Organisers are gearing themselves up for the start of Sandbach's popular Walking Festival which gets underway this weekend.

The 2021 Sandbach Walking Festival starts on Saturday and features 40 walks over nine days, celebrating the historic town's network of public footpaths and surrounding countryside.

Organised by Sandbach Footpaths Group, whose aim is to protect, improve and extend the network of public footbaths in and around the town, it attracts walkers from far and wide.

It features an "inclusive" programme which covers walks for all from a dawn chorus birdwatching and wildlife walk to a toddlers in the park walk, a Nordic walking taster walk, a sketching landscape walk led by Sandbach Art Room, a wheelchair and dementia friendly event to short walks, long walks and tea shop and pub based walks.

There is even a treasure hunt quiz walk featuring facts about the town with a prize hamper of local goodies donated by Godfrey C Williams & Sons as well as a relaxing mindfulness walk led by Cheshire Arts for Health.

Graham Whitehouse, chair of the Walking Festival steering group, came up with the idea while on holiday in Scotland. He spotted a similar thing being done there and decided to bring it to Sandbach.

He said: "The programme is inclusive and Covid-friendly. It takes a fair bit of planning. We have around 14 volunteers helping out and we are very grateful for their help.

"This year has been hard as some of the walks we have had to drop due to Covid but we have come up with an extensive programme and the weather looks perfect for walking. We hope everyone has a great time."

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The first Sandbach Walking Festival took place in 2019 and attracted dozens of walkers. Last year's event was sadly cancelled due to Covid but this year's event is set to be bigger and better than ever.

Details of all the walks are featured in the programme available at www. sandbachfootpaths.org. Click on the Sandbach Walking Festival tab and the programme can be downloaded.

The festival finishes on Sunday 4th July with three afternoon walks all starting at The Crosses on Market Square and ending in Sandbach Park.

Over the last 18 months or so, with funding from Cheshire East Council, via the New Homes Bonus, Sandbach Footpaths Group has replaced over 60 stiles with kissing gates, which have improved access to the countryside.