24 pram friendly walks Cheshire

Family walks are always a great day out and a great way to spend time in the great outdoors with kids. We love walking and have two young children, so I’ve put together a list of pram friendly walks Cheshire that we love and hopefully you will too. Find more great Family days out North West England here.

Cheshire is full of beautiful places to visit. Our children are out of pushchairs now but we have been walking in Cheshire since they were babies so we’ve found lots of ideas for you over the years.

There are numerous places to go for walks but they’re not always suitable for prams, so I’m working on guides to family walks with older children too. These walking routes below are all suitable for pushchairs making them accessible to all.  

Pram-friendly woodland walks Cheshire

Alderley Edge

Enjoy woodland walks and stunning views (at “The edge”) over the Cheshire plains towards the Peak District. There are numerous routes through these woods, not all of them are suitable for prams but if you stick to the main paths you can enjoy a circular walk to “the edge” Where you can enjoy the spectacular views.

Children will love all the fallen trees that have been left and the little area that has been made into a natural play area.

Find out more here – Alderley edge walks

Pay and display parking is available, managed by the National Trust. This is free parking for members. The car park does get full at times so I’d arrive early on a good walking day. There are toilets in the car park.

There is usually an ice cream van in the car park and the Wizard inn/tea room is located at the start of the trail if you want a drink or food before or after your walk.

Delamere forest

We love a woodland walk and Delamere forest has to be one of the best in Cheshire. The main paths are suitable for pushchairs. Both Blakemere and Linmere trails are graded as easy and pass the fabulous Gruffalo sculpture who was recently replaced as well.

You can find beautiful Gruffalo and friends wooden sculptures too on the Delamere forest Gruffalo trail which is pram-friendly.

You can also enjoy the new Gruffalo party trail which is just 1 mile long & suitable for all. Pick up your trail pack from the visitor centre. Find out more here – The Gruffalo party trail at Delamere Forest

There is also a family Gruffalo orienteering trail that can be purchased from the visitor centre for £1.50. There are several pay and display car parks as well as some free on-road parking.

Find out more in my guide to Delamere forest walks here.

Ridgegate Reservoir

Macclesfield forest might not be suitable for prams as it is very steep in a lot of places but Ridgegate reservoir is much more suitable. It takes less than an hour to walk all the way around and the few slopes that there are, aren’t very steep.

The paths are wide but aren’t paved. Perfectly find though for most prams. The majority of the paths around the reservoir are through the forest.

There are some free parking bays next to the reservoir but get there early to get your space. There is also a visitors centre with a pay and display car park further up the hill for Macclesfield forest.

Grappenhall heyes walled gardens, Warrington

I found it hard to decide which section of this post to include this walk under. It includes a small woodland walk and a beautiful walled garden. There is loads of free on-road parking right outside the gardens.

There are glasshouses to explore as well as a cafe. The paths in the gardens are wide and pram-friendly. You do need to be aware there are a couple of wide steps to negotiate if you want to explore the kitchen garden.

Once you have explored the gardens you can walk down to the village including the short woodland walk (but this is optional as there is a paved wide path down to the village.

Find out more about the gardens here – Grappenhall Heyes gardens

Country parks, nature reserves and walking routes

The Middlewood way

The Middlewood way is an 11-mile former railway track between Macclesfield and Marple. It runs through Bollington over a viaduct with stunning views. The path is suitable for bikes and prams.

There are a number of free car parks along the route. Avoid Adlington road rangers office car park, even though it has a great play area, as access to Middlewood way is via a long set of steps. A great starting point with older kids but not so much with a pushchair!

Find out more bout the Middlewood way and download a leaflet with all the car parks, footpaths and all the other information you might need to plan your visit here – Middlewood Way.

Marbury country park, Northwich

Marbury country park and arboretum is part of Northwich woodlands. The whole area consists of 9 woodlands, which Marbury park is part of and it is the perfect place for a walk with a pushchair.

There are plenty of accessible paths throughout for you to enjoy. There is also a lovely play area and picnic area for you to enjoy too. Plenty of pay and display parking is available onsite.

Car park is open 9am-8pm (1st Apr.-30th Sept.) and 9am-5pm (1st Oct.-31st Mar.). There are toilets by the rangers office and occasionally and an ice cream van. Find the parking just off Marbury Road, Northwich.

