Although not a long walk, it is a tough one with two big climbs and an undulating ridge. It offers a mountain experience with lower levels as well. The ridge is exposed and even in summer can be cold. In winter, especially if windy, good protective clothing is essential.

The journey:

FROM the car walk back to the hairpin bend and go through the stile in the wall (opposite the path to Roaches summit). Immediately turn right, through a second stile to descend the moor by the wall on the right. The path becomes quite rocky lower down, just before entering the wood.

As it enters the wood, the path swings left, then right. Look for a big tree and a three-way footpath sign. Turn left along the path marked Lud's Church/Swythamley to follow inside the top of the wood.

After a while at another sign, bear left towards Lud's Church and in about 30 yards, bear left again at a fork, marked concessionary path. Climb out of the wood and wind upwards, across the moor until the summit ridge is reached. Turn right here and follow the obvious path along the undulating ridge, through some gates until you reach another sign by a broad path coming from the right. Turn left along this path for a few yards, over the summit and then immediately right, by a footpath sign, where there is a concessionary path to Hanging Stone. Follow this clear path through two fields, bearing left at the end and you reach the Hanging Stone.

Follow the path to the right side of the stone, going down and beneath it, following the waymarks downhill until you soon join a broad farm track.

Turn left and almost immediately you reach a wide turning place with a track to the right and one through the gates ahead.

Bear left of the gateway to take the footpath which rises above it which you follow and runs parallel to the drive, until you soon pass a farm house. Continue along this track until it bears left to climb the hill back to the ridge. Continue ahead here, following the wall on the right.

At the prominent gateway on the right, do not go through, but continue alongside the wall on the rising path which eventually takes you back to the summit ridge. Turn right here and follow the ridge back to the road and your car.

Contributed by Peter Matthews of the Staffordshire Area Ramblers' Association. For further information phone 01782 336556. Without the work of the Ramblers some of these walks would not be possible.