A walk where town meets country

Cheshire is an area of striking contrasts. One minute you can be fully immersed in a traffic and people-filled landscape, and the next you can be staring at open fields and woodland, filled with a wide-ranging variety of broad-leaved trees.

And perhaps this aphorism is never truer than in the confines of Chester itself. Once at the outer flanks of its Victorian-style suburbs, you hit a land of villages and open plains that characterises much of this resplendently rural county.

On the major highway towards Nantwich and Whitchurch, the A41, these differences can be seen distinctly as you meet the villages of Rowton and Christleton. The countryside officially begins here.

And at this junction of enchanting rural and urban settings, you can find the perfect landscape for a more than enjoyable walk.

Rowton, although presently, a quiet and unassuming hamlet, is significant because it was the setting for a pivotal battle during the last months of the turbulent Civil War. The Battle of Rowton Moor, to be more precise, was perhaps a defining moment in Charles I' bid to regain his throne and overall supremacy.

Once here, it's best to park at the sides of one of the country lanes that make up this pretty village, in a bid to undertake the first part of this gentle and scenic ramble (say at the beginning of Rowton Lane, off the A41).

At first glance, it seems there are few clues that betray or reveal that the troops of Charles I and Cromwell faced each other in a bitter fight for control of all England.

With a scattering of country cottages, farmhouses and an impressive looking hotel, walking from one end of the village to the other shouldn't take most people more than 20 minutes.

This writer, tried to find a lasting monument to the fallen heroes on either of the two sides. But Rowton Lane is characterised by a sea of corn-filled fields, or open meadows on its left and houses and hotel on its right. Any signs of a historic battle are hard to discover or discern.

But as you reach the village green, the evidence is thankfully more forthcoming. Not far from a central, massive oak tree and neat rows of flowers, a stone plinth reveals that this is indeed the place where the said battle was fought.

However, to the untrained eye, you could easily overlook the stone and perhaps never know that there was once a crushing defeat served here on the troops of Charles I.

However, the main area of the fighting was supposedly at this point and also around the modern day A41, which was at the time a narrow, country lane. Roundhead forces , it is said, hid in hedgerows before ambushing the Royalists, under the leadership of Sir Marmaduke Langdale.

Much of the land in Rowton today is used for agricultural purposes, and in its quiet and tranquil setting, it's hard to perhaps picture a fiercely fought battle. Time it would seem has healed most wounds.

But few areas in 1645 escaped the effects of battle, and the nearby village of Christleton was said to have been caught up in the fighting. Its parish church, dedicated to St James was said to havce been bombarded and set aflame.

But in the centuries since the battle, it has been carefully rebuilt and restored.

The Battle of Rowton Moor

But perhaps now we should look in more detail at the events leading up to Charles I' defeat: He arrived in Chester on 23 September 1645 with his lifeguard, infantry and a calvary of 600 men. The previous few months, he had been trying to raise more recruits from Wales and its borders, in a bid to join the Scotland-based Marquis of Montrose.

He knew that the Parliamentarians had made great headway in bombarding the inner city walls. It looked at the time as though the fall of Chester was imminent, if not hours away.

Charles however could never countenance a defeat. He was desperate to keep his only Royalist-controlled port on side and needed Chester within his own arsenal of strategic strongholds. He believed his ultimate saviour would be his troops stationed in Ireland who would set on him on course, he hoped, for a decisive win against Cromwell.

But sadly, for Charles this was not to be. And by outmaneouvring his forces, the Roundheads claimed a resounding victory at Rowton, while Charles could only watch from the Phoenix Tower and despair of any chance of a recovery or resurgence in his overall campaign.

In summary, after squaring up to each other all morning on September 24, both sides only began fighting in earnest when Parlimentarian, Colonel Michael Jones, despatched 500 horses and musketeers from his beseiging troops at Chester. They helped his Roundhead comrade, General Syndenham Pontz to outflank the Royalist troops and see them scatter to Chester and beyond.

Charles was forced to flee to the Welsh town of Denbigh, with 500 of his loyal troops and he tried to maintain his previous strongholds of Oxford and Newark. But with Bristol and Chester now lost, it was only matter of months, before he was captured, imprisoned and then condemned to death for his supposed crimes against England.

Woodhey Hall is within 17 miles of Rowton and Chester, and was used as a base camp by his arch enemy, Oliver Cromwell himself during the series of local battles and travails. And it's perhaps interesting to seek out similar places that have such historic associations.

Much of Chester itself was laid waste during the 17th century fighting, and some parts never recovered as can been seen near the ampitheatre, at the ruins of St John's Church.

But Chester and Cheshire are areas which have been constantly changing, and later developments such as its canal system have left a lasting legacy that is still much enjoyed by locals and tourists today.

The next part of the walk takes in a section of the oldest part of Chester's waterway system, which in its prime was used as a major transport route between Nantwich and Chester.

So it's now wise to get back in your car, and find a suitable quiet road in Christleton near the canal, for the rest of this designated walk.

The Industrial Revolution

Internal revolution at a supposedly unjust king, in the form of the aforementioned Civil War, was followed not long after by a revolution of a rather different kind - although its effects would be just as far-reaching.

