BALLOONING WITH WICKERS WORLD

Fly First Class With The County's Favourite Airline! Call our central office on 01889 88 22 22

Chester, Nantwich and Whitchurch Rural Cheshire is today a most pleasant and a much sought after place to live. There are more fine 18th and 19th century country houses in Cheshire than in any other English county, and it is said that more millionaires live in the county than in any other in the United Kingdom!

Click on the map for more detail!

Close to Chester, we launch from the grounds of the Rugby Club (which is situated conveniently just a minute from the junction of the M53 and A51) and also from the "Crocky Trail", a rural adventure playground close to Waverton. Flying from these venues allows us spectacular views not only of Chester itself, but also the distant hills and mountains of north Wales. Looking towards the north-west you may see the Irish Sea and the River Dee. Travelling time by car from both Manchester and Liverpool is rarely more than 45 minutes. Even Anglesey is little more than an hour away!

Moving a little further inland, we have another launch site at Stapeley Water Gardens. This is a well-known and prestigious venue, located on the outskirts of Nantwich. So much more than just a huge garden centre, Stapeley has many varied attractions, including a tropical oasis, zoo, Italian gardens, restaurants and a selection of high quality retailers supplying everything for the outdoor lifestyle. Visit their web site at www.stapeleywg.com for more details.

The origins of Nantwich date to Roman times when its salt was used by the Roman garrisons at Chester and Stoke-on-Trent as both a preservative and a condiment. Salt has been used in the production of Cheshire cheese and in the tanning industry, both industries being products of the dairy industry based on the Cheshire plain around the town. Flying over this region of Cheshire you will appreciate how the county has become famous for its milk production. Almost every farm is a dairy unit, and cows stretch from horizon to horizon! This is a beautiful landscape, managed to a very high standard by the farming community. Click on the map for more detail!

Its heritage proven by the many half-timbered buildings that make up this ancient market town, modern day Nantwich benefits by its proximity to so many major routes. Ten minutes from the M6, and on the junction of the A51, A500, A529, A530 and A534, this is certainly an easy place to reach for your flight. Finally, and just across the border into Shropshire, we have our launch site close to Whitchurch. Located just to the south of Whitchurch, and well sign-posted from the main roads, Dearnford Lakes is a beautiful private venue close to Dearnford Hall. We generally have exclusive use of this site. Launching from the lakeside, this is a stunning venue that also offers facilities such as refreshments and loos! It makes a relaxing spot for those friends or family who may not be flying or following the balloons. Click on the map for more detail! Whitchurch, as Nantwich, is an ancient market town, and as such is well connected to the surrounding areas by an established road network. This makes navigation a simple chore, whether travelling from Chester to the north, Shrewsbury to the south, or even Wrexham and Wales to the west. As a Roman settlement, Whitchurch was first known as Mediolanum, meaning The place in the middle of the plain. So, as you might guess, it is surrounded by extensive countryside in all directions! Whitchurch is famous as the oldest continually inhabited town in Shropshire!

So Why Do We Need Three Launch Sites? The answer to this question is fairly simple - hot air balloons cannot be steered! We go exactly where the wind takes us, and have no control over our speed or direction of travel. So, imagine taking off from Chester, with the wind blowing towards the sea - we'd have a very wet landing, and a long swim home! With the wind in that direction we'd need to use one of our launch sites further inland, so that we could fly in safety. Similarly, with the wind in other certain directions, Nantwich or Whitchurch may be unsuitable, and so we would fly from Chester instead. The three sites are all within 20 - 30 minutes driving of each other. Basically, we cannot say which launch site we will be using on any particular day, until we know which way the wind is likely to be blowing! We expect our passengers to be prepared to fly from whichever venue is being used that day. However, we will always endeavour to accommodate your requests should you have a particular preference. If you have a party of eight or more passengers, we will happily investigate the possibilities of flying from other locations to suit you. Flying from your own "back yard" at least assures you of some very novel aerial photos! We generally make no extra charge for launching from alternative locations so long as they are within a reasonable distance.

Click below to examine our other great launch sites throughout the region: & &

Members of the British Balloon & Airship Club (the BBAC) since 1983

Wickers World is a licensed CAA operator. Licence no: BL027.

Appointed UK sales agents for Cameron Balloons Limited.

BA BO Founder members of the British Association of Balloon Operators.

BoB offers a Nationwide Network of Balloon Flights.

Please visit the rest of our web site by use of the navigation bars at the top and bottom of each page, and find out why we have become the most popular balloon flights operator in the region. We are confident that you will recognise the high quality and excellent reputation of our company, and we look forward to flying with you or your loved ones soon.

Wickers World Ltd, The Hawthorns, Great Haywood, ST18 0RA Telephone: 01889 88 22 22