Gnosall Walks
Brough Hall and Audmore
Distance: Approx 3 miles Duration: Approx 90 minutes
Start: Grosvenor Centre Car Park
From the Grosvenor Centre, turn left to walk up Audmore Road to its junction with Knightley Road. Turn left to walk up Knightley Road, past its junction with Brookhouse Road, until you reach a cottage on your left which sits on the junction with the lane which leads to Hollies Common. On your right you should see a public footpath sign by a stile.
Cross this stile and walk up the field keeping the hedge on your right, continue into the next field still keeping the hedge on your right. At the field corner cross a stile on your right and walk out onto a lane.
Turn left on the lane towards a house, but before you reach the house, cross a small wooden footbridge on your right and enter a field. Walk up the field, and the next, all the time keeping the hedge on your left. When you reach the next corner, go through the gate on your left into the next field and continue to walk in the same direction but this time with the hedge on your right. At the next corner cross again into the field on your right and then continue, once again with the hedge on your left, still in the same direction. Keep ahead in the next field where you will see Brough Hall in front of you, leave the field through the gate and onto the lane with Brough Hall on your left.
Turn right along the lane until it bends sharply right. At this point cross the stile on your left and walk along the field with the hedge on your right. After a short while watch for the stile on your right. (*see below for optional diversion to the Hand & Cleaver here). Cross it and walk straight across the field to the far side in the direction of Gnosall towards a hidden pool surrounded by bushes. You can pass the pool either by the stile to the left or by the gate to the right of it. Continue straight across this field, and the next one in a straight line, heading towards the tower of St Lawrence Church in the distance. In the final field walk again straight ahead to a stile just in front of a house which will bring you onto the Audmore "loop" lane. Turn right and walk past several pleasant looking houses and soon you will come to a fork in the road. Fork right and when you come to the next junction, turn left to walk down Audmore Road to return to your starting point.
**Diversion to the Hand & Cleaver Pub. Starting from the point marked by the * asterix above:
Instead of crossing the stile on the right to return to Gnosall, Cross the field on your left to walk towards a stile, Cross the stile and walk diagonally left to the corner of the field, crossing a stile to emerge onto a path which passes between trees. Follow this path until you reach a lane. Then turn right along the lane for a few yards to reach the Hand & Cleaver public house. Return by the same route and then continue the walk as above. The path to the Hand & Cleaver gives panoramic views across the countryside towards Stafford and its castle.
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