heading

Start the walk by crossing the stile on the drive by the side of the cattle shed, into the field and continue with the fence on your right.
Leave the field by the next stile.
Turn right and follow the drive, with a wood on the left and a hedge on the right.
Follow the track as it twists down the hill to the lake. The drive climbs slightly and meets a road on a 90 degree bend at Gateway Cottage.
Walk forward and follow the road past Beehive Cottage until the canal bridge.
Turn left through small white gate onto the tow path.
Follow the towpath until bridge number 51.
Here you have a choice to shorten the walk
EITHER
Leave the towpath at the bridge and turn left to join Cowbrook Lane. Follow the road to a T-junction where you turn left to Gawsworth, rejoining the main walk at ##
OR
Carry on along the towpath until reaching an elevated footbridge with a swing bridge.
Leave the canal here.
(On the right is the A523 Macclesfield / Leek road and the Fool's Nook Pub.)
Turn left after leaving the canal and follow the minor road up the hill.
Continue and cross the railway bridge and ignore another minor road, Cowbrook Lane, which goes off to the left.##
Pass Mount Farm on your left then fork left along a sign posted track.
Keep straight through a series of kissing gates and finally through gate to skirt to the left of the fish ponds with Gawsworth New Hall beyond. Keep to the right of the Mews and to the left of the statue of Sir Robert Peel.
At the entrance to Gawsworth Old Hall turn right for a few metres to Church Lane.
Turn left and walk past the church on the left, along the lane .
Turn left at the North Rode signpost. over a stile into a field, after which the footpath continues straight ahead.
After crossing a stile set into a holly hedge, veer left as the path goes around a small lake. Round the far comer of this lake to another footpath post and then bear right to another stile. Cross this and continue straight across the next field to its top left.
Cross the stile and walk alongside the fence.
The path now continues virtually straight ahead through a series of stiles to the road, which you cross.
Carry on down Pexall Road. Turn left at the footpath sign, over the field. Straight ahead to Manor Farm.
The path is to the right of the main farm buildings and crosses a stile by a gate.
Stay to the right of the farm house and cross a cattle grid.
Proceed down the farm drive .
Bear right at the Y junction. North Rode church and Yew Tree Farm are directly ahead.

BACK