Start/Finish: Leather’s Smithy
pub, Langley. Distance: 4.3 miles (7.0 km). Difficulty: Medium. Time: 1½ to 2
hours.
1.
From the Leather’s Smithy, follow the lane which
rises gently uphill, with the forest to the right (imagine that you're turning
left up the lane when you come out of the pub).
2.
Where the lane bears to the right, continue straight
on through the gate, up the Forest Bridleway and into the forest. There are
other bridleways off to the right and left, with gates across barring access -
ignore these.
3.
Eventually you will reach a crossroads of paths.
Follow the path to the left, which is sign-posted to Tegg’s Nose (this path
passes to the left of a disused house).
4.
After a short distance, there is a fork in the path.
Follow the left hand fork, signposted to Tegg’s Nose. This path eventually
emerges from the forest onto a lane (Hacked Way Lane).
5.
Turn left down the lane. After passing a house on
the right (Hardingland Farm) the lane becomes a bridleway. Ignore the footpath
which bears right across a field. Follow the bridleway down between fields.
6.
At the bottom of the hill, the bridleway turns
right. The bridleway (loose-stone path) passes between fields, and eventually
crosses a stream tumbling down the hillside. The bridleway passes a house on
the left (Lower Crooked Yard Farm), then becomes a narrow lane.
7.
When you reach Clough House farm at the bottom of
the hill, follow the lane round to the right. Walk up the lane until you get to
Saddler’s Way on the left (signposted as a Concessionary Bridleway).
8.
Walk up Saddler’s Way to the Tegg’s Nose car park.
Cross straight across the car park (the visitor centre is on your right).
9.
At the exit from the car park, turn left
along the path to Tegg’s Nose (signposted to the Country Park). This path is
also part of the Gritstone Trail. Follow this path through two gates.
10.
After the second gate, turn left and follow the path
up the steps with a hand rail up the centre. Walk past the exhibits of the old
Tegg’s Nose quarry, following the Gritstone Trail signs (signified by a G in a
footprint in a yellow arrow).
11.
Continue to follow the Gritstone Trail signs. This
will take you around Tegg’s Nose before going down hill. This is also signed as
the Tegg’s Nose Trail, and is steep in places. At the bottom of the hill, you
will reach the car park next to Tegg’s Nose reservoir.
12.
Follow the road across the dam of Tegg’s Nose
reservoir. This is still part of the Gritstone Trail. Go through the gate,
cross the lane and down the steps, then follow the path across the dam of
Bottom’s reservoir.
13.
On reaching the road (Clarkes Lane), turn left and
follow the road back up to the Leather’s Smithy.