North Staffordshire, famed for its Potteries conurbation, also has some of the most magnificent and secluded countryside anywhere in central England. This walk drinks deeply of this green arboreal soul, charting a course from the fascinating industrial heritage centre of Froghall through verdant farmland, before plummeting into the remarkable landscape created by the river Churnet and its tributaries. These forested chasms shelter further isolated industrial remnants, and host both England’s most scenic section of canal and a preserved railway – worthy diversions in a wildflower-rich land concealing a truly outstanding rambler’s pub at lonely Consall Forge.
[1] Take the path from the back of the car park, passing a massive lime kiln on your left. At the cottages, bear right up a narrow snicket (signed Whiston) between a barn and garden. This widens and steepens; it’s the bed of a tramway incline built 200 years ago. Cross a drive and continue uphill to pass under the former capstan cottage, continuing on a level track to a road. Take the path opposite and circle to the main road at Whiston. Turn right to reach Ross Road.
[2] Turn down Ross Road to Eavesford Farm, beyond which the lane deteriorates to an enclosed track. As it splays into a field, stick to the edge, dropping to cross a bridge over the Churnet Valley Railway, then a footbridge across the river Churnet. Go ahead to a smaller bridge over a feeder brook, then left to reach a waymarked stile. Don’t climb this, but turn back right.
You are now on the Staffordshire Way, which climbs to a higher stile and bridge. From this, take a direction of 11 o’ clock, passing beneath power lines to find a fingerpost beside a field road just beyond a wide hedge gap. Bear half-right from this to a plank bridge through a damp hedgerow. From here, Staffordshire Way waymarks take the path through several fields into an enclosed path, emerging opposite Kingsley Holt's church.
[3] Join the waymarked entry to the right of the new houses here, enter a pasture and bear right to a stile in the top corner. Follow the top hedge to another stile, then ahead, keeping the farmhouse off to your left. Just over the hill-crest, a stile gives into a sports field. Turn right to use a stile behind goalposts; from this turn left on the well-waymarked path to the road at Kingsley’s War Memorial. Cross directly over and take the handgate into the nearby churchyard. Hug the right-hand edge to use two handgates; then go left along the long field. Stick with the left-edge of several meadows, ignoring any waymarked cross paths. From a gate-side squeeze stile, sight the distant houses and walk ahead to these. Turn left to Hollins Lane; then right on this and on to a sharp left corner (take care and watch out for traffic).
[4] Take the multi-waymarked path beside a red-brick cottage here and trace it past a bungalow and stables. Climb a gate-side stile into pasture and walk the left side to a stile into a woodland corner. Turn right into Consall Nature Park, with fabulous views up a wooded valley. Turn right at a short stretch of rail-fencing; then left in 15 paces down waymarked steps. The way drops through woodland to gain a boardwalk through alder carrs; keep left at the footbridge (don’t cross it) to gain a rough lane. Cross onto the track for The Black Lion and walk through to the canal. Turn right over the footbridge, then Bridge 50 near this memorable, isolated pub.
[5] Pick up the towpath which, beyond a lock, is consumed by the wooded gorge of the Churnet. The Caldon Canal shares this secluded passage with steam railway and river for two mesmerising miles. At Froghall Tunnel, cross the road and rejoin the towpath back to Froghall Wharf.