Paddington Meadows

A superb place for a full afternoon’s wander. When my wife was mobile, we used to walk all over this area at most times of the year. For those with some rural knowledge, it is an invaluable source of free ingredients for home baking and wine-​making!
There are at least four hazelnut trees and plenty of wild sloe bushes as well as the more usual wild apple trees and blackberries.
The paths are, in the main, easy to find and to walk on and the scenery is just wonderful especially considering how close to industry it still is.
I find it best to start off near to Kingsway along the Mersey, but that is probably because it is nearer to where I live and I don’t need to park a car.

Hard to believe, but for at least 200 years now, the field pattern at Paddington Meadows has remained unchanged. The meadows have been declared, and managed, as a nature reserve since 1995 by Warrington Borough Council.
One of only three naturally occuring flood meadows in the Mersey Valley, Paddington Meadows is rich, not only in wildlife, but in important local history and heritage as well.
Surrounded on three sides by the river mersey, and the fourth edge being defined by the dissused New Cut Canal, its easy to imagine how this area bore witness to the races that took place between canal and river users in the mid 18^th Century. The canals may have been straighter, but with no speed restriction, the river users would often sail past the slower horse drawn barges.
Well worth visiting throughout the year to catch a glimpse of the ever changing fauna and wildlife, during the summer, if you’re lucky, you might be able to get up close to the rare breed Long Horned Cattle that graze on the meadow grasses.

A nice place for walking dogs.
It’s had millions spent on it over the last year but I’m not sure it’s been improved. Most seem to think it’s an improvement though.
The modifications need time to bed in before they can be judge properly. The next 12 months will see how it develops.
There are paths along the Mersey, Through the meadows, along the newcut canal and now an additional board walk.
There are 100’s of years of history assiociated with the area.
A very nice place to walk.
Parking is at the newcut lane end near woolston tip.