😛

These are my favourite shots of Delamere Forest and Blakemere Moss lake

After doing the Blackmere trail we decided to go for coffee/tea and cake at the restaurant, also to warm up before the next trail I had planned that also starts from the restaurant area. Unfortunately the cake went down too well that I did not get a chance to take a photo.

After warming up we headed for the Old Pale trail.

This is the shorter of the two trails, this leads you up a slope to an area where you get a good viewpoint of all the counties.  A little bit of a workout to keep warm, worth it for the fantastic view atop.

What a view point – stunning.

The trail circles back to the car park.

Conclusion:

We stayed around the area of Delamere Forest for a few days. What a lovely place, not been here before. I will definitely return to do the longer trails here but when the weather is warmer for sure.  The restaurant is spacious and the cakes are freshly made, scrumptious I would definitely go for seconds.

Thanks to my better half for planning an AMAZING birthday. 

GENERAL EQUIPMENT

  • Apple iPhone 12 Pro (for taking photos/videos and mapping using OS Maps)
  • Comfy walking shoes (most important)
  • Flask with Hot/Cold drink (a good cuppa is always welcome)
  • ibuprofen (helping hand if you have any aches and pains)
  • Food and snacks (fuel to keep you going)
  • Woolly hat, Scarf and Gloves (needed for keeping cosy and warm)

 

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