{"id":1002612,"date":"2020-09-23T20:05:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T19:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1002612"},"modified":"2022-11-04T17:51:08","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T17:51:08","slug":"caldon-canal-from-deep-hayes-country-park-near-leek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1002612","title":{"rendered":"Caldon Canal From Deep Hayes Country Park, near Leek"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Travel time 55 minutes each way, via Macclesfield and Rudyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walk time 3 hours 15 minutes. This walk is over 7.5 miles, but generally over fairly level lowland areas. There are a couple of quite short steep rises and plenty of picturesque scenery. The terrain is mainly canal towpaths and farmland. Quite a few fields of cattle and sheep where dogs would need to be on a lead. On a midweek afternoon I encountered very few people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weather – cloudy, cool and dry until the last 15 minutes when a shower descended. I decided on a Wednesday walk as tomorrow’s weather forecast is uncertain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 258<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parking – free at Deep Hayes Country Park where there are toilets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Deep Hayes Country Park is beautiful, and a specific visit here is well worth it. They have some well stocked bird feeders where I “captured” a coal tit and nuthatch, and the feature picture of mallards for this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My walk took me back down the drive, a left turn at the road leading over the first canal. This is the main Caldon Canal from Stoke to Froghall, whilst I was taking the Leek Branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Main Caldon Canal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Continuing up the road over the disused railway, I then took the Leek branch of the canal, heading east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A beautiful stretch of canal, and autumn colours have suddenly appeared<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After a mile or so, I came to the Leek tunnel, requiring walkers to ascend over the hill, but it’s not onerous!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      The Leek branch ends at Barnfields where there is an information board about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      From here, I entered Ladderedge Country Park, walking alongside the River Churnet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      I crossed the river at the A53 road bridge and re-entered the park at the feeder canal. My route follows the feeder for about a mile and a half, alongside a golf course and a couple of large fields with grazing cattle. It is the outfall from Rudyard Lake, after which I believe Kipling was named and around which I usually walk in January \/ February . The feeder maintains an even speed and very gentle gradient, but is only narrow, as shown on the pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Reaching a footbridge where the Staffordshire Moorlands Walk path goes right, I took a left over the feeder and up a steep gradient out of the valley. As I climbed, I turned to look east where a good view of The Roaches had emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        I passed Bradshaw and Summerhill Farm, and a small former quarry in a copse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Another spectacular view then emerged across a valley, which curiously has no name on the map, nor a major river. Beyond the far side of the valley is the town of Biddulph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Next stop, Stonelowe Hall…. very nice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        The last stretch took me downhill back over the A53 to a minor road, where I was grateful to a couple of locals who showed me the unsigned and well hidden entry to the next path back down to the disused railway, which strangely still has the tracks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        The route back to the country park can be completed on the railway, or either of the two canals which cross each other near here, so I had to make sure I was heading in the right direction as it was quite confusing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Still, a splendid afternoon, given the miserable weather earlier in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And finally, one of my 70s favourites came up on the random play on the way home. Got to love some Iggy Pop!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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