Staffordshire walk: Hanchurch

THIS is a fairly easy walk. There is a 10 foot section of deep mud, but apart from that the route is good and easy to follow.

The journey:

From the car, walk down the road for about 50 yards to a footpath sign and stile on the left. Take this and enter the wood. Follow the path through the wood to emerge at the corner of a large field. Here either follow the field boundary on the left or aim directly across the field to the far right hand corner, the field boundary shown on the map has gone, to reach a stile at the corner of a small wood. Go over this and through the wood, not the path on the edge, to emerge at a field. Here the mud may be very deep. Cross this to reach the track opposite, or walk alongside the field boundary, and you soon reach a track. Follow this to the right hand side of the field and you soon leave a muddy section onto a grass track that leads to the main road. Cross this with care and turn right to walk along the verge. Soon you reach a gateway on the left with a footpath sign. Go through this to cross a field and stile, and then go over the railway. Cross the next field taking you to a small bridge, which you go over, and bear slightly right to reach a stile at the edge of a pond by the trees in the banking. Go over the stile and turn left to take the rising path to the top of a small bank. Here you reach a fence and a stile ahead. Go over the stile, crossing the middle of the field, passing the pylon on your right. As you descend, look for a stile leading onto a small lane. Go over the stile and turn left along the lane.

At the first junction, keep ahead, ignoring the right fork. Follow this deteriorating lane and later you cross over the railway. The road improves again and you follow this to a junction. Turn left and shortly you reach the main road once more. Turn right here, passing the old pumping station, and then turn left along the lane. Follow this to a farm at the end and then continue ahead for a good mile along the broad track to reach the starting point.

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