It follow the Sankey canal out of Warrington and through into Newton-le-Willows, finishing at the train station there right next to a quite spectacular viaduct. Due to the time of year some parts of the walk were slightly muddy, but I did it in sturdy trainers without a problem....

Gismay

I checked when I got home and according to the Canal and River Trust website “Though the Bridgewater Canal is popularly supposed to be the first of the industrial age, that title properly belongs to the nearby St Helens Canal.” I have previously walked chunks of this canal using WidWar One, SthBill Two and PreSth Two....

Mary Oz

Walked this route from Warrington to Widnes on a cold November day when sections of the path were decidedly slippery with black ice - not a problem very often I imagine....

RGW

I walked this during my June trip. I found it pleasant enough...

Az Gray

We left the canal and joined the trans pennine trail westwards....

Gismay

This was a nicely varied route that took in canal paths, a busy town centre, woodland footpaths and a gloriously painted tunnel....

Gismay

Arriving at the Manchester Ship Canal, there was a sizeable road swing bridge, preceded by a glorious foot tunnel with Alice in Wonderland wall painting. I found the ship canal section very interesting, with an imposing disused railway viaduct, and a set of locks where we crossed the canal on a safe and easy to follow fenced path....

Mary Oz

Access to the canal is inaccurately plotted, but was not too difficult to find on the ground. Where the TPT was close to the Bridgewater Canal we could see another small aqueduct over a road. We stayed close to the ship canal until reaching the road swing bridge, where we had previously been held up on our bus journey as a ship passed through....

Mary Oz

Access gates and steps would likely make this impassable for wheelchair users, and the rougher surfaces would rule out road bikes, but should be passable for those using off road bikes - according to the OS map, most of the route is specifically designated as a cycling route....

Dannywith

Once across two fields, we follow the treeline oast the pylon, before passing into another field, an often muddy track heading towards the motorway. Eventually, we join a grass track that runs alongside the brook, before we take a bridge and follow the earth footpath all the way to Bewsey, where we cross another bridge and follow a long paved road walk into Warrington....

Hiking Historian

Urban to start and finish with the route mostly traversing the canal in between over flat and generally well surfaced ground. Interesting views along the way from the industrial to the picturesque including some spectacular views over the Mersey....

Gismay

We progressed along a quiet road to a main road crossing with ramps and pedestrian lights, then along several off-road cycle tracks. This brought us to a gated level crossing (trains seem to be infrequent here I think) then a swing bridge over the disused canal. We stayed alongside the canal for longer than Widwar One, via a level crossing, until a wide footbridge over Sankey Brook (unfortunately with three shallow steps down from it) brought us to the pavemented road into Warrington, past some industry and a park with a fabulous Golden Gate!...

Mary Oz

An off-road cycle track brought us to a gated level crossing (trains seem to be infrequent here I think) then a swing bridge over the disused canal. We left the canal to pass a recycling centre, before a pleasant woodland walk (some roots across the path) brought us to a suburban cycle track close to the Mersey, with a glimpse across to the old transporter bridge. Another level crossing brought us to the pavement walk into Warrington, past some industry and a park with a fabulous Golden Gate!...

Mary Oz

Using a crossing at a crossroads, we're over a rail bridge, then past some houses to a footpath that wends its way downhill to a car park where we access the Sankey Canal. The path is a mixture of metalled earth and tarmac, and the canal itself wet and dry, with remnants of locks along the way. At the end, once over a footbridge, the route seems to suggest to follow another muddy path along the bank, but there's a good tarmac path a few yards further that goes the same way....

Hiking Historian

Once you cross Latchford locks and gain the TPT it is straight to Lymm....

John Croall

We live in Woolston, which is mid way so we do both ways there and back which is approximately 9 miles....

Lynne Nicholson

From urban Warrington, we work our way down a number of paved roads and over a footbridge before we head onto the tarmac paths of Victoria Park. Good shops at the Warrington end, with the odd one along the way, and with good transport links, this is a good route, albeit mostly only good for walkers....

Hiking Historian

Muddy in places, but it is a good walk. Good shops and both ends, with the odd one along the way, and with good transport links, this is a good route, albeit mostly only good for walkers....

Hiking Historian

Starting in Widnes, it is well-paved, with ramps at crossings, and the route passes a supermarket and, once over the main road, a pub and fast food outlets. There is a tarmac path just ahead that leads to a footbridge at the road, from where we wander through a wood on an earthern path, which can be muddy in places. It is 98% accessible; just the lack of ramps in Widnes and the housing in Sankey Bridges make is not totally friendly for wheeled users....

Hiking Historian

Before this it is understandably urban, but does have a nice section through Victoria Park and a historically fascinating stretch along the Ship Canal....

Chris Manasseh

Accurately mapped, except for immediately after the M62, where you should stick to the lower path to the right of the plotted route (i.e right of the path marked in green on the OS)....

Chris Manasseh

The initial section on the Bridgewater Canal and the long stretch along the Ship Canal provide some nice rural moments, with occasional views of the Mersey estuary, but the ambience deteriorates in the final third....

Chris Manasseh

Despite following a disused canal for much of its length, this route never quite manages to escape an urban, industrial feel....

Chris Manasseh

Extremely pleasant once out of Warrington and onto the Trans Pennine Trail and then the Bridgewater Canal....

Chris Manasseh

It is possible to stay on a path along the river and then follow a marked public right of way through the chemical works which emerges at the Liverpool Road roundabout west of the town centre, but this is extremely unpleasant. See alternative route - Frodwar two - for a much nicer option....

Chris Manasseh

Probably not suitable for wheeelchairs due to a couple of 'kissing' gates and barriers....

Chris Manasseh

A couple of road crossings leaving Warrington, and a section of pavement-less road outside Burtonwood....

Chris Manasseh

Flat and largely step-free apart from a couple of kerbs, plus one metal swing gate and one un-gated metal barrier (see photos)....

Chris Manasseh