The Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society Waymarked Walks in Central Cheshire Congleton Sandbach Mow Cop Biddulph Crewe Scholar Green Nantwich Kidsgrove Stoke on Trent Grindley Brook Audlem Whitchurch THE SOUTH CHESHIRE WAY From Grindley Brook to Mow Cop A 55km (34 mile) walk in the Cheshire countryside. CONTENTS Page About the South Cheshire Way 3 Using this guide (including online map links) 6 Points of interest 9 Walking eastwards 15 Grindley Brook to Marbury Big Mere 16 Marbury Big Mere to Aston Village 20 Aston Village to River Weaver 23 River Weaver to A51 by Lea Forge 25 A51 by Lea Forge to Weston Church 28 Weston Church to Haslington Hall 32 Haslington Hall to Thurlwood 36 Thurlwood to Little Moreton Hall (A34) 40 Little Moreton Hall (A34) to Mow Cop 42 Walking westwards 44 Mow Cop to Little Moreton Hall (A34) 46 Little Moreton Hall (A34) to Thurlwood 48 Thurlwood to Haslington Hall 50 Haslington Hall to Weston Church 54 Weston Church to A51 by Lea Forge 58 A51 by Lea Forge to River Weaver 62 River Weaver to Aston Village 65 Aston Village to Marbury Big Mere 68 Marbury Big Mere to Grindley Brook 72 Update information (Please read before walking) 76 About The Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society 77 South Cheshire Way Page 2 of 77 ABOUT THE SOUTH CHESHIRE WAY The South Cheshire Way was originally conceived as a route in the late 1970's by Jack Baker, a keen supporter of Public Rights of Way and the founder of 'The Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society'. The project was passed to three Society members, Janet Clarke, Justin McCarthy and Brenda Passey, to develop detail planning and establish the route on the ground, prior to its official opening by civic dignitaries on 17 September 1988. The route It is the second longest of the Society's long distance 'sponsored' walks through the Cheshire countryside, being some 55 kilometres in length. Running between Grindley Brook (SY13 4QJ), just north of Whitchurch, Shropshire in the west and Mow Cop (ST7 3PA) on the Staffordshire border at its eastern end, the route goes close to, but avoids the main towns in the area allowing it to pass through some of Cheshire's best walking country. The map on the front page illustrates the location of near towns and villages. The South Cheshire Way is shown on OS 25K maps as a trail using the green diamond symbol on the usual green lines. The trail name is written along the footpath symbol at various intervals. Walkers are advised to take particular care where this way joins other trails marked with the diamond symbol as you could end up walking on a different trail. Walkers should be aware that whilst the MCFS frequently replaces the yellow waymark discs, these and finger posts do go missing from time to time. Since this booklet was last revised, stiles may have been replaced by kissing gates or gaps in the hedge and hedges may have been removed. Although farmers are obliged to reinstate footpaths crossing their fields, sometimes this does not happen and routes can become obscure particularly in late summer. You should always endeavour to keep to the path even if it is through a crop. South Cheshire Way Page 3 of 77 Links with other footpaths THE MID-CHESHIRE FOOTPATH SOCIETY There are excellent links with other long distance footpaths at either end. At Grindley Brook there are links with the 'Shropshire Way', the 'Bishop The Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society was formed in 1961 for all those interested in Bennet Bridleway', the 'Sandstone Trail', the 'Maelor Way' and the (now keeping open and well-marked the footpaths in that part of Cheshire not covered by unsupported) 'Marches Way'. existing societies. Its area is bounded by Lymm, Runcorn, Middlewich, Crewe, At Mow Cop, there are links with the 'Gritstone Trail' and thence to the Audlem, Malpas and Chester. 'Staffordshire Way', which together provide a waymarked route from Disley, near Stockport, to Kinver Edge, near Stourbridge. The 'Staffordshire The Society organises walks throughout the year on Wednesdays and alternate Moorlands Walk' and the 'Cheshire Ring Canal Walk' are also close-by, the Sundays, covering as many different areas as possible. The purpose of these walks, latter having a common route for 4.2 km. which are generally between five and eight miles long, is to inspect, and subsequently South-east of Crewe it also shares a common route with the 'Crewe and report on, the condition of the paths, to the local authority responsible for the Nantwich Circular Walk'. maintenance of public rights of way. Getting there by rail There are rail stations at Whitchurch, Wrenbury, Crewe and Kidsgrove. All but Publications