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{{Short description|Forest in Cheshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Delamere Forest Park
| photo = More Autumn Colour, Delamere Forest - geograph.org.uk - 73480.jpg
| photo_caption = Deciduous woodland at Delamere Forest in Autumn
| photo_width = 250
| ___location = [[Cheshire]]
| map = Cheshire
| map_width = 250
| map_caption = Delamere Forest within [[Cheshire]]
| grid_ref_UK = SJ547704
| coords = {{coord|53.2291|-2.6778|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| type = Forest park
| area = {{convert|972|ha|acre}}
| elevation = c.{{convert|75|–|175|m}}<ref name="os">{{cite map | publisher=Ordnance Survey | title=Northwich & Delamere Forest | series=Explorer Series | scale=1:25000}}</ref>
| operator = [[Forestry England]]
| open = 8am–8pm (visitor centre)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forestryengland.uk/delamere-forest#:~:text=Opening%20hours,%3A00am%20to%205%3A00pm.|title = Delamere Forest}}</ref>
| parking = Six on-site car parks
| transport = [[Delamere railway station]]
| website = https://www.forestryengland.uk/delamere-forest
}}
'''Delamere Forest''' is a large [[Woodland|wood]] in the village of [[Delamere, Cheshire|Delamere]] in [[Cheshire]], England. The woodland, which is managed by [[Forestry England]], covers an area of {{convert|972|ha|acre}} making it the largest area of woodland in the county. It contains a mixture of [[deciduous]] and [[evergreen]] trees.<ref name=FC_info>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-5k2bu9 Forestry Commission: Delamere Forest Park: Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416073759/https://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-5k2bu9 |date=16 April 2018 }} (accessed 4 May 2010)</ref>
Delamere, which means "forest of the lakes",<ref name=Bevan_p4 /> is all that remains of the great [[Forests of Mara and Mondrem]] which covered over {{convert|60|sqmi|km2}} of this part of Cheshire. Established in the late 11th century, they were the [[Royal forest|hunting forests]] of the [[Normans|Norman]] [[Earl of Chester|Earls of Chester]]. Order was maintained under [[Royal forest#Forest law|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 {{convert|1|km}} in length. [[Black Lake Nature Reserve|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 Convention|Ramsar]] site; Linmer Moss has also been designated an SSSI for its [[fen]]land habitat. The [[white-faced darter]], a species of [[dragonfly]] rare in the UK, and [[Thelypteris palustris|marsh fern]] and [[Carex curta|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,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Delamere redevelopment project|url=https://www.forestryengland.uk/article/delamere-redevelopment-project|access-date=2021-02-10|website=Forestry England|language=en}}</ref> including [[walking|walkers]], [[cycling|cyclists]], [[mountain biking|mountain bikers]] and [[horse riding|horse riders]]. It is also an outdoor concert venue.
==History==
[[File:Mara and Mondrem.png|thumb|left|240px|The Forests of Mara and Mondrem (c. 1277–1536). Red dot: township within the forest; F: Frodsham; T: Tarporley; U: Utkinton; VR: Vale Royal Abbey; W: Weaverham]]
===Hunting forest===
{{Main|Forests of Mara and Mondrem}}
The twin medieval Forests of Mara and Mondrem were created within the [[county palatine]] of Cheshire by the Norman Earls of Chester in the late 11th century. However the area might have earlier been an [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] hunting forest.<ref name=Husain_p54 />
Covering more than {{convert|60|sqmi|km2}}, the forest stretched from the [[River Mersey|Mersey]] in the north to [[Nantwich]] in the south, and from the [[River Gowy|Gowy]] in the west to the [[River Weaver|Weaver]] in the east.<ref name=Bevan_p4>Bevan, p. 4</ref><ref name=Husain_p54 /> Between 1277 and 1536, the forests encompassed more than 60 townships or villages.<ref name=Husain_p54 /> In this context, "forest" means an area outside the common law and subject to [[Royal forest#Forest law|forest law]]; it does not imply that the area was entirely wooded, and the land remained largely in private ownership.<ref name=Husain_p54>Husain, pp. 54–59</ref> Game was hunted with dogs and included [[wild boar]], and [[red deer|red]], [[fallow deer|fallow]] and [[roe deer]].<ref name=Husain_p68>Husain, p. 68</ref> During the early Norman period, the penalties for killing game were blinding, mutilation or execution; although these punishments were gradually replaced by fines.<ref name=Husain_p62 />
