Sutton Rambling Club: Froghall Walk - Sunday, April 26th
The club return to the Alton Towers area for a ramble through beautiful, but rarely explored countryside to the north side of the Churnet Valley
A circular walk of 12 miles from Froghall. There should be a shorter walk option.
The route includes Hawksmoor Nature Reserve and the Ramblers Retreat cafe and then by Cotton and Whiston before a final descent into Froghall along the old tram road.
New members are always most welcome and there is no coach fare charge on their first ramble.
The walk begins at Froghall Wharf where public toilets are available.
We follow the Caldon Canal towpath for a short distance before crossing the A52 at Froghall Bridge,site of the Churnet Valley steam railway.
We turn off the main road at the Railway Inn and follow the beautiful Churnet Valley southwards crossing the river twice.
At East Wall farm we leave the river and climb past the Hawksmoor Nature Reserve to Hawksmoor Cottage. From there we go through Sutton’s Wood to a farm track leading to the head of Ousal Dale. From here we descend through beautiful woodland to the Rambler"s Retreat cafe where we stop for a break.
We then cross the River Churnet for the last time at Lords Bridge and climb Barbary Gutter to Farley Lane. This path runs by Alton Towers.
At the top of the path there is the impressive "Pink Lodge" built in the Italianate style.
We then head across parkland to the pretty hamlet of Farley. Then through abandoned farm and dwellings at Longshaw and meet the outskirts of Cotton before turning west through a picturesque wooded valley to Oulsclough and Carr Bank.
We then turn north to Moneystone and the unusual Rock Cottage and on to the pleasant village of Whiston, rejoining the A52.
Just beyond the village, we join the route of the old tramroad, taking us past Whistonbrook and Leys before a steep descent back to Froghall Wharf, it is now a very tranquil area but was once a hive of industry.
From the Wharf it is then a short walk to the main road to board our coach home at 6.30pm latest. The Railway Inn should be open for refreshments nearby
In the morning, the coach departs from the "Staff of Life" pub in Sutton-in-Ashfield at 9.17am and from outside ASDA at the Bancroft Lane end of Stockwell Gate in Mansfield at 9.30am, there are other pick up points en route. The coach fare is £14, accompanied juniors free.
For further information please contact Sharon on 07811661104 or John on 07749164455.
Alternatively visit our website www.suttonramblingclub.com.