Jordan warned Lottie not to go to Delamere Forest because every visit seemed to end with somebody getting lost. Lottie did not remember this being a problem, so she took her best friend Jess for a relaxed woodland walk. Two hours later, Jordan was driving out to rescue them.
The sensible beginning
Delamere is an ancient woodland with plenty of marked paths, history and stories attached to it. The original plan was simple: have a girly woodland walk, enjoy the trees and talk about strange and magical things they had experienced or believed as children.
The forest quickly gave holiday vibes, big mushrooms and the perfect setting for conversations about fairies. As children, Lottie and Jess arranged fairy figures in circles and left sweets as offerings. They also remembered the warning never to stand inside a circle of toadstools, because folklore says you may enter fairyland and disappear if you eat the food. All very wholesome—until they left the proper route.
How we actually got lost
They stepped away from the busier path to find a quiet place for a spiritual little moment. Returning should have been easy, except several routes looked familiar, fallen trees blocked one direction and a path turned out not to be a path at all. Each new choice felt as though it must reconnect with the main route. It did not.
The pair climbed over obstacles, doubled back and repeatedly believed the next turn would solve everything. They even thought they saw a figure resembling Jordan in a black top. By that point, heat, tiredness and fairy stories had combined into a discussion about whether the forest contained a skinwalker. Jordan’s response was that they had been in the sun too long.
The rescue
Eventually Lottie and Jess called Jordan, admitted that his warning had been correct and tried to explain their location. Jordan drove over and found them near the road, with the timing of a hero making an entrance at the end of a film. They were exhausted, extremely hungry and very grateful.
How not to repeat our mistake
- Stay on marked paths unless you know the woodland well.
- Download an offline map before entering areas with uncertain signal.
- Drop a pin where you parked and note a recognisable landmark.
- Carry water, especially in warm weather.
- Tell someone your planned route and expected return time.
- Do not assume climbing over fallen trees means you have discovered a secret shortcut.
Is Delamere Forest worth visiting?
Absolutely. The problem was not the forest; the problem was our confidence in directions we did not understand. Delamere is beautiful, accessible and full of atmosphere. It works for a gentle walk, a longer route or simply spending time among the trees—as long as you remain aware of where you are.
The final lesson was “stick to the path in life.” We went looking for a magical woodland experience and certainly came back with a story. Jordan was right, Lottie and Jess got dinner after all, and the fairies kept their location secret.