The original forest was a predominantly [[oak]]-mixed woodland, but other species included [[Ulmus minor 'Atinia'|elm]], [[Tilia × europaea|lime]], [[Taxus baccata|yew]], [[Castanea sativa|chestnut]], [[Fraxinus excelsior|ash]], [[Betula pendula|silver birch]], [[Corylus avellana|hazel]], [[willow]] and [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]].<ref name=Atlas_p34 /><ref>Bevan, p. 13</ref> The forest area also encompassed [[Heath (habitat)|heath]] and [[wetland]], as well as pasture, arable land and even small settlements.<ref name=Husain_p54 /><ref name=VR_planning /> Agriculture was, however, allowed within the forest boundaries only under severe restrictions; [[assarting]], or enclosing and clearing new land for agriculture, was prohibited until 1215.<ref name=Husain_p62>Husain, pp. 62–63</ref><ref>Husain, p. 72</ref>
As large areas of Mondrem were slowly cleared of woodland, the northerly Forest of Mara remained wooded well into the 14th century. It retained a population of wild boar and [[Gray wolf|wolves]].<ref name=Atlas_p34>Phillips & Phillips, p. 34</ref>
[[File:Blakemere Moss - geograph.org.uk - 64940.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Blakemere Moss in 2004, six years after it was flooded]]
===Later history===
The remaining part of the southern part of the Forest of Mara remained classed as a hunting forest until 1812 when an Enclosure Act was passed disafforesting the remaining forest (that is, returning its legal status to ordinary land) and transferring ownership of the remnant half to the Crown and half to surrounding major landowners.<ref>Husain, p. 64</ref><ref>Bevan, p. 18</ref><ref>Coxhead & Bevan, p. x</ref> In April 1821, the [[Court of King's Bench (England)|King's Bench]] determined that Delamere was one of four new parishes within the old Forest of Mara during a case about a [[pauper]] from [[Oakmere]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Richard Vaughan, Sir Edward Hall Alderson, William Selwyn |last=Barnewall|year= 1822|publisher=J. Butterworth and son|title=Reports of cases argued and determined in the Court of King's Bench: with tables of the names of the cases and the principal matters, Volume 5|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=f1MDAAAAQAAJ&dq=delamere+forest+name&pg=PA775 775–777]}}</ref>
The Forestry Commission, which was established in 1919, took over the management of Delamere Forest in 1924;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080314173317/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/CMON-4UUM6R/ Forestry Commission: History of the Forestry Commission] (accessed 6 May 2010)</ref> the land was managed for timber production.<ref>Tigwell, pp. 45–46</ref> Its management area occupies 16 percent of the former medieval forests.<ref>[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/jca61+62_tcm6-5138.pdf Natural England: Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain/Cheshire Sandstone Ridge] (accessed 6 May 2010)</ref> Since 1968, the Forestry Commission has worked with successive local authorities (now [[Cheshire West and Chester]]) to promote recreational usage of the area.<ref name=Tigwell_p138>Tigwell, p. 138</ref>
====Blakemere Moss====
Blakemere Moss was drained in around 1815, supposedly by prisoners from the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. During the 19th century, it was unsuccessfully planted with oak, and later with [[Scots pine]]. The Forestry Commission planted the moss with pine and [[western hemlock]] during the 1940s, which proved uneconomic.<ref name="Hart-Davis">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-ditches-were-coated-with-ice-between-them-the-peat-quaked-beneath-our-feet-i-felt-i-had-stumbled-into-conan-doyles-lost-world-1284976.html|title= The ditches were coated with ice. Between them the peat quaked beneath our feet. I felt I had stumbled into Conan Doyle's lost world|newspaper= [[The Independent]]|date=25 January 1997|access-date= 5 May 2010}}</ref> In 1996 as part of a landscape planning exercise for Delamere Forest a hydrological survey was commissioned to look at the feasibility of clear-felling the area that is now Blakemere Moss. Once the hydrological survey confirmed that it was possible to re-water the site, clear-felling took place in 1998 and the moss was allowed to re-water by damming the drainage points. The restored moss now provides a habitat for a variety of wildlife, particularly waterfowl. Following the success of the project, it was announced in January 2010 that a further {{convert|33|ha|acre}} of drained fenland at four sites in the Delamere Forest area would be rewatered as part of [[Natural England]]'s "Wetland Vision" scheme.<ref name=Wildlife_Extra>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/delamere-peatlands.html|title= Wildlife Extra: Cheshire's ancient peatland to be restored|website=wildlifeextra.com|date=January 2010|access-date= 5 May 2010}}</ref>
