Description
This route is based on Bucche one, with small changes in the Sandycroft to Hawarden section to avoid the two biggest issues with that route. A few alternative routings follow at the end.
1) Walking along Chester Rd east in Sandycroft (60mph road, many large lorries, no pavement, deep ditch to cross, no obvious entry to field path)
Coming from Chester, the Bucche one route follows Station Rd out of Deeside industrial estate to Chester Rd east, turns left down Chester Rd east towards the Airbus factory, then crosses the road and a large ditch to take a public access path across a field towards Hawarden, emerging part way up Moor Ln. However, just past the junction with Station Rd, Chester Rd east increases to a 60mph limit just as the pavement ends and a large ditch (with no verge) starts on the northern side of the road. This road is heavily used, particularly by lorries and other large vehicles servicing the many industrial estates in the area, and I would strongly discourage anyone to walk along it. In addition, I cannot find any evidence of an entrance to the field where indicated either when I've driven past or by looking on Streetview, even though the Flintshire public right-of-way map indicates there should be a green flag, a bridge and a kissing gate there (last inspected 2010, however). Bucche two avoids these problems by walking directly from Station Rd to Moor Ln, and skipping this section of the field walk. Although Moor Ln is also a 60mph road, it has a 7.5tn weight restriction and is regularly used by horse riders and dog walkers. Vehicles are relatively few, typically travelling more like 30mph and diligent about moving over to pass slower traffic.
2) Access to right of way path between Moor Ln and Crosstree Ln, Hawarden (lack of path signage, many 'private' signs)
Shortly after joining Moor Ln from the field mentioned above, the Bucche one route goes down a farm track and picks up another right-of-way path behind the farm, emerging onto Crosstree Ln in Hawarden. I found the green walker sign where the farm track meets Moor Ln, but when I reached the farm there were loads of 'private property' signs, and I couldn't easily see the gate/stile where we are supposed to enter the field (Flintshire map says the stile was last inspected in 2020). As access is uncertain for this part of the route, I decided instead to stick to the local roads, which are very low traffic, paved and easy to navigate. Bucche two therefore turns off Moor Ln onto Duckers Ln, then follows Leaches Ln, Sunnyside, Ash Ln and finally Crosstree Ln, meeting up with the original route's exit from the field (the green walker sign is clearly visible there as well).
Another option is to take Moor Ln all the way up to Glynne Way, where you can either walk along the pavement into Hawarden directly, or take another right-of-way path in a north-westerly direction from just before the Glynne Way junction which exits onto Crosstree Ln as before. However, the Flintshire map found an 'unsatisfactory gap' at the Moor Ln end of the path in late 2022, so this option will require further investigation before recommending.
3) Alternative routings due to preference
The Chester end of the route takes in Chester racecourse, which is sometimes shut for events and maintenance. Some people may also wish to avoid the 2 flights of stairs between the racecourse and the golf club. The best alternative is to follow the Shoche one route out of Chester, taking in the Wales Coast path along the northern bank of the Dee until you reach Higher Ferry. Take the footbridge across to the southern bank and pick up the route there.
Between Hawarden golf club and Buckley the walk passes through pastures used for cows, which some people may also wish to avoid. In this case, continue along Glynne Way in Hawarden (which becomes the Highway), turn onto Wood Ln and keep walking uphill until you cross over the A55. Continue along what is now called Burntwood Rd until it meets Drury Ln, where you can pick up the route from the right-of-way path towards Knowle Hill
This route is based on Bucche one, with small changes in the Sandycroft to Hawarden section to avoid the two biggest issues with that route. A few alternative routings follow at the end.
