Main heading

55km (34 miles)

To reach the start of the Bishop Bennet Way turn off the A49 Chester/Whitchurch Road near Beeston Market following signs for "Candle Workshops." (This turning is 500m on right after the Market if travelling south on A49, 400m on the left after The Wild Boar Inn if travelling north).

Continue to follow these signs, turning right in Beeston Village. The start of the route is indicated by a sign at a minor road junction 1km beyond (west of) The Home Farm beneath Castle crag. O.S. map users will find the start at National Grid reference SJ 526596.

Please note that the description given below was accurate in early 1998 but a few details such as field boundaries, gates and signs may change in time. Look out for the BBW waymark disks.

1. Follow the cul-de-sac section of Crimes Lane past Pool Farm and over the railway bridge. Continue along a grass track between hedgerows until it narrows at Crimes Brook. 1.3kms
2. Step down into the brook, follow it for 25m and step out into a second section of green lane. (Walkers can avoid a bath by taking 2 stiles on the left!) Bear left. Continue to the tarmac at a railway bridge and ride to the road junction at Newton-by-Tattenhall. 1.1kms
3. Continue straight on. A long road stretch ahead leads past Cheshire Farm ice-cream. Go straight over the next crossroads and continue to a T-junction at Gatesheath. 3.3kms
4. Turn left (signposted to Tattenhall) and continue for 600m until, where the road bends left, take a bridle-road off to the right. 1km
5. This metalled track becomes greener and widens out as it crosses Golborne Brook by a concrete bridge. Just before Russia Hall, bear right along the farm drive to Frog Lane. 0.5kms
6. Turn right along Frog Lane, for the A41 at Milton Green. Cross the A41 diagonally left to Chapel Lane. 1.5kms
7. From the A41, ride down Chapel Lane to its end at Calveley Hall Farm. 0.8kms
8. At the farm, follow the bridleway through the yard to the right and then left around the back of the buildings. Once through the gate, follow an indistinct metalled track along a line of isolated trees marking a former field boundary to a bridle gate in a wooden fence. Through the gate, ride towards the wood with the hedge on your right. Dog-leg onto the farm track and continue in the same direction with the wood on your left for 50m. As the track bends away to the left, head right along the edge of the copse and then, with the brook on your left, continue through two fields to a narrow wooden bridge over Golborne Brook. 1.4kms
9. Beyond the bridge, keeping the hedge on your right, continue (by way of two bridle gates, in part along a once enclosed track) through two fields to a larger field. Keep the hedge on your right to a corner where you will see Lea Hall Farm across two fields. Ride straight ahead across the field to a gateway. This bridleway then takes a line towards the centre of this last field before veering off to the right and meeting a farm track which then leads to the farm. Ride through the yard (beware! - concrete surface may be slippy - and don't take the concrete track to the left) onto Lea Lane. 1.5kms
10. Turn left along the lane and ride over Wim Bridge and past The Ponderosa. 1km
11. As the drive bends right at Lea Farm, take the bridleway signed off to the left across the fields, across one track to eventually reach a hedged track. 1km
12. Turn right and head for Old Beachin Farm. Pass the farm on its left and Middle Beachin Farm to reach a T-junction. 1.2kms
13. Turn right along Spring Lane, past Edgerley Farm along what is now Edgerley Lane around a very sharp left hand bend. Where the road then bends sharply to the right, turn left into Marsh Lane. 2.5kms
14. Ride down Marsh Lane and after 200m bend to the right and ride down the green lane (known also as The Royalty) to arrive at a junction with another green lane. 1.7kms
15. Continue straight on until you reach the tarmac road. Follow it to the A534 at Rowley Hill. 1.1kms
16. Turn left along the A534 and shortly right down the drive to Rowley Hill Farm. Pass the farm and continue along the byway to Wetreins Green. 1km
17. Turn left along the road then right and down the byway beside Wetreins Green Farm. Follow this wide route for almost 2.5kms to the tarmac road at Castletown. Continue down Castletown Lane to a T-junction. 3.5kms
18. Turn left for Shocklach. 1.5kms
19. In the village turn left down the road beside The Bull Inn and then first right down the lane heading for Chorlton. Continue until, after 1.8kms, you reach Soughan's Farm on the right. 1.8kms
20. Just beyond the farm, on the left, is a green lane. Follow this bridleway as it bends to the right and left. Through a bridle gate, turn right then cross a simple bridge over a ditch to the left. Turn right to a junction at a second bridge. 0.4kms
