Best walks near St Helens by train

Buxton Station to Macclesfield Station (Derbyshire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

spectacular views. Wild landscape of deep valleys and gritstone peaks and studded with peat bogs and pine forests. Buxton developed as a fashionable spa in 18th-19th centuries using profits from Dukes of Devonshire's copper mines. Macclesfield granted borough charter for market in 13th Century.

18km.

Stiles; busy road with no pavement and fast traffic.

Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route

Urmston Station to Eccles Station (Lancashire)

15m direct from St Helens Junction.

A mostly road-based walk rather than off-road and good for a summer day.

Easy: 5km, gentle ascents.

Lunch: Shops along the way for refreshments.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Blackpool North Station to Poulton-le-Fylde Station (Lancashire)

1h direct from St Helens Central.

A pleasant route out of Blackpool on suburban roads and through Stanley Park, then a cycle-and-walkway and a choice of hard-surfaced track or gravelled woodland path beside a stream and before housing estates and paved roads into Poulton. Largely flat and easy underfoot. Passes Blackpool Zoo. Stanley Park has an Art Deco cafe, gardens and a boating lake (occasionally affected by avian flu restrictions).

Easy: 7km, gentle ascents.

Lunch: An Art Deco cafe in Stanley Park, plus facilities in Normoss and at the Poulton end.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Lancaster Station to Carnforth Station (Lancashire)

45m from St Helens Central, with one change.

the magnificent Lune Aqueduct; a canalside view of the sea, with mountains beyond. A long but very easy route, canal towpath nearly all the way, with short street sections at each end and no stiles, gates or steps. The towpath contours above the Lune valley over the magnificent Lune Aqueduct; surface is tarmac (partly broken) or fine gravel and lumpy in places with a couple of short muddy patches and a short cobbled section. Views across the fields, Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland hills; kingfishers sometimes seen. Cafés at St John's Hospice (Lancaster end) and a shoreside café and micropub at Hest Bank.

14km. Moderate ascents.

The towpath surface is lumpy where the tarmac has disintegrated, with a couple of slightly muddy patches.

Lunch: Canalside pubs and a supermarket at Bolton-le-Sands and a canalside pub at Hest Bank.

End-of-walk reward: the Canal Turn.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Gatley Station to Wilmslow Station (Cheshire)

45m from St Helens Junction, with one change.

An excellent route. A route with plenty of amenities, passing through parkland on the banks of the Bollin. The first half between Gatley and Nixon's Farm is fine for prams and wheelchairs apart from muddy patches in Scholes Park, but the section from the farm to Wilmslow crosses fields with numerous stiles and kissing gates and rougher terrain. Trains and buses are available at either end and at Heald Green near the middle. The Carrs is a park on the banks of the Bollin in Wilmslow.

11km. Moderate ascents.

The section from Nixon's Farm to Wilmslow has numerous stiles, kissing gates and field terrain; Scholes Park is tricky to navigate when muddy.

Lunch stop: Nixon's Farm tea room.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Stalybridge Station to Mossley Station (Lancashire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

very rewarding views. A short but varied route with a bracing climb, a mix of farm track and road, a short rocky path almost like climbing stairs and then a gradual descent through residential outskirts. There are steep sections and two stiles in poor condition; large parts would be muddy after rain.

Tough: steep ascents. 4km.

A section of road has no footpath; be mindful of cars from both directions. Cows may be present in the pasture, so keep dogs under control. The narrow rocky path is steep. Can be muddy.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

West Kirby Station to Hoylake Station (Cheshire)

1h from St Helens Central, with one change.

great views over the Dee to Wales and Hilbre. A coastal walk that runs along a sandy beach and firmer paths through reed beds and saltmarsh, with short residential stretches at each end. There is soft sand at the start and end and the sand can be wet near the West Kirby end. Almost the entire route is now part of the King Charles III England Coast Path. The coast here is a nature reserve with abundant birds and plants.

3km.

The beach section should not be walked at high tide; an alternative is signposted along nearby roads when the tide is in.

A healthy number of shops, bars and cafés at both ends.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Todmorden Station to Hebden Bridge Station (Lancashire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

A very enjoyable, direct and straightforward canal walk, almost entirely along the Rochdale Canal towpath following national cycle route 66. The terrain is nearly all level with a mostly gravel surface, though bridges and slopes past locks have cobbles and canal overflows run over cobbles across the towpath in several places. Tree cover gives a green-tunnel feel. Follows national cycle route 66 along the Rochdale Canal. Canalside interest: locks, houseboats, mileposts and stone bridges.

Easy: 7km, moderate ascents.

Canal overflows run over cobbles across the towpath in several places, with a raised plank alongside to keep feet dry.

Lunch: Refreshment opportunities along the canalside towards Hebden Bridge.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Wilmslow Station to Macclesfield Station (Cheshire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

A majorly off-road, easy-to-follow walk following the Bollin Valley Way nearly all the way, with steep steps at the Macclesfield end and increasingly marshy ground nearer Wilmslow. Well-marked with gates and steps and infrastructure in good condition. Follows the Bollin Valley Way.

12km.

Lunch: Prestbury has a pizzeria and pub.

Macclesfield has shops and pubs.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Blackburn Station to Rishton Station (Lancashire)

1h from St Helens Central, with one change.

A largely urban route that is mostly along the canal towpath, avoiding a nasty motorway roundabout. The towpath is gravel or degraded tarmac with a couple of uneven patches; there are some interesting old mills and but a lot of pylons and nearby roads. Some interesting old mills along the towpath. Dragonflies and a weasel were seen.

7km.

There are cycle barriers and a couple of uneven patches on the towpath. Leaving the towpath in Blackburn involves an unavoidable kerb and a cobblestone roadway.

Lunch: A cafe at Home Bargains in the retail park near the midpoint (accessed via steps).

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Knutsford Station to Wilmslow Station (Cheshire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

A flat, mostly straightforward walk through lovely Cheshire countryside, with quiet field and farmland paths past pubs and over Paddock Hill. Some narrower paths have overgrowth, particularly nettles and there are multiple paths to choose from at the Knutsford end requiring care. A frequent bus (number 88) links the two towns; planes can be seen landing at Manchester Airport, and there are alpacas on Paddock Hill.

13km. Moderate ascents.

Some narrow paths are overgrown with nettles; the Longridge to Pavement Lane section near Knutsford has multiple paths and needs a map to stay on route.

Lunch stop: the Bulls Head.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Poynton Station to Hazel Grove Station (Cheshire)

1h from St Helens Junction, with one change.

A mostly on-road route through quiet 20mph residential streets with pavements throughout and light-controlled crossings and plus a section beside Poynton Lake and a short unimproved earth footpath escaping the traffic noise. Passes the Brookside Garden Centre miniature railway. A few shops on Macclesfield Road.

3km.

A final unsignalled crossing where traffic gives way; take care as there are no lights.

Lunch: A few shops on Macclesfield Road mid-route.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route