You can also walk from here to Anderton boat lift where you’ll find an information centre, another great play area and a cafe as well as more walking options. Find out more here – Marbury park to Anderton boat lift walk.

Bretton Heath local nature reserve, Congleton

This is a lovely nature reserve near to Congleton with fantastic paths for prams and pushchairs. The path around the lake is 1.3km long and is a lovely walk. There are also some woodland footpaths too which are mostly pram friendly too. There is plenty of pay and display parking and toilet facilities too.

The park is open by 8.45 am each day, and closes at 5 pm during the winter, and 8.30 pm during British Summer Time. We love their free elf and Halloween trails that they run each year.

Find a handy leaflet with a map here.

Astbury mere, Congleton

Located just 1 mile from Congleton town centre, Astbury mere is a 2km (1 and a 1/4 mile) circular route. The path around the mere is suitable for all prams and pushchairs. The mere is a haven for wildlife and also watersports.

There is a car park at the visitors’ centre. The postcode is CW12 4FP. Allow about 40 minutes to walk around the Mere. We often go around twice. Find out more here – Astbury Mere Country Park

Walton Hall, Warrington

Walton Hall is a fantastic family day out with plenty of pushchair-friendly paths. You can easily explore the gardens and woodlands with all the family. If you have any older children though, you’ll probably struggle to tear them away from the large playground (with separate sections for different ages) and the free children’s zoo which has a lot of farm animals and various birds. We love the beautiful peacocks that are wandering around and the alpacas were also popular. There is also a crazy golf course and cafe.

Risley Moss, Warrington

This nature reserve has a free car park and flat walking paths around the reserve making it the perfect place for a stroll with your little one. There are toilets near the car park too.

They have three trails for you to follow including the Boggarts and friends trail which features a series of chainsaw wood sculptures. Find out more here –Risley Moss

Nantwich lake

Postcode for satnav is CW5 7AE. There is free car parking at this lakeside car park and more off Shrewbridge Road. From here you can enjoy a walk around Nantwich lake which only takes about 15 minutes and if you want to go a bit further there is a riverside circular path too.

It’s worth noting there are no toilets or refreshment stops on the route but you are very close to Nantwich town centre. There is a nice play area across from the lake, slightly further down the riverside path to Nantwich.

The salt line, Alsager

This 2.5km accessible path is a former railway line so as you can imagine it is great for prams. It’s not a circular walk but it runs through farmland and woodland so it makes a lovely 5 km route (there and back). There is free parking off Alsagar road.

Find out more here – Salt Line and Borrow Pit Meadows

National Trust properties in Cheshire

National Trust properties are fantastic for prams and accessible walks. They nearly always have accessibly routes to the majority of the gardens. They also have great family activities and seasonal trails making them perfect for a family walk  – find out why we love the National Trust for kids here.

Tatton Park, Knutsford

Tatton Park is owned by the National Trust but there is an entrance close enough to Knutsford town centre that is free to pedestrians. You can park on one of the streets around Knutsford and enjoy a good buggy-friendly walk. It would be quite a walk from this entrance to the house, gardens and play area though but if you want a nice walk in beautiful surroundings, you won’t be disappointed.

One nice walk is to walk up the main avenue and around Tatton Mere which brings you back to the Knutsford entrance.

If you do choose to park nearer the house then here’s what you need to know. The car park at Tatton Park is owned by the council so the £8 (£9.50 on weekends) parking fee applies to members as well as non-members. Discounts are available for pre-booking online. Find out more here – Tatton Park

Dunham Massey, Altrincham

So this one is a little bit of a cheat as Dunham Massey is just over the Cheshire border in Greater Manchester. However, it’s one of my favourite pram-friendly walks so I had to include it.

Dunham Massey is another National Trust property. The paths through the deer park are really good for pushchairs and also bikes (children under 5 only).

The natural play areas are great for kids to balance and climb on logs as well as build and hide in dens. The gardens are buggy friendly too (no bikes) and if you are a National Trust member, you get free entry into the gardens.

Of course, there is also a cafe, restaurant and ice cream parlour to end your walk with a treat.

You can no longer just pay for parking. Admission for none members is now £8 per adult and £4 per child. Find out more here Dunham Massey National Trust.

