Cheshire & Greater Manchester

Kingfisher walk at Quarry Bank

Heron sat on a tree branch in Southern Woods at Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire — Heron on a branch at Southern Woods in Quarry Bank Mill | © National Trust Images/Derek Hatton

Meander through lush fields and acres of woodland where you will find huge redwood conifers, rare varieties of rhododendron and folly bridges, once used by the former owner Robert Hyde Greg to connect his home to the mill. If you are lucky, you may see a flash of blue as kingfishers dart over the water in their quest for small fish.

Near to

Quarry Bank

Start point

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

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Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.5 (km: 2.4)

Duration1 hour

Dog friendly***

*Steps, steep ascents and descents. Some uneven ground and muddy areas. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Route includes steps, steep ascents and descents. For further details, please see section marked Access.
***Keep dogs on leads. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

Address
The Mill Yard, Quarry Bank, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 4LA. Grid ref: SJ835830.
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Directions via Google Maps
By train
Styal station 0.5 miles.
Manchester Airport station 2 miles.
Wilmslow station 2 miles.
Cycling
National Cycle Network Route 85 passes 0.5 miles away.
Find cycle routes with Sustrans
By road
Quarry Bank is located off the B5166. Follow the A555 and exit at the Hollin Lane/ Style Road junction. Follow the brown oak leaf heritage signs. Sat Nav: SK9 4HP
Total stages: 10
Total stages: 10
Start point
Quarry Bank Mill Yard, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 4HP. Grid ref: SJ835830.
Stage 1
From the mill yard, walk uphill towards the Apprentice House.
Stage 2
Turn left just before the house, following the sign pointing to Styal village.
Stage 3
Walk towards the village, at first with a wooden fence on your right. Cross a wide track (two gates), then go through the gates to the left of Styal Cross.
Stage 4
Turn left towards Norcliffe Chapel. Do not go through the lych gates unless you wish to visit the chapel; instead take the field-side path and continue with the chapel on your right. Cross a wide track to enter the Chapel Woods and, after a few paces, take the first right-hand fork and continue downhill with a deep gully on your left.
Stage 5
After 100 metres you'll see the steel bridge on your left. Do not cross it. After a further 100 metres, go down a flight of stone steps then bear right down further steps to cross the Chapel Bridge.
Stage 6
Having crossed the bridge, walk uphill to a T-junction and turn right to the higher path. About 50 metres along this path, down to your left you can spot the overgrown Folly Bridge.
Stage 7
After the Folly Bridge you will come to a sharp bend and you will see a giant redwood.
Stage 8
Drop down the track, with its stepped sections, to an area planted with young oak trees. Soon you can see the River Bollin on your right.
Stage 9
Ignore a turn on your left, instead continue ahead upstream and pass, but do not cross, Oxbow Bridge.
Stage 10
Continue with the river on your right to a T-junction, turn right here and continue to Kingfisher Bridge. Cross the bridge and continue up the stepped stone path. At the top of the ascent, with the steel bridge ahead, turn right and eventually turn right again at the tarmac drive to return to your starting point at the mill yard.
End point
Quarry Bank Mill Yard, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 4HP. Grid ref: SJ835830.
Trail map
Quarry Bank kingfisher walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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