Walk stats
- Distance8 km · 5 mi
- Elevation+86 m
- Duration2 hr
- DifficultyModerate
- Route typeLinear
- TerrainTown paths, canal towpath and farmland tracks
- Best seasonSpring to early autumn
- DogsDog-friendly; keep on lead near locks and livestock
About this walk
This linear stretch of the Sandstone Trail leaves Whitchurch through Jubilee Park and Waterway Park, easing you out of town and down to the Whitchurch Arm, a short branch of the Llangollen Canal. From here the walk follows the towpath through quiet Shropshire countryside, with narrowboats, bridges and hedgerows setting the pace.
The canal leads you past Lanecroft Wharf and the welcome sight of The Horse and Jockey, before continuing to Willeymoor Lock Tavern, a classic canalside pub tucked beside its lock gates. Beyond, the trail crosses into gently rolling farmland as it approaches the finish at Tushingham-cum-Grindley, Macefen and Bradley, a scattered rural parish on the Shropshire-Cheshire fringe.
With only 86 metres of ascent spread over 8 kilometres, the going is steady rather than strenuous. Before setting off, it is worth a short wander around Whitchurch itself to take in the site of Whitchurch Castle, the Old School House and Higginson's Almshouses, along with Dansons Farm and Pear Tree Lane on the town's edge.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
8 waypoints along the way
- 1
Jubilee Park
- 2
Waterway Park
- 3
Whitchurch Arm
- 4
Llangollen Canal
- 5
The Horse and Jockey
- 6
Lanecroft Wharf
- 7
Willeymoor Lock Tavern
- 8
Finish: Tushingham-cum-Grindley, Macefen and Bradley
- Finish
The end of the route.
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Dansons Farm
~204 m off the route
Pear Tree Lane
~204 m off the route
Site of Whitchurch Castle
~257 m off the route
Old School House
~288 m off the route
Higginsons's Almshouses
~294 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).