(S/E) From The Joshua Bradley , cross the main road (A560) and turn right; follow the main road for 1⁄4 mile before turning left into Apethorn Lane.
(1) After another 1⁄4 mile, cross the old railway bridge and then turn sharp right onto the Trans-Pennine Trail (TPT). Swing left and follow the TPT for just over a mile, passing under five former railway bridges and passing four National Cycle Network markers.
(2) After bridge number 126, look out for the fifth marker (“Apethorn 13⁄4 Godley 3⁄4”) at a crossing with a metalled path; 60 yards further along, turn off the Trail on an unsignposted path to the right over a sleeper bridge and climb the bank.
The path beyond leads along the edge of a field with a wooded valley down to your right, then swings left to meet a stony track (Green lane). Turn right and follow the track to the cluster of houses at Godley Green. Keep straight on to pass Godley Riding School and exit to Old Mottram Road.
(3) Cross over and turn left along the pavement past a bus stop, then turn right up a cobbled driveway. Ignore the bridleway on your left, keeping instead to the driveway and passing close to the end of the house before turning right through a wooden kissing gate.
Bear left (uphill) and climb to Werneth Low with the sandy bridleway a close companion to your left. At a gate near the summit you will probably wish to detour to the cenotaph away to your right, but afterwards return to this path to continue along the edge of the golf course.
(4) At a junction of paths turn right, through a kissing gate between the two bridleways, and follow an unsurfaced path through the grass, which leads out to the road by the Quarry Car Park (ignore any side paths).
Turn right and pass the telephone box and a house called The Mount.
(5) Opposite the entrance to Hyde Cricket and Squash Club cross over and follow a permitted footpath that runs parallel to Werneth Low road past the Hare and Hounds pub. At the end of this path, turn right down a concrete drive signposted to Lowside Farm and Birches Barn.
Walk through the cluster of farm buildings to a crossing track, where you turn right then immediately left through a kissing gate with a Tameside Trail waymark. Walk down the left-hand side of two fields, then bear slightly right to a metal kissing gate.
(6) Cross the next field to Bowlacre Farm and follow a narrow path between hedge and wall. Cross the drive and follow the footpath opposite to enter some woodland with a stream valley to the left. Follow the path just inside the woodland edge to a waymark, beyond which the path descends to cross the stream. Climb the opposite bank to emerge on the main road next to the Joshua Bradley. (S/E)