==Geography and geology==
[[File:Delamere Forest - geograph.org.uk - 63299.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Coniferous plantation]]
Delamere Forest forms part of the [[Mersey Forest]], an initiative to increase woodland coverage in areas close to urban communities.<ref name=FC_info /><ref>[http://www.merseyforest.org.uk/pages/us_overview.asp The Mersey Forest: Overview] (accessed 8 May 2010)</ref> Nearly all the Forestry Commission land is open access land under the [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]].<ref name=OS /><ref>Natural England: CRoW Access Land Maps: Delamere Forest (downloaded from [http://www.openaccess.naturalengland.org.uk/wps/portal/oasys/maps/MapSearch]; 5 May 2010)</ref> A few small additional areas contiguous with the Forestry Commission land are also wooded.<ref name=OS />
The [[Mid-Cheshire Line|Mid-Cheshire Railway Line]] runs east–west through Delamere Forest; [[Delamere railway station]] is located at {{gbmappingsmall|SJ555704}}, around ½ mile (800 m) from the Linmere Visitor Centre. The [[B5152 road]] runs north–south through the forest, and Ashton Road runs east–west.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref name=OS /> The [[National Cycle Network]] [[Cheshire Cycleway]] (Regional Route 70) follows Ashton Road.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref>[http://www.sustrans.org.uk/map?type=attractions&key=FC043#354597,371398,4 Sustrans: Map: Delamere Forest] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref> The nearest town is [[Frodsham]], to the north-west; nearby settlements (anti-clockwise from the south) include [[Delamere, Cheshire|Delamere]], [[Cuddington, Vale Royal|Cuddington]], [[Norley]], [[Kingsley, Cheshire|Kingsley]], [[Mouldsworth]] and [[Kelsall]].<ref name=OS />
[[File:Dead Lake, Delamere - geograph.org.uk - 64934.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Dead Lake]]
===Mouldsworth Gap===
The majority of the modern Delamere Forest falls within the Mouldsworth Gap, a break in the [[Mid Cheshire Ridge]] which runs north–south through the centre of Cheshire. This region originated at the end of the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]], when glacial meltwaters formed a vast lake in the [[Cheshire Basin|West Cheshire basin]] which burst through the sandstone ridge, and deposited large amounts of sand and gravel across an extensive outwash fan on the eastern side of the ridge.<ref name=VR_planning>Vale Royal Borough Council: Supplementary Planning Document 5 (September 2007) (downloaded from {{cite web |url=http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/planning/spatial_planning/ldf/supplementary_planning_documen.aspx |title=Supplementary Planning Documents |access-date=2010-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501132220/http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/planning/spatial_planning/ldf/supplementary_planning_documen.aspx |archive-date=1 May 2010 }}; 4 May 2010)</ref><ref>Husain, pp. 59–61</ref> The soils are very varied, including [[brown earth]]s, [[podsol]]s, [[peat]]s and [[Gley soil|gley]]s. One valley adjacent to the railway line has eight different soil types within a small area, and hosts a soil trail.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.earthheritage.org.uk/ehpdf/EH24-1.pdf |title=England's first soil trail |last=Burek |first=Cynthia |date=2005 |journal=Earth Heritage |volume=24 |page=12 |access-date=5 January 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Delamere Forest mere.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Typical wetland, near Hunger Hill]]
This part of Delamere Forest is undulating in character, with elevations predominantly in the range 60–90 metres.<ref name=OS /> It is composed of numerous hummocks and peatland basins, some of which are glacial in origin while others have been created by sand extraction.<ref name=Wildlife_Extra /><ref>English Nature: Meres and Mosses (27 February 1998)</ref> The basins form lakes and [[Bog|mosses]] (bogs) within the forest, the largest of which is Blakemere Moss, which originated in two glacial [[kettle hole]]s and is now a lake around 1 km in length.<ref name=FC_leaflet>Delamere Forest Park Guide (Forestry Commission leaflet)</ref> Other sizeable wetlands include [[Black Lake, Delamere|Black Lake]], Dead Lake and [[Linmer Moss]].<ref name=FC_leaflet /> This forest area has several named local high points, including Hart Hill, Hunger Hill and Manley Hill.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref name=OS />
===Old Pale===
