{"id":1007503,"date":"2023-07-06T15:29:31","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T14:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1007503"},"modified":"2023-07-06T15:29:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T14:29:32","slug":"tarporley-and-the-shropshire-union-canal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1007503","title":{"rendered":"Tarporley And The Shropshire Union Canal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

Cheshire has some wonderful, classic English villages. Tarporley is one of these, and an ideal place from which to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a good walking day, 18 degC, starting sunny, becoming cloudier but staying dry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tarporley is a 45 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is 6.5 miles and just 300 feet of ascent. It took just under 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dog walkers, the first half of the walk is excellent, over arable farmland and the canal towpath. The second half has a few stiles, and the possibility of cattle, plus some road sections, but also plenty more arable farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in an anti-clockwise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is mainly on OS Explorer Map 267, but if you’re using the paper maps, about 20% of the route is on Map 257. I parked on the road near the petrol station and Spar at the start of the walk, use postcode CW6 0AY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tarporley To Wharton’s Lock<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I left Nantwich Road, and soon crossed the busy A49 onto pleasant open countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Between the fields there were lots of pretty wild flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another field crossed, and Beeston Castle came into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And now the wheat crops turned to maize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Pudding Lane, I joined the Sandstone Trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The hedgerows here were full of butterflies. Here’s a meadow brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Approaching Wharton’s Lock, Beeston Castle is now quite nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Shropshire Union Canal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wharton’s Lock was busy as I arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s a lovely stretch of canal, with the River Gowy running alongside it, and thick verdant undergrowth between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here, the prominent butterfly was the comma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Beeston Wharf, I learned that the canal was initially called The Chester Canal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is a delightful country cottage here too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The original lock here collapsed, and eventually Thomas Telford was brought in to design and construct an iron lock, seen today with the lower gate open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A little further along, the Beeston Stone Lock completed the reconstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, I arrived at Tilston Lock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tilston Lock To Tarpoley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a brief , steep incline as the path leaves the Gowy valley. From here, the paths are much less used, and the farmers have scant regard for maintaining their routes. I just traipsed through the maize to reach Vale Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The path from here is difficult to find. The road may have been an easier route to the A51.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the A51 I took Brains Lane, and located the rather jungle-like path towards Tilstone Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beyond Tilstone Lodgel, the panorama opens up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I crossed the small brook, and soon joined the pleasant minor roads which led back o Tarporley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a lovely , easy paced walk through very pretty English countryside. Tarporley is a fine village too, so this walk would make a nice full day out, perhaps supplemented by a visit to Beeston Castle (English Heritage).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Finally….<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do love new music. This is Tizane, her new album is “Forever Is Nothing”, and this track is “Who’s Gonna Hurt Me Now?” The album version a minute and a half longer than this You Tube video, and has a great guitar solo at the end. So if you like it, seek it out on streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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