Weaver Hills, Staffordshire Moorlands, A Walk (BOOKING ESSENTIAL)

A WALK DESCRIPTION. The A walk will start at the bus stop just passed the Dog and Partridge pub at Swinscoe. The route goes generally South, through Leasow down Ellis Hill via Cuckoo Cliff then ascends to join Flather Lane, crosses the Stanton road and heads SW down a track that leads to into the woods at Dusley Cross. Follow a track which joins Dusley Lane which is followed to the B3032 and then into Ellastone where the pub is. The route then takes the minor road, passing the church, the takes the footpath towards Wooton, along the road for 0.5 miles then take the track called Gidacre Lane, then tracks up onto the highest point on Weaver Hill where the views are extensive. The route then heads SE to meet a minor road coming up from Wooton. Very short distance down this road, the route turns NNE on a track which leads into Westside Lane and onto Dale Lane. The plan is for the party to follow the lane SE for about 0.25 miles and walk around Thorswood Nature Reserve, which is a SSSI, has Iron Age Burial mounds on it and a lot of rare plants. Return to the junction with Westside Lane then follow Dale Lane which becomes Common Lane, to the same place as the B finish at the layby on the A523 at Miles Knott. The route is around 11 miles with a total ascent of around 1440 feet.  There are number of choices which I will make on day. If the weather is fine, then I will have a picnic lunch, as I am not certain there will be time to have a pub stop and go round the Thorswood Nature Reserve, but if the weather is inclement, then I will probably have a pub stop and might miss out going around the Reserve. There might be time to do both. Leader Colin Haysom.