This walk is in some of the less-frequented moors of the area. Some of the paths are excellent but there is some rough ground and one very muddy path. There are some excellent views.

The journey:

Turn left out of the car park. Very shortly, you reach a footpath and bridge on left.

Take this path alongside the River Dane to reach a road. Turn left, and just round the left corner, past the house, turn right, up the steeply climbing path, with a fence on the right. Soon you reach another road. Cross this and go up the walled track to a barn. Go through the entrance, then turn right to a stile in the top right corner of the field. Once you're over this, bear diagonally right to a little gully.

Climb and cross this to reach a stile with stone steps. Go over this and ahead, along the right side of a field to reach a small gate (the route is waymarked). Go through this, then bear right again to the top end of a small rocky outcrop. A stile can be seen. Go over this and then follow the track along the top side of the hill. As it later descends, it bends slightly left and soon a wall joins from the right. Continue down the track to reach a gate and stile by the road. Cross the road and take the road downhill opposite.

At the junction, bear left and then left at the farm entrance. Follow the farm track behind the farm, then shortly you reach a second farm. Go through the double gate (which may be tied shut) and then through another gate.

Leave the track and take a route across the field aiming for the woodland, where the wall ahead joins it on the right. At the wall junction is a very muddy section of walled lane climbing along the edge of the wood. Follow this and bear left at the end to climb a stile to enter a field. Keep to the right side of the field and at the next field, aim for the front of the building ahead.

You pass in front of the old farm and take the track towards the road, aiming for the stile slightly to the left of a gate. Go over the stile, cross the road and take the stile opposite.

Climb a small bank to reach a metalled farm drive. Follow this up for a few yards then at the fork, bear left up the hill. Follow this good bridleway for nearly a mile, later descending to a farm and road. Cross the road and take the farm drive opposite. At the farm entrance, go ahead over the stile, aiming for the wall on the right side of the field. When you reach this, follow to the bottom and follow the wall round to the left. After a few yards, go right through the obvious gap across a very short grass/rock stretch, to descend a steep, walled lane which heads for the mill in the valley bottom.

Cross the footbridge to the YHA and at the end of the building, turn left along the lane to reach a road. Continue ahead to shortly reach the start.

Contributed by Peter Matthews of the Staffordshire Area Ramblers' Association. For further information, phone 01782 336556.