Salt Line and Borrow Pit Meadows

Salt Line and Borrow Pit Meadows
Near Hassall Green
Between Sandbach and Alsager
Cheshire
CW11 4YB

Grid reference: SJ775582
Phone: 01477 534115
Email: rangers@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Site Ranger: Alistair Wright

Map location

Opening hours

The car park is located near Hassall Green and for most of the year is open between: 08:00 – 19:00 hours (summer BST ) and 08:00 – 17:00 hours (winter GMT ).

From September 16 2022 the car park will be locked at 18.00 hours up to Sunday 30 October 2022, when Winter time begins and the gates will be locked at 17.00 hours.

However in the week prior to when the clocks change from summer to winter, the gate closing time is 17.00 hours.

Opening and closing times are displayed on the car park signs at the Salt Line car park.

The Salt Line and Borrow Pit Meadows are accessible at all other times via roadside access points and the local public rights of way network.

Activities

• Walking
• Cycling (linked to National Cycle Network Route 5)
• Horse Riding 
• Birdwatching
• Educational Activities (by arrangement with site ranger)
• Guided walks (see Ranger event pages)
• Solar System Trail - Self guided walk
• Tale of Trees - Self guided walk
• Geo-caching
• Salt line and Wheelock Rail Trail leaflet (PDF, 2MB)
• Hassall Green explorer leaflet (PDF, 592KB)

Facilities

• Car park – (with extended overflow parking at weekends and bank holidays or by prior arrangement with the Ranger)
• Well surfaced routes suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs (powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters maybe better suited to some sections) More information in Walks for all in Cheshire East (PDF, 6.2MB)
• Path side picnic tables, seating and benches at regular intervals (no further than 400 metres apart)
• Information boards with site details and events and activities information
• Leaflet dispenser in car park with self guided trails and a suggested local area walk
• Dog waste bins near access points (dogs to be kept under close control or on a lead)

About the Salt Line

The Salt Line lies just south of Sandbach (M6 junction 17) and is a 3km / 1.8 mile route following the line of a disused railway, of which 2.5 km / 1.5 miles is a well surfaced trail.

Mostly flat and in some parts raised on embankments, it cuts through farmland and woodland as it runs towards Alsager.

The Salt Line is mostly wooded along its length and is interspersed with areas managed as open glades and coppice.

About Borrow Pit Meadows

The Borrow Pit Meadows near Alsager is adjacent to the Salt Line and both sites are linked by access points and paths. The Borrow Pit Meadows are about 16 hectares / 40 acres in size with 2kms / 1.25 miles of well surfaced undulating paths, with a further 1km / 0.6 miles of unsurfaced paths.

It is a mosaic of habitats including meadows, woodland, wetland, grassland, farmland and scrub. With benches located at regular points along the surfaced routes, it is ideal for quiet recreation on foot or bike and will also be of interest for those who enjoy birds, plants, trees and wildlife.

PDF accessibility

The PDF documents on this page may not be fully accessible to screen reader technology due to the map content. If you require them in an alternative format please email webteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk.

Page last reviewed: 15 August 2022