Garwid three

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A good route masterminded by Mike Tormey before leaving us for the US!

Walked in reverse with Mary Oz on a nice, if overcast, September day, the route follows for most of its path the Mersey Way, which I've walked a few times, but with a few variations on footpaths I've never wandered!

Starting in the centre of Widnes, the route takes us down paved roads until we meet a crossing over the A562, before heading down a footpath underneath the railway and A557. The route is slightly different on the ground here to the map due to some recent developments, but the tarmac footpath isn't hard to miss, taking us beneath the new Mersey Gateway road. Next, we're on the disused St Helens Canal. The towpath brings us to the marina, a small café, and the science museum of Catslyst, and once past the old lock, we're on the riverside.

A short paved road walk brings us into West Bank, before joining a promenade that takes us past the church, site of the transporter bridge. A brief stint on a road, but then we're onto a proper footpath, which takes us along the river for some time. Some of it is open, with great views; others, shady trees, but there's benches along the way.

At the end, there is a zigzag staircase that works its way downhill to a footbridge over Ditton Brook (which is obviously a big obstacle to wheeled users). The next section takes us along the riverside of Pickering's Pastures, where we leave the riverside and follow the pavement along the road into Hale. In the village, there's a lot of history if you're so inclined, and a good pub: the Childe Of Hale.

From Hale, we veer away from the Mersey/Transpennine Way and work our way across the rec ground and through the icehouse woods (where I'd never been before!). A nice woodland walk, albeit muddy in places. Eventually, we hit the river once more, and, again, it's muddy in places, and sometimes overgrown: it's often best to walk along the edge of the field rather than the official footpath.

We come out at The Dungeon (more historic stuff here if you like diversions), and join the road. It's unpaved, but only serves the farm we're walking to on a dead-end road. At the farm, we turn down a track (not a footpath, but it's well-used), which brings us back onto the river walk. Field after field, again muddy underfoot but not intolerably so. And, if lucky, you may time it as a plane comes in to land, as we're now in the flightpath of Liverpool Airport!

Past the gantry, we walk along the fenceline of the airport, before finding ourselves on the old taxiing runway of the original airport along the edge of the Speke Hall estate. We're not on it long, though, before we take a footpath to, and past, the sailing club, where we join a rough track.

At the end we join a road which runs around an estate, which we soon cross and move through the residential roads. A long footpath between fences and walks brings us to Speke Road, where we are soon crossing and arrive at South Parkway station shortly afterwards.

A very good route running through some good green areas, and well-served at both ends with transport links and nearby shops. Terrain and some steps make it foot-only, however, but a good walk with a view along the Mersey.

Although this route is 2 miles or 21% longer than the alternatives, it is full of beauty and interest, although also a bit of mud, a flight of stairs, and some slightly overgrown paths.
Soon after leaving Widnes we passed the site of the former transporter bridge and then walked underneath the road and railway bridges at Runcorn Gap, which was fun. Then we were alongside the Mersey itself. We soon reached a long flight of shallow steps then a bridge over Ditton Brook. The view from the top of the steps was fabulous.
The gradually morphing view as we walked along the estuary was really good, and I enjoyed picking out features I recognised… or didn’t… where my local companion was able to help out.
During the route, there was a lot of wildlife, despite some local industry. We saw heron, little egret, shelduck, curlew, cormorant, kestrel, plus others we couldn’t identify.
We came inland for a little while, and cut the corner by walking through the lovely village of Hale, with its real-life giant, the Childe of Hale. There are two food pubs here and it is near the halfway point.
The paths beyond here were a bit more remote and of poorer quality, but were still enjoyable, with good views. Around the airport, we could hear more of the planes than we could see, until we got closer to the west end of the runway. At one point I could hear planes with my right ear, and curlews with my left ear! We got some pretty good views of a string of planes coming in to land as we got alongside the pier of runway guide lights (marked on the OS map as Light Gantry).
We walked a short section of former runway before passing a marina, with the sound of ropes clinking on masts, in the wind. Sadly, we were unable to get even a glimpse of Speke Hall as it was surrounded by a high, wooded embankment.
The suburban route from here to Garston and South Parkway Station was straightforward, with ramped kerbs and pedestrian crossings.
I haven’t tried the shorter GarWid Two yet, but I suspect I will prefer this coastal route.

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