ROUTE 2 -- From Park Lane in Hatherton to Wybunbury - the long way round
Main route: From Park Lane, Hatherton to Main Road, Wybunbury via Glovers Moss, Whispey Hill and Wrinehill Road
Distance: 2.83km = 4.04mi
Conditions: Crossing several fields so likely to be muddy. No steep hills. Estimated time about 1hr 45 minutes walking, 38 minutes running. One main road to cross.
Footpaths: Hatherton FP4, FP8, FP12, FP14, Walgherton FP3, Walgherton BR8, Lea FP2, Wybunbury FP1Y
Alternatives: Can be started from Hatherton Heath (Park Lane/Crewe Road crossroads). Can be turned into a short circular by returning along Hunsterson Road or a long circular (7 miles) by reversing Route 1.
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
The first part of this route was probably a historic route to the chapel on Crewe Road or provided a shorter link to Hunsterson. Part of it is now on the line of the South Cheshire Way.
The path starts about 150m/165yd south of the junction between Park Lane and Audlem Road. Go south east across an awkward stile on the right hand side of Park Lane opposite Hatherton Farm. Head across the fields (the path is usually fairly obvious) across two fences veering left after you pass two oak trees. At a third hedge - actually just a large gap new - footpath (FP5) crosses but continue straight on until you reach Crewe Road where there is a new kissing gate.
Cross Crewe Road (slightly to the left) and follow the path that skirts round Heler's cheese factory. In sthe first field, aim for the far corner then turn right into the car park, keeping left all the way. A shortn distance on, the path can be seen continuing between two fences. Ignore stiles on both sides of the path. This path has been moved a few times so may not be totally clear and may not match your OS map. Beyond the factory, head across an open field to a finger post at SJ 69007 47121. After this the path follows a fenceline (on the left) and passes close to Hatherton Lodge Farm. Beyond the farm, the path is very unclear so head in a rough straight line towards fishing ponds at SJ 69520 46796 where you will see an angling club sign. Turn sharp left and there is a stile buried in the trees. Turn left onto this path. If you went straight on, according to the OS maps, you would end up walking right through a pond at Glover's Moss!
The new path you have joined is part of the South Cheshire Way. Turning right would have taken you to Bridgemere Lane. Head across the fields more or less following the fenceline as you need to cross into another field before you reach Hunsterson House. You need to keep to the back of Hunsterson House and will find a well hidden path that turns right and then runs straight to Hunsterson Road. Cross the road and follow the obvious path which continues north east following a field boundary; this is the boundary between Hatherton and Hunsterson. The path will take you round the northern edge of Birchenhill Wood. Stay parallel to the brook in the wood until you reach a footbridge over it; the brook that runs from Doddington to Howbeck. Around here a path joins from the left which appears never to have been properly mapped as it starts on Lodge Lane but ends in "mid-air". The route you are following continues uphill past Speakman's Moss on your right (cross two stiles to join the track to Sheepwalks house), followed by George's Wood. By now you will hear traffic on the A51 (London Road) which you reach near Whispey Hill.
To continue, turn left along the A51 a short way (beware of the traffic) and then turn right down a tarmaced road, which is a bridleway, towards Lea Forge. After crossing Forge Brook, where you enter the parish of Lea, you can turn sharp left onto a footpath which curves round north east then north west following unfenced and fenced tracks. There are no footpath signs on these tracks. The path skirts round the west side of what was a sand quarry, now a pasture. Keep the wooded area on your left and stay on the track. On you left, in the woods, are the curiously named Jericho and Jerusalem. At the end of the quarry field, the path crosses a dam, turns sharp left then right into a field. Follow the fenceline (past a pond decorated with CDs) and leads over two stiles down to Wrinehill Road. This is as far as you can go on footpaths but turning left on Wrinehill Road (beware of traffic again) you will shortly reach the junction of Bridge Street and Main Road in Wybunbury.
NOTES: The South Cheshire Way is in poor condition despite being a designated through route. Several of the paths have moved so if you are working with an older OS map, you may find that you will be led away from the printed route. Even the on-line OS maps and Cheshire East footpaths map do not agree with the routes on the ground (e.g. round Speakmans). The distance and time is based on the OS web mapping service; with detours round crops, route-finding and pauses to compile notes, the distance came to 4.0 miles walked in 1 hour 44 minutes.
Route map
The map above shows the main path (red line) and the optional route (green line). 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 68088 47977 | quick.scramble.ghost |
| Turn left before Glover's Moss | SJ 69519 46781 | clever.illogical.purchaser |
| A51 at Whispey Hill | SJ 70511 48074 | unopposed.remarks.lamenting |
| A51 at start of bridleway | SJ 70446 48247 | nickname.wanting.detonated |
| Wrinehill Road | SJ 70665 49418 | intruded.undivided.players |
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. 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).