This week's walk explores a pleasant run of woodland beside the River Weaver in Cheshire and begins from the attractive village of Kingsley near Frodsham.

The manor was once centred on a clearing, the 'King's Meadow' within in an extensive medieval forest of which nearby Delamere is now merely a remnant.

The church, passed towards the end of the walk, lies not at the centre, but at the edge of the village atop a small rise, the reason being that it is a relative newcomer, dating only from the middle of the 19th century.

Built of the warm, local red sandstone, it is only a small building, but has a striking broach spire and is the work of Giles Gilbert Scott, the third generation of an illustrious architectural family.

His greatest achievement was the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and Scott was only 22 when he was awarded the commission.

Scott died in 1960 at the age of nearly 80, but work continued for another eighteen years before his great cathedral was finally completed.

||1817|| Start from the village car park by the community centre, reached via Westwood Road and Smithy Lane off the B5153 near the church. A footpath from the back of the parking leads through to the main lane beside the village school, built as the National School in 1846 and topped with its original bellcote, used to signal the start of class.
Go right and then at a fork keep left with the main road towards Northwich, following it round out of the village. A short way beyond the derestriction sign, bear left into Ball Lane.

||1615|| Where that splits, take the left track towards Hall o' th' Hey Farm. As it too later fragments bear left again on a waymarked track past a Dutch barn and there veer right on a gently falling hedged track.
At the bottom, go through the left-most of the two gates and walk down to the River Weaver below Well Wood.

3 Turn left to follow the riverbank downstream, the path running beneath a steep slope footing Warburton's Wood.
Numerous springs and streams break from the trees and that called the 'Brine Spring' is a reminder of the extensive salt deposits that underlie this part of Cheshire. The path, however, is well-made, and is carried across the wet sections on a succession of bridges and duckboards. The quiet woodland offers a home to a variety of birdlife, and further along, beside the path you will come across a badger sett.

||1211|| Eventually breaking from the trees by Catton Hall Farm, join a field track, continuing with the riverbank where that subsequently finishes.
After about ½ mile the path leads to a stile beside a gate, where the river swings to the right. Immediately over, turn away from the bank and walk beside the left hedge, which conceals a stream. Not far along is a footbridge across, over which you should turn right on a field path, which, before long, leads out to a narrow lane. Follow it right.

||109|| Some ½-mile's walking brings you to a gated track leaving on the left. Beyond a cottage, the way degrades to a path and delves into woodland.
Emerging through a gate, walk ahead, keeping a short row of fence posts and a tree-shrouded pond on your left to reach a stile. Dip across a wooded gully and then bear slightly right across the subsequent field to a stile breaking the opposite fence. Continue straight across a large, open field to find another stile into the wood at the far side. A path drops through the trees to a bridge, climbing the far bank to come out in a narrow meadow. Cross to the top right corner to reach a drive emanating from buildings at Belleair.

||87|| Follow it away past a wood for almost ½ mile and then turn sharp left along a gravel track that shortly leads to Peel Hall Farm. Leave the track where it swings left into a spacious yard, going over a stile on the right. Turn left beside a low perimeter wall, over which there is a good view of the ancient, moated manor house. Leaving the corner of the field, the path drops through more trees towards a cottage. However, part-way down, look for a stile on the left. Beyond a stream, the path rises to join a pleasant, narrow lane, which to the left, winds unhurriedly past Pike Nook Farm and eventually ends beside the village church. Go left into the village past the Horseshoe Inn to find the footpath beside the school that will take you back to the car park.

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