Green Spaces

Dane Meadow

Dane Meadow is a 7 hectare area of land to the north of Holmes Chapel within the Dane Valley. It was an unspoilt, natural environment that was mainly used by those walking their dogs, a few fishermen and some casual walkers. The development of the Dane Meadow in 2013 – 2015 was a joint project between Holmes Chapel Parish Council, Cheshire East Borough Council and Holmes Chapel Partnership. This project made the meadow more “user-friendly”, opening its potential to be a wonderful asset to many more residents of Holmes Chapel.

In 2013 a substantial grant was obtained from Natural England under their P4C scheme to upgrade the paths to make the Dane Meadow accessible all year round to everyone. The new improved roadway (designated as a Bridleway) provides access for disabled vehicles and a limited parking area near the river. A further grant was obtained from WREN, the waste recycling organisation, to amplify the interest and biodiversity of the site. A viewing platform, two ponds (one with a dipping platform) and a bird viewing area have been installed along with a number of informative and decorative signs and art work designed by Christine Wilcox-Baker and crafted by Dave Broadbent. QR codes around the site link back to this website and provide further information about what you see.

In 2019, the Dane Meadow benefitted from ecological funding as a result of recent housing developments in the area. This will result in the establishment of a wild flower meadow.

Preparatory work took place during the summer of 2019, including habitat creation harrowing work, mixed seed sowing and the planting of over 500 wildflower plant plugs in September 2019. Further planting is continuing to help establish the wild species in the meadow.

We have also listened to complaints about litter in the Dane Meadow, and are pleased to say that a litter bin was installed in the Dane Meadow in 2019, beside the picnic benches. The bin has been funded jointly by the Parish Council and the Holmes Chapel Partnership, assisted by a grant from Cheshire East Council, and is emptied by volunteers.

The Meadow was further enhanced in 2020 with the planting of several hundred trees on the banking. These trees are now establishing and thriving.

The long term management and future direction of activity in the Dane Meadow is the responsibility of a group of volunteers called “Friends of Dane Meadow”. The friends meet on the first Tuesday of each month by the picnic benches in the meadow – for more information contact: Hazel Sutcliffe h.p.sutcliffe@gmail.com

Walking Routes

The Holmes Chapel Partnership have produced a map of walks in the area of Holmes Chapel.

Copies are available in the Parish Office or the library, or you can download here.

Walking Routes

Protected Trees

Holmes Chapel has an abundance of mature trees across the Village, which are a big asset, providing shade, oxygen, carbon storage and giving life to the world's wildlife, to name a few benefits.

Many of these beautiful trees are covered by a Tree Protection Order. A TPO is a legally enforceable order made by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to protect trees, groups of trees and woodland which make a contribution to the amenity in its area. The principal effect of a TPO is to make it an offence to cut down, uproot, top, lop, wilfully damage or wilfully destroy a protected tree without the consent of the LPA - in our case Cheshire East Council.

For more information on protected trees visit Cheshire East Tree Protection

To find out if you have a protected tree on your land, or for more information on protected trees in Holmes Chapel, visit the Tree Protection Map

Dane River Hydro Power

The energy of the River Dane has been harnessed with the private installation of a Hydro-Generation Plant, by the weir at the Westward side of the village. The Hydro Plant , also known as an Archimedean Screw, has been operational since 2015.

The river water is diverted into an 8 metre long threaded screw, which is turned by the force of the water. This rotational energy is used to drive an electrical generator connected to the main shaft of the screw, housed inside a control booth, which also contains diagnostic and monitoring equipment.

The plant generates up to 92KWhr, or 500MWatts/year, all of which is fed into the National Grid. (This is enough to supply power for 140 houses!) The installation includes a fish pass (E) (which also acts as flood drainage) as well as an eel path. After successful re-instatement of the surrounding site, flora and fauna are subsequently thriving.