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Name:Halton Castle
Hill number:5504
Height:100m / 328ft
Parent (Ma):2812  Shining Tor
RHB Section:36: Lancashire, Cheshire & the Southern Pennines
County/UA:Halton
Catchment:Mersey
Class:Tump (100-199m), Current County/UA Top
(Tu,1,CoU)
Grid ref:SJ 53729 82021
Summit feature:ground at West wall inside Halton Castle
Drop:58m
Col:42m  SJ571794  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 108
(1:25k) 275
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill
Notes:
  • Halton current county/UA top

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 108 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Train to Runcorn East, then a walk through a rather surprising housing development to the Castle pub. You can't claim it without going through the pub to the beer garden, and it would have been rude not to have a pint, so that's exactly what I did. Surprisingly good views for a spot that's only 100 metres high.Richard29/04/2023
Pub open today so no problem with access. Very interesting history of the castle on display boards.Crumblie226/12/2022
From Runcorn East Station via the woods of Windmill Hill. Stood on the highest ground while enjoying both the views and a pint of Padi ale from the Big Bog Brewing Company. Not a big hill but most memorable.summitsup19/11/2022
Climbed rock ledge and circumnavigated the castle walls. Pub shut.lordtonult08/11/2022
Sunday morning, pub doesn't open until 12 but the door was open and barman said we were welcome to look around the garden (we didn't tell him that that was what we wanted to do anyway!). So an unexpected freebie. With ARC and his dad.PGCE07/08/2022
Friday afternoon on the Jubilee holiday. A drive up, buy a half, wander round the beer garden. If Carlsberg made Tumps . . . . this one is it!Minto03/06/2022
The castle was closed, as was the adjacent pub through which some people have gained access. So not wanting to scramble up walls I contented myself with walking the path around the perimeter. The views make the trip worthwhile, and boy was it windy up there!paggers06/02/2022
Rising out of the fog like a true castle should. Missing brick allows a knee up and in when pub shut. In complete contrast to the sturdy solid sandstone blocks of the castle walls blending into the bedrock - down to the S is the 1970s huge white tiled Shopping City (its original USA inspired name) with its 4 corner multi-story car parks. This was at the heart of the then utopian dream of the Runcorn New Town to house 90,000 of Liverpool's population. Many of its infamous deck access housing with colourful plastic panels (nicknamed legoland) & streets in the sky walkways have now been demolished. Its busway only routes (separate tracks for buses - the world's first bus rapid transit system) still exist - one section of which I inadvertently ended up on (I wondered where all the other cars had gone) before escaping and out of town over the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.Chris Pearson14/12/2021
Ooh, this is interesting. I don't think most of Runcorn's anything special but it's nice up here. Surely a unique pub garden but unfortunately The Castle wasn't open so scaled the wall.Wycombe Wanderer26/09/2021
Pub is now open. Staff couldn't have been friendlier- showing me through to the beer garden within the castle walls. They told me they are trying to rid the pub of it's previous reputation by serving food and being family friendly. I hope they succeed because it is an unusual top offering extensive views.Ben Rinnes06/06/2021
Pub still closed (at least it was at that time in the morning) so did a full lap of the wall which gets pretty close to the summit. Lots of signs saying forbidden to enter so didn't climb the walls.JK22/09/2020
Parked outside pub (sadly closed and for let) then stormed the battlements by climbing the castle wall. Wandered to the top with Mart only to be told by a teenage local girl who was sat on the summit that the pub is still occupied so promptly scurried down the battlements which was hard in sandals!! Amazing spot although driving thru Halton shopping centre was distinctly odd: looked like a Soviet gulag.John Eley17/09/2020
Hadn't even thought this was a big enough hill...but here it is....climbed with HarmonyGaynorSeymour29/08/2020
Car park in front of the The Castle pub at the top of Castle Road. Unfortunately, the pub has been shut since before the lockdown in March (currently 'To Let') so easy access to the interior of the castle is no longer possible. Also, annual events taking place inside the castle have all been cancelled. Stood against the outside of the W. wall which is only the width of the wall away from the summit. (S)gerrybowes04/08/2020
Runcorn to Runcorn East raiway stations going over Runcorn Hill and Halton Hill. Let's be grand and call it the Runcorn Traverse if you like. A miserable grey and drizzly day with tantalising hints of the promised great views from both tops.Jake99415/07/2020
After Alvanley Cliff. I parked up in car park outside Castle walls. There were quite a few people just parking up to take a few pics of the great views and then going. A to let sign is on the pub gate and the black gates were padlocked today. A quick scramble up and then more carefully down and then a circuit around the castle walls sufficed before heading off for Appleton park...Dazingdale31/05/2020
