This walk starts and ends at Handforth Station. While part of this walk is through woodland, the path has a good surface and stout outdoor shoes should suffice.
Before starting your walk, take a look around Handforth Station to admire the multi-award winning ‘Platform for Art’ or spot some of the 20 odd, 20 nationally renowned ‘foreign’ railway signs. Both projects are courtesy of Friends of Handforth Station, who also supplied this walk information. More at Handforthstation.org.uk
- From the station concourse, cross Station Road and turn right, with the Railway public house on your left. Ignore the left turn into Old Road and then turn left into Hall Road, passing St Benedict’s church.
- Shortly after the turning for Hereford Drive, turn left into the ‘tank track’. The entrance to the tank track is marked by a lectern that provides some history of the footpath – the track bed of a wartime railway branch line that brought armoured fighting vehicles to Handforth for repair.
- Walk through the woods until you reach the far end of the tank track (also marked by a lectern). Turn right into Lower Meadow Road, and at the roundabout bear right into Coppice Way.
- Walk past the main entrance of the BMW/Mini dealership. The path curves round to the left. Turn right onto the footpath signposted ‘Hall Road’.
- At this point you can cross Coppice Way (via a traffic island) to Handforth Dean Retail Park, which has numerous shops. There are toilets in the foyer area between Marks & Spencer and Tesco, and cafés in each store.
- Shortly after a bend in the footpath you can enter (to your right) a small park with a pond and bench seating. Continuing on from the park entrance, you will glimpse the gable end of Handforth Hall, Handforth’s oldest building. The hall was built by Sir Urian Brereton (Groom of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII) in 1562 (the date is inscribed on the gable end). On reaching Hall Road turn right and admire the Hall and its gardens through the Hall’s front gate.
- Continue straight on past St Benedict’s school, and when you reach St Benedict’s church, turn right on to Station Road and retrace your steps to the start point.
- At St Benedict’s Church you can visit the outdoor shrine to Mary – a quiet spot for contemplation. Here you can sit on covered seats, enjoy the colourful garden and watch the birds feeding.