(S/E) From the front door of the Hare and Hounds, turn left along the main road (A627). Pass Marple Garden Centre on your right, then bear left across Otterspool Bridge.
(1) Turn left down a farm drive (the Alan Newton Way), passing Stockport Hydro on your left. Bear right, continuing along the lane, at Chadkirk Kennels. After 100 yards, an unofficial path on the left leads through the trees and then follows the riverbank, bypassing Waterside Farm.
Eventually the path leaves the river and rejoins the farm track, by an Alan Newton Way sign opposite another footpath. Turn left along the track and follow it to Goyt Hall (ignoring the Midshires Way when it heads off left).
(2) Keep straight on past the farm, then when the track bends left climb a stile on your right into a field. Cross the field to a double stile, beyond which turn sharp right up a small valley. Shortly climb out of the valley, up the bank on your left, and follow the woodland edge uphill, with the valley on your right.
Cross a stile and continue to a crossing path, where you turn right and drop to cross the stream. The track continues uphill then bears right along a hedge.
(3) When you meet a farm drive, turn left into a housing estate. Follow the road (Clapgate) past Bredbury Green Primary School and a row of shops to a junction. Turn right (Bredbury Green) and walk out to the main road (A627), ignoring the turnings into The Ridgway and Greenhead Fold on your right.
At the main road (Hatherlow) turn right.
(4) At the Spread Eagle pub, turn left before the church and follow Green Lane downhill. Just before the canal aqueduct, climb the steps on your left up to the towpath.
Turn right, over the aqueduct, and follow the canal for a quarter of a mile. Just after a second aqueduct, by a litter bin, leave the canal down a flight of stone steps on your right.
Turn left down the road (Vale Road), passing white-painted cottages on either side to reach St Chad’s Well and Chadkirk Farm.
(5) Follow Vale Lane round a left-hand bend, then turn left to the Chapel (signposted Chadkirk Chapel, Kirk Wood and Peak Forest Canal). Once you’ve visited the Chapel, follow the path below the walled garden.
Turn right at a T-junction of paths. Walk along the bottom of Kirk Wood, keeping straight ahead at the bottom of a stepped path on the left. The path bends right to a gate, beyond which you turn left (signposted Chadkirk Bridge).
(6) Cross the river and turn right. After a bridge over a sidestream, ignore a stepped path on the left, continuing along the main track, which climbs to a hairpin bend. Leave the track along a path ahead that climbs through the trees, before turning right at the top of the wood.
(7) At a fork take the right-hand path, which descends to a footbridge. Cross the field ahead to the main road (A627). Turn left to return to the Hare and Hounds. (S/E)