The Old Pale hill (176 metres; {{gbmappingsmall|SJ543696}}) stands towards the south of the Forestry Commission-owned area; it forms the high point of the northern mass of the Mid Cheshire Ridge.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref name=OS>Ordnance Survey: Explorer map 267: Northwich & Delamere Forest: Winsford & Middlewich</ref> The summit, Pale Heights, has a [[trig point]] and three transmitter masts which carry radio, television and telephone signals.<ref name=OS /><ref>Bevan, p. 80</ref> There is a view point with views of twelve counties and metropolitan boroughs: [[Cheshire]], [[Cumbria]], [[Derbyshire]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[Lancashire]], [[Merseyside]], [[Shropshire]] and [[Staffordshire]] in England, and [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]], [[Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire]], [[Powys]] and [[Wrexham County Borough|Wrexham]] in Wales.<ref name=FC_leaflet />
==Ecology==
[[File:LeucorrhiniaDubiaMale.jpg|thumb|right|160px|[[White-faced darter]]]]
Delamere Forest encompasses [[deciduous|broadleaved]] and mixed woodlands, blocks of [[Pinophyta|coniferous]] plantation, as well as [[grassland]] and [[wetland]].<ref name=FC_info /><ref name=VR_planning /> The area provides a habitat for numerous woodland bird species, including [[Eurasian nuthatch|nuthatches]], [[Eurasian treecreeper|treecreepers]], [[common crossbill]]s, [[Eurasian siskin]]s, [[tawny owl]]s and [[great spotted woodpecker|great spotted]] and [[European green woodpecker|green woodpecker]]s.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref name=FC_delamere>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5K2BK3 Forestry Commission: Delamere] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebNewsReleases/067F6D7E5854BBD3802572CF0033071E Forestry Commission: Wildlife rangers uncover love nest at Delamere Forest (8 May 2007)] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref> Dragonflies such as the [[southern hawker]] can be seen in the wetland areas; the nationally scarce [[white-faced darter]] has been observed at several sites within the forest, including [[Black Lake, Delamere|Black Lake]].<ref name=FC_delamere /><ref>[http://www.cheshire-biodiversity.org.uk/action-plans/listing.php?id=86 Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership: White-faced Darter (''Leucorrhinia dubia'')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716210806/http://www.cheshire-biodiversity.org.uk/action-plans/listing.php?id=86 |date=16 July 2011 }} (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref><ref name=Black_Lake_SSSI /> Butterflies such as the [[small tortoiseshell]] are common in the Old Pale area.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref name=FC_delamere /> [[Vipera berus|Adders]] have been observed in the woodland, and mammals seen here include badgers, foxes and bats.<ref name=FC_leaflet />
===Sites of Special Scientific Interest===
[[File:Black Lake Delamere.JPG|left|thumb|160px|Black Lake]]
Two [[Site of Special Scientific Interest|Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSIs) lie within the area of Delamere Forest owned by the Forestry Commission. [[Black Lake Nature Reserve|Black Lake]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SJ537709}}) is an example of the rare quaking bog or ''[[schwingmoor]]'' habitat, a type of bog in which bog vegetation forms a raft which floats on top of water. The site is particularly notable for including the very earliest stages in quaking bog development, although all stages are present, from open water to largely consolidated ''schwingmoor'' in the process of colonisation by [[Scots pine]]. In addition to ''[[Sphagnum]]'' species, [[Drosera rotundifolia|common sundew]] and the locally rare [[Carex curta|white sedge]] are present. The site is managed by [[Cheshire Wildlife Trust]] and forms part of the Midland Meres and Mosses [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] site.<ref name=Black_Lake_SSSI>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002419.pdf Natural England: Black Lake, Delamere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023201103/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002419.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk/res_blacklake.htm Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Black Lake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419223006/http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk/res_blacklake.htm |date=19 April 2010 }} (accessed 8 May 2010)</ref>