1) Walking along Chester Rd east in Sandycroft (60mph road, many large lorries, no pavement, deep ditch to cross, no obvious entry to field path)
Coming from Chester, the Bucche one route follows Station Rd out of Deeside industrial estate to Chester Rd east, turns left down Chester Rd east towards the Airbus factory, then crosses the road and a large ditch to take a public access path across a field towards Hawarden, emerging part way up Moor Ln. However, just past the junction with Station Rd, Chester Rd east increases to a 60mph limit just as the pavement ends and a large ditch (with no verge) starts on the northern side of the road. This road is heavily used, particularly by lorries and other large vehicles servicing the many industrial estates in the area, and I would strongly discourage anyone to walk along it. In addition, I cannot find any evidence of an entrance to the field where indicated either when I've driven past or by looking on Streetview, even though the Flintshire public right-of-way map indicates there should be a green flag, a bridge and a kissing gate there (last inspected 2010, however). Bucche two avoids these problems by walking directly from Station Rd to Moor Ln, and skipping this section of the field walk. Although Moor Ln is also a 60mph road, it has a 7.5tn weight restriction and is regularly used by horse riders and dog walkers. Vehicles are relatively few, typically travelling more like 30mph and diligent about moving over to pass slower traffic.
2) Access to right of way path between Moor Ln and Crosstree Ln, Hawarden (lack of path signage, many 'private' signs)
Shortly after joining Moor Ln from the field mentioned above, the Bucche one route goes down a farm track and picks up another right-of-way path behind the farm, emerging onto Crosstree Ln in Hawarden. I found the green walker sign where the farm track meets Moor Ln, but when I reached the farm there were loads of 'private property' signs, and I couldn't easily see the gate/stile where we are supposed to enter the field (Flintshire map says the stile was last inspected in 2020). As access is uncertain for this part of the route, I decided instead to stick to the local roads, which are very low traffic, paved and easy to navigate. Bucche two therefore turns off Moor Ln onto Duckers Ln, then follows Leaches Ln, Sunnyside, Ash Ln and finally Crosstree Ln, meeting up with the original route's exit from the field (the green walker sign is clearly visible there as well).
Another option is to take Moor Ln all the way up to Glynne Way, where you can either walk along the pavement into Hawarden directly, or take another right-of-way path in a north-westerly direction from just before the Glynne Way junction which exits onto Crosstree Ln as before. However, the Flintshire map found an 'unsatisfactory gap' at the Moor Ln end of the path in late 2022, so this option will require further investigation before recommending.
3) Alternative routings due to preference
The Chester end of the route takes in Chester racecourse, which is sometimes shut for events and maintenance. Some people may also wish to avoid the 2 flights of stairs between the racecourse and the golf club. The best alternative is to follow the Shoche one route out of Chester, taking in the Wales Coast path along the northern bank of the Dee until you reach Higher Ferry. Take the footbridge across to the southern bank and pick up the route there.
Between Hawarden golf club and Buckley the walk passes through pastures used for cows, which some people may also wish to avoid. In this case, continue along Glynne Way in Hawarden (which becomes the Highway), turn onto Wood Ln and keep walking uphill until you cross over the A55. Continue along what is now called Burntwood Rd until it meets Drury Ln, where you can pick up the route from the right-of-way path towards Knowle Hill
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Information
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Is this route good enough? - Yes (1)
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Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Buckley
Grid Ref
SJ2776264023
Lat / Lon
53.16842° / -3.08206°
Easting / Northing
327,762E / 364,023N
What3Words
physical.degree.completed
Chester
Grid Ref
SJ4052966286
Lat / Lon
53.19034° / -2.89153°
Easting / Northing
340,529E / 366,286N
What3Words
bridge.assist.chair
Buckley | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | SJ2776264023 |
Lat / Lon | 53.16842° / -3.08206° |
Easting / Northing | 327,762E / 364,023N |
What3Words | physical.degree.completed |
Chester | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | SJ4052966286 |
Lat / Lon | 53.19034° / -2.89153° |
Easting / Northing | 340,529E / 366,286N |
What3Words | bridge.assist.chair |
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review
Geopenny
05 May 2023This 19km route took me ~5.25hrs to walk in the Chester -> Buckley direction. It takes in views of the Dee from the southern bank (complete with aircraft using Hawarden airport), then works its way up into the foothills of the Clwydian range. Food/toilet options are available in Chester, Sandycroft, Hawarden and Buckley. Much of the route is on well-worn and potentially muddy grass paths with the occasional gravel section, but some sections (especially towards the Buckley end) involve traversing active fields/pasture with less-than-clear signage. As a result, this route is only suitable for those with sturdy footwear and who are confident navigating with a map. It helps if you like cows as well...
