Best laid plans…

or – All’s well that ends well!

Trentham group have been given eleven miles to walk – from Alton to Hobbs Lane. Rather than try to do it all in one go we have split it into three shorter sections on different days therefore allowing more members the opportunity to take part.

Friday 13^th seemed a good date to start and it was all planned with military precision – we wouldn’t rely on husbands or public transport, we would do it ourselves by leaving a car at each end of the walk. Over the stile in Back Lane, Alton and we were on The Staffordshire Way, to the distant sounds of squeals of delight (or terror) drifting over the valley from Alton Towers. We crossed the fields and entered woodland where we saw bluebells, wood anemones and banks of primroses. The sun shone and we made good time to Denstone where we were booked to have lunch at the award winning Denstone Hall Farm Shop. We were not disappointed, lunch was freshly prepared and delicious and so, with batteries fully charged and bladders emptied we were soon back on our walk.

The next stretch across fields was more complicated, the farmer had decided to plough a field that the book told us to walk across so, being resourceful, we circumnavigated said field, located the necessary stiles and plank bridges and then walked beside the river Churnet towards Rocester. This is George Eliot country and Rocester was her model for Rosseter in Adam Bede.

Our route for the day was to end in Abbey Road, (not a Beatle in sight!) where Marilyn had left her car, only one problem at this stage but it was quite a major one, Marilyn could not find her car keys and we therefore concluded they must be still in the car parked in Alton. On checking bus timetables we found no bus due for over an hour and a phone call to a Uttoxeter taxi firm quoted £18 for the trip to Alton. There was no alternative – we had to telephone a husband! Fortunately there was one in our party with a husband who knew where Rocester was and he was, thankfully, at home doing nothing so he sped to our rescue, picked us up in Rocester 40 minutes later and returned us to Alton. The car was still where we left it, Marilyn’s keys were inside so all ended well and it was only on the drive back to Trentham that it started to rain.  According to the pedometer we walked 6.8km today which, I am told, translates as just over 4  miles. Next walk is Rocester to Uttoxeter on May 6th.

Tips:-
Make sure you follow the Staffordshire Way markers which have the Staffordshire Knot on the yellow arrow. There are other yellow arrows without the knot.

Some stiles are broken, some fences have been replaced by gates and some fields are ploughed.
It might be helpful to have a husband standing by for emergencies!