Whinan two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Walked as part of National Parks Challenge 2026. Nothing further to add to earlier reviews, noting it remains the case that careful map reading across the golf course is required and the cows/calves remain a challenge!.

A pleasant walk through the Shropshire / Cheshire countryside. Most to the route follows the Llangollen canal and even the roadside walking in and out of the towns isn't too busy.

The only challenging part is the section across the golf course just outside of Whitchurch. Waymarking across the course is poor so good navigational skills are required, especially when heading north.

This was a Slow Way on the fly, brought about by seasonal factors but turned out to be quite a good one. Leaving Whitchurch, I had wondered whether a route which joined the canal as soon as possible would have been better, but stuck with my much more direct design which followed footpaths to the South Cheshire Way, which would take me to the Llangollen Canal. Leaving the pavement to join the first right of way, I found myself on a golf course. There are the occasional markers, but I mainly relied on my phone to check I was going the right way. Saying that, I never felt lost. Beyond the golf course, lies farmland and the path is easy to follow. I encountered a herd of cattle, and although they started to follow me, they lost interest once I got beyond them. (THE FOLLOWING SECTION DOES NOT REFER TO THIS VERSION OF THE ROUTE) Having crossed the border into Cheshire, my original plan was to follow the path right and then pick up the South Cheshire Way through Marbury. This was prevented by a herd of cows with calves, who made it plain as soon as I approached the stile that my safety would be at risk if I tried. So I needed to reroute (/ENDS) . So I retraced my steps and went left picking up the Bishop Bennet Way. This proved to be one of the highlights. Even on an overcast day the views were spectacular and the fact that it was a combination of lane and track, it was very easy to follow. The end of the Bishop Bennet Way dropped me at the A49, which was easy to cross. From there it was towpath pretty well the whole way. The Llangollen Canal is a well developed tourist zone and as a consequence, it's a very popular and friendly place to walk. There are cafes and pubs and the towpath is well maintained. However, beyond Wrenbury, as the canal turns north, the towpath became quite churned. It's worth noting that there are a lot of trees along this route, offering shade, or on the day I walked shelter from the torrential rain. The walk from the canal into Nantwich follows the Two Saints Way and is very clearly marked. The walk into Nantwich offered many food and drink temptations and the centre even more! This is an easy route to follow, but maybe this comes at the expense of directness. Overall though, definitely one I'd do again!.

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