Kelwin two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Kelwin here.

This was a route I was hoping I would be able to tweak into a 5 star Slow Way, and it started well. The route out of Winsford follows a combination of pavements and alleyways from the bustling centre, offering stops and shops and then friendly residential areas to the edge of town. Having crossed the A54, my problems started. The stile to the footpath is hidden away and is not easy to spot. The original design of this walk was to take the footpath past Marton House Farm, but this proved impossible. The footpath is completely overgrown to the point of being impassable, enough for a report to Cheshire County Council. I doubled back and took the path up to the A54 which was walkable, but with no pavement, was not very pleasant. I took the lane back down to rejoin the original route at Blakeden Farm and it was from there that everything got a lot better. Until you get to Little Budworth you pass various properties, including one where the path is fenced in. An attentive guard dog escorted me noisily round from the other side of the fence, thankfully. Little Budworth is a quiet and charming village that seems to have a couple of rather nice pubs. Beyond there you join the sandy trail through the woods of the country park. There's a garden centre at the top with a carvery! There's some pavement pounding along the main road which might not be to everyone's tastes, but it's safe and there's a pub at the junction with B5152. Leaving the main road, a path takes you past an equestrian centre which was in full flow when I walked past. I'd not heard the phrase "I'm sorry, you've been eliminated!" shouted across a field before. It's a really lovely section of path across the field with the ascent in the woods ahead of you. On a hot day, the walk along the woodland path through Primrose Wood was welcome. There's a short section of road walking on a quiet lane above Kelsall. When you get to the footpath into Kelsall, the view is amazing. You can see right across Cheshire and into Wales. Landmarks I could spot included the bridge at Runcorn. The path, along a holloway is stepped, before it joins pavements to the meeting place near the Coop. I think this could be the foundation of a 5 star Slow Way, it's safe, direct, interesting and mostly easy to follow. I'd suggest a route which from Little Budworth, heading east, follows the footpaths to arrive into Winsford via Hebden Green. But that's for another day, and probably another reviewer.

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