Walks programme 2026
All walks begin at Congleton Museum at 2pm and explore a different aspect of the town’s past, from women’s history and everyday leisure to hidden architectural details, pubs and the story of the Co-operative movement.
After the walk, a complimentary cream tea will be served at the Museum. Scones and jams are sourced locally. Please let us know at least 48 hours in advance if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.
Tickets: Adults £10 | Friends of the Museum £7 | Children £5
Pay on arrival by cash or card, or book online in advance on the Museum website for £9.
A Walk with Elizabeth
Sunday 19 April, 2pm
Led by Heather Watson, Trustee of Congleton Museum and Trustee of Elizabeth’s Group
Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy was one of the most prominent suffragists in the fight for women’s rights. Join us for a walk around the sites associated with Elizabeth and her family, and discover more about her life in Congleton.
Meet at Congleton Museum at 2pm. After the walk, a complimentary cream tea will be served at the Museum. Please let us know at least 48 hours in advance if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.
History of Congleton Leisure Activities
Sunday 17 May, 2pm
Led by Heather Watson
A stroll around Congleton recalling the places that once provided relaxation, leisure and entertainment for the town’s hard-working residents. Did you dive off the high board at the swimming baths? Which picture house did you visit? Perhaps the walk will bring back a few memories.
Meet at Congleton Museum at 2pm.
Shadows in the Town
Sunday 21 June, 2pm
Led by Peter Aston
As the town changes, this walk offers a chance to notice the small traces of the past that still remain in plain sight. Peter will guide you around Congleton, drawing attention to details many people pass without noticing — including flood stones, fragments of vanished buildings and other clues that reveal what used to be here. It is a walk about the shadows of the past that still shape the town today.
The walk usually lasts around an hour and a half to two hours and begins at the Museum.
Congleton Curios: Part I
Sunday 12 July, 2pm
Led by Mike Tingle
If you enjoyed Mike’s Congleton Curios talk, or would like to see the curios for yourself, join him for this circular walk exploring a wide range of intriguing and often overlooked objects around the town. Along the route, you will encounter unusual details, carvings, signs and features that are open to view if you know where to look. Questions raised on the walk include: What is curious about this weathercock? Where did the birds come “WOM” to roost? Through whose window can you see an old wall painting? And where is Bruin brewing?
The walk finishes with refreshments back at the Museum.
Congleton Curios: Part II
Sunday 16 August, 2pm
Led by Mike Tingle
This follow-up walk explores a different selection of Congleton curios in other parts of the town. Along the way, Mike will uncover more unusual details and hidden stories, asking questions such as: What was Sir J. T. Brunner known for? Who is commemorated by this bust? Above whose premises does this owl keep watch? Which brewery’s logo does this lamp show? And what was this bell originally used for?
Like Part I, this walk is designed for anyone curious about the overlooked features of Congleton’s streets and buildings. The walk finishes with refreshments back at the Museum.
Congleton Pubs: Past and Present
Sunday 20 September, 2pm
Led by Dave Gittins
Join us for a walk exploring the sites of Congleton’s “lost” pubs, buildings that used to be pubs, buildings that are now pubs but once served a different purpose, and of course the town’s great survivors. This walk offers a lively introduction to an important part of Congleton’s social history and changing townscape.
Meet at Congleton Museum at 2pm.
The Co-operative in Congleton
Sunday 4 October, 2pm
Led by Peter Aston
Today, Co-operative shops in Congleton are simply familiar food stores, but there was a time when the Congleton Co-operative transformed the supply of food in the town. This walk traces that story from its beginnings in a cottage in 1859 through its growth into a network of more than a dozen shops across Congleton. Along the way, Peter explores how the Co-op developed locally and asks where places such as Astbury Street and even a bed shop fit into the story.
The walk usually lasts around an hour and a half to two hours. It begins at the Museum and returns there at the end.