Six miles of level ground, no gates to wrestle, no hills, and enough length that you can turn round whenever the smallest person has had enough. That is the appeal, and it makes this one of the better free family routes in mid Cheshire.
Whitegate Station is the place to start. The council has developed it into a picnic area with parking and toilets, and the old station house is now the Station House Community Cafe, run by volunteers. A section from there has been surfaced specifically for wheelchairs and pushchairs, which is worth knowing if your usual country walk involves lifting a buggy over a stile.
Terrain varies more than a disused railway suggests. Shaded wooded cuttings in places, open embankments with real views in others. Cyclists and horse riders share it, so keep small children to one side.
The car park is locked in the evening, so read the sign on the gate. The council does not publish a parking charge or the cafe's prices, so take some cash and do not plan around either. A second car park at Bradford Road in Winsford picks up the overflow.
What it costs: Free to use. The council does not publish a parking charge for the Whitegate Station car park, so check the sign on arrival. Prices at the Station House Community Cafe are not published.
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A big three-tiered play frame on the Winsford industrial estate, with a three-lane astra slide, a football and basketball court, go-karts and separate areas for under 2s and under 5s. Keep the receipt: every ticket includes a free return visit within five days.
Winsford's trampoline park, on the same industrial estate as Polar Palace. Advance booking only and no refunds, but the term-time toddler session lets one parent in free.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.