Delamere Forest

Delamere Forest Park
Deciduous woodland at Delamere Forest in Autumn
Delamere Forest is located in Cheshire
Delamere Forest
Delamere Forest within Cheshire
TypeForest park
LocationCheshire
OS gridSJ547704
Coordinates53°13′45″N 2°40′40″W / 53.2291°N 2.6778°W / 53.2291; -2.6778
Area972 hectares (2,400 acres)
Elevationc.75–175 metres (246–574 ft)[1]
Operated byForestry England
Open8am–8pm (visitor centre)[2]
ParkingSix on-site car parks
Public transit accessDelamere railway station
Websitehttp://www.forestryengland.uk/delamere-forest

Delamere Forest is a large wood in the village of Delamere in Cheshire, England. The woodland, which is managed by Forestry England, covers an area of 972 hectares (2,400 acres) making it the largest area of woodland in the county. It contains a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees.[3]

Delamere, which means "forest of the lakes",[4] is all that remains of the great Forests of Mara and Mondrem which covered over 60 square miles (160 km2) of this part of Cheshire. Established in the late 11th century, they were the hunting forests of the Norman Earls of Chester. Order was maintained under forest law. However this governance limited the agricultural potential of the area for centuries. It was not until ownership passed to The Crown in 1812 that the ancient ordinances were abolished. In 1924 the woodland came under the control of the Forestry Commission.

The area also includes Old Pale hill, the high point of the northern mass of the Mid Cheshire Ridge, and Blakemere Moss, a lake around 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in length. Black Lake, a rare example of quaking bog or schwingmoor, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and forms part of an international Ramsar site; Linmer Moss has also been designated an SSSI for its fenland habitat. The white-faced darter, a species of dragonfly rare in the UK, and marsh fern and white sedge, wetland plants that are rare in Cheshire, are found here.

Delamere Forest is a popular recreational area that is used by approximately 750,000 visitors each year,[5] including walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders. It is also an outdoor concert venue.

  1. ^ Northwich & Delamere Forest (Map). 1:25000. Explorer Series. Ordnance Survey.
  2. ^ "Delamere Forest".
  3. ^ Forestry Commission: Delamere Forest Park: Information Archived 16 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 4 May 2010)
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bevan_p4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Delamere redevelopment project". Forestry England. Retrieved 10 February 2021.