Chetat one

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I walked from the very nice village of Tattenhall to beautiful Chester on a dry spring day following a very wet winter. I really didn’t enjoy the start of the route. The fields were uncomfortable, lumpy and wet, with no visible footpaths, and looked as if they were very rarely used, especially as some of the stiles and the six narrow plank bridges were in poor condition, one of them being overgrown by brambles. There was a lot of electric fencing too, and one particular path, at OS Grid Ref: SJ 492602 just before the railway, was very unfriendly, with a nettle-filled gap of around 70cm between an electric fence and a thorny hedge. On the plus side, there was a great view of Beeston Castle and the Peckforton Hills.
The canal section started with 1.25 miles of moored boats! It was earth and grass (often muddy and rutted) for three miles to start with, and changed to tarmac at Eggbridge in Waverton, four miles before the end. The canal section was very pleasant. It made up three quarters of the distance and half the time!! It was pretty quiet and rural until Waverton, and as it became more urban it was still pleasant with locks and all sorts of industrial heritage. The short road walk into Chester was mostly pedestrianised and passed under the iconic Eastgate Clock.
I couldn’t spot any kind of facilities after leaving Tattenhall until Waverton, with a good canalside pub at Christleton at the edge of the middle third of the route. There was a bench at Waverton, and also near Hargrave at the other edge of the middle third.
I would give the canal section 5* and the fields 2*. If I were to walk this again, I think I would prefer just to use Tattenhall Road, which has pavement most of the way, until the last couple of hundred yards/metres, where it goes over the railway and accesses the towpath at Crow’s Nest Bridge.

A good walk from the centre of Chester. For the initial 6 - 7 miles it follows the towpath alongside the Shropshire Union Canal. This offers reasonable wheelchair access (fairly flat, but bumpy in places, hard surface) at least until Egg Bridge, Waverton. After that the track - whilst of a good width, is mainly mud based. In very dry weather this could allow wheelchair access - at least until the route moves away from the towpath at Nixon's bridge. It then crosses an Inter-city railway line* which must be approached with care.
The last 2 - 3 miles then crosses fields to Tattenhall (and whilst it offers great views of Beeston, and Peckforton Castles), does include 15+ stiles.
Tattenhall has a public car park (at the rear of Alison's cafe), which has disabled parking.
I would walk this route again, and suggest it to other walkers. It passes by (or closely to) a number of interesting historical features of Chester and surrounding areas. A number of refreshment stops are also available along its length.
It is reasonably safe (care with railway line*) and direct. It follows well established routes for most of its length.

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