Walks you can reach from Wilmslow by train

Walk details: Rail Rambles.

Boggy muddy ground at wetter times of year. Stafford Common is an unusually large surviving common land near a major Midlands centre with origins in medieval townland for grazing, protected by parliament 1839 and 1939.

Time: 3h30–7h30

Warnings: Comparatively busy road at Whitgreave; boggy ground when wet.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Impressive views across southern and central Staffordshire landscape. Walk traverses Staffordshire countryside from Penkridge to Stafford via the ruins of a neo-gothic manor on the site of Stafford's medieval castle.

Time: 3h–6h

Warnings: Busy road near Penkridge; care crossing main roads near Stafford.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Recommended: Fantastic country side walk. A fantastic countryside walk with very few roads, across open fields and farmland, past Peover Hall and through woodland with rivers. Flat and clear underfoot and but can be very boggy in places after wet weather; Wellington boots recommended then.

Time: 3h30–7h

Warnings: Can be very boggy after wet weather; Wellington boots recommended. A field gate between Peover and Goostrey warns of horses. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: Fabulous houses to admire en-route. A lovely, very flat and straightforward walk on obvious footpaths through varied fields, woods and countryside, peaceful and well-marked. A few sections can be overgrown, there are about three stiles and but the ground is easy and the ways are clear. Good transport links: buses to Knutsford and trains from Chelford allow a circular trip. Plenty of places to sit and rest with views of the Cheshire Plain.

Time: 3h–5h30

End-of-walk reward: A local grocer's and, with a short diversion, a pub at Chelford.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A lovely hilly stroll across fields, down some lanes and with a couple of main roads. The ground is decent underfoot in dry conditions.

Time: 4h30–8h30

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A direct, varied and enjoyable route mixing pavements, country lanes and footpaths through fields and woodland. The first stretch out of Crewe is along busy roads and dual carriageways with good pavements; the countryside footpaths are well marked with many kissing gates and no stiles and but can be very muddy after rain. At Hall o' the Heath the farmer has redirected the footpath away from the marked right of way. Look out for a 125-year-old waymarker and a vintage petrol pump in the woods.

Time: 3h–5h30

Lunch: Shops, pubs and takeaways in Crewe, Haslington and Alsager.

Warnings: Fields near Hall o' the Heath and Crewe Green may contain cows and calves that can be agitated; take care, especially with dogs. At Hall o' the Heath several footpaths converge and an electric-fence gate must be opened, so concentration is needed. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A long, flat and easy route that is mostly off-road towpath, following the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and then the Trent and Mersey Canal, with short stretches of riverside path, pavement and rough grassy track. Mostly a made-up surface, though some towpath sections are muddy and the riverside meadows can flood after heavy rain. Follows canal towpaths almost the whole way and can be split at intermediate points; passes near Shugborough Park. Trains and buses serve both ends.

Waterway: almost all beside rivers and canals.

Time: 5h–9h30

Lunch: A farm shop and cafe at Great Haywood Junction, plus pubs a short walk off the towpath at Little Haywood and Wolseley Bridge.

Warnings: The Sow Leisure Route and riverside flood meadows can be wet or flooded after heavy rain, sometimes needing detours, and there may be cattle in one short field section. One stile.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A varied walk over fields, woodland and streams, clearly marked throughout, but a little boggy in places and so good boots are needed especially in winter. The public footpath through Toft Woods / Windmill Wood may be closed for tree-felling.

Time: 4h30–9h

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A flat, fully surfaced (tarmac) and largely traffic-free route on the signposted Greenway linking the two town centres, a mix of pavement and multi-use paths and with no steps and pedestrian crossings at all busy roads. Passes through the attractive Queen's Park. Uses the designated Greenway and the King Shilling Way, which run parallel to busy roads but are separated by a hedge and verge. Queen's Park can be bypassed if closed.

Time: 2h30–4h30

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a third of the walk.

Walk details: Slow Ways.