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Cheshire & Greater Manchester

Arthur's Wood Loop

Dense green leaves and tree branches in a woodland
Dense woodland in full leaf at Quarry Bank | © Annapurna Mellor

Discover some of the medieval buildings of Styal village and walks through Arthur's Wood. Arthur Greg (1835-1899) was the youngest son and child of Robert Hyde Greg (1795-1875) and Mary Greg. He purchased this land and merged it with Norcliffe and Quarry Bank.

Start point

Quarry Bank Mill Yard, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 4HP. Grid ref: SJ835830.

Trail information

Difficulty

Accessibility*

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 4.2 (km: 6.72)

Short trail

DistanceMiles: 2.4 (km: 3.84)
Duration1.3 hours to 2 hours
Dog friendly**
  1. *The roadside section of the trail is flat and level. The terrain in the woods is uneven and not suitable for prams or wheelchairs. For further details, please see terrain section.

  2. **Please keep dogs on leads under close control. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

  • Total stages: 13

    Total stages: 13

    Start point

    Quarry Bank Mill Yard, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 4HP. Grid ref: SJ835830.

    Stage 1

    From Visitor Reception follow the path that runs alongside the Apprentice House and across the field. Pass through the gate ahead, cross the track and pass through another gate and head towards Styal Cross.

    Stage 2

    Once at Styal Cross turn right and continue straight to join Altrincham Road.

    Stage 3

    At this junction turn left, walking along Altrincham Road. Please be careful of traffic.

    Stage 4

    Continue straight as the road bears left. You will pass a wooden vehicle gate as you continue along the road.

    Stage 5

    Follow the tarmac road until you reach a metal vehicle gate. Here you will see the busy runway 2 for Manchester airport.

    Stage 6

    With the runway on your right, continue along the track walking parallel with the airport, look out for wild orchids along the grass bank to your left throughout the summer months.

    Stage 7

    Look out for a turning on you left with a path leading up to a set off wooden gates. Continue through the pedestrian gate and follow the path through a strip of grassland lined with a woodland coppice. The path will come to a meadow clearing where you should continue straight on along a path through the meadow.

    Stage 8

    You will reach a set of metal gates and should go through the gate and turn left down the road for a short distance. Take care of moving vehicles in this area.

    Stage 9

    You will reach a wood gate on your left leading onto a river side path. Go through the gate and follow the pathway through the woods. Keep the river on your right as you pass through the Ancient Woodland of Arthurs Wood. You will pass over small wooden foot bridges and continue along the woodland trail until you reach a large bridge crossing over the river on your right affectionately named the bridge to nowhere.

    Stage 10

    You have now come out of the woodland and the path opens up with fields on your left beyond the estate railing. At this point you can either continue to stage 11, admiring the woodland riverside trail, towards a dead end. Or follow the track road on your left up stage 12.

    Stage 11

    If you continued to this stage, you can see the open meadows grazing with cattle in the summer months before returning to woodland habitat towards the end point of this trail. You can now return to stage 10 and make your way up the incline track road to stage 12.

    Stage 12

    Follow the track uphill keeping the field on your right. The track soon flattens back out with fields now on your left and you will see a wooden gate ahead. Continue through the gate and rejoin the trail at stage 5.

    Stage 13

    Retrace your steps along the road, rejoin Altrincham Road and continue back towards Styal village. Turn right and walk along the Apprentice track, a gravel road back to Visitor Reception and carpark.

    End point

    Visitor Reception is a short walk from the carpark.

    Trail map

    Map of woods at Quarry Bank
    Arthur's Wood Loop trail | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

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Get in touch

Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 4HP