Wolseley and the Trent Valley

The walk

1. Leave the car park along the entrance track and walk back towards the main (A513) road. Cross this carefully and continue over Weetman’s bridge.
   
   Continue on the left-hand side of the road and pass under the first railway bridge. Before reaching the second railway bridge, head towards the canal down an access ramp on the opposite side of the road.
   
   
2. Proceed along the canal towpath in the same direction as the ramp following the canal until it reaches the A51 (Wolseley Bridge – No 70).
   
   The Trent and Mersey Canal is an example of an early narrow canal engineered by James Brindley. The canal is designated a Conservation Area.
   
   
3. Climb from the canal to the road and turn right, over the River Trent bridge and on to the junction alongside the Wolseley Arms pub. Cross the A513 and bear left past the buildings and antiques shop.
   
   
4. Turn right immediately afterwards on a metalled track that leads through iron gates. Continue along this track, ignoring the road going right to the farm, and head straight on through the metal gate.
   
   Wolseley Park dates from the mid-15th century, it was still functioning as a deer park up until the 1860s.
   
   
5. Keep on this track, passing a large urn in a field on the right, round two bends and a pond, and through a gate over a stile and continuing along the farm track.
   
   
6. Before reaching a further metal gate take the footpath on the left, at the wood’s edge, which leads through a pedestrian gate. Cross the Stafford Brook, and bear left through a further gate into a field. Head along the field edge towards the buildings passing through a larger gate before crossing a yard. Go through a further gate adjacent to the barn and look for a pedestrian gate leading to the road.
   
   
7. Upon reaching the road turn right and continue carefully along the road, past the junction with Chaseley Road and on around the corner. Ahead is the entrance to Rugeley Quarry with red & white poles, where the road swings sharply left.
   
   The Chase has large reserves of sand and gravel that continue to be extracted. Worked-out quarries can become valuable refuges for heathland-loving wildlife.
   
   
8. Leave the road at the quarry entrance taking the fenced footpath/bridleway on the left-hand side. Follow the bridleway and continue between fences before descending and then climbing as the bridleway skirts the quarry. Remain on this path as it swings right, ignoring paths joining from right and left. Keep the quarry fence on the right to reach a path marker.
   
   
9. Go forwards here ignoring options to the left and right, and walk along with the trees on the right and more open heath on the left until a wide forest road with information board is reached.
   
   
10. Cross the road and proceed along a bridleway through the trees. Continue in this direction and then downhill to the intersection with another track.
    
    
11. Go straight on through a break in a steep bank to descend and then climb again to another forest road.
    
    
12. Cross this forest road and climb the wide but quite rough track directly ahead, ignoring the steep path up to the right and at the end of this where a further forest road is encountered continue straight on again, until reaching another crossroad of paths.
    
    
13. Turn right into Haywood Slade, bearing left round an impressive rampart used as a rifle range during the Great War. Follow this track down for 1,000 metres.
    
    
14. At the next junction of paths, turn right and head uphill.
    
    
15. As the path levels, take a right-hand fork to a clearing with five routes leading from it. Head forwards taking the path passing between open ground on the right and older trees on the left. Follow this path until it meets another forest road.
    
    
16. Turn left here and immediately left again ignoring the fork to the right. Stay on this road as it descends gently, ignoring any joining paths to emerge at the car park at Seven Springs where the walk concludes.