I originally walked this route as Bucche one, and modified it into this route for safety reasons, but there are a few other navigational points to highlight here. When coming off River Ln in Saltney and joining the walking/cycling path, the blue cycle route sign says 'Chester' even though you are travelling away from it! (photo 2) It is worth noting that beyond the Higher Ferry footbridge there are no exit options until you reach Sandycroft, and some parts are clearly used for cattle grazing, judging by the intermittent cow pats.
Moving on to Sandycroft, the route leaves the Dee on the outskirts of the industrial estate, and you emerge through a rather narrow (and somewhat overgrown) path between two metal fences onto a side road (photo 4). I felt ok as a lone female walking in bright sunshine, but I would keep your wits about you. The new routing along Moor Ln from Sandycroft to Hawarden are very quiet and pleasant roads to walk along, but I would avoid walking along Crosstree Ln at school start/end times due to the volume of traffic.
The final stretch to highlight is between Hawarden and Buckley. The entrance to this leg is a metal gate on the A550, opposite the bottom end of Tinkersdale car park (photo 5). This gate is prone to disappearing into the hedge, but it is there, taking you down a steep loose-gravelled path before levelling out onto grass around the edge of the golf greens. Unlike Chester golf course, there is nothing but a bit of string between you and the greens, so keep aware of any low-flying golf balls. The route is obvious until you get past the railway bridge beyond the horse farm (photo 6). Here you need to (mostly) stay straight ahead and avoid the multiple side paths which are part of the golf course (typically with blue 'private' signs - photo 7). You then travel between two hedges until you reach the next farm (arable crops), where the path splits - one way is part of a circular loop trail, while the other way is us (photo 8). At the end of that field is a double stile over a brook (photo 9), and then you are in the first of two cow pastures. In my case, the cows had recently departed for another field, but the pats were still in abundance and the ground quite rough. It is hard to see the gate out of this field from here, but follow the hedge on your right (northern side) until you see the clear path heading diagonally left. From there it is an obvious route towards the bridge over the A55.
The route from Drury to Buckley through Knowle Hill is very straightforward, as long as you can negotiate kissing gates. Just mind what appears to be either sheep or rabbit poo within Knowle Hill park itself. When exiting the park, the route becomes paved for a short distance as it enters a residential area. When the paved path peels off to the right into a housing estate, be sure to follow the gravel path straight ahead to reach Chester Rd/A549 (photo 10) without a significant detour.
If you are travelling from Buckley towards Chester, I will mention that some of the entrances to the route are less obvious at the Buckley end. To enter Knowle Hill park, look for the brown and green signs where Army Ln meets the A549 (photo 10). In addition, the route off Drury Ln into the fields takes you up what appears to be a gravel driveway, which ends in a kissing gate. There's a green sign on Drury Ln, but it only points the right way if you know where to go (photo 11)! Finally, at the horse farm in Hawarden, the path towards the golf course and the A550 is well back from the green sign (photo 12).
Overall, a really enjoyable walk made all the better by the sunshine. Wouldn't recommend it if it's been raining much beforehand (some of the paths at the back of the Chester golf course were sodden and moss-covered in the shade, and this was during a dry spell), though. I hope others will enjoy it too.
N.B. I will transfer my accessibility survey across from Bucche one in due course; until then, please read it on that route's page.
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