Exploring Delamere Forest at Dawn - Old Pale & Hatch Mere

It’s the second anniversary of Run Adventurer so we’ve come back to where it all began two years ago at Old Pale, Delamere Forest. Setting off at 3am, I ran up Old Pale in the dark and filmed the sunrise and then headed out for a run around the forest using some paths I’ve not shown you before. The route today is 8.5 miles as I ran it but you could start from the main visitors centre making a 4.5 mile route.

We head down to the main visitors centre and into the forest and down to Blakemere Moss but then turn right and cross the road into the far side of the forest on the Delamere Way towards Norley. We then head through to Flaxmere Moss and Hatch Mere, looping around the mere and taking the main path back to Blakemere Moss. I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to come back to Delamere Forest and try some other paths in the forest, there are lots to choose from.

The Route

From Stoney Lane at Delamere head up Eddisbury Hill, pass the cottages on your left and around the bend take the path left. Follow the path until you reach a tarmaced track, turn left up to old Pale. From Old Pale head down the main track to the visitors centre and turn right past the old visitors centre and left over the bridge into the forest. Turn immediately right and pass Go Ape heading down to Blakemere Moss. At the moss turn right and then take the path on your right that crosses the road and goes through a large car park at the far side take the path straight on along the Delamere Way. Ignore the first left turn, taking the second sandy path left which take you to the edge of the forest. Take the next left, follow it over the field and down the track, when you see houses infant of you take the path left and follow it to Post Office Lane at Norley and turn left. Follow the road passing some houses on your right. Where the road bends to the left take the track straight on to Flaxmere Moss, continue straight on until you Delamere road at Hatch Mere. Turn right and then take the path left around the mere. At the far side, turn left and follow it until you reach a main track. Turn right and follow it, then go left at the fork. The path crosses the switchback road and continues. where the path splits go left down to Blakemere Moss then continue straight on. Turn left up on the path we came in on past Go Ape and then left over the railway bridge. Now turn left and opposite the entrance to the car park take the track back to the tarmac path to old pale. Head up the hill and then turn left back to Eddisbury Hill and turn right back down to our starting point at the end of Stoney Lane.