Anderton Lift and Great Budworth

1. From the car park go over the bridge and onto the canal tow path and turn left past the Anderton Lift Visitor Centre. Soon the woodlands of Marbury Park are seen over to the left. Continue on the footpath to bridge 193 and leave the canal and turn left (a pub and the entrance to the Lion Salt works Museum are to the right).

2. The route continues to the left over the bridge and between flashes, the latter caused by subsidence. At a public footpath sign, turn left along a tarmac track and where it ends at a farm, keep ahead along a narrow enclosed path to a style. Climb this and trace to the right edge of the next field to reach a stile. From here head half-right (towards the distant houses) to two gates and a stile in a wide gap in the far hedgerow. Climb the stile at sharp point of a field and put a fence on your left, heading just left of the houses. Cross a track via two stiles and then keep the hedgerow on your right, crossing another stile before reaching a main road.

3. Carefully cross the road and turn left along the pavement. After 400 yards turn right at a finger post and walk up the sloping field to put the top hedge on your left. Excellent views stretch ahead of the Peak District. Walk on to use a stile onto a grassy track. This shortly becomes a tarred lane. Continue on to the centre of Great Budworth and the George and Dragon Pub. Take time to visit the fine Medieval Church here.

4. Continue on past the Church and follow the footpath out of the village. Follow the footpath to the left and shortly after joining Heath Lane take the footpath on the right. Continue along the footpath until it reaches Budworth Heath Lane then turn right along the road. Continue on till you reach a junction where you turn left turn right past the Spinner & Bergamot Inn. Follow the road past the pub until it reaches Budworth Lane then take the waymarked path into the woods on your Left, just past Brownslow Cottage. At the far side of the woods, use the kissing gate and keep ahead to pick up the line of the fence on your right, Budworth Mere is off to your Left, Go through another kissing gate, cross a footbridge and keep ahead with another fence on your Right to use another kissing gate. Again keep ahead to a final kissing Gate onto a pavement.

5. Turn Left and then after a short distance take the public footpath off to the right and walk along the right edge of the Field to another stile. Climb it. Keep ahead through trees, cross a footbridge over a stream and climb a stile to exit from the trees. Walk across the next two fields, climb two stiles, to emerge onto a lane. Climb the stile opposite, walk across a field, go through a wide gap and bear Left along the Left edge of the next field above a ditch. Climb a stile and continue along the Right edge of fields, passing two redundant stiles before reaching the road. Turn Left into Anderton and at the T-junction turn sharp Right over a canal bridge. Turn Right through a hedge gap onto the tow path and turn Right again to pass under the bridge. Walk along the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Anderton Boat Lift. After looking round the visitor centre, cross the bridge and return to the Stanley Arms.