Summer Special Walks

🍞 The Baker Way - 27th August 2025 🥐

The Baker Way is a 21 km hiking trail that links the railway stations at Delamere and Chester. It was created by the Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society and its name commemorates the life and work of Jack Baker who was a Rights of Way Officer with Cheshire County Council.

The route begins in woodland in Delamere Forest, passes by Mouldsworth and Ashton Heyes, before reaching the centre of Tarvin which affords a convenient lunch stop at approximately the midway point. A notable feature of the second part of the trail are the Hockenhull Platts, a series of three 18th century packhorse bridges over the River Gowy. The trail reaches the Shropshire Union Canal at Christleton on the outskirts of Chester, and then follows its towpath into the centre of the city, arriving at Chester railway station by means of City Road.

This will be a full day's outing. We will travel to Delamere station and leave cars there. We will then walk the first half of the Baker Way to Tarvin, where we will stop for rest and refreshment. After lunch we will continue on to the official end of the trail at Chester station, from where there is an hourly service back to Delamere. The u3a activity will end on arrival at Chester station, when participants will be free to spend the rest of the day as they wish, either returning to the start point immediately or staying on to enjoy Chester for a while. Either way, it is up to participants to arrange their own transport to and from Delamere, and their return train ticket from Chester to Delamere.

It is estimated that each half of the trail will take approximately 3 hours to complete, so 6 hours walking in total. The terrain will be generally similar to that found on the average u3a walk, i.e. tracks, field paths, quiet lanes and canal towpath. We will be walking at a moderate pace, with occasional drink stops.

Walk Stats

21.4 km (13.3 miles), total ascent 138 m.

Walk Description

Heading due west from Delamere railway station, we are soon walking through the woodland of Delamere Forest. The route initially tracks the Northwich - Chester railway and crosses over it several times. After eventually emerging from the trees at Fox Howl we join Delamere Lane and then Grange Road for a while, before picking up a footpath near the village of Ashton Heyes.

We skirt the village via Peel Hall and then begin to head roughly southwards across fields towards Tarvin. We cross Salters Brook and then the course of a Roman road to reach the A54 at Tarvin Bridge. Crossing over the main road, we make our way into Tarvin village by means of High Street, where we pause for lunch near St Andrew's Church.

After lunch, we leave Tarvin by way of Hockenhull Lane and pick up a field path near Hockenhull Hall. We soon encounter the three old bridges known as Hockenhull Platts, "platt" being an Old English word for bridge. These bridges might have been destroyed in 1824, when Cheshire County Council proposed to divert the Nantwich to Chester road, were it not for the intervention of the Marquess of Westminster, Robert Grosvenor, who owned the land and refused permission for the road to be diverted.

After a few hundred metres on a quiet lane, we enter fields again, but a mile later the landscape becomes more urban as we approach the extremities of the city of Chester. At Christleton we join the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal and follow it all the way to its intersection with City Road. Here we leave the canal and walk the final few hundred metres to the official end of the route at Chester railway station.

Route Map

Click this link for an image showing the walk route on OS mapping: Baker Way

Walk Start Point

Delamere station, Station Road, Delamere, Northwich CW8 2HZ

OS Grid Ref: SJ 55623 70354

Google Maps Ref: 53.228362, -2.6662094

what3words Ref: ///passports.caged.dispensed

Plus Code: 9C5V68HM+8G

Drive time from Holmes Chapel: 30 minutes

Use the map below to get directions to the start point in Google Maps:

Anyone in need of help in arranging transport to the walk please contact the walk leader. Car sharing is encouraged for transport to u3a walks for social and environmental reasons.

Refreshments

Bring packed lunch, water and snacks sufficient for a full-day hike.

Timing

Meet-Up for Car Shares: 09:00 at Holmes Chapel Community Centre car park. Would anyone NOT planning to meet here, but going straight to the walk start point, PLEASE LET THE LEADER KNOW, so he knows where to expect you.

Walk Start Meet-Up: 09:45 for 10:00

Lunch Stop: 13:00 - 13:30 (approx.)

Walk Finish: 16:30