Werneth Low

Along the way

1. 1

   Romiley Station

   From the station entrance turn right and walk about 300 yards. Just past the car wash, before the canal, turn right onto Hole House Fold. Don't go into the swimming baths car park. Keep right, then after about 50 yards turn left up Quarry Road and over the railway bridge. Turn left, following the sign for Highfield Farm. At the row of terraced houses, the bottom one called Glendalough, turn right and follow the path up the hill. At the top join a track going slightly left. Follow the lane as it turns right at the end of the houses, then go through the gap in the fence on the left. After the next stile turn right, with the wall on your right, to another stile. Cross it and turn left onto the lane, past Wildervank on the left. At a gate, don't go through. Turn half left along the path with the stone wall on your right, and turn right at the end of the wall. At the sign for Heald Wood, go through the kissing gate and up the slope. Take the right fork up the side of a steep bank to a stile, with the grass-covered reservoir on your right. Keep on to two posts facing the back of Greave Primary School. Turn right over the stile and follow the path to the main road.

2. 2

   Werneth Low Road

   Turn left at the road, then right up Werneth Low Road. It isn't a main road but vehicles may pass at speed, so take care. Pass Moorfield on the right and ignore the stile opposite, as that field is very boggy. Continue for about 200 yards to a stile with a yellow way-marker on the left. Cross it and follow the path slightly left up the slope, past a bench on the right. Continue to another stile, where the path levels out, then cross a double stile. Follow the path between the fields, turn half right at the end and go through a gap in the stone wall. Cross another field and go through a wooden kissing gate. Take the right fork. Before the house, go through a wooden gate on the right, walk up the slope about 15 yards and turn left.

3. 3

   Lowside Farm

   Pass around the property, then turn right and follow the drive until just before the road. Turn left onto the path, which can be very muddy and runs parallel to the road, passing the Hare and Hounds and Hyde Cricket Club on your right. Just before the top of Joel Lane, take the unmade Mount Road to the right for a short distance. Turn right onto the lane along the side of the cricket club. Behind the parking places at the end there is a kissing gate and a sign pointing down the slope. Follow this path to another kissing gate in the left-hand corner of the field, and go down the path.

4. 4

   Silverdale

   Pass Silverdale on the right and another small gate, and keep going down the path to a track. Turn right and at Cloughside Farm keep to the right of the buildings. Go through the blue gate or the smaller gate on its left, then a five-bar metal gate. Cross a stile with a way-marker and keep straight on to a five-bar gate. The track can be very muddy after wet weather. Go through the smaller gate on the left and follow the way-marker right, along the road through the farmyard. Turn right at the farm along the rough road, through an iron gate and past a caravan store on the left.

5. 5

   Benfield House and Cowlishaw Brow

   At the road turn right up Cowlishaw Brow. Cars may travel fast and there is no footpath, so take care. After about 250 yards, turn left at the sign for Springwood Farm, passing Brow Cottages on your right. At the farm entrance take the track to the left through a gap between the gates. Do not go towards the farm. Cross the stile by the gate and follow the path with the stone wall on your right. Don't turn left into the golf course, but keep straight on towards Greave, ignoring a sign to the left after about 150 yards. Pass The Cottage and Beech Fairy Cottage. After about 200 yards, take the lane with concrete tracks on the left. This is Pinfold Lane.

6. 6

   End of Pinfold Lane

   Turn right onto Sandy Lane. Turn left just after the Foresters Arms onto Greave Fold, past the sign marked "Unsuitable for HGVs" and the old chapel on your left. The lane becomes a path between houses. At Moadlock turn left, then immediately right onto a dirt track between houses. Cross the field straight towards a wood, go through the gap in the trees and carry straight on to the gates of Healdwood House on the right. You are now at the top of Guywood Lane. Turn left, go down to Compstall Road and turn right back to the station.