ROUTE 3 -- From Chapel Farm in Hatherton to Nantwich - Brine Leas school
Main route: From Audlem Road, Hatherton to Audlem Road, Nantwich at Brine Leas via Batherton
Distance: 4.42km = 2.75mi
Conditions: Crossing the Weaver twice and several fields so likely to be muddy. No steep hills. Estimated time about 1hr 10 minutes walking, 25 minutes running. One main road to cross.
Footpaths: Hatherton FP1 at start
Alternatives: Can be lengthened to Nantwich town centre via Shrewbridge and Riverside - see Route 4.
Parking: There is no convenient parking on Audlem Road, Hatherton but it is possible to use the layby on the A529 at SJ 67918 48110 (river.limits.detective) and walk along the A529 - with care.
IMPORTANT NOTE: At the time of writing (November 2024), the bridge over the Weaver on FP1 at SJ 67019 48368 is damaged and the footpath is closed. The Parish Council is working on trying to get it reopened sooner rather than later.
The first part of this route was probably another historic route between Austerson and Hatherton and then from Austerson to the mill at Batherton.
The path starts a short distance north of Chapel Farm, the former Methodist chapel for this part of Hatherton. There is a stile into the field and another out of the field after about 125m leading into more open fields. Cross the track to Acton's Rough and look for an isolated kissing gate partly hidden by trees. Through this, the route follows a fairly straight line towards the river keeping the fenceline on the right. Go through a gate (no stile and the gate might be tied up) and on to the edge of the drop down to the Weaver. The path used to bear round to the right through some trees and this is still shown on some maps. Instead head straight down the hill WITH CARE as the path can be very slippery.
At the bridge, you leave Hatherton and join Austerson FP1 heading up the opposite hill towards Dairyhouse Farm. Before the farm, turn right (onto Austerson FP3A) and walk along the bank with the hedge on your left crossing two stiles. At the second stile, the path continues across the field on the same line to another field boundary. Cross this and follow the path downhill towards the river while you skirt round Ashtree Farm. The path bends left (towards the west) and climbs back up to what was probably its original route. Keep heading north west over more field boundaries until you meet the bridleway from Austerson to Batherton (Austerson BR5 and Batherton BR3). Keep right on the bridleway which is now part of Crewe and Nantwich Circular Walk (CNCW), do not follow the footpath ahead unless you want to walk on to Shrewbridge Road (see Route 4).
The bridleway will take you across the Weaver at Mill Bank Farm but turn left here and get back onto a footpath (Batherton FP1) which heads left just before the farm. The footpath passes Batherton Hall on your right and then cuts through woods and along a field boundary (with woods on your left) until it reaches Batherton Dairy House. Cross the track to the house (the track would take you back to the A529) and go through a small wood: Elliott's Wood. Cross another field and shortly you will find yourself on the edge of the Brine Lees playing fields. Keep thier boundary on you right and walk along a tarmaced path to emerge on the A529. This is the end of Route 3. From here you could walk on into town and return along Route 4 which passes through Nantwich Riverside off Shrewbridge road.
NOTES: 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. 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
| Audlem Road start | SJ 67659 48597 | notice.premiums.inhabited |
| Turn right at Dairy House Farm | SJ 66896 48322 | practical.noodle.shampoo |
| Bear right towards Batherton Hall | SJ 65984 49592 | tonality.booth.customers |
| Enter Nantwich behind the school | SJ 65542 50852 | loopholes.figs.montage |
| Audlem Road at Brine Leas School | SJ 65471 51247 | bypassed.consented.saints |
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).