A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
So last week, I went to Cheshire and I had a most marvelous time!
As you know, I obtained an MA – Masters of Art Degree at the University of Chester.
Good Times!
If you would like to know a little bit about England just follow the links below:
And of course, if you want to read about Scotland and other British things, just follow the link here!
As I told you a few weeks ago, Cheshire is very close to Wales, sometimes having both Welsh and English names, in various parts of the county!
Wales is very nice. I might write about it someday!
I grew up in Cheadle, a suburban village in what was then known as Greater Manchester, and when my brother and I went to university, my family moved to Cheshire.
Cheshire is an Anglo-Saxon settlement first thought to have been created by King Edward (Edward the Elder) in AD920. The county is in the country (the country-side) and is mostly rural with small towns and villages supporting the local agriculture and industry, and so we have horses not far from the home of one of my brothers!
It’s a lovely place so now’s the time to write about it.
The 15 mile (24km) Sankey Valley Park is steeped in history and follows the course of England’s first and oldest canal spanning from St Helens in Lancashire right down to Speke in Liverpool!
The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from the mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire and pioneered the canal age from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.
We were in the Great Sankey section which has a combination of rivers, ponds, woodlands and meadows, all forming a superb backdrop to a variety of recreational and historic features.
We took a stroll under many a bridge but I was slightly worried about some of the marshland that we waded through, as I had on one of my favourite orange suede shoes!
Ooops!
The Sankey Valley Country Park & Trail is easy to navigate and has a history of canal activity. Just imagine horses pulling boats, the canal full of life and the sounds and smells of artisans hammering, wood-cutting, metal working, coal-burning and steaming timbers!
The park is also enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and anglers and has a maze.
Bewsey Old Hall is situated at Great Sankey and is on the western side of the Sankey Valley Park! Once a monastic grange, owned by the monks of Titley Abbey in Essex, Bewsey Old Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the thirteenth (13th) to the seventeenth (17th) century and was also visited by the first Stuart king – James I – in 1617!
The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) passes from coast-to-coast between Southport and Hornsea, is 215 miles (346km) long, runs along disused railway lines and canal towpaths, is a relatively easy trail, and is open to horse riding!
My type of trail!
Now Warrington isn’t on the map for the world’s greatest artist, but what I saw there, left an impression on me nevertheless! I was interested in going there because I’ve always liked knowing about the history of a people and this museum had loads to teach me!
I had no idea that Warrington was so famous, or had such influence on life in the North, made clearer through the lenses of local photographers, and historic collections, in the 1840’s!
Wow!
In fact, it was said that Warrington and the countryside of Cheshire gave him inspiration and there’s even a Lewis Carroll Centre in Daresbury and a large stone table of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in the centre of the shopping quarter in Warrington!
This article is isn’t sponsored and even though I rambled along the Sankey Valley Country Park & Trail, all the mud on my orange suede shoes, are my very own!
In April, I’ll be going to Portugal and Spain. Olé!
As usual, you can also follow me via daily tweets and pictures on Twitter & FB!
Watch this space!
See you in Berlin.
I wouldn’t fancy walking around in one shoe at the best of times, let alone through marshlands… 😉
LOL! It really was quite muddy Linda. I had to be helped…! 🙂
I grew up in Cheshire (Macclesfield), but I am now living in New Zealand. You’ve created a substantial list of reasons…I love visting Tatton Park to see the deer and Hare Hill is great too.
Thanks very much Jennifer!
Another expat Manc. Sort of. Yay! Tatton Park is lovely as is the Peak District, and the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. It sometimes makes me long for the English countryside, and slightly home-sick!
Thanks so much for following my blog and you’re living in New Zealand too. Awesome! How long have you been out there?
This looks nice. I wouldn’t enjoy the mud and don’t have a great love of animals like sheep etc..too much of a scaredy cat :-). I wouldn’t mind spending some time here, but it is low on my list. There are just soooooo many places to see first 🙂
Thanks so much KemKem! The English countryside has more than enough mud to share. For All! Think of Britains’ largest music festival – Glastonbury – Mud! Mud! And yet more Mud! Fabulous!
What a shame that you don’t like sheep. Do yu like horses? Or forget that! Just come for the wonderful culture shopping, food, and delicious cider instead lol! 🙂
I really love the fact that this place is all about the nature – getting close to it, exploring it and feeling so free and natural. Running there in the morning would be my dream to come true! I would also take a vigorous walk through the Gritstone Trail – sounds like a plan to me! 🙂
Thanks so much Agness! Cheshire is such a beautiful location and quite rural! It’s amazing how close nature is. In our case, just a 5 minute walk and you’re already at the Great Sankey Valley Park. A 20 minute drive will get you on the Gritstone Trail! And the beauty of it all? It’s all common public land so that you can walk, cycle or horse-ride, for as long as you like, and as far as you can. Just like in Wales! You’d love it! 🙂
I love the fact, as Agnes stated, this place is all about nature. I shall ass this place to my bucket list 🙂
Thanks very much Keith! Cheshire is indeed about nature. And I love it!
A great place to put on your bucket list! 🙂
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Seems like a lovely spot for hiking but those deer now scare me, after a close encounter at Richmond Park last October!
Thanks very much Anna! Cheshire is amazing but yes, they can be dangerous!
Richmond Park ay. Spill the beans!
It was october and they were being feisty…
Aha!!
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