Sunday 20th November 2011 - Biddulph, Staffordshire

On Sunday, 20 November, our walks are based at Biddulph in Staffordshire.
The coach will leave as usual from school at 8am prompt and travel direct to Biddulph without a stop en route. There are toilet facilities in the coach park and all walks will start and end here. Refreshments at the end of the walk are available at the Talbot Inn or (before 3.30pm only!) at the tearooms at Biddulph Grange.  We plan to leave Biddulph at 5.00pm arriving back in Formby at approx 7.00pm traffic permitting.

The cost of travel will be £10.00 for adults, £13.00 for guests (see below) and £5.00 for Leaders, children and students in full time education. 

‘A’ Walk Distance: 13 miles Ascent: 1000 ft Leaders: Andy Fowler Jane Fowler	Although quite long this is a relatively easy walk with no serious climbing or descents, although being a short day, the pace needs to be maintained.  There is also quite a lot of stiles.  We start by walking through the woodland of the country park and then head north to Boon's Meadow farm.  Here we cross fields heading to Newtown where we head east again across open fields and pasture.  The views along this stretch are marvellous (weather permitting of course).  We drop down towards the Rudyard reservoir and carry on along its western shore.  Climbing out from the reservoir in a westernly direction we head for Broadmeadows before turning south down to Lask Edge.  From here we head west and skirt round Biddulph Moor village and across fields to reach the Spring Woods again which we follow back to the car park.
‘B+’ Walk Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 1200 ft Leaders: David Poole Edwina Roberts	This is a walk packed full of interest with good views and much variety, mainly on good tracks, minor roads and field paths.Starting at Biddulph Grange Country Park we follow the Staffordshire Moorlands Walk westward to the Staffordshire Way at Congleton Edge.   Heading south, a gentle climb takes us to the Gritstone Trail which we then follow to the Old Man of Mow and Mow Cop Castle before heading south east to Greenway Bank Country Park.   Re-joining  the Staffordshire Moorlands Walk the route heads north past the Wicken Stones and returns to the coach through Spring Wood.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 8 miles Ascent: 900 ft Leaders: David Wake Alan Thomas	From Biddulph Grange Country Park we walk out through houses to pick up the disused railway track, now a permitted bridleway and National Cycle Route 55, which we follow in a southerly direction to join up with the Staffordshire Moorlands Way (SMW) at Knypersley. Continuing along the SMW we leave the old rail track and cross through fields to Greenway Bank Country Park and Knypersley reservoir. The SMW heads north from here past the Wicken Stones, along Gun Battery Lane, until we reach Spring Wood where we follow the Himalayan Walk alongside the stream through Biddulph Grange Country Park back to our starting point.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 7 miles . Ascent: 400 ft Leaders: Jean Makeating A N Other	From the car park at Biddulph Country Park we head northwards up a minor road before taking a footpath across the fields to meet the A527. We then go south along the road (on a pavement) for a short distance before ascending at a slow pace up a farm track to join the Staffordshire Way. We continue gently uphill to the Gritstone Trail along the ridge.  Weather permitting, we have superb views across the Cheshire Plain to the Jodrell Bank telescope and beyond.  At the end of the Trail we descend gently through fields to join the disused railway track and head north before crossing fields back to the Talbot Inn and thence down the road a short distance to the car park.  Next to the car park is Biddulph Grange Gardens, a National Trust property ( members of NT may wish to bring their membership cards!).  Bateman’s Tearoom is at the entrance to the gardens and is open to non members of the NT without charge but closes at 3.30pm.  The Talbot Inn serves coffee and light refreshments.