Macclesfield Outdoors Walk 2: Over Alderley and the Edge

Start: Over Alderley. Length: 4 miles (6 km). Difficulty: Medium

1	Walk up the narrow lane from Over Alderley, which is signposted to Adders Moss Farm and Hill Top Farm - Arthur Burns building contractors is on the left at the start of the lane. Stay on the narrow lane where it bends round to the right (don't take the footpath at the bend), and walk past Hill Top Farm, which is on the left.
2	Turn left at the end of the lane. Follow the footpath down to the right, through a narrow gate. Shortly afterwards, steps are seen up to the left. At the base of the steps is a sign to "Edge Car Park".
3	Walk up the steps, and follow a path. At a junction, bear right and downhill along a bridle path, past a sign on the right to "The Edge".
4	Continue along the bridlepath now until you reach a wide clearing. From here, bear right down to a stream, which is crossed on stepping stones, then up hill. Follow all the signs to "The Edge", until you reach a junction of several paths.
5	Bear round to the right to follow the main wide path to the Edge. If you want to shorten this walk, turn left at the junction instead, which takes you directly to step 16 below.
6	Soon the first viewing point is reached, to the right of the path. Opposite the viewing point, follow the path down hill marked by a gold arrow sign.
7	The path goes down hill. Continue along the path bearing right, following the gold arrow sign past a wall on the left, and eventually you reach the second viewing point, to the right of the path. Bear left and follow the path to the main road.
8	Cross straight over the road, cross a stile and follow the gold arrow sign, which takes you down a footpath. This footpath is narrow at times where the path is squeezed in between a fence and large holly bushes.
9	At a junction with another path, turn left, following the gold arrow sign.
10	Follow the path round to the right, ignoring the gold arrow sign to the left, and you will soon reach a crossroads of paths. Continue straight on.
11	Eventually the path should emerge onto a road - this is Artists Lane. Turn left up the hill here. Take care as you walk up Artists Lane, as there are a few blind bends where car drivers may not see you easily.
12	Just before reaching the main road, take the bridle path to the right.
13	Where the bridle path reaches the main road, cross straight over the road to follow the short footpath into the National Trust car park (past the toilet block on the left).
14	Walk straight across the car park to a footpath which goes across a field.
15	Upon reaching the gate at the edge of the field, turn right along the main bridle path. After a short distance on the bridle path, turn right down a narrow footpath on the right. This path crosses over a field, between two fences.
16	Turn right along a bridle path towards the farm. Bear right on the footpath which is just before the farm gate, to pass to the right of the farm. Continue straight on over three stiles.
17	Just before meeting the main road, turn left along a further bridle path (this is a right-of-way). You now pass a house on the right.
18	The right-of-way continues across a stile and along the edge of the property here, along a narrow footpath on the left.
19	The footpath goes past a house on the left, crossing straight over their driveway, over two stiles. After the two stiles, continue along the footpath.
20	Upon reaching the bridle path, turn right to return to the starting point.