This is an interesting walk in the heart of a little used area of the Peak District.

The journey:

FROM the Windy Ridge Café, turn left towards Leek, then turn sharp left into Old Hill Nursery at the rear of the café.

Pass in front of the greenhouses to a fingerpost and bear right through some conifer trees over a stile into a field. Follow the hedge on your left to exit into a further field, then follow straight on with a hedge now on your right. You pass over a small wall by a metal gate to continue straight on towards Blackbrook Zoological Park. Cross the stile by the side of a further metal gate, and continue as far as the cottage on your right before turning sharp left towards the zoological park premises. Head straight on towards the track between the bird pens and exit by the stile at the side of a wooden gate onto the tarmac entrance road of the premises. Follow the wire fence on your left to proceed parallel to the main driveway of the premises and to exit onto the Alton road. Turn right along the road, but after 100 yards turn left to go over a stile into a field in the direction of Winkhill and Waterhouses. Cross to a stone wall and bear left to a sleeper walkway over wet ground. At the end of the walkway, bear left to climb the hill to the left of the first tree, then directly ahead to the next group of trees where a waymark indicates the path straight ahead. The path passes to the left of buildings on your right, to exit over a stile and on to the lane leading to Foxt. The A523 Leek/Waterhouses road is immediately on your left, and you have now joined the route of the Hamps Way.

Turn right along the lane for about 150 yards, and opposite Woodbine Cottage, a fingerpost indicates your route to Waterhouses, over a stile and into a field on the left. Cross the two fields, keeping to the right hand side of the river. At the next stile turn sharp left towards the river and you go over another stile, turning right to follow the river which is in the valley below. On reaching the level of the river you cross the field in a straight line to a stile in a stone wall which is reached by crossing a tributary brook over a large pipe bridge. Continue across the field in a straight line to a stile in the right corner of the field, and immediately after a small wooden bridge. Climb through the trees into a field and keep alongside the right of a wooded copse path. Descend over a stile to cross the wood and river tributary over a wooden bridge and climb the steps into a field. At the top of the steps, turn right here and head towards the right of a stone cottage. Cross the wooden stile and gap in the stone wall and follow the direction arrows through a field to the right of Willow House. Exit here on to the house driveway and head towards the cement works on the horizon.

Exit the driveway through a metal gate and leave the Hamps Way at this point by turning left downhill and going over a cattle grid. The track takes you over the River Hamps and to the A523 Waterhouses Road. Cross over the road into Benty Grange Lane, to continue up to Waterfall Cross at the top of the hill. On reaching the crossroads, continue straight over into the Ford/ Onecote Road. Continue down that lane (Pethills Lane) to cross the River Hamps. Continue uphill, passing Longditch and then Pethills Farm. On reaching the next farm, Pethillshead Farm, turn left into the farmyard. Exit the farm through two metal gates and go over a stile to cross a small field to a further stile and ditch. Cross the next field diagonally left to the bottom corner to join a track leading into the yard of Back Lane Farm. Leave the farm to enter Back Lane and turn sharp right. Continue up the lane for about 100 yards but turn left to go over a stile and into a field which is opposite the farm premises, but before the bungalow on your right. Cross the field diagonally right to a stile in the centre of the boundary hedge and fence. Cross that stile to the nearby farm and onto the Waterfall Road. Turn left down the road to the A523 Leek/ Waterhouses Road. Turn right towards Leek to return to the Windy Ridge Cafe .

Contributed by George Shufflebotham of Stoke and Newcastle Ramblers, adapted from their new book, Around The Hamps Way, offering 12 walks around the River Hamps. The book can be obtained through a number of local sources, or phone Peter Matthews 01782 279701 for details.

The Walk

Level: An undulating walk through fields. Follow the route anti route clockwise

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 2½ hours

Parking: On the roadside on a lane leading to Ford

Refreshments: Windy Ridge Café by the start