Handley walks

A steady climb through heath and woodland to the Sandstone Trail and Maiden Castle, an Iron Age hillfort.

An extended walk along the Sandstone Trail, giving fine views and including highlights of the mid-Cheshire ridge.

Enjoyable farmland and woodland walking with superb views over the Peckforton Hills and the surrounding Cheshire Plain.

A short but satisfying walk featuring good views, quiet lanes and tracks, and sunlight-dappled woodland.

A fine scenic walk with views of two castles, one an authentic medieval fortification, the other a Victorian country house now used for weddings and conferences. Much of the walk is wooded. The walk can be extended to include the climb up to Beeston Castle (English Heritage: admission charge).

Two contrasting villages, one on a hilltop and the other in the lonely valley of the River Gowy. Wet grass and muddy sections, and after prolonged rain some of the low-lying meadows may be impassably flooded.

Stroll through watermeadows and along a hollow way to a ridge-top village, returning via Watling Street

A few paths may be under crops, or muddy after rain. Includes some road walking

The bike ride starts on the canal in central Chester. Some short uncomfortable cobbled sections under canal bridges and can be busy during rush hour and weekends. You have to dismount to go over a pack bridge just after Telford’s pub. Then a short section along a wider towpath towards the Greenway. The Greenway runs along an old railway line and is nicely surfaced. During the week and outside of rush hour, this is a quiet and easy route, but weekends can be very busy. Carry on to the blue bridge across the motorway in Sealand and turn right off the Greenway, through an industrial estate and then through an underpass and onto the bridle path to Shotwick. This section is a grassy track and is passable with an ordinary bike, but when it's wet and during the winter, you’d need a hybrid or mountain bike.

A scenic walk featuring wide views over Kelsall and beyond, and a pretty wooded valley.

A short farmland walk featuring a pretty green lane and extensive views to Liverpool and the Clwydian mountains, and an exploration of Kelsall village.

An extended farmland and woodland walk along the Sandstone Trail, with fine views over seven counties!

A mixture of woodland and farmland walking, with good views and a visit to a pleasant Cheshire village (no pub). Some modest climbs and occasional rocky ground. Mud after rain.

A rewarding walk with wide views and a visit to a well-preserved Iron Age fort. Some modest climbs, and occasional mud after rain.

A short woodland stroll visiting an interesting and atmospheric geological curiosity. Some steep and uneven ground, and mud may be encountered.