BATH PONDS
Degree of difficulty :- Medium
Length :- 2.5 miles (approx)
Approx time :- 1.5 hours ( if you don’t visit the Starr Inn ! )
Start at Oakamoor Car Park (Public Toilets) on Station Road
Cross the park over the river bridge, bear left, until you reach the Cricketers Arms.
Turn right, stay on footpath, past bus shelter, cross the B5417 opposite old filling station.
Head up the track to Cotton Dell.
Continue past the houses into the Nature Reserve through a gate ( usually open ).
The track crosses a bridge over the Dell Stream.
After about 200 yards there is a concrete footbridge on the right.
Cross the bridge and continue up the path until you reach a stone wall.
Turn left and follow the path uphill in the wood until you reach a farm track.
Turn left and follow the track until you see a public footpath signpost.
Continue straight on until you reach Bath House.
Do not enter the drive but skirt round to the right passing through 2 gates into a field. Beware ! There is sometimes stock in this field.
Follow the track ,but where the public footpath forks right uphill, carry straight on.
Follow an old farm track which runs slightly downhill across the centre of the field.
Head for a stile at the edge of the wood with yellow topped marker posts.
Follow the marker posts until you reach the Dell Stream.
Turn left and follow the stream for ¾ mile back to Oakamoor Village.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Keep a lookout for wildlife :- Foxes, Badgers, Woodpeckers, Jays, Heron, Dippers,Wagtails, Tawny Owls, Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Wood Pigeon, Nuthatch, Tree Creepers
Spot some Trees:- Beech, Ash, Oak, Elder, Spruce, Silver Birch,