Werneth Low, Compstall and Brabyns Park

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 onto 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.

2. 2

   Lane above the terraced houses

   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. Some 200 yards later take the right-hand fork to the sign for Heald Wood by a kissing gate. Go through 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. Turn left, 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.

3. 3

   Werneth Low Road

   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. Pass around Lowside Farm along a short drive, then turn right up the concrete track 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. Before the telephone box, take the unmade Mount Road to the right for a short distance, then 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 close to the fence on your left to another kissing gate in the left-hand corner of the field, and go down the path. Pass Silverdale on the right and another small gate, and keep going down to a track that loops towards Cloughside Farm. Ignore the gate on the left in the bend. About 70 yards towards the farm, go through a small gate in the fence on the left, and follow the path down the slope through a field.

4. 4

   Wooden bridge

   After a gate, a little further down the slope, cross the wooden bridge over a stream and follow the path over a stile up to the farm, keeping the lower buildings on your left. Follow the track onto a road down to Compstall, past Hyde Farm, Chapel House Farm and School Lane Farm. At the bottom of School Lane turn right past the Andrew Arms, the Etherow Visitor Centre on your left and Compstall Post Office on the right. At the main road turn left and keep to the left-hand side, over the bridge. About 100 yards after it, follow the sign to Brabyns Park on the right. Alternative: about 200 yards after leaving the farm, where the track is concreted, take the dark path sharp left, upwards between two high hedges along what is at times the bed of a stream. At the top cross the stile with a yellow way-marker on your right and head towards the electricity pylon. Before you reach it there is a stile with no fence either side. Follow the path right, down the hill and through the gate to the right of the farm. Turn right onto the tarmac road, and after about 200 yards cross the stile at a white sign pointing left. Head downhill towards woodland. At a gate or stile, cross and go left with the wood on your right and the open field on your left. The path goes down into Etherow Country Park. At a wooden shelter head generally right to the visitor centre, and continue from there as above.

5. 5

   Brabyns Park

   After about 300 yards cross the metal bridge. About 30 yards beyond it, take the path to the right, close to the river, to the point where the River Etherow meets the River Goyt. Follow the path round to the third bench, dedicated to Ian Craig Brocklehurst, and take the path left away from the river. After another 150 yards take the right fork, and after a further 100 yards cross a stream by the small stone bridge. The path starts to climb. Take the steps on your right up to the canal, between locks 1 and 2, and turn right. Walk along the canal and over the aqueduct. At a canal tunnel go up the steps and continue past Hyde Bank Farm. Turn left and soon left again under a bridge to rejoin the canal. After about 550 yards you should see Chadkirk Chapel down on your left in winter. At the gap in the wall on the left, take the steps down onto Vale Road. Turn right at the bottom, pass under the canal and follow Chadkirk Road, then Church Lane past St Chad's Church, back to the station.