[1] From the small walkers' car park, turn left onto tarmac road and proceed to cross roads. Turn right down long straight tarmac drive. This is a private road. Where drive bends to the left pass through field gate (FP sign posted) and follow the track through several fields, keeping hedge on left, and enter small copse.
(A) A recent development of high quality private homes at the site of one of the Arley estate farms.
[2] Cross bridge over Arley Brook in copse and continue through unfenced grazing land where there are likely to be sheep and/or cattle to reach a concrete track that will take you up to the road.
There are several collie dogs at the complex of buildings on the left. They are boisterous and come out to see passers by but they have never been threatening to us.
Cross Budworth Heath Lane (take care) and pass over stile in holly hedge to enter grazing land. (Dogs should be kept on a lead). Cross a track over two stiles and continue keeping field boundary on left before turning right on reaching the next boundary. Continue ahead though another boundary before reaching Heath Lane via another stile. Turn left down the lane.
[3] Cross Westage Lane to enter a private road. Turn right through a kissing gate to pass along an avenue of lime trees. Pass though another kissing gate to enter the lane that passes the primary school on the right and the church yard on the left. When the lane reaches the main road you are now in the centre of Great Budworth the furthest point on this circular walk. Turn right but not before having a look round the village where there is much to see and admire. The village has an entry in the Domesday Book.
(B) St Mary and All Saints' Church is a Grade 1 listed building and is well worth a visit. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner considered it to be "one of the most satisfactory Perpendicular churches in Cheshire".
[4] Where the road bends to the right continue straight ahead past buildings until the lane becomes a track. Ignore turning to left. Enter grazing land over a stile turning right and then left keeping the field boundary on your right. There are often sheep or cattle in this field so dogs need to be kept strictly under control. At the next boundary turn right and then bear left under the power line. After 300 m turn right at the next boundary and after a further 100 m turn left down a track.
In the autumn this is a good place for blackberries.
Pass onto the road through a kissing gate. Cross it and go straight on, keeping a wood on your right.
[5] Turn left onto Knutsford Road. The traffic can go quite fast on this stretch. Walk to face oncoming traffic. After 300m at a field gate turn right onto grazing land (dogs on lead). The route can be a bit difficult to follow here. Keep the field boundary on your left and make for a small copse with a derelict farm building at its edge. Pass to the right of the copse and where it ends turn left and after a further 150 m turn right making for the left hand corner of another copse ahead. Bear left here to pass over a stile into a field that often has standing crops. The path goes straight ahead after the stile and there is usually a track made through the crop.The field is exited over another stile and the path continues between two fences.
[6] Turn right onto the tarmac road having passed over a stile. Continue straight ahead along road until it turns sharp left. At Hollies Farm continue straight ahead on a signed footpath and skirt farm keeping it to your right. Continue ahead with hedge on left. Bear left over bridge and follow track all the way back to Arley Road where you started. Turn left to reach the car park or turn right to visit Arley Hall.
(C) The site of Arley Hall (http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/) has been a family home since 1469 but the present building dates from the 19th century. The gardens are famous for the herbaceous border, considered to be the first of its kind planted in England.