There are many walks you can do at Helsby Hill in Frodsham, Cheshire. The main two which I have explored, both take in the Helsby Hill Trig Point and the impressive views over Cheshire and towards the Wirral. There is a short 2km walk or a longer 7km walk. The 2km walk is suitable for children as its not too long while still being an adventure to get to the top of Helsby Hill to reach the Trig Point and back down. While the 7km walk is obviously much longer, it is also along some roads, through woodland and to the iron age Hillfort so a bit more of a challenge.
Top Info
😃 Trig to find
⛰ Brilliant Views
🥾 2km Short circular also an option
🥾 7km longer circular route
🌳 Woodlands to explore
🪧Well signposted
🪨 Rocky Paths
🔍 Interesting features to find
👶 Not suitable for pushchairs
🍰 Cafe a short drive from the car park
🚗 Free Parking
🚗 Helsby Quarry Car Park, Alvanley Road, Helsby, Cheshire. WA6 9PU
Both walks start the same way so follow these instructions for both walks
2Km Helsby Hill Walk taking in the Trig Point, Views and small bit of Woodland
7Km Helsby Hill Walk taking in the Trig Point, Views, Woodland and the Hillfort
We parked at Helsby Quarry Car Park, which is only small, but we managed to get a spot on a Friday afternoon. It's free all day. There are lots of information boards up about the Quarry and the area. There is one picnic table in the car park.
The route : Turn left out of the car park, then take the next right up ‘Hill Road’ which is signposted Helsby Hill. Walk up this road past some large residential houses, and at the top you’ll see the National Trust Helsby Hill sign where you’ll enter the woods.
Continue to climb up and through the woods, keeping left at the fork again signposted ‘Helsby Hilltop’. This part is really easy to follow and great for kids to lead the way, looking out for the signs.
There is an interesting tree by the fork which the girls likes to climb on while we had a little rest.
At the Top
It’s a slow ascent up to the top of the hill, but just keep following the path. As you emerge from the trees, the path becomes rocky and you can spot the Trig Point on the hilltop. From the top of the hill, the panoramic views stretch over the Cheshire plain, Wales, and the Mersey Estuary. At the very top, you will find the concrete Ordnance Survey ‘trig’ point’. This one has been painted with yellow stripes and some lovely wording.
We have become fans of what's known as "Trig Bagging," where you try & find the historic trigs at the top of hills.
There are more than 6000 remaining trig pillars spread across the Britain landscape, and most can be "bagged" by using a map and compass.
🥪After a few photos on the trig, we sat down & enjoyed a snack while taking in the view.
Head back down the hill but using a different path, it is to the right of the path we came up on. This takes you back down and along the side of a field where you will come to another National Trust sign. There is a sigh post guiding you a couple of ways.
For the 2km - Head towards "Helsby Quarry" if you want the shorter walk and to go back to your car.
Keep heading down the hill. This will take you back along the path you originally walked up and to the car park. This route is a nice simple 2km.
For the longer 7km route head left instead, following the sign for Pipers Ash & Harmers Wood.
Go right on a road and follow it downhill past Harmers wood. Just after a parking area with picnic bench, take a path on the right, signposted to Tarvin Road. It leads you around the field edge to a path heading downhill on to Tarvin Road.
Turn left and walk down the road to a house on the left. now take a path heading right to Burrows Lane, where you should turn left and then quite quickly right at a T junction. Walk along this road, soon after going past a Pony Sanctuary on The Ridgeway Road there is a fork in the road. Take the left on to the bridleway.
This path takes you uphill into Snidley Moor Woods. Ignore gates on your left (this is sadly where we went wrong), keep going till you reach the top where a bench provides a rest bite. Facing the bench, head left on a path which bears right to an information panel about Woodhouse Hillfort.
From the panel, continue ahead until the path bears left to reach steps which join another path running along the edge of the escarpment. Turn left to walk with the ground falling away to the right. Just before a gate onto open ground, a gap in the wall allow you to go right for a steep decent of the hillside to the bottom.
Head along a private drive, turning left when it joins a public road, and right soon after onto Chestnut Lane. continue ahead at the bottom, over a footbridge and follow a path to a lane.
take a gate ahead and bear right to a path leading to Bates Lane. Turn right to a crossroads, then head left along Old Chester Road for 50m to a path on the left which leads you steeply up behind garden fences.
At the top, beside the National Trust sign, head right to Middlewalk, taking the left fork after turning a corner. It leads around Helsby Hill, below crags to Alvanley road and back to Helsby Quarry Car Park.
Please Check your own maps and gps when walking this route
** Take care near the edges and watch children up here as there are some very big drops **
🍰Cafe to visit after your walk
After our walk we just drove 5 minutes into the centre of Helsby to find a cute cafe to have a drink and cake. JTO Vintage & The Old Bank Tea Rooms
This is one of the prettiest cafes I've seen. We walked in to find a counter full of yummy looking homemade cakes. Under the glass domes were a whole host of sponge cakes and tray bakes. It was good to see there were a few gluten-free and vegan options, too.
To read my full review of JTO Vintage & The Old Banks Tea Room Click Here
Visit Sept 2023
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