Circular walk from Fradley Junction

This 4.6 mile route from pretty Fradley Junction should take around two hours to complete.

Canal: Trent & Mersey Canal

Start and finish: Fradley Junction, Alrewas, Staffordshire, DE13 7DN

Distance: 7.6km / 4.6 miles

Route instructions

1. Turn right out of the Canal & River Trust car park. Follow the road to Keepers Lock. Go over Canal Bridge 50, cross the road and walk along the canal towpath of the Trent & Mersey Canal. Shortly after passing under a concrete road bridge turn right over Canal Bridge 49 immediately after Bagnall Lock and continue ahead past some garages on the left (ignoring the public footpath sign on your right)

2. Turn left along a narrow path, and enter a sports field. Follow the path on the righthand side of the sports field passing sports courts keeping the perimeter fence on your right. Go through the right-hand gate adjacent to the pavilion along a path flanked by a line of fir trees on your left. Emerge on to a car park and turn right down the access road. Walk past the close (The Cricketers) on your right and go through a gap in the hedge to emerge onto a main road (A513). Cross the road (caution – fast traffic) and enter Daisy Lane immediately opposite. Walk along Daisy Lane for approximately 300 yards and pass through a kissing gate on the left-hand side (ignore previous gates which are padlocked).

3. Follow the worn footpath diagonally across the field to another kissing gate. Go into the next field and follow the worn footpath diagonally across this field to reach a concrete bridge over a stream and pass through a small five-barred gate into the next field. Follow the path next to the hedgerow on the left-hand side of the field. At the far end of the field, with a house on the left, turn right on to a track. After approximately 80 yards turn left by the Public Footpath sign after the cottages and take the left hand footpath (not the one diagonally across the field).

4. Follow the perimeter of the field, with the hedgerow on your left-hand side. Go through a small five-barred gate, with the hedgerow now on your right-hand side. Turn left at the end of the field and then immediately right through a kissing gate. Turn right and walk along Dunmore Hay Lane, as far as the crossroads.

5. Turn left at the crossroads into Long Lane. Follow this road through a housing estate to a T Junction, with the Post Office on your left-hand side. Turn right into Church Lane, and walk along the pavement until you reach St Stephen's Church. With the church on your right continue for a short distance until you reach St Stephen's Primary School. Cross the road opposite the school and walk down Bridge Farm Lane recognised by ‘No Through Road' signs and signposted ‘Fradley South Cycle route'.

6. Continue ahead to reach canal bridge 90. Turn left down the sloping path on to the canal towpath and turn immediately right under Canal Bridge 90 of the Coventry Canal. Follow the canal towpath to Fradley Junction. Listen out for a woodpecker in the woodland between Canal Bridge 91 and the Junction. Turn right at Fradley Junction and walk the remaining 150 yards to the Canal & River Trust car park.