{"id":1006611,"date":"2022-12-01T20:43:02","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T20:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1006611"},"modified":"2022-12-01T21:30:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T21:30:39","slug":"shotwick-castle-saughall-the-dee-flood-plain-near-chester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1006611","title":{"rendered":"Shotwick Castle, Saughall & The Dee Flood Plain Near Chester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The weather has turned colder and duller, so I thought I would look for places of interest in the lowland areas of Cheshire today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 9 mile walk had little change in elevation, and the easy walking meant I completed it in just 3 hours 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weather tried to brighten up for a while, but never really succeeded! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a 45 minute drive to Shotwick from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked clockwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This walk would be good for dog walking, as most of it is on tracks, and arable fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I parked on the road near St Michael’s Church, postcode CH1 6HX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map 266.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shotwick Village To Shotwick Castle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shotwick is a tiny hamlet with a lovely sandstone church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I walked back up the road past the millenium bench, and almost missed the path to the right which led across a field down to a small, pretty stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was back at the main roads that I’d driven down, and after crossing the A550 I then took the bridge over the A494.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the bridge is a sign indicating that the way to the left isn’t a right of way. I ignored it, and found myself taking a road which was clearly a public road!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a pretty road to boot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Soon I was heading off across the fields, I soon came to the site of Shotwick Castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ditches of this ancient motte and bailey castle are clear to see, but it seemed a strange place to build a castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I saw the photo on the information board:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reading on, I discovered the castle was originally overlooking the River Dee, which would have been tidal here. It went on to say that the course of the Dee is now within raised embankments some 3km (2miles) from here! The full text is here, if you can zoom in to read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shotwick Castle To Chester Millenium Greenway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From here, the path wanders through a pretty wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After crossing a stream, a left turn took me past Shotwick House, which is not clearly visible, but appeared very grand!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just after leaving another small wood, a right turn headed towards the village of Saughall. Before reaching the village, I was surprised to see several cow parsley plants in full bloom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I made my way through a housing estate, across a field and on to some wide, but muddy paths Kingswood Lane and Green Lane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After crossing a minor road, a greener track provided a softer appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then, unexpectedly the path dropped down an embankment which is quite steep. The contours indicate a drop of 10 – 15m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once at the bottom, the full extent of the embankment could be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The shrubs and trees here, as throughout the walk, were alive with abundant birdlife – redwings, fieldfares, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches and goldfinches being most prominent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realised that I was now on the original floodplain of the Dee estuary, now drained to create highly fertile farmland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossing the fields brought me to the Chester Millenium Greenway, a “Sustrans” cycle route on a disused railway line from Chester to Connah’s Quay, from England to Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A plaque on the bridge wall celebrates those who have contributed to a fund to maintain the bridges on the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are some lovely signs on the right as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Return To Shotwick<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leaving the cycleway, I took a sharp right turn onto another embankment, where a donkey posed for a picture!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further along, some horses did similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A long stretch alongside a drainage ditch followed. It was made more interesting by the sight of an overflying little egret, and a flock of curlews in a flooded area of a field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaching the A494 exit slip road, I had to climb the embankment to get to the traffic island. This motorist friendly spot is exceptionally pedestrian-unfriendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I worked out that I had to go round beyond the A548 exit, onto the industrial estate entry road and through a tunnel below the A548. How you would tackle the road crossings at a busy time of day is beyond comprehension!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A small 4 or 5 property housing development, circa 1970s, is on the other side of the tunnel. The fronts were very untidy, but the rear……oh dear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thankfully, the track soon becomes rural, and after a little way, a slight rise in ground level indicates that Shotwick church is nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there we are. Back amongst the ancient, and untidy looking gravestones!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This type of walk is very different from being up in the hills. It offers a different experience, and I really enjoyed discovering the history of Shotwick Castle, understanding the geography of the old River Dee floodplain, and relishing the 21st century renaissance of the cycle and pedestrian “Greenway”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Finally….<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fans of The Jam will know Bruce Foxton. He has long performed in “From The Jam”. Teaming up with Russell Hastings, he has just released an album, The Butterfly Effect. There are some great tracks – “Circles” is very reminiscent of The Jam, but I’ve chosen this track, “Lula”, for the great melody, and the saxophone solos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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