Macclesfield Forest - Forest Chapel - Macclesfield Forest

Richard Whitaker

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Macclesfield Forest is an area set up to collect water for the reservoirs at the bottom of the hills. The water supplies Macclesfield and the local villages. Much of the forest is open for leisure activities including walking and natural history. It's worth looking out for birds, including a colony of herons at the Trentabank Reservoir.

When on the high-level part of the walk, look out for the views. Looking out from Waymark 21 on a clear day, just after rain has washed the dust from the air, reveals long-distance views across Cheshire as far as the Beeston Hills and on to Wales. Looking roughly south-west, you can sometimes see as far as Shrewsbury and the hills beyond.

There is good shelter in the trees, but if the weather gets bad or you need to cut the journey short, there are four or five linked paths, shown on the OS maps, which lead down to the bottom of the valley.

England - North England - Cheshire - Peak District