We’re extremely proud of North West-born superstar Harry Styles in our region, and throughout his career both in One Direction and his subsequent solo career, fans have flocked from far and wide to his hometown of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, just to feel a piece of their favourite popstar. The bakery where Harry used to work, W. Mandeville, was one of the more well-known destinations, with fans flooding social media with their trips, but now the visitor population of Holmes Chapel has gotten so consistent, that Holmes Chapel Partnership has issued a safe walking route for Harry Styles fans to follow to keep them out of harm’s way.
The Holmes Chapel Partnership (HCP) were concerned about how many fans were using the A535 to access Twemlow Viaduct where ‘Harry’s Wall‘ is located – so-called after Harry shared an anecdote about the field and viaduct in the One Direction biopic film This Is Us, that he had his first kiss there; now fans write messages of love on the brick.
As a result, HCP has created a specific map as part of their ‘Safe Walking Routes‘ project, which shows the safest walking route from Holmes Chapel train station to the Viaduct, then continues through the village, hitting all the Harry hotspots.
On the route fans can visit:
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Twemlow Viaduct (Harry’s wall)
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Mandeville’s Bakery: where Harry worked on a Saturday before entering ‘X Factor’
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Fortune City Chinese Restaurant: Harry lived near the restaurant and even took Taylor Swift there
Although it may be the quickest route, the A535 is a very busy road with no parking and no pavements. The pedestrian access is part of the Dane Valley Way public footpath, which crosses the A535.
HCP suggests getting the train to Holmes Chapel station, where the route begins for easy access to all of the relevant Harry sights and landmarks.
As well as being the birthplace of one of the biggest musicians in the world, Holmes Chapel is indeed a lovely little village, and is worth the trip regardless. The train takes just 40 – 50 minutes from Manchester city centre, and has a traditional high street with quaint shops and a lovely church (St Luke’s).
The Harry Styles walking route map along with numbered instructions can be found here.