Bebell three

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

I had been looking forward to this walk, as I grew up in the middle of it! Walking from Ellesmere Port, I had hoped to find a less roady way, but north of the railway here it is all very industrial, so I started with a long, dull, pavement walk.
Reaching Rivacre, I was near the site of an open-air swimming pool I used to use. (There is also a garden centre near the end in Port Sunlight, which has replaced another open-air pool where I learned to swim!)
Progressing through the golf course, I would recommend the footpath through the woods as being safer than the busy flying balls zone. For me, the horrible footpath from the golf course to the A41 was even more overgrown and sharply hazardous (and muddy) than David’s description. However, I found that there was an excellent, well-used alternative very close by, staying in the woods and then just along the south wall of the churchyard. I’ll include a map with my pictures.
The garden centre on the A41 was handy for refreshments and toilets. I found School Lane (from Childer Thornton) to be fairly quiet and pleasant, but Hooton Road B5133 was pretty busy with fast cars, and visibility to cross from the south (to the single pavement on the north side) was very poor. Also the pavement was a bit narrow due to an overgrown hedge (late July) for 100m of it.
After crossing under the M53, I was back to an extended section of housing to pace along. There were quite a lot of cafés and shops near Bromborough Station, to break up the journey.
I was very glad to get into Dibbinsdale Woods at Bromborough Rake Station – definitely not an unnecessary dog’s leg for me. I loved following the River Dibbin, going through Otter’s Tunnel under the railway, and then heading through what used to be called Brotherton Park the other side. Maybe I am biased as this was all my childhood playground. It has changed a bit though, it is now much more of a wetland wildlife area, full of tall reeds, with a few information boards.
The cycle track from Spital Dam to Port Sunlight was new to me, and was quite a pleasant way to arrive into the gorgeous Port Sunlight. Even the railway station is quite cute, like a Swiss cottage.
It had started raining while I was in Dibbinsdale, and by now it was pouring, so I paced alongside the railway line to reach the end-point, and the train home. I only managed to glance at the lovely houses on the other side of the road. In general though, I think BebEll One has a much better route between the two stations. At the cost of an extra few hundred meters, you get to see a lot more of the glories of Port Sunlight.
I kind-of want to rate the route 4*. There were some lovely woods and green spaces for such a suburban area, but really there was quite a lot of (unavoidable) pavement pacing, mostly in uninteresting areas, and that road crossing at Hooton was a bit nasty. But… lots of facilities, especially in the first and last thirds, and TEN stations along the way, with frequent services.

A decent route between two urban areas, with splashes of green in the middle. Terrain and some pavements lacking ramps make it a foot-only route, however.

Starting in Bebington (rail station, bus stops, shops), we walk along the edge of picturesque Port Sunlight. Past the station and bowling green, we cut through a cobbled courtyard to access the first footpath, a tarmac track on an old railway. It's a nice shady wooded walk. We're not on it long, however; we soon zigzag down a ramp to the road and head downhill towards Dibbinsdale.

Over a crossing at a hairpin bend (careful with traffic), we enter Dibbinsdale Nature Reserve. A nice and peaceful woodland area, the path is never far from the brook, with the odd bridge. The path is earth (can be muddy in rainy seasons) and uneven, such are many woodland walks. Eventually, we come to a tunnel beneath the railway, which brings us into more woodland. After an uphill walk, we come to a bridge at Bromborough Rake station. From here, it's a road walk through residential areas, passing a few shops and pubs along the way. Eventually, as we move through the streets of Eastham, we take a tarmac footpath that leads to a main roaf. Crossing and moving down one more residential road, we then take another tunnel under the railway, before moving through a meadow.

As the path splits before a field, don't be tempted to take the more direct route across the open grass; the gate at the end is locked, and there's barbed wire. Instead, follow the footpath clockwise along the treeline, which leads to a kissing gate onto the road.

After two paved roads, we head down an unpaved one. It's generally quiet, but we do have to cross a sometimes busy crossroads. At the end, we come into Childer Thornton, and pass a garage and garden centre. Crossing the road, we then move onto a footpath, running alongside the perimeter of the church and cemetery. The path is narrow and sometimea overgrown, with boggy patches. Over a stile into the trees, we move down a few short paths before heading out onto the golf course. Sticking to the treeline, and then side of the ditch, we follow the edge of the fairways until a crossroads near a bridge. Here we take a right, watching out for teeing off, and escaping from the golf course into Rivacre Valley County Park.

Another wooded area, with a loose stone path, it's easy to forget there's houses nearby. At the end, we cross a road into a smaller, sunken section of the park, before heading over a bridge and taking steps up to the residential roads above.

It's then residential roads through Overpool to Ellesmere Port, ending at the station.

A good urban-rural-urban walk. Whilst the road walks aren't interesting, the green interludes are welcome and enjoyable.

A varied route in terms of environment and enjoyability, which I started from Ellesmere Port. The first section is through a residential area, well pavemented and with shops. This soon drops into a green space and then crosses the road into Rivacre Valley Country Park, a nice spot for walking. This however reaches Ellesmere Port Golf Course and you are faced with a choice. The route follows the marked footpath, the easiest one to follow, but one shared with golfers. There are however, alternatives running in parallel through the woods. Leaving the woods, by the golf course, you cross a stile and follow a narrow path around a field. The choice then is whether to get snagged on the barbed wire, or on the overgrown bushes. It felt a relief to reach the busy main road. There is a shop at the petrol station before you turn left into School Lane. This was the least enjoyable section of the walk, the lane is narrow and well used by fast cars, so not a relaxing walk. Reaching the end on to Hooton Road is virtually a blind crossing and requires a lot of care to cross. Getting off the main road, you join a series of greenways and streets across residential areas, all pretty direct and enjoyable, with the occasional pub or shop. The turn left into Dibbindale Nature Reserve seems a bit of an unnecessary dog leg as you could access it more directly from the streets to your north. Once in the park, the walking is good, the mud paths are well used by friendly locals. The park contains St Patricks Well where the Saint is "said" to have landed on arrival from Ireland. There is a road crossing before a short bit of pavement pounding leads you to an old railway line which takes you to Port Sunlight. Port Sunlight is a delight, with various tea shops and isn't far from the destination in Bebington. This route has some ingredients of a good slow way but could definitely do with tweaking to make it more direct and safe.

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