Quarry Bank Mill

The upper garden particularly is very pram-friendly and makes a lovely walk if you like exploring beautiful gardens. You can get around most of the estate with a pushchair and we have on many occasions. It’s worth noting that there is a very steep section between the upper and lower garden. It is possible with a pram but it’s not the easiest route.

It is also possible to walk partway into the woods if you access it from the lower gardens.

You can even walk through the woods as far as Manchester airport but this part isn’t suitable for pushchairs as there are a number of steep climbs and it’s often muddy. It’s a great walk this older children though.

You could also wander around Styal village. You might even spot Mr Tumbles house! If you walk from the village to the woods though you will be greeted by a very steep drop down to the woods.

Find out more here – Quarry bank mill, National Trust.

Hare Hill, Macclesfield

Hare Hill is a small National Trust very close to Alderley edge woods. In fact, you can do a woodland walk between the two but I wouldn’t recommend taking a pushchair on that particular walk. You can easily take a pram around Hare Hill itself though. There are only a few steps in the whole property but there are alternative step-free routes so you won’t miss anything.

This is a mixture of woodland walks with some large ponds as well and a beautiful walled garden at the centre. There is also a new woodland play area that has been added for children. There is a tree swing for older children and lots of stick dens and some small chopped-up logs for stacking up.

Find out more in our full guide here – National Trust Hare Hill.

Lyme Park

Lyme park is right on the edge of Cheshire and is a stunning and very large National Trust. There are plenty of areas that you an explore with a pram, including most of the gardens. You can also explore some of the wider estate but the gardens are the most pram friendly.

There is a large adventure playground which has a few areas with fun equipment for toddlers as well as lots of slides and other equipment for older children.

Cheshire parks

Parks are great for a short walk with pushchairs especially if you have older children that will enjoy the play areas too. We have some lovely parks in Cheshire with something for all ages to enjoy. Below are some of the best pram-friendly walks in Cheshire parks.

South park, Macclesfield

Close to the centre of Macclesfield is South park where there is a small free car park. The park itself has plenty of smooth, wide paths, a large duck pond, a bandstand and 2 great play areas.

Castle park, Frodsham

Another great park for family walks is Castle park in Frodsham. There is a free car park and an amazing play area. There is also a cafe, geocaching possibilities (find out more about geocaching with kids here) and three galleries to explore if you choose. The paths are all smooth and perfect for pushchairs. This is one of my favourite kids’ play areas in Cheshire. We love the wide range of wooden play equipment and large sand play areas. The photo below is only a small part of the playground.

Victoria Park, Widnes

This is another park that is great for kids and short walks with pushchairs. There is a well-equipped and colourful play area, a duck pond, a bandstand and a duck pond. In the summer there is also a super fun water sprinkler section to the play area, perfect for cooling down on a hot day. There is lots of on-street parking nearby.

The moor, Knutsford

This is a lovely large play area, duck pond and smooth walking paths, located near to the centre of Knutsford. There is a pay and display car park right next to it. We love the large duck pond, the play area having a lovely toddler area, fenced off from the main area and there are lots of picnic tables and bins too. Find out more here – The Moor, Knutsford.

Congleton park, Congleton

Another great park with a fantastic play area for kids. There are plenty of pram-friendly paths as well for you to enjoy walking around the park and beautiful gardens. Congleton park has a car park and is also only a 5-minute walk from the town centre. Facilities at the park include toilets and a cafe.

Grovenor park, Chester

Grosvenor Park is one of the finest examples of Victorian parks in the UK. Located between the city centre and the River Dee, it’s perfect for combining with a trip to Chester city centre. There are lots of pram friendly paths throughout and a wide range of activities such as the popular miniature railway, play area, cafe, open-air theatre and gardens.

Queens park, Crewe

Postcode for sat nav – CW2 7SE. Queens Park is a 45-acre park with an ornamental lake, play area and outdoor gym as well as beautiful gardens to enjoy and toilets and refreshments. There are plenty of paths to enjoy walking along with a pram.

Free family walking Facebook group

Nearby pram-friendly walks

There are loads more pram-friendly walks in Greater Manchester, find them here – Pram friendly walks Manchester.

More things to do in Cheshire with young children

Find loads of Things to do in Cheshire with toddlers here. Whilst this guide will feature some walks, it also has lots of other great places to take toddlers.

Glebe farm is a lovely free farm to visit with kids. Find out more here – Glebe Farm Astbury, Congleton

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