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- Mid Cheshire Line
- Discover the attractions of Chester and Manchester, with fascinating places to visit along the line linking the two.
Mid Cheshire Line
Have a day out by train along the Mid Cheshire line and experience a wide range of tourist attractions!Introduction
Mid Cheshire Line
The International Heritage City of Chester and the great city of Manchester both have a wealth of things to see and do, with award-winning attractions and more besides, and there are many fascinating places to visit along the line linking the two.Information
Useful Information
TicketsPurchase a Cheshire Day Ranger ticket and hop on and off trains all day along the Mid Cheshire Line and throughout Cheshire.
Where to purchase
Tickets can be purchased at any staffed station or from conductors on trains when starting your journey from unstaffed stations or when the ticket office is closed.
Bicycles on the train
Our trains are able to carry a maximum of two bicycles - these are carried free of charge on a first-come-first-served basis.
Community Rail
Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership. For more information on the Mid Cheshire Line visit www.midcheshirerail.org.uk or email railofficer@midcheshirerail.org.ukMid Cheshire Rail Users' Association (MCRUA) is the Rail User Group for the line: www.mcrua.org.uk
Tourist Information
- Altrincham: www.visittrafford.info
- Cheshire: www.visitcheshire.com
- Chester: www.visitchester.com
- Delamere Forest: www.forestry.gov.uk/delamerehome
- Knutsford: www.visitknutsford.co.uk
- Manchester: www.marketingmanchester.com
- Stockport: www.visit-stockport.com
Timetable Information
For full details of train times, please pick up timetable guide 17.Alternatively, call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.
Locations
Chester
Chester has an unbeatable mix of heritage, shopping, restaurants and attractions. Visit the Grosvenor Museum, a treasure-house of heritage. Nearby Cheshire Military Museum charts the life and times of four regiments, Dewa Roma Experience shows the city as it was 2,000 years ago, and Chester Cathedral celebrates over 1,000 years of worship. Enjoy a sail along the River Dee, or a trip with Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway. Make time for retail therapy in Grosvenor Shopping Centre, or why not head to the Rows - Chester's unique tudor-style two-tier gallery of boutique shops? At night, there's plenty of live entertainment at local bars and restaurants.
Delamere
Delamere Forest is Cheshire's largest area of woodland and is ideal for walking, with viewing points and picnic areas, and it is a haven for local wildlife. Follow one of the forest trails and walk around Blakemere, part of the forest which was flooded to encourage birds and wildlife. Hire a bike and go off-road on one of the cycle tracks, or relax and enjoy a break in the visitor centre, ten minutes' easy stroll from the station, with a café and a shop. You can also Go Ape!
Northwich
Northwich was the 'salt capital of the world'. The Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse illustrates 2,000 years of its history, and you'll also get a taste of what life was like when the building was Northwich Workhouse. Or you can take to the water - and rise above it - on the Anderton Boat Lift. Built in 1875, this wonder of the waterways is a 50ft vertical link between the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal and is a unique experience. If you prefer shopping to history, explore the market and busy town centre.
Knutsford
For a small town, Knutsford has a big appetite - the town is renowned for its array of restaurants, bars and fine-food shops. It has an abundance of independent businesses, where antique dealers and art galleries jostle for space alongside fashionable furniture stores and contemporary craft shops. Knutsford's annual events calendar is filled with festivities, from the prestigious RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park to street fairs, literature festivals and much more. Tatton Park is one of the UK's finest country house estates boasting over 1,000 acres of parkland, herds of wild deer, an 18th-century mansion house, 50 acres of landscaped gardens, rare-breed farm and a playground. It also hosts a range of exhibitions throughout the year, ranging from local art to regional history. Knutsford Heritage Centre houses the impressive 40ft long Knutsford Millennium Tapestry and why not visit the display of Penny Farthings in the café next door? Knutsford was also the inspiration and setting for Elizabeth Gaskell's fictional rural market town, Cranford.
Altrincham
Altrincham offers plenty for bargain hunters from the market that began in 1290 to the new Stamford Quarter. For entertainment, there's a choice of theatres, or you can ice skate at the Silver Blades rink in the Ice Dome, home of the Manchester Phoenix ice hockey team. Just out of Altrincham, standing in a 250-acre deer park, 18th-century Dunham Massey Hall, with its collections of paintings, furniture and silver, has over 30 rooms to explore as well as a library, laundry, kitchen and stables. Outside, explore the grounds and the new Winter Garden. Transfer to the tram and you can reach many more attractions in Trafford. There is the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale or the world famous Old Trafford. Take in a cricket match or take a tour of the famous football ground, the 'Theatre of Dreams'.
Navigation Road
Leave the train at Navigation Road and walk or take your bike on part of the Trans Pennine trail into Manchester, or along the Bridgewater Way, the towpath alongside the Bridgewater Canal.
Stockport
Discover a town steeped in medieval history, with great places to shop, eat and explore. Explore the amazing Air Raid Shelters, the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country. Find out all about the town's millinery heritage at Hat Works, the UK's only museum dedicated to the hatting industry, hats and headwear. The historic market place has been restored to its former glory, and Staircase House is a unique restoration of a family home through the ages - it even has its own ghost, a former butler of the Shallcross family. At the Stockport Story Museum you can learn all about the social and industrial history of the town.
Manchester
Manchester offers everything you could want - from big-name stores to chic, high-quality shops. The choice of attractions is equally impressive with the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Museum on the 'must-see' list. Manchester is lively all year round with special festivals and markets. Or explore Manchester's rich canal heritage along the Bridgewater Canal, the Rochdale Canal and the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. The nightlife is legendary - from traditional pubs and trendy bars to buzzing nightclubs and a thriving live music scene. Whatever you enjoy, you can't fail to enjoy Manchester!
Places to visit on the Mid Cheshire Line
Manchester
- Museum of Science and Industry www.mosi.org.uk
- Manchester Museum www.museum.manchester.ac.uk
- Manchester United Museum www.manutd.com
Stockport
- Staircase House www.staircasehouse.org.uk
- Hat Works www.hatworks.org.uk
- Air Raid Shelters www.airraidshelters.org.uk
Altrincham
- Dunham Massey Hall www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Knutsford
- Tatton Park www.tattonpark.org.uk
- Knutsford Heritage Centre www.knutsfordheritage.co.uk
Northwich
- Weaver Hall Museum and www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Delamere
- Go Ape! www.goape.co.uk
- Delamere Forest www.forestry.gov.uk
Chester
- Grosvenor Museum www.grosvenormuseum.co.uk
- Dewa Roman Experience www.dewaromanexperience.co.uk
- Chester Cathedral www.chestercathedral.com
Connections
To plan a journey to any of the following stations simply click on the station name below:
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