available from the Society... Wrenbury require a short bus or taxi ride to join the trail. The Baker Way from Chester to Delamere Stations 21 km Getting there by bus There are bus services which will get you to or near to various points along The Delamere Way from Frodsham to Stockton Heath 34 km the trail but the timetable will need to be checked. The Eddisbury Way from Frodsham to Higher Burwardsley 27 km Car parking The Longster Trail from Helsby Hill to Chester 19 km There are many parking locations along the route and many public houses will usually provide parking if asked. The North Cheshire Way from Hooton to Disley (book) 114 km Accommodation Acknowledgements... There are a number of farmhouses and guesthouses en route that offer a Writers and Walkers: Mary and Eric Butler, Bernard Cook, Joyce and Tony range of accommodation, as well as a variety of different sized pubs and Harbottle and David Kinsell and many others, as well as hotels. those members who maintain the waymarks. The 2020 version was walked in 2020 by Society members Refreshments including David Kendall, Mike Abraham and Elisabeth There are many public houses and other outlets selling food and drink in the Sullivan. The document was then re-written by Elisabeth villages along the route. Sullivan and Peter Waite. Maps Web version: Peter Waite OS Explorer Maps 257 and 268. Mapping Peter Waite Waymark © OpenStreetMap Contributors Black lettering on yellow arrow, inscribed "SCW" Please observe the map copyrights. Issue 1 – October 2020 South Cheshire Way Page 4 of 77 South Cheshire Way Page 77 of 77 Update information Path Problems If you encounter any problems en route please report them to : Cheshire East Council (website, letter or telephone) or Shropshire County Changes to the route since this document was originally produced are detailed here. Council for the area between Grindley Brook and the A49. Every effort is taken to ensure that this document is correct but the MCFS cannot be held responsible for errors and changes that occur post-publishing. If you know of any Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and clarity, the MCFS changes please contact the Society. cannot be held responsible for errors, omissions and post publication changes to the route. Aug 2019 The route was walked Eastwards for the document revision. Copyright May 2020 Weston Village Map J on pages 30 and 58 All the maps included within this document use OpenStreetMap as the base Due to new building, south of West and East Avenues and west of point D mapping and non-copyright material for the overlays. on the map, the route has been diverted from West Avenue to East The overlays are © Peter Waite (The author). Avenue. The text and maps show the change. After the building work is completed the route will be correctly waymarked. © Open StreetMap contributors. The data is available under the Open Aug 2020 The Westward route was walked to complete the revision. Database Licence which can be seen at www.openstreetmap.org/copyright. Oct 2020 This .pdf version available from the MCFS website. This document, which is provided in pdf format, may be copied and distributed in whole but not in part. You may print copies of this document for your personal use and to allow you to organise walks for a group of walkers provided that you do not make any charge for the documents. You may download the pdf file to your 'phone or tablet to save printing out the document – just make sure that your battery is fully charged before you venture out! For part or total inclusion in another publication or for any other purpose written permission from the Mid-Cheshire Footpath Society is required. South Cheshire Way Page 76 of 77 South Cheshire Way Page 5 of 77 USING THIS GUIDE Follow the farm driveway H down to a lane (Wirswall Road)4 G. Turn left down the lane and continue for 800 metres, passing Wirswall Hall and a bridleway on the right. This guide describes the walk in both directions. Take the second bridleway on the right (a green lane) F, immediately before "The To walk east from Grindley Brook to Mow Cop please turn to page 15. Bungalow" on the same side. To walk west from Mow Cop to Grindley Brook please turn to page 44. At the end of the green lane pass through a gate and continue on the same line with The use of Ordnance Survey 1:25000 maps to supplement the maps included the field boundary on the left, crossing into another field (the Cheshire/Shropshire in this guide is recommended. These provide more detailed information, border). After passing along the right-hand side of Hinton Old Hall Farm, go through particularly at field level. a gate on the left to a driveway and follow it the A49 Tarporley Road E.