Knutsford Walks

Looking for countryside walks in Cheshire? Discover our recommended Knutsford walking route, developed in collaboration with Walks Around Britain, and see key historic sites like Tatton Park! This walk is circular and starts and ends at Knutsford train station, making it easily accessible.

Knutsford Walk Details:

• Walking distance – 5 miles / 8 km
• Minimum time – 3-4 hours
• Grade – Medium – The Knutsford walking route is flat and without stiles or kissing gates and can be accessed by wheelchairs and pushchairs, although patches of the parkland can be muddy. Good walking shoes are advisable.
• Map – OS Explorer 268 • Dog walk friendliness – Always keep on leads.
• Nearest train station – Knutsford train station.

On mobile? Download the condensed Knutsford walk PDF guide

Download the Knutsford walking guide (PDF)

Knutsford Circular Walk Map & Directions

Step 1

Walking from the Chester direction, leave the station at the ticket office and turn right, down through the car park and turn left into King Street. Coming from the Manchester direction, leave the station on the level, through a small car park and turn left into Adams Hill and left again under the railway bridge into King Street. This delightful route passes numerous attractive shops, cafes and restaurants.

Step 2

As you leave the town head towards the gate ahead, as this is the pedestrian entrance into Tatton Park.

Step 3

There are several tracks through the park which head towards the Mansion and the one to the right of the main drive affords beautiful views of Tatton Mere. Keep parallel to the main drive as it bears left, and you pass Melchett Mere on your left hand side.

Step 4

Take the footpath on your left towards the Mansion which can be seen in the distance.

Step 5

Proceed past the Mansion and enter the courtyard, where there are excellent café and toilet facilities, as well as a chance to buy tickets to visit the Mansion and gardens.

Step 6

At this point, several optional extensions can be added to the walk and maps showing the routes can be picked up from the shop or Stables Restaurant or downloaded at www.tattonpark.org. uk. There is a nature trail which starts in the Stableyard and then follows numbered wooden posts (2–19) painted with an orange band, and if you chose this route, you can leave the trail at point 17, where it joins your original route towards the Knutsford Gate.

Step 7

Re-join the route signed Knutsford Gate and exit the park. Turn left into Drury Lane and then bear right down the hill. You will pass the Ruskin Rooms. There is an inscription on the building which commemorates General Patton’s use of the building during a stay in Cheshire, which reads ‘Welcome Club’ for officers of the Third Army opened by General George Patton on 25th April 1944 prior to participation in the Liberation of Europe.

Step 8

Carry on past the attractive pastel cottages and admire the name plates which include ‘Linen House’ and ‘Tower House’.

Step 9

Bear right at the bottom of the hill and follow the road with a brook to your right and glimpses of the Mere on your left. The road opens out as it passes the Moor, a popular site for families with a large children’s play area.

Step 10

At the end of the road, you will meet the junction with King Street and the train station is in front of you. You are now roughly halfway through the Knutsford walk!

Step 11

Keep the hedge to your right and turn right to cross a bridge over a deep ditch.

Step 12

Carry on to reach Plumley Moor Road via a stile. (At this point you can shorten the walk by about a half, by turning left along the road, passing the village shop to return to the station).

Step 13

Continue the longer walk by crossing the road and climbing a stile ahead, passing between two electricity poles, through fields in the same direction and crossing three further stiles to reach the busy A556.

Step 14

Turn left, staying on the same side of the main road, past Holford Farm and then immediately turn down a narrow tarmac lane on your left (once the main road between Plumley and Pickmere).

Step 15

Cross the Peover Eye once again and turn right through a gate (the original footpath has been diverted here and the new path is clearly signed).

Step 16

Continue on the new path through woodland, with wire fences on either side. Holford Hall is visible to your left.

Step 17

Continue the path through a kissing gate and turn left onto a track. Stay on this track with Holford Hall visible on your left. Where the track swings right, there is a short, dead-end length of footpath directly ahead over a low stile, leading to an information board about Holford Hall and a view over the moat. Retrace your steps back to the track and continue along the track to leave the woodland.

Step 18

Proceed through a gate or adjacent stile into the next field.

Step 19

Carry on along a well-defined track past a series of small ponds on your left. At the end of the large field bear left down a track between hedges.

Step 20

Carry on down the hill to a stile to the left of a gate and after a few yards turn left over a bridge to cross the Peover Eye. At the top of the incline turn right by a thatched cottage and proceed along Trouthall Lane (no road sign).

Step 21

Continue under the railway bridge until you see a footpath marked on the left (approximately¾ mile/1 1/4 kilometres from the thatched cottage) opposite Trouthall Farm and make your way back through the fields until you reach Plumley Moor Road at Beech House Farm. Congratulations, you’ve completed the Knutsford walk!

Step 22

Turn left to reach Knutsford train station.

We hope you enjoyed the Knutsford walk in Cheshire! Looking for more walks or hikes in Northern England? See them here.