[[Linmer Moss]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SJ546706}}) is unusual within Delamere Forest in having a [[fen]] environment which is not dominated by ''Sphagnum'' species. The vegetation is predominantly [[Carex paniculata|tussock sedge]] and [[Typha latifolia|reedmace]]. [[Thelypteris palustris|Marsh fern]] and white sedge, which are rare in Cheshire, are found here; other species include [[Cardamine pratensis|cuckooflower]], [[Galium palustre|marsh bedstraw]], [[Comarum palustre|marsh cinquefoil]] and ''[[Sphagnum squarrosum]]''. The site has experienced rapid changes in water levels during its history, and contains the trunks of birch trees which died when the area flooded. It is now being colonised by [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]] and [[willow]].<ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005857.pdf Natural England: Linmer Moss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023201701/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005857.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref>
Multiple other [[wetland]] SSSIs fall within the historical bounds of Delamere Forest, including [[Hatchmere|Hatch Mere]] and [[Flaxmere Moss]], which lie immediately outside the Forestry Commission boundary, as well as [[Abbotts Moss Nature Reserve|Abbotts Moss]], [[Oak Mere]] and [[Pettypool Brook Valley]].<ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002641.pdf Natural England: Hatch Mere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023201522/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002641.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 4 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002199.pdf Natural England: Flaxmere Moss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023201407/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002199.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001643.pdf Natural England: {{sic|Abbots|hide=y}} Moss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729115813/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001643.pdf |date=29 July 2012 }} (accessed 8 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002780.pdf Natural England: Oak Mere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023204951/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002780.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 8 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003452.pdf Natural England: Pettypool Brook Valley] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023205011/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003452.pdf |date=23 October 2012 }} (accessed 10 May 2010)</ref> [[Little Budworth Common]] SSSI and the woodland around Abbotts Moss are considered to be among the closest modern representatives of the forest before human settlement in the area.<ref>Local History Group & Latham (ed), p. 12</ref>
==Recreational uses==
[[File:Delamere, "Go Ape" in Delamere Forest - geograph.org.uk - 207825.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Part of the Go Ape course]]
Delamere Forest is a popular recreational area, drawing visitors mainly from nearby urban areas.<ref name=Tigwell_p138 /> Three [[Long-distance footpaths in the UK|long-distance footpaths]] meander through the forest, the [[Sandstone Trail]], [[Delamere Way]] and [[Baker Way]]. Two waymarked circular walking trails of {{convert|1.7|and|2.7|mi}} and two waymarked cycling trails of {{convert|4|and|7|mi}} start near the Linmere Visitor Centre; the [[cycling]] trails are also open to walkers. There are two easy-access circular trails which are suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs; one starts at Barnsbridge Gates car park and leads to Blakemere Moss ({{convert|0.75|mi|sigfig=2}} in length), the other explores Old Pale hill from the Linmere Visitor Centre. Numerous non-waymarked footpaths are also available for both cyclists and walkers. There is a large area of dirt cycle jumps on Manley Hill for [[mountain biking]] enthusiasts.<ref name=FC_info /><ref name=FC_leaflet />
Other activities include [[horse riding]], [[jogging]], [[orienteering]], [[bird watching]] and nature study.<ref name=Tigwell_p138 /><ref>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/$$SearchPlacesToGo?Openform&n=delamere&nt=&cr=GB&ct=All%20Counties&op=o&oa=rpweao&sr= Forestry Commission: Delamere Forest Park] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref> Britain's largest [[Go Ape]] facility opened in Delamere Forest in 2006; it includes numerous zip wires, Tarzan swings, tightropes and nets high in the treetops.<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.goape.co.uk/ContentArticle.aspx?Id=85&ate=212 |title=Go Ape! at Delamere |publisher=Go Ape! |access-date=30 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213044210/http://www.goape.co.uk/ContentArticle.aspx?Id=85&ate=212 |archive-date=13 December 2007 }}</ref> Delamere Forest is the venue for the northern Hellrunner cross-country race, and the Sandstone Trail Race finishes in the forest.