ROUTE 1 -- From Park Lane in Hatherton to Wybunbury - via Oat Eddish Farm
Main route: From Park Lane, Hatherton to Sally Clarkes Lane, Wybunbury via the A51
Distance: 2.83km = 1.76mi = 1 mile, 1300 yards
Conditions: Crossing several fields so likely to be muddy. No steep hills. Estimated time about 45 minutes walking, 15 minutes running. One main road to cross.
Footpaths: Hatherton FP1, Walgherton FP9, FP4, FP6 and FP7, Wybunbury FP14
Alternatives: Can be joined from Audlem Road near Chapel Farm and can branch off to Main Road in Wybunbury
Parking: from Hatherton, use layby on the A529 at SJ 67918 48110 (river.limits.detective), from Wybunbury, use street parking on Main Road or Bridge Street
This is a classic route as (along with footpath FP2) it enabled residents of the Audlem Road hamlet to walk to church in Wybunbury. The path starts about 80m/80yd south of the junction between Park Lane and Audlem Road. Go east across a stile and keep close to the fence line (on your right) until that ends. Head across the fields to a stile where the footpath (FP2) joins from the north west. This junction is on the boundary between Hatherton and Walgherton. You will now join Walgherton footpath FP9 so cross the stile towards Oat Eddish Farm. You might find your route blocked by crops or electric fences but by following old fencelines - marked by oaks - you can zigzag towards Oat Eddish Farm.
As you approach the farm, you will join a track and cross in front of the famhouse. At the main track, turn sharp right onto the main access road from Oat Eddish but turn left after 65m/70yd into the fields and onto footpath FP4 past farm buildings. A few yards further, a footpath comes in from the left (FP5) but keep going north east. You will cross a small brook which flows south to north and joins Howbeck Brook near the A51. After the brook, the path rises to a visible stile. Beyond this, the next stile is diagonally across the field, just right of some trees on the skyline. Carrying on along FP4 and skirting round Manor Farm on your left, you will reach the A51 road.
Turn right (towards the Boars Head - stop there for refreshment if you want) then pick up the path on the other side of the road just 50m/55yd along. This path follows the fenceline (keep it on your right). Where the fence bends left, cross it at a stile followed by another stile to the left a short way further on. After this second stile (mind the slippery slope), turn right when you reach Sally Clarkes Lane. The last fence you crossed is the Walgherton/Wybunbury boundary so you are now on Wybunbury footpath FP14. Sally Clarkes Lane can be followed a short distance past housing on your right and emerges on Bridge Street in Wybunbury.
As an alternative, before you leave Walgherton, you can also turn left (north west) and follow Walgherton FP7 that becomes Wybunbury FP8. This branches but both ways take you out to Main Road in Wybunbury. The right branch (Wybunbury FP9) brings you out closest to the Swan - time for refreshments again!
NOTES: The distance and time is based on the OS web mapping service; with detours round crops and pauses to compile notes, the distance grew to 1.9 miles walked in 55 minutes.
Route map
The map above shows the main path (red line) and the optional routes (green lines). Parish boundaries are just visible as faint dotted lines. This is an OpenSource map so cannot be relied on like an Ordnance Survey map so you are advised to carry a 1:25000 (number 257) or 1:50000 map (number 118) if you have them.
Key locations
| Park Lane start | SJ 67987 48087 | kingpin.sizing.vans |
| A51 from Park Lane | SJ 69503 49123 | unclaimed.fortified.revised |
| A51 to Wybunbury | SJ 69569 49097 | otter.delved.wants |
| Sally Clarkes Lane | SJ 70017 49597 | cardinal.sparkles.sunset |
Other footpaths in our parish
To see the map showing all footpaths in Hatherton and Walgherton, refer to the footpath and bridle path page on this site. This page also lists routes such as the one on this page. Alternatively, you can use the Cheshire East mapping facility; to view paths, click the + sign on the mapping service and select layer "Transport and Roads" and then "Footpaths" (and other choices).