Parking close to the Castle Pub. Noticed an open black gate to the right of the building which had standard warning on it about the dangers old castles pose, suggesting that this was the public access to the castle itself. Went through and it brings you into the castle grounds by the pub beer garden. Landlord gave me a Hello as I passed so suggesting it is a tolerated entry point.moorsman05/03/2020
On way back from Vauxhall Motors Reserves Vs Chester Nomads (2-0)Longwojo16/03/2019
Decided not to ask for access at 8.30am. Walked round to NW side of the walls and found a relatively easy scramble up. Flat area of lawn at the high point, no doubt man-made but nothing higher except the walls.jonglew26/11/2018
With E. Open Day so castle open. Falconry display at castle.Beeliner16/09/2018
Quick divert on our way to do a section of Mersey Valley Trail - well worth it!CreakingHiker18/07/2018
Short detour from the Mersey Valley Trail.tim74722/05/2018
Friendly landlord had pamphlet of information about the history of the castle, and kindly opened the back to allow me access into the castle. I had a pint of Strongbow and Julie a half pint of Guinness and black.David Evans21/01/2018
Orienteering by car. Castle closed. Walked around walls and got as high as possible without trepassingrfoster20/01/2018
The perfect after work hill! A drink in the Halton Castle, then through the bailey courtyard to the motte, with the highest ground beneath an arrowslit in the centre of the arch. Interesting display boards on the history of the castle and its surroundings.Nick Down112/09/2016
It's finally become time for me to remember to take a detour off the M56 for the first time into Runcorn and join the other elite chessboard of 64 and have a drink in the Castle pub and wander out on to the round grassy table and look at the post sunset skies down the Mersey Lots of loud music playing and Chelsea v Spurs on the telly with Spurs 2:1 ahead in their must win game to still leave them a glimmer of title hopes still! But there was a Hazard lurking to those Spurs hopes!!vegibagger02/05/2016
Access cost a Diet Coke. Friendly barman showed me the back door and gave me the freedom of the castle. Amazing industrial landscape below. Great viewpoint. Nice traditional NW pub.Campbell Singer17/03/2016
Before purchasing drinks.jimbloomer09/03/2016
Walked around outside of castle, then had a pint in the pub. What a great place.mart079702/01/2016
Stopped on my way home from Peel Fell in Northumberland. The barmaid let me walk round the garden although it was dark. Pub was awful except for her and the boxer dogs.clivevilla23/10/2015
A Norman Castle. Went round castle walls, but High point definitely in pub garden, visited on a Sunday lunch time, so had a drink at same time.PeterD11/10/2015
Top is in pub garden, worth it to see the views and the overly friendly pub dogs!Tor worth it11/10/2015
Parked outside pub early morning. Nobody about. Walked alongside castle walls on outside but unable to gain inner access.bolton19/09/2015
A few high points visited while in the Chester areamagirob30/07/2015
2/5 Quick walk around castle after parking in pub car park impressive views for a small hillFergalh10/07/2015
Managed to climb partway up the wall. Didn't,t go inside as I had the dog. Probably man made in any case.DARRENG20/06/2015
Walked round perimeter, met man from Castle pub walking dogs. Access via beer garden on weekends. As I wasn't local he let me in (Friday). Inside grounds are two lawned areas. Lower is beer garden, upper is level but raised at walls. High point roughly 2-3m higher than, and in area of, rock ledge found on outside of wall. Judging by strata of rock outside, the inside may indeed be naturally higher.Aye Jimmy19/06/2015
Late Fri eve but not too dark to see the obvious short scrambly ascent route. Apparently-natural HP is inside castle wall, effectively in pub garden and 2-3m higher than highest point outside wall.RHW20/03/2015
Rail and Walk...09.50 Manchester to Runcorn East...Pleasant almost traffic free walk to the Castle...back on the 12.09 from Runcorn EastDave13/03/2015
Circumnavigated the castle from The Underway noting that there was 'no unauthorised access' to the castle itself.Newton Maximus17/09/2014
At last, a hill with a good view! 13.50.arranc12/06/2014
Lived about ten miles away for twenty years and never been here. The view down to the bridge is excellent.SS29/12/2013
As of August 2014, this is the most recent of several ascents. Easy access to castle ruins with a circumnavigating footpath with a really good view of the Mersey estuary and valley.mikh4324/11/2013
P beside castle ruin.chrisbien08/10/2013
Can park easily in the Castle pub car park. Walk all of 1 minute.destaylor29/08/2013
What a great spot. I lived and worked round here 1999-2003 w'out realising this was here. Drove to Main road then steps up to Church / nr pub. Gained base wall and at short south side (8 ft high) easy climb up to gain parapet and land inside curtain area. Clearly built up, pick any point as high spot (see photo). Excellent views 360 degrees.nordicstar16/06/2013
Great views - unusual for a council topBramley08/04/2013
From car park outside pub around perimeter of castle. Been a few times, never seen the castle open to the public. Great views over the Widnes/Runcorn bridge & Mersey estuary, etc.ianandbarbara03/04/2013
Got to castle outside. Vary rarely open it seems.simon and co25/09/2012
From bottom of Castle Road.adrianturner25/03/2012