<ref>[http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/hellupnorth.htm PUMA HellRunner: Hell Up North] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.deeside-orienteering-club.org.uk/sstrail/index.htm Deeside Orienteering Club: The Sandstone Trail Race] (accessed 5 May 2010)</ref> A [[parkrun]] takes place weekly on Saturdays; the course is one loop of Blakemere Moss on the forest's trails.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parkrun.org.uk/delamere/ |title=Delamere parkrun - Weekly Free 5 km Timed Run |publisher=parkrun |access-date=27 July 2018}}</ref>
Since 2003, the Old Pale area of the forest has served as a music venue, playing host to performers including [[Ian Brown]], [[The Charlatans (UK band)|The Charlatans]], [[Jools Holland]], [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]], [[Sugababes]], [[Paul Weller (singer)|Paul Weller]], [[The Zutons]], [[Tears for Fears]], [[Doves (band)|Doves]] and [[Elbow (band)|Elbow]].<ref name=FC_leaflet /><ref>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7LPFDN Forestry Commission: A Brief History of Forestry Commission Live Music] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618123743/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7LPFDN |date=18 June 2016 }} (accessed 4 May 2010)</ref> The forest has also been used for open-air theatre.<ref>[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/AllByUNID/B663F065C2C5265F8025745E00350F08 Forestry Commission: ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at Cheshire's Delamere Forest (7 July 2008)] (accessed 8 May 2010)</ref>
Delamere Forest's new visitor centre, a timber-framed building, includes a cafe, event spaces, and a cycle hub, and was completed in August 2020. The centre was developed by Willmott Dixon on behalf of Forestry England. It also features a large outdoor covered seating area, accessible toilets, and a 500-space car park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Delamere Forest |url=https://www.forestryengland.uk/delamere-forest |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Forestry England |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==See also==
{{portal|Cheshire}}
*[[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire]]
*[[List of parks and open spaces in Cheshire]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
===Sources===
*Bevan RM. ''Tales of Old Delamere Forest'' (CC Publishing; 2005) ({{ISBN|0-949001-24-4}})
*Coxhead AD, Bevan RM. ''The Story of Delamere House and Delamere Park'' (CC Publishing; 2008) ({{ISBN|978-0-949001-37-5}})
*Husain BMC. ''Cheshire under the Norman Earls: 1066–1237''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 4 (JJ Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council; 1973)
*Local History Group, Latham FA (ed). ''Vale Royal'' (The Local History Group; 1993) ({{ISBN|0 9522284 08}})
*Phillips ADM, Phillips CB (eds). ''A New Historical Atlas of Cheshire'' (Cheshire County Council & Cheshire Community Council Publications Trust; 2002) ({{ISBN|0-904532-46-1}})
*Tigwell, Rosalind E. ''Cheshire in the Twentieth Century''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 12 (JJ Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council; 1985) ({{ISBN|0-903119-15-3}})
==External links==
*[http://www.discovercheshire.co.uk/country-parks.aspx?refnum=CPK019®ion=1&mapCategory=PRK&mapBackLayers=PRK1P.PRK2P&mapBackE=363000&mapBackN=363000&mapBackMpp=160&mapBackSearchTxt=delamere Discovercheshire website (Delamere Forest Park page)]
*[https://archive.today/20130420160614/http://www.discovercheshire.co.uk/Route.aspx?refnum=DC075®ion=1&mapCategory=CYC&overview=true&mapBackLayers=CYC2P&mapBackE=363000&mapBackN=363000&mapBackMpp=160&mapBackSearchTxt= Delamere Loop cycle and horse riding route (Discovercheshire website)]
*[http://www.cheshirenow.co.uk/delamere_forest.htm Information and photographs on Delamere Forest from the Cheshire Now website]
*[http://www.visitdelamere.co.uk Tourist and Visitor Information covering the local area surrounding Delamere Forest]
*[https://www.wildblighty.com/cheshire/mountain-biking-at-delamere-forest/ Visitor Guide to Mountain Biking in Delamere Forest]
{{Cheshire, Cheshire West and Chester}}
{{Cheshire}}
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[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Hills of Cheshire]]
[[Category:Lakes and reservoirs of Cheshire]]
[[Category:Forests and woodlands of Cheshire]]
[[Category:Lakes of Cheshire]]
[[Category:English royal forests]]
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