And the revolution alluded to was entirely industrial in variety. With the enclosure of common land by aristocrats, the predominantly rural and agricultural way of life for much of Britain was to become largely a thing of the past. Britain moved towards a much more urban-centred society in particular with the advent of mechanisation of much of the manufacturing and agricultural process.

Factfile: More about the industrial revolution

The textile industry was one of the major manufacturing powerhouses that literally transformed British trade and industry overnight.

Spinning and weaving, which had previously been a cottage industry, was now far more efficient with the invention of the spinning jenny (1769) and mule. Water power, then steam power and the expansion of the British empire, which itself ensured a vast amount of raw materials such as cotton, put Britain at the epicentre of world trade.

The iron industry and particularly steam power also became major catalysts for change.

In the iron industry coke was used in all stages of iron smelting and replaced the previously used charcoal.

And by using refined coal from Britain's well stocked reserves, industrialists ensured iron production expanded at a phenomenal rate. This in turn gave rise to mass produced pots and pans, in addition to larger scale structures and projects such as aqueducts and bridges.

Steam engines, first invented by James Watt, were originally produced to pump water out of coal mines. But from the 1780s, they were increasingly used to semi-automate factories and saw the manufacturing output of say textile factories increase at a miraculous rate.

It was certainly a golden age of invention and massive change, the like of which had never been seen before. Chemical advances led to the invention of sulphuric acid, which helped in producing purer iron. It was certainly the precursor to the modern age, where the building blocks for global trade and industry, on an epic scale, were put in place.

The social, political and economic landscape changed considerably in a number of short years.

Chief among the major new additions to the socio-economic infrastructure were properly built roads and waterways, which ensured the efficient transportation of materials and goods.

The part of the Shropshire Union Canal that features in the next part of this walk, was among the very first waterways that were ever built (in 1772).

Originally called the Chester Canal, it was constructed to transport goods (such as corn and salt) between Chester and Nantwich.

More canals were built particularly in the early part of the 19th century by one Thomas Telford, and he ensured that there were connections to much of the separate waterways such as at Montgomery and Llangollen in Wales, so that major urban and rural centres would have interconnecting links. They were perhaps the very arteries that helped to keep British industry alive and way ahead of its competitors. The canal now stretches from Ellesmere Port to Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

Today, the waterways are still alive and busy with people, but leisure and pleasure are the top ranking reasons for their popularity.

A fair number of barges seem to be people's main homes, while others are clearly hired for the day or for longer while people traverse the north west and midland's based network.

The narrow bridge, overlooking the canal at Christleton, gives a wonderful view of the surrounding area. It's wise not to tarry too long, however, because the road here can become a little busy.

So now to the details of the walk: the waymarked route alongside the canal, has interestingly been named the Baker Way, in honour of a Chester City Council officer, Jack Baker, who was instrumental in its planning and introduction.

Beginning by Chester's main railway station itself, the route stretches 13 miles in all, right up to the long-standing forest at Delamere.

Fortunately, this particular walk lasts about 45 minutes and is suitable for all ages, however, those thirsting for more adventure can keep going all the way to the forest if they want more in the way of a challenge.

So, people should open the small white gate, and turn rightwards down a short flight of steps, and then pass under the roadbridge on to the towpath.

Weeping willow trees typically overhang the water at intermittent, but aesthetically pleasing intervals. Many neat and manicured gardens back directly on to the left banks of the said waterway. The odd motorboat can also be found with a mooring.

Ducks once wild, but now largely domesticated swim enthusiastically towards walkers in the hope of a free meal or tempting morsel. A fair number of people go in search of the ducks, and they quack and chat gratefully for any bread crumbs.

A little later, a female duck is followed on land by her growing brood, who all act in unison and forage for food in a synchronised motion.

The water of the canal ripples gently in the blowing breeze and bargees chug up and down the canal at a relaxed and unhurried pace. Crashes due to speeding are very unlikely here.

Often times, when the breeze dies down, the dark and murky waters are just like a mirror and reflect the landscape above it. An ethereal underwater world lurks beneath the surface, but recedes and momentarily dissolves when another boat passes by.

Luckily, the pathway is tarmac all the way down to the next stone bridge, which is the mid-point of this walk. A series of more modern houses precedes this bridge. It's then time to turn tail and walk back the way you came.

It's perhaps strange to view this landscape, because Chester seems eager to burst out in to this rural area and absorb in to its own more urban setting.

However, as designated greenbelt land, it seems the powers that be want to arrest any further development. Open fields can be found on the far side of the canal, and are filled with sheep and cattle. And much of the far side is filled with a verdant display of greenery. The nearside has perhaps slighly more development, but this is perhaps one of the quietest areas you'll ever find this near Chester.

Once back at the bridgeway, it's time to check out the village of Christleton itself. A former Best Kept Village in Cheshire for much of the early 2000s, its flower displays and village green and old-fashioned water pump give ample proof why.

The parish Church of St James was rebuilt in the late 19th century, and acts as a major focal point of the village. Chocolate-box-style, picture-perfect cottages line most of the streets, that all contain it would seem a fair share of listed buildings.

The Ring O Bells pub seems welcoming enough for some light refreshment after this short jaunt. Or people could perhaps try the Rowton Hall Hotel for afternoon tea or luncheon, or head into Chester itself for a wide ranging selection of restaurants, cafes and inns.

Canal Walk Slideshow