Reconnect with nature in Delamere Forest

Welcome to your cabin in the forest… 

Deep in the Cheshire countryside lies Delamere Forest, spanning 972 hectares of evergreen and deciduous trees. Our family appropriate cabins are dotted organically around a corner of this beautiful forest where the natural world feels closer than ever before. 

Your outdoor hot tub is set beneath a canopy of trees where you can watch the forest come to life around you. While our new White Willow Premium cabins benefit from a spacious decking area (complete with comfy rattan furniture) perfect for wildlife watching in the evening glow. 

Delamere Forest: A snapshot

When you’re ready to head out and explore, our team at the Forest Retreat have all the information you need to tackle the many forest trails - whether you go on foot or by mountain bike. From sandy paths shaded with mature trees to woodland roads leading to country pubs like The Carriers Inn, there’s an adventure suitable for everyone. 

Delamere Forest also boasts some of the best views in the country. Old Pale is a favourite walk that (on a clear day) offers views as far as Liverpool harbour. You can also see the forest from the air as you glide above the treetops on an unforgettable Go Ape zip wire experience. 

Wildlife in Delamere Forest 

This shady oasis is a haven for wildlife. You’ll often hear a chorus of birdsong as you eat breakfast and are likely to see a few curious animals looking around your outdoor decking area as the sun comes up. 

Native species to Delamere Forest include the small tortoiseshell butterfly, greater spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, white faced darter dragonfly and southern hawker dragonfly. Look out for them as you wander through the forest or while enjoying a tasty slice cooked on your outdoor pizza oven. 

Within Delamere Forest the picturesque Blakemere Lake has become something of a hub for birdwatchers. When it’s sunny don’t forget to make a stop on your afternoon walk to see the nesting black headed gulls that live around the lake. And on drizzly days, simply sink into your sofa and watch the wildlife through floor-to-ceiling doors that open straight out into clusters of trees. 

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Cheshire

Further afield from your cabin, there are even more beauty spots to discover. Grab your walking boots and a tasty picnic, hop in the car and rekindle your love of the great outdoors. We recommend: 

The Sandstone Ridge

The Sandstone Ridge rises in mid Cheshire and runs through Delamere Forest over the county border into Shropshire. You can try your hand at the The Sandstone Trail, a 55km long distance walkers’ route following the Ridge. 

The Ridge rises dramatically from the Cheshire Plain and covers 230sq km of rolling hills, some of which are 6000 years old. It's punctuated with glacial meres and mosses along with roman roads, wells, castles and churches. It’s these historic features which help create the rich diversity that makes Sandstone Trail country so beautiful to walk through.

The Cheshire Plain

If panoramic views are your thing, visit the Cheshire Plain. This area is situated within the county of Cheshire, in the northwest region of England. It’s mainly flat and is surrounded by the hills of North Wales to the west and the Peak District of Derbyshire to the east. It’s incredible just how far you can see which makes it a great place to snap some photographs. 

At Tegg’s Nose Country Park near Macclesfield you can see views of the Cheshire Plain from the western edge of the Peak District National Park. Home to lush green countryside in summer and snow capped hills in winter, this is somewhere you can reconnect with nature all year round. 

Meres and Mosses

Formed by glaciers retreating after the last ice age, the meres and mosses are a chain of bogs, marsh and fen wetlands of international importance. They spill out from Cheshire into Shropshire, Staffordshire and parts of north Wales and act as a nature reserve to many plants and insects that are rarely found elsewhere.

Much of Cheshire’s most important wildlife is associated with its meres and mosses. Nature reserves at Delamere and Bagmere are home to hundreds of invertebrates including: large heath butterflies, white-faced darter dragonflies, bog bush-crickets and raft spiders. This makes it a great place to bring your mini-adventurers to get them engaged with the natural world. 

Stay in the heart of Cheshire’s most spectacular forest

Looking for a Delamere Forest holiday village? Get a more authentic feel for the great outdoors and stay at our location in Cheshire.

Discover a different world on your doorstep with cabins deep in the woodland. Feel closer to wildlife and sleep under the stars on a restorative break everyone will love. Plan your forest staycation and get back to nature.