Consall Nature Park - Churnet Valley - Kingsley

Ray Gillett

You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.

From the car park continue along the path to the valley bottom. Turning left, the rough track eventually reaches the isolated Black Lion Pub, mostly used by canal holiday barges. This will be closed during the winter season. Crossing the picturesque canal-bridge, the path along the canal is followed until you turn uphill through thick woodland. At Booth Hall you will pass an aviary which is most interesting. Then the route drops downhill through a rather muddy patch until the canal is reached. A walk along the canal path is undertaken. Just by the lock gates the path will be found into Consall Nature Park. The route from thereon can be as per these instructions, or you can deviate using the visitor centre map of the reserve.

England - Central England - Staffordshire - Countryside

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Flowers, Food Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Nature Trail, Pub, River, Toilets, Wildlife

4/13/2008 - Eric Knapper

I must admit I agree with Jeffrey's comments after being completely swallowed in mud! At some points the mud was knee high and it was almost impossible to walk. Now don’t get me wrong I like mud and I expect mud on any route but this was ridiculous. Step 11: Very difficult to find this stile. The large hall is a large barn and the thick bush is absolutely enormous, so much so that it is impossible to see the stile and this part of the route is scattered with various farm equipment and a horse that was just roaming around free in the farmyard. Step 14: There were some electric fences on this route and the same wire fence surrounded the mud bath which was a bit disconcerting as the mud bath was on an incline and a nasty slip may have resulted in more than a covering of mud – of course it may not have been electrified but I was not going to test it to find out! Following the mud bath we ventured near to the canal and spoke to a very friendly guy on one of the moored barges who pointed out that it had been this bad (muddy) since last June and it had never dried out!!

11/30/2007 - Jeffrey Smith

I would not recommend this walk in the winter; after leaving the nature park, the route degenerates into a mud bath as it winds through various dilapidated farmyards, finally culminating in a truly boot-sucking, ankle deep muddy track through woods down to the canal. The route is obviously regularly used by herds of wildebests - we saw their tracks!To be fair, it may be pretty in summer.

9/25/2007 - David Kenneth

A most pleasant walk, we took the dog and apart from having to manhandle 40kilos of rhodesian ridgeback over the stile at the back of the farmyard, it was ideal !