Weaver Valley and Vale Royal Abbey

Saturday 7 September 7 miles

Tracey, Hilary, Jane  

We woke to bright weather. The forecast was for rain and wind so the walk was changed from a Frodsham walk to a Hartford walk incase the weather was terrible. We were lucky that it turned out to be sunny at the beginning of the walk. We went across the by-pass and into the woods, we followed the road/path going under the railway viaduct .
The Weaver Navigation Vale Royal Railway Viaduct is a grade II listed building in Davenham, built in 1837 by Joseph Locke and George Stephenson for the Grand Junction Railway Co. It consists of a straight line of 5 equal segmental arches sprung from ashlar imposts on battered piers. the stonework in the spandrels is coursed with the voussoirs. Ashlar pilasters divide the arches and the whole has a modillion cornice. Vale Royal Abbey was once a medieval abbey built by the cicterions, it became a house but is now a golf club. 

We walked past the houses by the golf course and then through fields of corn, the plants were higher than our heads so the only view was of the sky with its clouds and the warmth of the sunshine.

We crossed more fields until we came to the road by the salt works. The Winsford Rock Salt Mine was opened in 1844 and is the oldest operating mine in the UK. The Mine produces over a million tonnes of Rock Salt a year and this is primarily used for highway de-icing.

At the River Weaver we crossed the river and found the picnic table where we had our lunch. We continued along the river.

The Vale Royal Locks are part of the River Weaver Navigation. The large size of the lock and speed of operation meant that a steam flat towing three 300-ton dumb-barges could pass through the lock in 15 minutes, making the Weaver an extremely efficient navigation. 

We walked alongside the river, we saw herons, a cormorant with its wings spread, and lots of fisherman until we got to the Hartford Bridge (the Blue Bridge) The bridge, built in 1938, carries the Northwich bypass (A556) over the River Weaver.  We continued across the bridge and alongside the by-pass with its fast cars.

We went to Blakemere Craft Centre for tea and cake and had a wander about.