Start/Finish: Bollin Valley
Way, Prestbury. Distance: 7.1 miles (11.5 km). Difficulty: Mainly easy, a few
inclines. Time: 2½ to 3 hours.
1. Leave Prestbury village on the Bollin Valley Way. Where the high street crosses the river, walk down Bollin Grove, with the river on your left. The river disappears from view for a while. Eventually the road becomes a bridleway.
2. Follow the bridleway as it crosses the river.
3.
Where
the bridleway reaches a house (Spittle House), follow the footpath to the left
of the house. The footpath skirts around the left of the house. Keep to the
right hand edge of the field.
4.
Eventually you will come across
an unmarked stile on the right. Cross the stile and follow the footpath now to
Lower Gadhole Farm. Follow the footpath as it passes to the left of the farm
buildings.
5.
The footpath emerges onto the
driveway to the farm. Turn left along the driveway. Pass to the left of the
imposing gates over a stile.
6.
The driveway then meets the
driveway to Woodend Farm. Cross straight over the driveway to a footpath. Follow
the footpath down across fields (following the yellow arrows).
7.
Ignore the footpath which leads
off to the left. The footpath eventually leads up a grassy slope to some
houses.
8.
Follow the footpath through a
gate, between houses, to meet a driveway. Then follow the driveway. This passes
Legh Hall, and to the left of a large pond, before meeting the main Prestbury
to Wilmslow road (A538).
9.
Cross over the road (looking
out for fast cars) to the narrow lane opposite. This lane (Hunters Pool Lane)
is marked with a footpath sign. Walk down the lane.
10.
A short way down the lane, take
the footpath on the right. Follow the footpath now, which passes to the right
of Hunters Pool.
11.
After crossing a stile, bear
left to cross a footbridge over a stream, and follow the footpath as it winds
through a wooded area.
12.
Eventually the footpath crosses
over a driveway to a house, then shortly afterwards meets a road (Priest Lane).
13.
Turn left along Priest Lane,
and walk up to the village of Mottram St. Andrew, passing the school on the
right.
14.
Walk straight through the
village, ignoring the roads off to the left and right.
15.
After the centre of the
village, and after walking down hill past houses, turn left along a footpath
between houses. The footpath emerges in the corner of a large playing field.
16.
Turn right to follow the
footpath down past the back of some houses.
17.
At the bottom of the hill, the
footpath crosses a footbridge. Then it rises uphill. Follow the right hand edge
of the field now.
18.
At the top of the hill, ignore
the footpath over the stile and bear left as the footpath keeps following the
right hand edge of the field uphill.
19.
Cross the stile, and walk up
the path a little further.
20.
You should now see the wooden
signpost to "Hare Hill". Follow these signs through the woods.
21.
As you emerge from the woods,
walk along the left hand edge of a field.
22.
Walk down hill through more
woods, across a bridge over a stream, then emerge into the grounds of the Hare
Hill estate.
23.
Keep following more wooden
"Hare Hill" signs as you cross the Hare Hill estate. You will pass
through a metal gate. Eventually the signs take you uphill, to emerge into the
car park for Hare Hill gardens.
24.
Cross the car park and follow
the driveway back to the road (Prestbury Road).
25.
Turn left along the road.
Prestbury Road becomes Chelford Road. Ignore the roads off to the right.
26.
Ignore the road off to the left
(Oak Road). A road sign indicates that it is 1½ miles to Prestbury - walk in
this direction, along Chelford Road.
27.
Take the SECOND footpath to the
right. Follow the footpath down hill, keeping to the right hand edge of the
field.
28.
At the bottom of the hill,
cross a footbridge and a stile. Walk up hill, through the middle of a field,
heading to the left of the house.
29.
At the top of the hill is a
pond (marked on the map as Harebarrowlake). Bear left past the pond, and walk
down hill, along the left hand edge of a field.
30.
At the bottom of the hill,
cross a stile (take care, this is not easy to cross). Walk down through some
woods, across a footbridge, then straight up hill, to another stile.
31.
Cross the stile, emerging from
the woods, and head straight on, where you will meet the edge of Prestbury Golf
Course. Walk a short distance along the edge of the golf course.
32.
Take the footpath off to the right.
The footpath heads up to Fallibroome Farm.
33.
The footpath bears left just
before the farm. Pass through two metal gates.
34.
You are now in the corner of a
field. Follow the right hand edge of the field, heading away from the farm.
35.
Cross the stile to the right,
over to a school playing field. Bear left, and walk around the perimeter of the
playing field.
36.
Turn left after a house to head
down a wide avenue between two hedges.
37.
Cross straight across the
driveway to walk down another footpath.
38.
When you meet the next driveway
(which is the driveway up to the Prestbury Golf Club clubhouse), turn right.
Walk to the end of the driveway.
39.
Turn left down the main road,
to return to Prestbury village.