21. Do not cross the bridge but turn left down the green lane at first straight, then through several bends, eventually to emerge at the tarmac road by Meadows Farm. Turn right along the road and on coming to a T-junction, turn right towards Overton along a twisting road. 2.5kms
22. Where the road bends sharply left at Scar Farm, carry on up the bridleway ahead. Follow this route as it winds around the right hand (SE) end of Overton Scar, descending and then continuing uphill to emerge at a road at Overton Heath. 1.4kms
23. Go down the road ahead for about 400m then take a byway on the right immediately after the farm buildings. Follow this recently improved route for 1.25kms to the tarmac road at Cuddington Heath. 1.7kms
24. A long stretch of roadwork now commences. Turn right, then first left, then right onto the B5069 Wrexham Road. After 300m turn left towards Oldcastle Heath. Go straight across the cross-roads to a T-junction with Dog Lane. 2kms
25. Turn left along this fairly quiet road and after 1km turn right for ???? (opposite footpath signed to Malpas) initially on the flat then descending into the valley of the Wych Brook. At T-junction turn left through Lower Wych. Shortly after passing Wigland Hall you arrive at a T-junction. 4kms
26. Turn left and almost immediately right through a field gate onto a bridleway across a field. Pass a pond on your right then, keeping right, come to a gate under an ash tree. Set off across this second field and aim for a bridle bridge in the middle of a long line of willow trees bordering a brook. Once over the bridge, set off across this third field in the same general direction to meet a hedge which comes to meet you from the right. Keep the hedge on your right to a field corner and enter a hedged trackway which eventually leads to the B5395 at Agden. 1.5kms
27. Cross the road diagonally left and follow a bridleway across the fields and over the disused railway. Continue with the hedge on your right, go through a bridle gate in the hedge on your right then turn left and follow the hedge on your left to a gate onto a lane end. 1.6kms
28. Either turn right along the lane to the old A41 and then Blue Bell Inn at Bell o' th' Hill or else continue across down a further enclosed section of bridleway - green at first, then surfaced, to the road and turn right, riding for 400m along the old A41 to the inn. 0.3kms / 0.8kms
29. Ride south down the old A41 to the crossroads with the A41 and cross this fast busy road with care. Ride down the lane opposite (signed Willey Moor) and immediately turn left down Willeymoor Lane. Keep left at a second road junction, and ignoring a bridleway sign on the right, continue down to Moorside Farm. 1.7kms
30. At the end of the road, turn right down the wide byway to Moorhead Farm. Turn right to take the bridleway through the farmyard, along the farm drive back onto Willeymoor Lane. 1.3kms
31. Turn left along the lane and then shortly left again and ride uphill to another junction. Turn left and ride down a mile of road to the A41. Turn left along the main road to Grindley Brook and the county boundary. 2.1kms
32. At Grindley Brook turn left between the houses and just before the garage. Follow the bridleway over the canal and under the old railway (it is signed as the South Cheshire Way or SCW). Do not continue down the track but go through a gate, into the field on the left. Cross the field (keeping right) to another gate near the farmhouse. Follow the hedge/fence on your right to eventually reach a track between hedges. Follow this towards Hinton Bank Farm. Following waymarks by the farm, continue to the A49 Tarporley Road. 1.9kms
33. Cross the A49 onto another bridleway passing Hinton Old Hall, still following the SCW to emerge at Terrick Road. 0.9kms
34. It is hoped that eventually the Bishop Bennet Way will be continued south through Shropshire to Shrewsbury but for now it is best to turn left along Terrick Road for Wirswall. 0.5kms
35. At the top of the hill, turn left down a bridleway for Bradeley Green. At the last house follow it round to the left and continue ahead to a large gate which leads on to a track. Through the gate, bear right here down the bridleway which turns into a tarmac road before emerging onto the A49 Tarporley Road. 1.3kms

Please note that Bradeley Green Lane is a single track dead end road along which parking is very limited. An agricultural machinery business operates from Hillcroft at the top of the lane so access must be maintained at all times.

Parking, loading and unloading of horse boxes/trailers by arrangement only with Mr M Latham at Hillcroft, Bradeley Green Lane, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4HE (01948 665556). Please expect parking charges on private land.