Rudyard and Horton 5 mile loop

This is a loop walk starting at Rudyard Lake and passing through the Village of Horton and fields before returning to Rudyard Lake. There is a more established walk around the lake, but this one is a bit more energetic and avoids most of the crowds. 

Distance: 5.46 miles (from the Station Car Park).

Refreshments and Toilets available at Rudyard Dam, also Rudyard Hotel.

There are some quite challenging styles on this route, including one which is fairly new and is probably one of the least access able styles I have seen. This route is on roads, farm tracks and fields.

There are a couple of busy car parks in this area, the station car park and roadside are free, the Rudyard Lake car park is not free.

Rudyard Station

We started this walk at the station car park located south of Rudyard road by the railway bridge, other parking is available in the area.

Heading out of the station down the access road, turn left onto Rudyard Road and follow this past the garage up to the round about., turning onto Camrose Hill there is a footpath sign pointing along a track heading uphill. Just before the farm continue onto the waymarked route through the wall and as the field widens, follow the left edge towards the church at Horton continuing downhill.

Horton Church

Arriving at the road climb uphill into the village, it is worth pausing here for a look at the church before returning to the route and just after the vicarage a footpath appears on the right follow this to cut the corner off the main roads, before turning right on rejoining the roads. At the T-junction turn left heading towards the village hall keeping on the roads before picking up the lane heading past the hall.

Once pas the hall a path leads off across the fields, follow this path over some unhelpful styles as it bends right keep a deer park and woods on the left. The path turns left over a style that was designed for a giant (going around the style and heading up the bank may be a better option).

Continue along the path, until it meets a track, turn right and head towards Taylors Barn Farm and follow this track until it turns sharp left at the bottom of the hill, heading straight forward across the foot bridge. Head straight up the right side of the field and then through some gates (through the house's parking area to the road. We will head up this road until it turns sharply right at a junction, where we will leave it to head down Reacliffe road towards Rudyard Lake.

At the lower part of the hill, pick up the footpath on the right and follow this until it meets Lake Road, where another path appears on the left to head down to the Rudyard Lake Cafe and visitors parking.

We returned back to the car via the path that leads down the dam and follows the canal feeder to the road and then left back towards the carpark, though other possibilities are to head back via Rudyard Hotel, where refreshments are also available, or continue over the dam to the old rail path that leads back to the carpark.

OS Map: Rudyard and Horton

Knypersley Reservior and Brown Edge 5 Mile loop

This is a walk starting at the Greenway Bank Country Park at Knypersley Reservoir following the reservoir shore and then climbing uphill through fields, then heading downhill to follow a stream through grit stone and then up to Marshes Hill Common and Brown Edge Village before returning to Knypersley along the canal feeder.

Marshes Hill 

Distance: 5.19 miles

Parking: Greenway Bank Country Park

During summer months coffee may be available in the Country Park, toilets can also be located at the start of the walk.

Knypersley Tower

Heading past the buildings and along the paths into the park, passing two gates before heading down steps that lead steeply down to the Reservoir and turning left to walk aroung the western end of the reservoir. Follow the trail all the way, past the walkway between Serpentine Pool and Knypersley Pool, until you find Knypersley Tower, here turn sharply left to follow the path uphill away from the lake.

This path leads uphill through fields until reaching a gate onto a track, turnleft along the top of the ridge and follow until just before a gate at a farmyard turn right, almost doubling back to follow a path downhill into the woods.

There is a split in the path, take the left fork and pass over a wall before descending further down a bank to cross a bridge and follow the obvious path along the stream (this is the Head of Trent) as it carves a small gorge into the gritstone.

Eventually the path arrives at a farmyard, pass to the right of the barn and through a gate into the yard. Head straight up the access road and cross the public road into the field opposite, follow the short climb onto the ridge over the road and continue straight ahead.  After some houses the path arrives at Marshes Hill Common where the path splits as it passes through the common to the carpark at the south end, follow the access road into Brown Edge Village and continue straight onto Back Lane before picking up a path on the right just before the radio mast.

Brown Edge

Follow this down until it meets with the Roads and turn left onto New Lane ot head down towards the Church. Keep heading down through the village until Stonehouse Lane where we turn left and follow the lane for a short distance before turning left onto a path which takes us downhill to the canal feeder and Tongue Lane, cross the Lane and follow the path along the Canal Feeder all the way to the Dam. there are quite steep steps up onto the dam.

When we last did this walk we followed the road back to Greenway Bank Country park, but there are also trails following the reservoir back to the car park.

We liked this walk as it was varied, had some good views from the park and gave us a few surprises along the way.

Ordnance Survey Route: Route - Knypersley and Brown Edge