Delamere Forest

Delamere Forest covers 972 hectares near the village of Delamere in Cheshire. It is the largest woodland in the county and contains both deciduous and evergreen trees. The forest stands on land once part of the medieval Forests of Mara and Mondrem, created by the Norman Earls of Chester in the late 11th century. These hunting forests stretched over 60 square miles and were governed by forest law for centuries. Ownership passed to the Crown in 1812, and in 1924 the Forestry Commission took control. The forest includes Old Pale hill, the highest point in the northern Mid Cheshire Ridge, and Blakemere Moss, a lake about one kilometre long. Black Lake is a rare quaking bog designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as is Linmer Moss. Rare species such as the white-faced darter dragonfly and marsh fern grow here. The forest attracts around 750,000 visitors each year for walking, cycling, horse riding and outdoor concerts. Paths wind through mixed woodlands and past peatland basins, some formed by glaciers. The restored Blakemere Moss now supports waterfowl and wetland plants. From the viewpoint on Old Pale hill, visitors can see twelve counties and five Welsh counties. The Mid-Cheshire Railway Line and local roads cross the forest, linking nearby towns and villages.