(S/E) From the car park entrance, turn left and walk out to the main road. Cross carefully and turn left, over the swingbridge. Continue along the pavement as the road swings left and look out for a stile on your right just after a road sign. Dropdown past a smallholding to a stile and footbridge, and bear half-right in the field beyond to a metal kissing gate beside a farmer’s gate. Bear left to a wooden stile, then climb the scrubby bank beyond to another stile. Walk along the right-hand side of a grassy enclosure to another stile, which gives access to a path between gardens out to the road. Turn right and follow the pavement for 250 yards, passing the end of Wetton Lane.
(1) Turn left into Chapel Lane, passing the Methodist Church on your left. Follow the road down to Chapel Lane Bridge and cross the railway. Pass a handsome house on your right then, at the more modern house at the farm entrance, keep right down a muddy tractor track. Continue along the narrowing green lane as the track ends, eventually descending to a small stone bridge, thought to be a packhorse bridge.
(2) Once over the stream, turn immediately right and cross the field to a footbridge. Walk up the left-hand side of the next field to a gate by a stable building. After a second gate, turn left down the drive from Mount Pleasant and then turn right at the road.
(3) Pass houses to left and right, then opposite Rocking Horse Farm (on your left), turn right between buildings and cross a stile to the left of a brick barn. Go over another stile ahead and turn left, then follow the field boundary round to the right and down into the minor valley of Dane’s Gutter. Climb the bank beyond to a gate, then follow the left-hand edge of the following field until you reach Cliff Lane.
(4) Turn left to a T-junction, then turn right down a no through road. After some cottages and at the entrance to a mobile home park, turn right (with a Weaver Way signpost towards Northwich). Cross the former course of the Weaver and continue to the Main Navigation. Turn right and follow the path to and below Dutton Viaduct. Continue past the Horse Bridge (on the opposite bank) to Dutton Locks.
(5) Cross via the lock gates and turn right past the houses. Cross the bridge over the weir-stream and follow the metalled track alongside the Weaver for a mile, until you reach the swingbridge. Cross the road to return to the Leigh Arms.(S/E)
