LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

I parked at Tesco car park in Uttoxeter and walked south along the A518 to the sculpture of Centaur in the centre of the island near the railway station and old cattle market. Turning left I passed the old cattle market and station to a car boot market in a field alongside many factories. I followed the 'Staffordshire Way' signs north to cross the meadow fields of the River Dove flood plain to the A50 main road. Here I turned right on a lane to cross the river at the A50 road bridge into Derbyshire. Look for the steps down on the right to cross under the bridge for a short detour to the old Dove Bridge. I continued north across the fields, taking care to spot the Way signs, noting the direction of the arrows across the fields. The footpath slowly ascended up the edge of an escarpment, with Sidford Woods on the steep left side and ploughed fields on the right side. The farmer was busy with his tractor, so I had to hurry out of his way to prevent lowering his productivity. At the lane I turned left and noted the red flag while slowly descending to the shooting club and Eaton Hall Farm. Being a Saturday morning the shooting club was busy, so the loud bangs from the shooting range were very noisy and very numerous. The sheep in the fields alongside Eaton Wood were not bothered at all, with their heads down and munching away. Several gates on this section had no footpath signs at all, so I kept going north until reaching the finger post on the lane to Eaton Dovedale Farm, which assured me I had been walking the correct way. Right at the finger post, then I turned left in front of the impressive Manor House with the prominent 'Private' sign. I stopped for lunch by a pool with a duck house and some seedling trees on its bank, with leaves a bright autumn orange colour. I looked west from here across the River Dove valley to Combridge village and the wind turbine on the hilltop. Onwards along the eastern side of the Dove valley, I followed the meandering river upstream and north to Rocester Bridge. I turned left over the impressive bridge back into Staffordshire, passing the football ground and the 'JCB Academy' building. Lots of double decker buses were transporting passengers between the academy and the works on the edge of Rocester town. I walked west into the town, then north at the road junction, by the 'New Buttercross' shelter, to the bus stop opposite the garage. Here I boarded the 'swift' bus back to Uttoxeter, passing the Bull sculpture on the island north of Tesco store, back to the car for my journey home. An excellent walk, very enjoyable. A step closer to John o' Groats.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk, - Start: at Uttoxeter. Finish: at Rochester