Activities and information about Wheelock Rail Trail

Walking and Cycling at Wheelock Rail Trail

For a longer walk why not follow the towpath of the Trent and Mersey canal to Hassall Green and then join the Salt Line which provides off road walking and cycling as far as Alsager.

There is a good network of local routes for walking and cycling. To print off a circular cycle ride leaflet or walking leaflet visit Discover Cheshire where you can print off a recommended circular route for the area.

Wildlife at Wheelock Rail Trail

The Rail Trail is rich in wildlife. Look for frog spawn amongst the watercress in the ditches during early spring. Freshwater Shrimps and Sticklebacks also make their home in the clear water. Wild Daffodil and Lesser Celendine brighten the banks by the old station whilst later in the year Red Campion, Foxglove and Dog Rose flower along the trail. Comfrey and Weld thrive in drier soils on top of the embankments. Thrushes, Redwing and Fieldfare feast on hawthorn berries during the winter.

History of Wheelock Rail Trail

After the railway closed in 1966 the track lay derelict for many years, gradually becoming more and more overgrown. The Countryside Ranger Service worked closely with the local community through the Wheelock Rail Trail Association to develop the track into a multi-user trail.

The whole route was upgraded with improved access points, better surfacing and new information boards to provide a high quality facility for walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike. The Trail forms part of Route 5 of the National Cycle Network, linking Middlewich with Alsager.

The scheme was made possible by a grant of £50,000 awarded to the project by WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Network) using the Landfill Tax credits of Waste Recycling Group plc and funding from the Council's Local Transport Plan budget for the National Cycle Network.

Contact Ranger service

rangers@cheshireeast.gov.uk

For Middlewood Way, Jacksons’ Brickworks, Poynton Coppice and Poynton Park: phone 01625 383700

For Tegg’s Nose Country Park: phone 01625 374833

For Lindow Common or Macclesfield Riverside Park: phone 01625 374790

For Brereton Heath Local Nature Reserve, Dane-In-Shaw Pasture SSSI, Croxton Park, Biddulph Valley Way, Timbersbrook Picnic Area, Salt Line, Borrow Pit Meadows and Rode Heath Rise: phone 01477 534115

For Astbury Mere Country Park, Merelake Way and Wheelock Rail Trail: phone 01260 297237

For Gritstone Trail: phone 01270 686029

Page last reviewed: 27 September 2022