Astbury Mere Country Park — Attraction in Congleton

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

A great place for a leisurely stroll, a brisk walk or a jog. The mere is lovely with it's varied array of wild water fowl & small birds fly across the paths between the trees & hedges.

The walk on the pathway around the mere is exactly a mile & is completely flat making it ideal for families with small children, older folks & everyone in between. More sturdy mobility scooters would probably be OK, but the ride may be a bit rough in places!

There are large green areas which are perfect for summer picnics & fun & games, whilst surrounded by beautiful countryside & stunning views of Mow Cop on the edge of the Peak District.

Parking is 50p for 4 hours (pay at machine) but be aware that the gates of the carpark are locked at 5pm. (This is in January, so will probably be later in the Spring/Summer - best to check.) There is also a little coffee shop selling hot...

It's a nice park but sadly the anglers have fenced off most of the beaches leaving just the grass and woods open when the big attraction used to be the waters edge. I used to play here as a kid and it's getting increasingly encroached on by new houses, people expanding their gardens, the fishermen putting up fences and sheer numbers of people visiting in summer. It's no longer the quiet, peaceful place it was as a kid. The rough dirt tracks which were fun to ride your bike along were replaced by overly wide, perfectly level paths which while making the place very accessible take away from the nature of the place along with the fenced off beaches and the ever encroaching properties. It's a good place to get out too, but it's not the same any more, it used to be a fun place for kids and have a sense of nature about it, now it's just full of dog walkers, buggies and anglers...

A great place for a short stroll or a walk with (or without!) the kids through the woods or to push a pram around... with plenty of open space for a friendly kickabout or a picnic. Within walking distance of Congleton town centre this place is it great local resource and a lovely place to just spend some time.

A good place to walk a dog too. Most owners seem to be quite respectful and don't hang their poo bags in the trees

The ground around the Lake itself is owned by a local angling society so I assume it is great for fishing and there's a very handy boating centre which will rent out kayaks and other vessels.

Not a great place to feed the ducks with kids unless you are renting a boat as the only land you can get to by the water is either dedicated to dogs (so you won't find ducks there) or owned by...