The countdown is on to this year's Sandbach Walking Festival which is set to be bigger and better than ever before.

This year's popular event opens next Saturday (June 25th) and features a bumper 42 different walks taking place until Sunday, July 3rd.

The nine-day festival is organised by Sandbach Footpaths Group, whose aim is to protect, improve and extend the network of public footpaths in and around the town.

And this year's festival also features two 'mindfulness' walks to help aid well-being plus six walks which involve food.

Graham Whitehouse, chair of the Walking Festival steering group, said walks involving food and drink had been planned for last year but Covid put pay to holding them.

"We're excited about this year's programme which is selling well but there are still places available on many of the walks.

"It's a fact that walking can be used to tackle loneliness and social isolation and the festival is an excellent start to getting involved in local walks.

"It's a great way of meeting people and making new friends as well as getting fit at the same time and seeing some wonderful scenery.

"We have a saying that you're never more than 15 minutes from a public footpath here."

The official opening walk, 'Town and Greens', will be led by Sandbach Mayor, Cllr Kathryn Flavell, and starts at 10.30 am at Sandbach Crosses.

 A 'Mindfulness Walk' takes place on Monday June 27th at 2pm from Wheelock Green Bank designed to "clear your mind of clutter and restore focus".

Other walks include a walk to Merlin Brewing Company and a tour and talk about the beers and business.

Another entitled "Sandbach Wildlife Corridor" is followed by coffee or tea with scones or cake at Jenny's Tea Shop in High Street, Sandbach.

For photographers, there's a photography walk to Arclid Quarry to hopefully get to snap the buzzards. This walk is led by local photographer, Kevin Dowey.

For details and how to book , the programme can be downloaded here https://www.sandbachfootpaths.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SWF-2022-Programme-FINAL-10-PAGE-dl-22-06-06-Online-version.pdf