Stockton Heath - Walk/Run Walton & Appleton Reservoir with views over Warrington

Another childhood memory today, Stockton Heath, I used to come here as a kid. It’s not changed much apart from the fact the Greenall Whitley Brewery is gone. I remember being told that the pub opposite the brewery had a direct beer line under the road into the brewery and sold the very best pint of Greenall’s bitter, not sure if that’s true but it’s a nice story. Greenall’s was my favourite beer as a youth and it was a sad day when Tetley bought them out and all of a sudden Tetley’s started coming out of the Greenall’s beer pumps, a very different brew. 

Anyway sorry I digress. Today we are heading down the Bridgewater Canal through Walton to Hough’s Lane near Walton Hall Gardens and up to Appleton Reservoir (also known as Walton Reservoir). We have a run around the reservoir and then head up the hill to Hill Cliffe Baptist Church & Fox Covert Cemetery off Red Lane for a great view across Warrington and beyond to St Helens and Newton-le-Willows before dropping back down into Stockton Heath.

It’s worth noting that we aren’t far here from where we ran to down the canal from Lymm if you wanted to make a longer route also if you continue down the canal you’d reach Daresbury where we have visited before.

Just over the Manchester Ship Canal Bridge into Warrington at Stockton Heath is the Trans Pennine Trail which we’ve been on in both the Lymm route and the Widnes to Speke route.

The Route

Starting from Forge Car Park  turn left on left on West Avenue, at the crossroads turn right and head up the A49 London road. Just before the bridge over the canal turn right into Mitchell Street then immediately left down the cut and right onto the Bridgewater Canal towpath. Follow the canal to the bridge where Hough’s lane crosses the canal. Turn left down Hough’s lane and follow it to the end. Turn right into Park lane at Appleton Reservoir and then left following the track anticlockwise around the reservoir. When you reach the drive turn left and follow it to the end and then turn right on Firs Lane. Take the path on the left which skirts the edge of the golf course. Where it branches continue straight on and up the rise to Hill Cliffe Baptist Church & Fox Covert Cemetery. Take a minute to enjoy the view then turn left onto Red lane and immediately right into Highwood Road. Take the path on your left. I went wrong here at the next road (Cliffe Road / Delphfields Road) I went left and down the hill and right into Warren Road alternatively turn right and then take the path on your left down to Warren Road. Turn left on the path from Warren Road (or straight on from the path) and continue to follow the path which crosses Warren Drive before coming out on Birchdale Road. Turn right and follow the road to the end back at the canal bridge on London Road. Turn left and retrace your steps down the hill back into Stockton Heath.