Rising Brook to Stafford Castle Doorstep Walk

This walk will take you between 2 - 4 hours to complete. | Photo Gallery |

The walk could start anywhere along the route since it is circular, but a good place would be close to the shopping centre at Rising Brook.

1 From the Baptist Church cross John Amery Drive and follow the pavement to reach the pedestrian crossing on West Way. A public footpath to the right of the Grove Primary School leads to Highfield Grove and continues between the houses, to a metal gateway giving access to Rowley Park.

2 Walk across this open area which has been used for sports since the 1960's. Stop and regard the wide range of sporting facilities that are available to the Stafford community.

3 Following your brief visit to Rowley Park, you may leave again via another metal gateway passing between houses to reach Lawn Road. Turn left past a row of tall terraced houses, then right down Rowley Avenue.

4 On reaching the Newport Road (A518) cross to the road marked 'Castlefields'. Look for a public footpath sign near a small brick building. Another sign, a few metres beyond, directs you right along a path which leads to a lake created in the early 1990's when the new Castlefields estate was built.

5 Follow the path around the lake, cross the access road towards Castlefields estate and look for a footpath sign near the hedge on the far side. This directs you along the well used path up to the Castle, passing a sports field and the Castle Golf Course. Ignore another path branching off to the right.

6 As you gain height look around for some familiar landmarks including the dark tower of St Mary's Church, the windmill at Broad Eye and Stafford's tower block. In wet weather this part of the route can be very muddy.

7 The path leaves the Golf Course at a stile near a group of mature trees and bears slightly left across two fields to the Castle drive and Visitor Centre. On the way you cross a sunken path - the original road to the Castle.

8 A walk along the Castle Trail, using the explanatory signboards, leads you around the earthworks of the Norman Castle and eventually to the top of the motte where, on fine days, the views are far reaching in all directions.

9 Return to the Visitor Centre and continue the walk down the Castle drive to the road (A518). Cross with care into Thorney^elds Lane. At the far end turn right down Whittingham Drive, left at the junction with Sundown Drive and right into the next part of Thorneyfields Lane.

10 As you approach the bridge over the M6 motorway look for a footpath sign on the left. The path leads across open fields between the motorway and Western Downs estate. Pass an area of newly planted trees then bear left at a hedge boundary to rejoin Sundown Drive and a little further ahead, the end of Larkin Close.

11 Look for a footpath sign on a lamp post. This directs you over rough ground beside the boundary hedge. When the ground begins to descend to the brook (the Rising Brook) turn sharp left along a tarmac path below houses and follow the path to reach a bend on Barnes Road

12 Go forward to cross the brook over a footbridge and walk along Hambridge Close and Shannon Road, then left into Burton Manor Road. After a few metres turn right along Hazelton Green, then left down John Amery Drive to return to the shopping area at Rising Brook.

Well done for completing this walk. Why not keep your walking shoes on and explore the other Doorstep Walks in and around Stafford!